Fat Shot / Chunk
The club digs into the ground before the ball, losing speed and distance, often taking a deep divot behind the ball.
Why it happens
A fat shot happens when the low point of your swing arc occurs behind the ball instead of after it, so the ground absorbs the club's energy before it ever reaches the ball.
Possible causes in your swing, and how to fix each one
Tap any cause to see its fix. Work through them one at a time, usually one or two are the real culprit.
1Weight staying on the right foot at impact
"Hanging back" moves your swing's low point backward, right into the turf behind the ball.
2Ball position too far forward for the swing's low point
If the ball sits ahead of where the club naturally bottoms out, you'll strike the ground first.
3Trying to scoop or lift the ball
Using the wrists to help the ball up in the air moves the low point earlier and behind the ball.
4Sliding the lower body without rotating
5Losing posture (standing up or slumping)
When to stop self-diagnosing
If you've genuinely worked through two or three of these causes over several range sessions and the miss keeps showing up, that's not a failure since it usually means the real cause is something you can't feel or see in your own swing. A single 30-minute lesson with a certified instructor, who can watch you hit balls, will find it faster than any website. Bring this page along and tell them what you've already ruled out; it'll save you both time.