A fat shot means the club reached its lowest point behind the ball. Everything else is detail. So the question is not "why did I hit it fat" but "why is my low point behind the ball".
The three usual causes
1. Weight hanging back
If your pressure stays on the trail foot through impact, the swing bottoms out early. Golfers do this trying to help the ball into the air, which is exactly backwards: you hit up by hitting down first.
2. Casting from the top
Release the club early and it runs out of downswing before it reaches the ball. The low point arrives behind it, the club digs, and the shot goes nowhere.
3. Arms coming away from the body
Disconnected arms change the radius of the swing every time. Sometimes long, sometimes short. When it is long, you hit it fat. This is why fat shots and thin shots often show up in the same round: it is one fault producing two misses.
Drills that address each
- For weight: hit small shots with your trail foot pulled back on its toe. You cannot hang back from that position.
- For casting: pump the club from the top to waist height three times before hitting. Slow, deliberate.
- For radius: rehearse with your arms held to your chest, then take the aid off and hit. Consistent radius is consistent low point.
The towel test
Put a folded towel a few inches behind the ball and hit shots without touching it. It is uncomfortable and it works, because it gives you a physical consequence for a low point that is too early. Do not do it off a hard mat.
What not to do
Do not try to "lift" the ball. Do not stand closer. Do not grip harder. All three make it worse. The ball goes up because the club is travelling down at impact, and that only happens when your low point is in front of the ball.
If your misses alternate between fat and thin, start with connection. Inconsistent radius is the most common cause of both.
