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 centre 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 Mizuno irons help?

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

Mizuno’s irons have a legendary reputation, and the JPX 923 range certainly lives up to the expectation. The JPX 923 Forged irons are made with a unique carbon steel that offers you unparalleled precision on your approach shots. They feel amazing to play with and the beveled trailing edge will help you strike through grass with ease.

They’re just as stunning to look at as they are to play with. The crisp white-satin brush finish reduces sun glare to keep you focused on your shot when you’re out in the sunshine.

Another excellent club in the range is the JPX 923 Hot Metal iron. This club is the one to go for if you’re looking for speed and distance. The Nickel Chromoly metal allows you to maintain a constant ball speed across the entire face.

The clubhead has a deep centre of gravity to help you get higher launch on your strikes, and the V-chassis provides a satisfying feel when you impact the ball. These clubs are among the best on the market and definitely ones to consider if you want to build up more consistency in your game.

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.