Why you hit the shots you do

Golf can be a frustrating game, especially when you get into a cycle of mis-hitting your irons time and again.

Maybe you come down on the ball too much and keep catching it fat? Or, perhaps you come over the top and a subsequent slice causes your ball to veer off sideways?

Whatever it is, hitting a bad golf shot is never particularly fun, but understanding why you’re hitting the ball the way you are is a big step towards improving. Keep on reading as we outline some of the most common means of mis-hitting a ball, and what you need to do in order to avoid doing the same in future.

Catching it fat

Hitting the ball fat essentially means you’re catching the ground before you strike the ball. This usually results in a rather large divot and the ball not travelling very far – especially in the winter months.

One reason for this may be to do with the placement of the ball itself. If the ball is placed too far forward in your stance (too close to the target), it’s incredibly easy for your swing to bottom out early and the first contact you make is with the ground.

Something not to overlook if you’re repeatedly catching the ball fat is simply that you’re not playing with appropriate golf clubs. If a club is too long for you, you will be coming down on the ball and regularly hitting the ground before the ball. Also, it may be that your clubs are too heavy for you. If this is the case you may be swaying backwards in your swing and again coming down on the ball.

Thinning it

Is there anything less enjoyable on a golf course than thinning the ball on a cold, icy day? The pain through your fingers!

Thinning the ball occurs when you strike the ball with the leading edge of the golf club rather than with the club’s face. So, instead of the ball being propelled into the air through a good strike and spin being imparted on the ball, a thinned shot will cause you to hit a chaotic, low stinger that can run for miles.

While these two kinds of mis-hit can produce vastly different results, both hitting it fat and thin are errors related to the arc of your swing. When you thin it, you tend to be grazing the center of the ball with the bottom of your club rather than making solid contact ball-then-turf.

Again, you may be predisposed to thinning the ball if you’re not playing with the correct equipment. If your clubs are too light you’ll be swinging too fast, which will cause you to hit the top of the ball rather than swing through it.

Hitting a slice or a hook

Having a slice in the locker is one of the most common shot shapes that amateur golfers face when hitting off the tee. How far to the right the ball travels (for a right-handed golfer) depends on how open the clubface is in relation to your swing path through impact.

Some of you may struggle with hitting the ball too far to the left or ‘hooking’ it. This happens when the clubface is pointing towards the left of the club path at impact – maybe your hands are overactive through impact or your grip could be too strong.

As we’ve mentioned, playing with equipment suited to how you play is crucial to you pulling off good shots. We mustn’t underestimate the importance of golf club grips. If your grips are too small, your fingers will be overactive and you’ll be more prone to flinching through your swing. If your grips are too big, you’ll likely lose swing speed as you hit through the ball. This may result in you failing to hit the ball squarely with the clubface, which may cause a slice.

How might TaylorMade irons help?

It’s never too late to try to improve your golf game, and the latest TaylorMade irons have been engineered to ensure you hit the ball cleaner more regularly.

TaylorMade clubs are some of the best out there, and the Stealth irons live up to their reputation. They’ve nailed the aesthetics on this one, the club looks incredibly sleek and blade-like, and the provides a forged-like feel when you strike the ball. This club’s intricate construction ensures you’ll be getting plenty of speed and launch on your approach shots.

If you have a higher handicap and you’re looking for clubs that will help improve your game, the Stealth HD iron could be the one for you. Catering to players that have a slow swing speed, these irons have been engineered to give you a higher launch and more distance when you strike the ball. The Stealth HD has a built-in draw-bias to help keep your shots straight, which will really help if you suffer from regularly hitting a slice. 

If you’re a consistent ball striker, you’ll definitely feel at home playing with TaylorMade’s P range of irons. The P790 option is an excellent club, the model currently on the market is 69% lighter than its predecessor and feels fantastic to swing. The flexible face has a large sweet spot, and you’ll be drilling the ball straight time and again thanks to the stabilizing tungsten in the club’s toe.

TheP770 iron is similarly offering iconic and appealing looks. The forged hollow body construction ensures the club excels in both style and performance. The face has an optimum center of gravity for powerful strikes, and the offset on the clubhead has been refined so that the club looks pleasing and confidence-inspiring when you’re stood over the ball at address.

Get custom fit

Whether you hit the ball fat, thin, or rarely seem to hit it straight, why you hit the ball the way you do can all be ironed out when you go through the custom fitting process.

Custom fitting allows us to examine how you approach the ball and swing your clubs, we’ll then be able to make recommendations of what gear is suitable for you. Once you’re kitted up the clubs you need, you’ll be making more accurate shots, hitting the ball further, and saying goodbye to those bad golfing habits.

If you feel getting custom fit would benefit you, we’re available in the pro shop and more than happy to help you on your way to improving your game.