A skulled golf shot is that low, screaming bullet that rockets off your clubface, travels about twice as far as you intended, and often skitters across the green into trouble. It feels hard, thin, and jarring. If this sounds painfully familiar, you're in the right place. This article will break down exactly why you skull a golf ball and, more importantly, provide you with the exact strategies and drills to stop it for good.
In simple terms, skulking a shot - also called "thinning" or "blading" it - happens when the leading edge of your golf club makes contact with the equator (the middle) or even the top half of the golf ball. The goal is for the clubface to strike the back of the ball, slightly below its equator, compressing it against the turf and using the club's loft to launch it into the air.
When you skull it, you're effectively missing the bottom half of the ball. Because the club hits the ball so high up, it can't engage with the grooves or use its loft. The result is a shot with almost no backspin and a very low, hot trajectory. It’s most common and most punishing with shots around the green - like chips and pitches - where an extra 50 feet of distance can mean the difference between a tap-in par and a difficult recovery for a double bogey.
Don't worry, every single golfer has skulled a shot. It’s one of the most common mishits in the sport. The good news is that it’s almost always caused by a handful of simple swing faults that are very correctable.
To fix the skull, we first need to understand what's causing it. Skulling the ball is a symptom of one major issue: the bottom of your swing arc is happening too early, behind the ball. This causes the club to be traveling upwards as it reaches the ball, catching it thin. Let's look at the primary culprits that cause this to happen.
This is arguably the most frequent cause of skulled shots among amateurs. You start your swing in a good posture, bent over from the hips. But as you transition into your downswing, your hips and pelvis thrust forward towards the ball. To make space, your spine angle lifts up and you stand taller.
Think about what this does to your hands and the club. If your body lifts up, your hands lift up, and consequently, the clubhead lifts up. The nice, low swing path you established at address is now much higher. The club's bottom point (its low point) moves up and back, making it nearly impossible to hit a solid shot. Instead of striking the back of the ball with a descending blow, the rising clubhead catches the middle of the ball with its sharp leading edge.
A powerful and consistent golf swing involves a transfer of weight. In the backswing, you should feel your weight load into your trail side (right side for a righty). In the downswing, this weight needs to shift forward onto your lead side (left side for a righty). This forward shift allows the lowest point of your swing to happen at, or preferably just after, the golf ball.
Many golfers who skull shots stall on their back foot. They might make a good turn, but their weight never makes it to the front side. Their body hangs back, and their swing bottoms out several inches behind the ball. From there, the only way to reach the ball is with the club on its upswing. Just like with early extension, this results in the leading edge making contact with the equator of the ball.
The "chicken wing" describes the look of a golfer’s lead arm (the left arm for a righty) bending and pulling in close to the body immediately after impact. It often happens when golfers are trying to "steer" the ball toward the target instead of freely rotating their body through the shot.
When that lead arm collapses and bends, it shortens the radius of your swing. This, once again, pulls the clubhead up and away from the ground. Your swing arc has effectively shrunk right at the moment of truth. You might think you’re helping guide the club, but you’re actually lifting it up, exposing the leading edge and causing a thin, skulled strike.
This is a an all-too-common misconception, especially on shots close to the green. You see the flag, you know you need to get the ball up high and land it soft, so your brain tells your hands to "scoop" the ball up. This scooping or lifting motion is the literal-opposite of what you need to do.
The golf club is engineered with loft for a reason - it’s designed to get the ball airborne. Your job is to deliver that loft to the ball. To do that, you must hit down on the ball. When you try to flip your wrists to help the ball up, your club bottoms out early and comes up into the ball. The perfect motion for a high, soft wedge shot feels like you're trapping the ball between the clubface and the grass.
Now that you know the causes, let's get to work with some simple, effective drills designed to fix them. You can practice these at the range or even at home in your backyard.
This drill gives you instant feedback on whether you're standing up during your swing.
If you lift up (extend early), you’ll immediately feel your head pull away from the wall. This drill forces you to feel what it's like to maintain your posture and spine angle, rotating your body while staying bent over. It conditions the correct movement pattern. After a few practice swings, try to replicate that feeling when you're hitting balls.
This is a classic for getting your weight forward and it’s incredible for sequencing your downswing properly.
It's physically impossible to take this step if your weight is stuck on your back foot. This drill forces you to commit to moving your weight onto your lead side through impact. You’ll feel a much more commanding, powerful impact position where you are "covering" the ball.
This is the ultimate drill for anyone who tries to scoop or lift the ball up, especially around the greens. It visualizes the swing path for you.
The only way to achieve this is with a descending angle of attack. If your swing bottoms out behind the ball (the reason you skull it), you'll hit the towel first. This provides immediate, unmistakable feedback and trains you to move the low point of your swing forward, which is exactly what a good player does.
Skulling a golf ball feels terrible, but it's not a mystery. It's almost always the result of a swing that bottoms out too early, causing the club to rise into impact. By understanding whether your fault lies in standing up, hanging back, or a scooping motion, you can apply these a CTI liable drills to fix the root cause and replace that thin, bladed shot with a flush, powerful strike.
Solving these issues also comes down to making smarter decisions on the course. In those tricky situations where a skull seems likely - like a tight lie or a buried ball in the rough - we built Caddie AI to be your objective second opinion. You can snap a photo of your ball's lie, and our AI caddie will analyze it and offer strategic advice on the best shot to play, helping you avoid the panic-induced scoop and a potential skull. Having an expert in your pocket helps you turn those potential blow-up moments into simple, smart, and confident plays.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
