Why Am I Hitting the Ground Before the Golf Ball?

Hitting the ground before the ball - what golfers call a fat or heavy shot - is one of the most maddening experiences in the game. You make a full swing that feels powerful, only to watch a huge patch of grass fly farther than your ball. The good news is this issue is almost never about a lack of talent, it's about a simple flaw in your technique. This article will show you exactly why you're hitting the ground first and give you simple, concrete actions to fix it for good.

What's Actually Happening During a "Fat" Shot?

Every golf swing moves in an arc. The very bottom of that arc, where the club head is closest to the ground, is called the low point. To hit a crisp iron shot, the club needs to strike the ball first, with the low point of the swing occurring slightly after the ball. This is what creates that satisfying "ball-then-turf" contact you see from good players.

When you hit a shot fat, you’re simply doing the opposite. The low point of your swing is happening before you get to the ball. Your club head strikes the ground first, digging into the turf and losing almost all its speed before it ever makes contact with the golf ball. So instead of compressing the ball against the clubface, you’re hitting it with a shovel full of dirt.

This isn’t about needing more hand-eye coordination or being a natural athlete. It's almost always a problem with sequence and balance. The fix starts with understanding the real causes.

The 3 Main Culprits Behind Heavy Shots (And How to Fix Them)

Typically, a mismanaged low point boils down to one of three common issues. We’ll look at each one and provide a practical drill you can take straight to the range to correct it.

Culprit #1: Your Weight is Stuck on Your Back Foot

This is easily the most frequent reason for hitting the ball fat. In an effort to "help" the ball get airborne, golfers often keep their weight planted on their trail foot (the right foot for a right-handed player) through the downswing. As you hang back, the entire center of your swing arc shifts with you, moving the low point behind the ball.

You might feel like you are trying to "scoop" or lift the ball up, and your finish often feels off-balance, like you are falling away from the target. Remember, the loft of the club is designed to get the ball in the air. Your job is to deliver the club down and through the ball by moving your weight toward the target.

The Fix: The "Step-Through" Drill

This drill physically programs your body to get your weight moving forward correctly. It makes it almost impossible to hang back.

• Step 1: Set up to the ball as you normally would with a mid-iron, like an 8-iron.
• Step 2: Make your normal backswing.
• Step 3: As you begin your downswing, focus on turning your hips toward the target. When you swing through impact, let your trail foot (your right foot) naturally come off the ground and take a full step forward, as if you were walking toward the target.
• Step 4: You should finish with your trail foot having stepped past your lead foot, standing and facing your target.

Doing a few of these in a row forces you to transfer your pressure and weight onto your front foot. This shift naturally moves the bottom of your swing arc forward, placing it right where it should be: just after the golf ball.

Culprit #2: Your Upper Body "Hangs Back"

This second culprit is closely related to weight shift, but it’s more about the position of your head and torso. Many golfers instinctively want to get "under" the ball, so they drop their head and shoulders behind it at impact. This backward tilt of your upper body effectively moves your swing center several inches behind the ball, setting up a fat shot every time.

The feeling is one of trying to "lift" with your shoulders. Your arms will often feel disconnected from your body rotation as they fly out to try to save the shot. The correct motion is for your chest and arms to rotate through the shot together, staying much more centered over the ball.

The Fix: The "Headcover Under the Arm" Drill

This drill is a classic for a reason. It encourages a connected swing where your arms and body work together instead of independently.

• Step 1: Take a headcover (or a small towel) and tuck it under your lead armpit (the left arm for a right-handed player). It should be lightly pinned between your arm and your chest.
• Step 2: Make smooth, half-to-three-quarter practice swings. Your goal is to keep the headcover from falling out for the entire swing, from takeaway all the way through to the follow-through.
• Step 3: If your upper body hangs back and your arms fire away from your chest, the headcover will drop to the ground. After a few successful practice swings, try hitting some half-shots while keeping the headcover in place.

This drill works because it obligates your arms and torso to rotate as a single unit. It prevents your arms from getting "stuck" behind you or your upper body from lagging behind the ball. This connected rotation is fundamental to moving your low point forward and achieving consistent contact.

Culprit #3: Your Swing Path is Too Steep ("Over-the-Top")

While often associated with a slice, a steep, over-the-top swing path is also a major cause of fat shots. In this swing, the club approaches the ball from an "outside-in" direction and at a very sharp downward angle. Think of it like a chopping motion. Because the club is coming down so steeply, it has very little margin for error. If your timing is a fraction off, the sharp leading edge of the club will dig aggressively into the ground behind the ball.

You’ll feel this as a jarring, digging sensation at impact, not a smooth clip. A shallower angle of attack is much more forgiving and allows the sole of the club to "brush" the turf rather than dig into it.

The Fix: The "Pump" Drill

This drill helps you feel what it’s like for the club to approach the ball from the inside, which is the key to creating a more shallow, forgiving swing path.

• Step 1: Take your normal address.
• Step 2: Swing to the top of your backswing.
• Step 3: Begin your downswing slowly, but stop when the club shaft is parallel to the ground. From here, “pump” the club down this path two or three times without hitting the ball, feeling the club dropping down behind you rather than lunging out toward the ball.
• Step 4: On the third "pump," continue the motion and swing all the way through, hitting the ball.

The goal is to retrain your downswing sequence. By repeating the initial move, you start to groove the feeling of the club dropping onto a shallower plane, allowing it to sweep through the impact zone instead of chopping down on it.

A Simple Drill for Instant Feedback: The Line Drill

Sometimes you just need simple, undeniable feedback. This drill is perfect for that.

Find a straight-painted line on the driving range mat or draw one yourself in the grass with a tee. Your goal is to make practice swings where your club strikes the ground after the line. If you are producing divots or scrapes behind the painted line, you know your low point is too early.

Once you can consistently make the ground contact happen on the target-side of the line with your practice swings, place a ball directly on the line. Now, your only thought is to hit the ball and still take a divot after the line. It’s a beautifully simple way to check your work and visually confirm that your adjustments are successfully moving your low point forward.

Final Thoughts

Stopping a fat shot isn't complicated. It comes down to controlling the low point of your golf swing, which is almost always a result of poor weight transfer or an upper body that hangs back. By focusing on getting your weight to your front foot and rotating your chest through the shot, you’ll start making that pure, ball-first contact you're looking for.

Knowing what to work on at the range is huge, but sometimes the pressure of a real round and a difficult lie can make old habits reappear. That's where we can lend a hand. When you find yourself in a tricky spot in the rough and are worried about catching it heavy, you can use our Caddie AI to snap a photo of the ball and its surroundings. We will give you an immediate, simple strategy on how to play the shot, helping you remove the doubt and commit to the swing. It's like having a 24/7 coach in your pocket, ready to give you the confidence you need right when you need it most.