Catching the golf ball thin, that dreaded low-flying shot that screams across the green without a hint of loft, is one of golf's most frustrating experiences. This maddening phase of blading one shot after another isn’t random, it’s a symptom of a specific issue in your swing. This article will break down exactly what a blades phase is, show you the common root causes behind it, and most importantly, give you a clear, actionable plan to escape it and get back to hitting crisp, compressed iron shots.
A "blades phase" is a streak of shots where you consistently make contact with the equator or top half of the golf ball. Your club's leading edge - the ahem, "blade" - strikes the ball instead of the clubface making a descending blow to the back of it. This thin contact removes loft from the equation, resulting in a low, line-drive trajectory that often travels much farther than you intended and runs out endlessly with zero control.
Golfers often use different terms for this same shot. You might hear it called:
No matter what you call it, the underlying problem is the same: at the moment of impact, the low point of your golf swing is happening before the golf ball or is bottoming out too high above the ground. To hit a crisp iron shot, the club head must be traveling on a slightly descending path as it strikes the ball, creating a "ball-then-turf" contact. When you're in a blades phase, you're doing the opposite - your club is traveling level with the ground or, more likely, already on its way up at impact.
Getting stuck in a blades phase feels like a mystery, but it’s almost always caused by one (or a combination) of a few common, correctable swing flaws. Understanding why it’s happening is the first step to fixing it. Let's look at the most frequent culprits.
This is arguably the most common cause of thin shots among amateur golfers. It happens when your body rises up during the downswing, effectively canceling out the posture you established at address.
What it looks like: You start your swing in a good, athletic posture, bent at the hips with your chest over the ball. But as you transition from the backswing to the downswing, your hips thrust forward toward the ball, your spine straightens, and you stand up. When your body rises, your arms and the club rise with it. The sweet spot of the club, which was perfectly aligned with the center of the ball at address, is now several inches higher at impact, leading to a thin strike on the top half of the ball.
How to fix it: The Wall Drill
This is a classic for a reason. Find a wall and get into your setup position with your glutes just barely touching it. Take slow, controlled practice swings with the goal of keeping your rear end in contact with the wall all the way through impact. You’ll instantly feel what it’s like to maintain your posture and rotate your body, not stand up out of the shot. It will probably feel odd, but that sensation is what keeps your swing's low point in the correct place.
Many new or struggling golfers perceive the golf swing as an "up and down" lifting motion powered by the arms and shoulders. They lift the club straight up in the backswing and try to chop down on it. The problem is that an arms-only swing is incredibly hard to repeat consistently.
What it feels like: Your arms feel like the primary engine of the swing. There's very little body rotation. The power seems to come from lifting your arms high and then hitting down hard. A solid golf swing is a rotational action powered by your body. The club moves around your body in a circle-like manner as your torso turns back and ancoils through. When you lift and chop, you’re creating an inconsistent arc, and when your timing is just a little off, you’ll easily pull up just before impact and blade the ball.
How to fix it: The Feet-Together Drill
Get into your setup, but place your feet so they are touching. From here, take smooth half-swings with a short iron. You will quickly discover it's impossible to generate any power by swaying or heaving your upper body. Instead, you'll be forced to turn your torso and hips to move the club. This drill removes your ability to cheat with your arms and teaches your body to be the engine of the swing, creating a much more stable and repeatable swing arc.
"Casting" or "losing your lag" is when you unhinge your wrists at the very beginning of the downswing. Think about it like a fisherman casting a line - you throw the end of the line out. In golf, this means you're throwing the club head away from your body at the top of the swing. By doing this, you release all the stored-up power and speed far too early.
What it looks like: As you start your downswing, your right wrist (for a right-handed player) straightens immediately. This causes the club head to move down and away from your body in a wide, sweeping arc. By the time the club gets down to the ball, it's often already bottomed out or on its way up, leading to a classic thin shot. It steals your power and makes a descending strike all but impossible.
How to fix it: The Pump Drill
This drill helps you feel what it’s like to store that energy. Take your normal backswing. On the downswing, start by "pumping" the club down three times. In each pump, you want to get about halfway down while consciously keeping your wrists hinged. Feel the club head lagging behind your hands. On the fourth pump, go ahead and swing all the way through and hit the ball. This exaggerates the feeling of lag and trains your body to release the club at the bottom of the swing, not from the top.
Sometimes, the "blades phase" isn't due to a complex swing motion flaw but a simple setup mistake. If your ball position is too far forward in your stance for the club you're hitting, you are setting yourself up for failure.
What it is: Every golf club in your bag is designed to have its low point at a different spot relative to your stance. The driver's low point is significantly behind the ball, allowing you to hit up on it. With an iron, the low point should be slightly in front of the ball. If you place a pitching wedge or 9-iron in the same spot you'd place a driver (off your lead heel), your club will have already reached the bottom of its arc and started traveling upward by the time it gets to the ball. The result? A perfectly executed swing leading to a bladed shot.
How to fix it: Reference Your Anatomy
Here’s a simple guideline to get you started:
Sticking to these fundamentals gives you the best chance of matching your swing's low point with the club's design, making solid, ball-first contact an automatic result of a good swing.
Getting caught in a "blades phase" can completely derail your confidence, but remember, it’s not a permanent condition. It's almost always a sign that your swing's low point is out of position, typically caused by correctable issues like rising out of your posture, a disconnected "arms-only" swing, casting from the top, or a simple setup flaw. By understanding the cause, you can apply the right drill to get back on track.
Being your own swing coach can be tough, and trying to see flaws like early extension in your own swing is challenging. That’s precisely why we built Caddie AI. You can upload a swing video and ask for a detailed analysis to pinpoint exactly what's causing your bladed shots. Or, if you’re stranded on the course with a terrible lie, you can even snap a photo of your ball, and our AI can give you a smart, strategic way to play the shot. We remove the guesswork so you can focus on building a more consistent, confident game.
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