How to Stop Hitting Behind the Golf Ball (AKA Chili-Dipping)

Call it a chunk, fat shot, or chili-dipping; nobody likes to hit the club into the ground before the golf ball. Every golfer now and then hits the ground before the golf ball, and mostly it is because their concentration is not where it should be. Here’s how to stop hitting behind the golf ball:

Hitting the ground before the golf ball, also called a fat shot, happens when your ball position is wrong, you are not centered correctly, or your backswing and follow-through are off.

Small adjustments through a checking process will ensure that you do not repeat a chili-dipping. If you’re looking to improve your golf game further, consider taking some of the best online golf lessons available to golfers of all levels.

A heavy shot where you strike the ground before the ball, especially after a great tee shot, is awful. When your clubface hits the ground before it hits the golf ball is one of the most frustrating shots in golf.

Striking the ground before impact reduces its power, makes the shot heavy, and the stroke produces inconsistency, reduces ball flight, and ends up with a lot less distance.

Here’s how to fix it…

How to Stop Hitting a Fat Shot in Golf

Weight transfer is the leading cause of why you hit the turf behind the golf ball, which results in a shot that lacks distance and accuracy. Many golfers find It difficult to quickly shift all their weight back once they slide it too much. 

The golf ball must be struck first, followed by turf giving it a crisp impact that results in a better distance and produces the best ball flight.

Here are steps to help you avoid a heavy shot:

Setting Up The Correct Ball Position

 A common mistake golfers make is moving the ball too far forward in the stance when striking an iron shot. Here is an easy method to help you get the golf ball in the correct position:

• The golf ball must be center of your stance and directly underneath the middle of your chest for high, lofty golf shots with wedges and a nine-iron. 
• As you progress to your mid-irons, move the golf ball forward by one golf ball width for your eight-iron, but only by about a ball. 
• Move the ball placement a ball and a half to the left of the center of your chest for your seven-iron and downwards. 

There is little room for movement beyond a ball and a half past the middle of your chest. Never place the golf ball inside the left heel as you do with your three-wood or driver when you use an iron, and do whatever you can to ensure that you are accurately positioning the ball.

Body Rotation – Keep Your Center Over The Golf Ball

Shifting your body backward past the center is another common mistake that causes the club to hit the ground before the golf ball. Moving too much weight behind the golf ball will make it difficult to shift it back toward the left as you start with your follow-through.

• Place the golf ball in the center of your stance. 
• Keep the center of your chest over the golf ball during the backswing. 
• Rotate your body without the temptation of leaning to the right or into your backswing. 
• Draw a visual line straight through your head, your chest, and down the middle of your feet before you start your backswing.
• Stay fixed to that line, and do not rotate to the left of the golf ball. 
• Staying fixed on the center will get you into a great top and backswing position by using your body to turn instead of a big lateral slide.

Body Rotation – Move Your Weight To The Left

After you place the golf ball in the middle of your feet and center your backswing while keeping your chest over the top of the golf ball, you want to encourage your weight to move left during the follow-through. 

• Do not place too much weight on your right side. 
• Move your body to the left so that the lowest part of your swing hits just after the ball. 
• Keep the center of your chest over the golf club, turning into the top of the backswing.
• Move your body’s weight around your left leg as you uncoil the golf swing.
• Rotate during the downswing and uncoil your hips and torso. 
• Drive more of your weight to the left.

Keep on practicing this method until it becomes muscle memory, and it may take a while, but after a few practice swings, you will start hitting the ground just after the golf ball.

Focus On Post Impact

After practicing your swing, hitting the ground just beyond the golf ball after the strike, you must focus on post-impact. A tip to help you get your focus on post-impact is to place a golf tee just beyond the golf ball. The tee will give you a visual of where you want the bottom of the clubface to connect to the ground.

Ensure that when your swing bottoms out, you are not tempted to try and add a loft or flick your wrist up behind the golf shot. Flicking your wrist will cause the club face to hit the turf before the golf ball, which may be one reason you hit behind the golf ball.

More Tips To Avoid Hitting Behind A Golf Ball

Sliding your head may cause you to hit the ground before the golf ball.

Players frequently slide their heads forward during the downswing, which causes the upper body to follow suit and prevents a proper recoil. Additionally, it keeps the player from focusing on where to hit the ball. With every shot, your head must remain behind the ball.

A bent leading arm may cause you to hit the ground before the golf ball.

If your leading arm is not straight, it will shorten your backswing, and you will not be able to coil your upper body fully and effectively. Keep your head and hips behind the ball, maintain a straight leading arm with your backswing, keep it straight into the shot, and follow through.

Dipping your back shoulder may cause the club to hit the turf before the golf ball.

Dipping your back shoulder forces the body and hands to scoop during the downswing. Maintain a straight upper body throughout the swing and focus on leading with the front shoulder.

A rapid release following your backswing may cause the golf club to hit the ground before the golf ball.

The swing plane is thrown off when a club is released too rapidly and causes the club to hit across the impact region. Releasing the club rapidly encourages your hip to drop, resulting in fat shots. Let the club head release naturally, and do not force it, especially when you are high in the backswing.

Conclusion: Follow These Tips to Stop Hitting Behind the Golf Ball

Hitting the ground before the golf ball regularly eliminates a lapse in concentration, warrants a closer look, and may need some attention.

Sometimes called a chunk shot, fat shot, or chili-dipping happens when your ball position is wrong, you are not centered correctly, or your backswing and follow-through are off.

A bent leading arm, dipped back shoulder or rapid release are other reasons that may cause you to hit the turf before the golf ball.

Avoiding a fat shot is easy with small adjustments and enough practice.