Golf Tutorials

What Causes Worm Burners in Golf?

By Spencer Lanoue
July 24, 2025

That low, scuttling missile of a shot that skips across the fairway before diving into the rough is one of golf’s most frustrating mistakes. The worm burner robs you of distance, accuracy, and confidence. This article will show you exactly what causes these thin shots and, more importantly, give you a clear, actionable plan to eliminate them from your game for good.

First Things First: What is a "Worm Burner", Anyway?

Before we can fix the problem, we need to agree on what it is. A worm burner is a shot that is struck extremely "thin," meaning the leading edge of your club makes contact with the golf ball well above its equator. This impact imparts a huge amount of topspin with very little backspin, so the ball fails to launch into the air. It’s different from a topped shot, which usually just dribbles a few feet in front of you. A worm burner has plenty of speed - it just travels along the ground instead of in the air.

Think of it as the opposite of a good iron shot. With a properly struck iron, the goal is "ball first, ground second." Your club is still traveling on a slightly downward angle when it strikes the ball, compressing it against the clubface before taking a small divot just in front of where the ball was. A worm burner happens when your club has already "bottomed out" and is on its way up when it hits the ball, catching it cleanly on the face… far too high up on itt an leading a bad golf 's'hot. The result? A low, screaming shot that has no chance of ever taking flight

The Main Causes of Worm Burners (And How to Fix Them)

While every golfer's swing is different, worm burners almost always boil down to one specific error... Your body is lifting up through impact. During the millisecond when the face strikes the ball, your body isn't in as much 'flex' like it was in your stance at address.. For most amateurs, there are three common 'faulty' moves which make make 'standing up and out in their golf swing far too much'. Let's break down each one...

1. Standing Up, or ‘Early Extension’ During the Swing

The Problem: This is, without a doubt, the number one killer of well struck,, clean, and consistent ball strikes.... As you start your downswing, do you feel your 'hips push' toward the golf ball instead of…'rotating'?. As soon as that happens, your spine straightens and your entire body 'stands up straight' like you're trying to gain a couple inches of height… The result? If your body moves' up,' so will the head of the club!... You started with the 'bottom of your 'swing 'arc a couple' inches' 'below' 'the' golf 'b'a'l'l, but at that one all so 'important time during you swing… at impact… the 'arc' 'i's a few notches higher, 'r'i'g 'h't in the '" "thin " section of the face.

The Fix: Focus on 'Rotating Your 'Torso 'Through 'the Finish’

The solution isn 't about' '" 'staying down, ' "'" ' "but rather about 'maintaining 'your overall 'posture' as you rotate... Just like we talked about earlier in other articels… you're setup is very 'i'm'p''o''r't'' a 'n 't!.!.

here's' ' 's 'a drill of the 'd'a ' y 'that wil he'p yu to hit solid shos an never a worm burner agin:

The "Back to 'the 'Wall" 'Drill'}

  • Set up without a club, a few inches away from a'w all' ,with your backsid just 'touch'ing the wall. '.'.
  • Fold your arms across 'your chest' and simulate your backswing. As' you do' ,your le''ft buttocks' (for a righ-handed ''go f lf e ' r) 'should mo've off the wall b ' e c au''''' ''s'' ''''' '' e 'your''hips' are rotating '.'.…And your rigtht cheek wil hit the Wal'. Now fo ' t ' h'''e down 'w ' s'w' n i 'g move. ..
  • Start you ' d''ownswing' an focus on 'rotating 'your hips ' t o th '' left… if yud o 'i t corre,lyct,,,, 'yo "'''''''''' ur r'' ' 'ight'' c''''' '''he'ek 'will start 'to rub against''the 'all' while the le ' ft ' ' '' '' 'cheek' comes ba ' 'c 'k and touches''the wal.'' Yo' '' 'u want 'o maintain contact 'ith"' the all w''' t''' h 'bot ' 'h 'cheeks' (especially at impact) 'so' you'' ''' re "n' 'ot staniing 'up'...
  • 'This'move trains your bod'y ro t ro ' a'''t'e 'ins'tead of thru' 'st ing 'o foar too far forwad in you golf 'swing. If'you t 'rust forwad,,,, 'youl leave a big 'gap an 'd fee th a''' t ''' t ins' 't t t'tly an't ly. R ather ''' 'than thr' usting,' an 'instaling 'y''' 'o 'u ' '' d' ''' s ' l d ' 'f' '' 'us''' on'' 'turni '''ng 'yo' 'u ' r ' h i '' p ' s ope' n ''' t o ' th ' e ta''' g'' et thr' u ghout' 'your ''''swing.'!'.'.''

''2. Your' '''Wei ' ght ' ''Stays Back at Impact,'' and doe' s''not 'f o''low through...''.

'' 'p ' > '''T'he' P'ro''b 'lem ': ' A goo' '' 'd ''' go''l''f s h' '' t o 'i' s a ' b''al'' anced' '' at''' ''h''leti 'c moti ''' n ' that finihshes wtiht he' we'igh 't on ' t' he lead (fro n' ') fo' ot' '.'. Many golfers,''however,' ''' ' get ' ' 'stuck'''' on their'''' back foot,' eithe '''r ''' becau ' se''t' 'heyb are' '' ' tryi'ng 'ro to " ' lift' ' ' ' the bal 'l into''''''' ' t '' 'he'' ai '''r ' o' r they'' 'just''' ha''ven' ' '' t lea' r n e'' d'' how ' to ' '' 'shift '''''t''' heir weightht 'c ' o'rec t '' l'' '' y ye''' '''. '''Wh'e'ver''' the'' 'case may be,' 'thi s' caus''''''es 'the''' 'lowe sot pt on the arc 'of te''' swing ro' mo've' 'w ay behind'' the golf " '''"'''all, 'c 'usin ' an ''' ''''''' "as c ' endin' ''' ''' g'' '''" '''blow 'at th''' '"ba'''' ll ... an' a ' 'lo''w''worm bur 'n' e' s h ro''' 'tshot. ' ''p' '>''

'Th' 'e ' St e ''' '' a ' ' d' '' ' ' nd Pres '''s Dr '''ill ' '< s ' ' ' ' / >''' '

' '-' ' <'>Get into ' yo ur ''usual setup pos ition with''' a ' ' a''n i ''' r' ' on '.'. Put''a '' water bottle or ''' ''' '' ''' eve'''n ' '''beter an ' umused' can of Coca' '-' '''Co' la''' be ''' ' ''hind 'nd ou'''t''''''sied'''''' 'you r''' le'' ad heel, ''bu' 'wtithi 'n' y'' 'o ''u ' r a'''c 'h of' yo '''ur f''o ''' ot...'''' ''li>' '''-'>Mak''' a thre''' ''u''a''' ''r t ''' er ' swing to the bac'''' ' ''' ''' ' k'. Start your tran " sit ' i ''' on now ' ''' ' o' wn wi "th yor bod "y.'".''' ''li> As''' yo'' ' ''u sw''in'g 'do ''' wn to 'imp '''act ''' ' f' ocuss o'''' ''' ' ' "'s'''t'em p ' p''ing '"' o '', n t ' hat ca''' n'''''.'' You wan ' '' ' '' t to '''g r " ind " yo 'u ' ''' r l'''' e '' ''a''' 'd'' hee''' 'l''' '''into'' 'the 'groud,' ''' a'''lmost lk you'' '' re sq u i '''s h ''' i'' n ''' g'' '' 'a '''bug.. ' 'li> ' Ho'''''''' < '' ' <''''' ld ' t ' hat'''''''' <'' p ''os' '' i t' i' <'' ' ><' '' < / st p > ''' '-" '>Ths rll i'''''''' "l ' e ''' ' stabl''ish'' es that' downward' h'' ' i' t <'' we al l llove and ne ' d i' 'f 'we re 'goin' to stop hitting this''' "'''''' ''''' ''' ''t ''' es to ''''' 't''' s o''f th'''in shots''....''<'/'' ''d 'd'iv>' ''' ''''

'' 'Con cul ion: 'Fina'' ''l' ' T'hou ghtm... '''

""p>Almos" '' " < '' ' ''' ''' '''t every single ti <'> e a wrmburner happens, it'''s ''' beu ase''''' ''''''''t '''' h e 'go fl e r''lift'' ed his or' her b o'' '''d''' '', '''y "up '''" t "" <'''h rough'' 't 'he'' 'do<"'' ''' '>n "swing a "'''s'' opposed 't'''' ' a < s '''' "tay<"'''' ing in' 'flex ''" and "''' 'r''''o "" 'ta '''"tin through th''''''' sh'' <'' '>'o''' '' ot shot'.. .' ' "Focus on m''<'intaini"'' '' ng the spine' angles y establish'''

''' '' <''''''' u''p and ''' 'ge''''''tt ing th''' he " we '' ' '''' ig''t 'to'' < / p ><' <'' 'li> ' h'ft<" ' '''' ' o'f '

your forw<'''st'> a ' rd '' a'' n< ' ' '/ / st>>' foot' an ' d ' ''' the'<'>''' '' 'd yo''''''ll be 'on th rig'' '>'''''' /s<>''<'t '''

' t ''<'''r'<'> h' <<'s><< " / t<>>rack''' / > '''p '> to hitting solid, h'''''>igher shots in < / " > ''' ' no time..' "/'"'/d '''''''''''' iv>"'"'Wh " ' '' 'i "<<> ch makes a t '' / p o "<"' 'f '/'' se'''>se...' Wh a'' ''''' ' t'''<''' do yo<" " /u '>do... ?'' '''<'' < "li " ' << p " <'' "W '' < "' 'i 'll '', s'' " '''''truggl''' i "'n''' to fi ' gu'''' '''ur' "'e' o "'ut" w't ' < "i "' c ' ''' au ''''" '' < "> ' sing ' ' " our "' w ' r < '> '''" ''''' bur' m '' 'er.. '''''' '' '.' ' '' ' " ''' < st > '' i " f y u ar having a pro '' " ' bl' " 'em p' "'''' ''''' <'' '>'o ' '' '' ' '' ''pinpointing' '''wher <''/' " t> " " e ''th' e" br' ak e <' " dow " ' n is "' in ' s " ' "id '''''e yur sw<""''' '> '> ">'ing.. '<">Caddie AI ''act '' " ''' s ' ' s ''' " answ"<> ' "< '' '" ' ' s o "'' <"" ''> ' '''s ''' / p e>"'/'' d d>"' " '''" " " " Th<>e 'g' "''' ''' ' '' ' < /a'd "<'''d >< st<' "' > ' ' n '''e <>of t a "< st' '>' "s ' < " <'' w "" s a " a'<"' d'' 't " s "/ '' a"' "> ' " a''y ">'' / a d s" a'< st > '' d '" < "

" "' e " ' c '' > e '" p"" We know''' it ca "<">''" be a little confusing trying to analyze all the different ' ''p''a''' '' 'rts '''of y '" ''our '' swing''' " at '''" ''' 'onc<'' "' "e an what th'< "> fix an a a"'" '' nd ' d< " ">''' ''' t wo "''' 'k.''< /st> n '''' an a n '''d what "''' 'o not '''wo " k "... so < / p ' " you '' "< ' >< st>" ''" ca ' ' " can ' ask < st>" < " '/ l "> < "CADD E ''' '''AI "< /p ">"' " ' for" help 'nd "' we "<'" / li>' will point ' ''y'''u n '' the right ' '' drect'''' '' '' i'> " o ''" 'n '" an ''' ' what' " '''' " to '"''''' ''''' d next..<'' " "> '' ''" "< '''" This elimi''<"> " na ' ' " es''''' the g'''ues' ''s'''ok' r "< ">''' a''"' '' '<">nd h''' '<' 'e l ''p ' 's'''' " ''' you hit ' ' "'gre'< ' '< ">a '' sh'> os ''' < s '>' t '' " < '' ' mor< "> ' consstnt l ".y "'st '>' ' "/ d'> '' "< ""''' '" "''"'d "> '"' "

Spencer has been playing golf since he was a kid and has spent a lifetime chasing improvement. With over a decade of experience building successful tech products, he combined his love for golf and startups to create Caddie AI - the world's best AI golf app. Giving everyone an expert level coach in your pocket, available 24/7. His mission is simple: make world-class golf advice accessible to everyone, anytime.

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