Philippe Bonfanti Golf

Performance Golf Coach - Dorset

Avoid Fat Shots and Control Your Low Point

Are you tired and frustrated of not being able to hit the ball solidly when it rests on the ground?

Are you unable to take a divot and when you do take one it happens to be the big ball (earth) before the little one?

Learning to hit the ball before the ground and learning to hit the same spot on the ground every time with your club are invaluable skills if you wish to bring your handicap down. Thankfully, there is a simple observation that can help you in this regard.

When measuring how the best players move it is noticeable they move their hips towards the target at impact more compared to the less skilled golfers who have their hips further back.

What does this mean for you? It means that if you tend to hit fat shots, there is a good chance you can work on this by having your hips more forwards (towards the target) as you hit the ball.

To work on this, setup with an alignment stick on the ground between your ball and your feet that you put parallel to your intended line. When you make your downswing, focus on trying to slide your hips towards the target along the stick you have placed on the ground. This is a lateral move and not a rotary one. You should feel like you are trying to get your right hip pocket in front of the ball at impact

Expert Golfer Demonstration:
Notice the hips slide progressively more towards the target throughout the swing.

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Novice Golfer Demonstration:
This golfer has the hips further back than the expert golfer and this has negative consequences on their ball striking ability

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