Avoid Fat and Thin Shots Irons Beginner / Intermediate ⏱ 11 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Final shot in golf: swing the left arm and hit the wall with your head

Name: Final shot in golf: swing the left arm and hit the wall with your head
Uploaded: 2020-08-07T12:00:00+00:00
Duration: 11 min 29 s
Channel: Eric Cogorno
Description: Do your irons come out thin or fat? Eric Cogorno and Steve Sieracki start with a simple principle: if the radius of the left arm and the angle of the torso remain constant, the club will make contact with the ground every time. Two reference points, and a progression from the chip to the full swing.

Do your irons come out thin or fat? Eric Cogorno and Steve Sieracki start with a simple principle: if the radius of the left arm and the angle of the torso remain constant, the club will make contact with the ground every time. Two reference points, and a progression from the chip to the full swing.

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Eric Cogorno · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

6 minSame problemGripping Down When Chipping, by Van de VeldeJean Van de Velde · Beginner / Intermediate 8 minNext Level UpFat Shot from Tipping Back: Right Shoulder Toward the BallLewis Wallace · Intermediate 14 minFrom the same proPump Exercise for the Swing TransitionEric Cogorno · Intermediate / Expert

What the lesson shows

First pillar: the shelf. The shoulder, left arm, and club form a sort of steel rod. If this length shortens (the elbow bends, the wrist snaps upward), the club rises and hits the top of the ball. Steve Sieracki offers a guideline: the distance between the end of the shaft and the sternum—about twenty inches—should appear to remain the same during the backswing and through swing. The left arm also remains in front of the handle At the finish: if the wrist bends inward, the arm moves behind the body.

Second pillar: the angle. The torso maintains the same distance from the ground; imagine your head resting against a wall. During the backswing, the left shoulder drops; during the downswing, it’s the right shoulder, with the head tilted to the right. According to them, a left shoulder that’s too high during the backswing—or a right shoulder that’s too high during the follow-through—accounts for the vast majority of thin shots. The progression: chip shots with a sand wedge with feet together, then 30–40-yard shots, then 60–80-yard shots. It’s okay to take a few fat shots at first—the goal is to touch the ground.

The Exercise, Step by Step

At the address, measure the distance between the end of the club shaft and your sternum.
Hit a sand wedge chip shot with your feet close together, hands slightly forward, and arms and shaft locked.
Gradually increase your distance to 30–40 yards, then 60–80.
During the backswing, feel your left shoulder drop, as if your head were against an imaginary wall.
As in the downswing, feel your right shoulder drop, your head tilt to the right, and your arms extend.
At the finish, make sure your left arm is still in front of the handle.
Film yourself from the front and draw a line in front of your head to frame the shot.

Key Takeaways

Just because you look up doesn't mean you're going to bump your head.

The shoulder-arm-club radius must not shorten.

Keep your left arm in front of the handle, without bending your wrist.

The upper body remains at a constant angle, with the head against a wall.

Left shoulder down on the backswing, right shoulder down on the downswing.

The first goal is to touch the ground every time.

Mistakes to Avoid

Bend your left elbow or snap your wrist upward at impact.
The left shoulder stays high and rotates flat during the backswing.
The right shoulder is too high when crossing.
Straighten up during the swing.
Worrying about a few fat shots when the goal is to touch the ground.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

Sand wedge chips, arms and club shaft locked in place
Shots of 30–40 yards, then 60–80
Head against a wall, or against the pillar of a golf cart, without a club
Front-view video with a line in front of the head

Your Questions

What is this "radius" that coaches talk about?

This is the line formed by the shoulder, the left arm, and the club. If this line remains the same throughout the swing and the angle of the torso does not change, the club will inevitably touch the ground.

How do you practice the “head-against-the-wall” move on the course?

Steve Sieracki suggests getting out of the golf cart, holding your grip without a club, and pressing your head against the door frame. If your head moves away from the door frame during the backswing, you’re sitting up too straight.

I'm now making fat shots—is that a problem?

Not at first. The goal of the exercise is to touch the ground. If you sometimes touch the ground too early, it’s because the angle and radius are still being maintained—you’ll refine them later.

Learn More

All “Avoiding Fat and Thin Shots” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you Gripping Down When Chipping, by Van de VeldeShortening the grip brings you closer to the ball and makes your swing more vertical: the clubhead leaves the ground sooner and strikes the ball in the center, without a fat shot or a top. Thin Shots and Early Extension: The Chair DrillA thin shot comes from the pelvis moving early toward the ball; to keep your spine angle: a chair against your backside, and Woods' low downswing. Fat Shot from Tipping Back: Right Shoulder Toward the BallThe “gratte aux fers” comes from tilting the upper body backward: the sternum in front of the ball (“right shoulder toward the ball”), controlled by a stick. Eric CogornoAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Eric Cogorno). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons, without hosting them.