The Secret To Stop Chunking Your Irons | Good Good Labs
How to Stop Chunking and Topping the Ball in Golf (Fix Fat Shots for Pure Contact)
Introduction
Chunking the ball – also known as hitting it “fat” – means your club strikes the ground behind the golf ball, often resulting in a heavy, weak shot. Topping the ball, on the other hand, is when you catch only the upper half of the ball (a “thin” shot), causing it to dribble or shoot low. Interestingly, these two mishits are often flip sides of the same problem: an improper swing low point. In many cases, golfers chunk or top the ball because they are bottoming out the swing too early, before reaching the ball
. This early low point means any small error causes the club to either dig into the turf (chunk) or start rising and catch the ball thin
.
Why does this happen? Common mistakes include poor weight transfer (hanging back on the rear foot) and swing path issues that alter the low point. If your weight stays on your back foot through impact or your upper body falls behind the ball, the club will bottom out behind it
. For example, swaying off the ball or “reverse pivoting” (leaning back in the downswing) leads to the weight staying back and an upward strike
– a recipe for fat shots. Similarly, an early release of the wrists (casting) or an overly shallow swing can cause the club to “sweep” the turf before the ball, instead of compressing the ball first
. The result is that awful chunked divot or, if you try to avoid the ground, a topped ball. The good news is that by fixing your weight shift and swing fundamentals, you can move your swing’s low point forward – ensuring you hit the ball first, then the turf, for solid contact on every shot.
In this article, we’ll cover proven drills and tips to eliminate fat shots (and as a bonus, stop topping the ball as well). You’ll learn why fat shots happen and how to correct the root causes. We’ll walk through two simple but powerful drills – including the famous “towel drill” – to help you strike the ball before the ground. We’ll also address how proper weight transfer can cure chunking, and share a bonus tip to prevent getting “stuck” and flipping the club at impact. Finally, we’ll recommend a few training aids to enhance your practice sessions. Let’s dive in and start improving your ball striking!
Key Takeaways from the Video
Why Fat Shots Happen – Weight Shift & Swing Path Issues: Fat shots usually occur when your swing’s low point is behind the ball. Often this is caused by poor weight transfer (staying on the back foot) or a swing arc that bottoms out too early
. If you don’t shift your weight forward and instead “sweep” at the ball, the club will hit ground first or catch the ball thin. Ensuring your weight moves to your lead side and that you swing downward, contacting ball then turf, is key to avoiding chunked shots
. In short, ball-first contact is the goal – you want the divot in front of the ball, not behind it.
Drill #1: The Towel Drill – Improve Low Point Control: One of the simplest and most effective drills to fix fat shots is the towel drill. Place a folded towel on the ground a few inches behind your ball and hit shots without touching the towel
. If you strike the towel, it means you hit behind the ball. This drill gives instant feedback on your low point. By practicing until you can consistently miss the back towel and strike the ball, you’ll train yourself to shift forward and compress the ball first. Start with the towel ~6–8 inches behind the ball and gradually move it closer as you improve. This drill teaches you to “bottom out” in front of the ball, resulting in crisp, ball-first contact
.
Drill #2: Weight Transfer Fix – Shift to Your Front Side: Many fat shots happen because of a poor weight shift. Drill #2 focuses on getting your weight onto your lead (front) foot during the downswing. A great exercise is the step-through drill (also known as the step drill or Gary Player drill). You begin with your feet together and, as you swing, step toward the target with your lead foot, transferring your weight forward. This exaggerated move ingrains the feeling of moving into a balanced finish on your front side. By practicing proper weight transfer, you ensure the club strikes down on the ball instead of falling behind it. Getting at least 70-80% of your weight on your lead foot at impact is crucial – pro golfers, for instance, average around 80–95% weight on the front foot at impact
. This drill will help you feel that forward shift and prevent the dreaded backwards lean that causes chunking.
Bonus Tip: Prevent Getting Stuck and Flipping at Impact: Even if you shift your weight correctly, some golfers get “stuck” by dropping the club too far to the inside or stopping their body rotation, forcing a late flip of the wrists. Flipping through impact (where the clubhead passes the hands early) often stems from a lack of weight forward or an incomplete turn
. To prevent this, focus on continuing to rotate your body through impact and keep your hands leading the clubhead. Feel like the handle of the club is ahead of the ball at impact, with a flat or bowed lead wrist. This forward shaft lean will help you compress the ball and eliminate the flip
. Remember, flipping is usually a compensation for other flaws, not a cause by itself
. If you shift onto your lead side and turn through, you won’t need to flip to save the shot – your natural rotation and weight shift will deliver solid contact. (We’ll cover more on this in the step-by-step guide below.)
Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Fat Shots
Now, let’s break down exactly how to perform the drills and adjustments to cure your chunking problem. Follow these step-by-step instructions for each drill, and be mindful of the common errors to avoid. With consistent practice, you’ll start hitting the ball cleaner and more solidly, without those heavy misses.
Drill #1: The Towel Drill – Ball-First Contact Practice
A golfer practicing the towel drill, with a folded towel placed a few inches behind the ball. The goal is to hit the ball cleanly without touching the towel, training a forward low point.
The towel drill is a classic fix for fat shots because it directly trains you to hit the ball before the ground. It provides immediate feedback – if you chunk the shot, you’ll hit the towel. Here’s how to do it:
Setup the Drill: Take a medium-sized folded towel (or headcover) and place it on the ground 3–6 inches behind your golf ball (for beginners, start around 6–8 inches back for safety). The towel should be on your target line, just behind where the club would hit the ground if you swung too early. Tip: If you’re nervous about striking the towel at first, start with it a bit farther back and move it closer as you improve
.
Address the Ball: Set up to the ball in your normal stance (preferably with an iron). The ball should be positioned as you normally would for that club (e.g. center or slightly forward of center for mid-irons). Ensure your weight is balanced but be mindful to favor your lead side slightly (e.g. a 55-45 weight distribution) to encourage a downward strike.
Make a Smooth Swing: Swing as you normally do, focusing on hitting the ball first, then the turf where the ball was. Your goal is to miss the towel on the downswing. A well-struck ball-first swing will contact the ball, then the ground in front of it, and you’ll avoid the towel behind the ball
. If you execute it correctly, you should take a divot starting just past where the ball was – a sign of compressing the ball.
Check Your Feedback: If you do hit the towel, that’s okay – it means your club bottomed out too early. Slow down and try again. Focus on moving your hands a bit more forward at impact and shifting your weight to your front foot. You might also try keeping your head centered or slightly ahead of the ball through impact (not falling back). The towel provides a clear indicator; continue until you can consistently hit shots without disturbing the towel at all.
Progressively Increase Difficulty: As you get better, move the towel a little closer to the ball (e.g. 3–4 inches behind). This makes the margin for error smaller and further refines your low point control
. Advanced players can even place a second towel or object a few inches in front of the ball to ensure you’re hitting through the ball and getting the divot out front (as in coach Cameron McCormick’s drill)
, but just one towel behind is enough for most practice sessions.
Common Errors (and How to Avoid Them):
Scooping or Flinching: Some golfers, afraid of hitting the towel, might unconsciously try to scoop the ball up or decelerate to “miss” the towel. This leads to topping the ball. Remember, hit through the ball confidently. Trust that shifting your weight forward will naturally help you clear the towel. Don’t try to lift the ball – let the loft of the club do the work.
Too Much Back Weight: If you keep hitting the towel, check your weight distribution. You might be hanging back. Ensure you’re moving into your front side as you swing down. A good feel is to have your chest over the ball (not behind it) at impact, and about 70% of your weight on the front foot. As one instructor advice puts it: “Make sure to have your weight over the ball at impact so you can hit the ball first and then the ground.” If your upper body is leaning back, your weight stays on the rear foot and the club will tend to strike the ground early
. Focus on shifting forward and you’ll start missing that towel.
Hitting the Ground Too Hard: If you avoid the towel but slam the club into the turf (taking deep divots), you might be chopping or coming in too steep. Remember to maintain a smooth tempo and a slight forward shaft lean through impact – you want a clean bruise on the turf, not a trench. A shallow divot that starts just after the ball is ideal.
By repeating the towel drill, you’ll train the feeling of a forward low point. Over time, your brain will associate solid contact with that ball-first, turf-second sensation. This drill not only fixes chunking but also gives you confidence to hit down on the ball without fear – eliminating those thin topped shots that come from trying to “lift” the ball. It’s a simple drill, but even pros use it because it’s so effective at sharpening contact.
Drill #2: Weight Transfer Drill – Step Through for Solid Contact
Fat shots often happen because the golfer’s weight stays on the back foot. Drill #2 is all about ingraining a proper weight shift to your lead side, which is essential for good ball striking. One of the best drills to feel this is the Step-Through Drill (also known as the Step Drill). This dynamic drill teaches you to move athletically toward the target as you swing, preventing you from hanging back. Here’s how to perform it:
Start with Feet Together: Begin by addressing an imaginary ball with your feet right next to each other. If you’re actually hitting a ball for this drill, you can tee it up or use a soft practice ball at first. Have the ball positioned in front of your front foot, since you will be stepping forward into your stance during the swing.
Takeaway and Step: Initiate your backswing. As you swing the club back, take a step forward with your lead foot toward the target. For a right-handed golfer, this means stepping your left foot toward your target (about the distance of a normal stance width). This step forward should begin as your club is swinging back – it might feel a bit like a dance move at first. The key is timing the step so that your lead foot plants just before you start your downswing. (Some players find it easier to first move the lead foot slightly back or up then forward – do what feels natural as long as you end up stepping toward the target.)
Swing Through to a Full Finish: With that lead foot now replanted forward, swing down and through the ball. Transfer your weight onto the lead foot as you strike the ball and follow through. Your trail foot (right foot for right-handers) should naturally come up onto its toes as your weight moves forward. Continue swinging to a full finish, allowing your back foot to even step forward if it helps balance (classic Gary Player “walk-through” finish). The feeling should be that all your momentum is moving toward the target in the downswing.
Focus on Balance and Timing: This drill might feel awkward initially. Start slowly without a ball, just to get the coordination down – feet together, swing back, step, swing through. As it becomes more fluid, introduce a ball. The goal is to finish with almost all your weight on your front foot, balanced and facing the target. If you can hold a finish on your front side, it means you didn’t fall back during the swing. When you execute the step-through drill correctly, it’s nearly impossible to chunk the ball – your weight shift will ensure a forward low point. Feel the difference between this and a normal swing where you might have been falling back.
Repeat and Gradually Remove the Exaggeration: Do 5-10 reps of the step-through, then try a normal swing without the step. Your body will start to incorporate that forward weight feeling into the regular swing. The idea is to teach yourself that the swing is a shift forward, not a hang-back. Over time, you won’t actually step your foot during real shots, but your weight transfer will improve as if you had. If you find yourself chunking again later, revisit this drill to remind your body of the correct sequencing.
At impact, a golfer’s weight should be moving onto the lead side, with the club descending crisply on the ball. Finishing with your weight on your front foot (as shown) is a sign of good weight transfer, helping eliminate fat shots.
Common Errors (and Corrections):
Stepping Late or Not At All: A common mistake is hesitating – some players finish the backswing and then step, which is too late. The drill works best when the step happens during the transition. Think of starting to step as your arms swing to the top. It may help to say “step” to yourself right as you change direction from backswing to downswing. If you’re not stepping in time, break the motion into pieces: start with feet together, begin backswing, then step + swing down in one motion. With practice the move will merge into a fluid sequence
.
Overstepping or Losing Posture: Don’t lunge so hard that you lose your balance or bend forward excessively. It’s a small step, not a leap. If you overstep, you might dip your upper body or collapse your front knee, which can actually cause fat shots. Keep your core engaged and chest up. The step should be natural, just enough to get your weight moving forward. Think “smooth shift” rather than a sudden stomp.
Not Finishing on Front Foot: If after the swing you still feel weight on your back foot (e.g. your back heel stays down), you didn’t fully commit to the weight transfer. Really exaggerate moving onto that lead leg. A good checkpoint: you should be able to lift your back foot off the ground at the finish because almost all weight is on the front foot. If you can’t, do the drill slower and focus on the transition. Sometimes saying a cue like “shift” at the start of the downswing can ingrain the move.
This weight transfer drill is powerful because it tackles one of the root causes of fat shots: improper weight distribution. By training your body to move forward and rotate through the ball, you eliminate the tendency to stall and hit behind the ball. In fact, a lack of weight forward at impact is the primary cause of flipping and scooping as well
. With your weight going to your lead side, you won’t feel the need to flip the club – you’ll naturally lead the club with your hands and hit the ball solidly. Practice the step-through regularly, and you’ll develop a smooth, consistent weight shift in your normal swing that makes chunking a thing of the past.
Bonus Tip: Avoid Getting Stuck & Flipping Through Impact
Many golfers who hit fat or thin shots also struggle with flipping the club at impact – that is, the wrists unhinge too early, causing the clubhead to pass the hands before or at impact. This often results in that scooping motion that can lead to chunks or tops. A related issue is getting “stuck,” which means the club drops too far inside on the downswing or the body stops turning, leaving the hands trailing behind the body. When you’re stuck, you’ll often have to flip the wrists to recover, or you’ll hit the ground early.
The drills above (towel drill and weight shift) go a long way in fixing these issues by encouraging an on-time release and proper body motion. However, here are a few additional tips to specifically prevent flipping at impact:
Keep Weight Forward and Turn Through: As noted, a flip is usually a symptom of not getting to your front side or not rotating
. Ensure that at impact, your weight is predominantly on your lead foot and your hips and torso are turning toward the target. If you maintain your body rotation, the club won’t suddenly pass your hands – instead, your hands will lead the club into the ball. Feel like your belt buckle and chest are moving through to the target, not stuck facing the ball. This continued rotation helps the clubface square up without a hand flip. As one instructor insightfully noted: “Most of the time [flipping] is because of something that occurs long before impact that requires a flip just to hit the ball.” In other words, fix the early part (weight shift and turn), and the flip will vanish.
Forward Shaft Lean & Flat Lead Wrist: At impact, you want your lead wrist flat or slightly bowed, and the club shaft leaning toward the target. This is the opposite of a flip (which features a bent lead wrist and shaft leaning away). To train this, you can hit some punch shots or half swings, focusing on a flat left wrist at impact (for right-handers). A great feel is trying to point the club handle at your left hip as you strike the ball, or imagining dragging the handle through first. One drill is to pause at impact position in practice swings: get into a pose where your weight is left, hips open, hands ahead, lead wrist flat – this is the ideal impact. Then hit shots trying to recreate that feeling. If done correctly, you’ll take a small divot after the ball and the ball will flight lower (with compression). This is essentially practicing not flipping. According to experts, holding a bowed lead wrist through impact promotes the correct shaft lean and eliminates flipping
.
Don’t Overdo the Head Behind Ball: While it’s important not to shove your upper body ahead too much (which can cause other issues), a common amateur mistake is keeping the head too far back and staying behind the ball to “help” it up. This can cause the weight to stay back and a flip to occur. Make sure you aren’t over-exaggerating the “head behind the ball” concept. Your head can be slightly behind at impact (that’s normal with driver or even irons), but your sternum should be over the ball or just ahead of it, and your eyes should be looking at where the ball was just after impact (not swaying back or up). This positioning ensures you’re hitting down on the ball. If your head and sternum lean back too much, your weight stays on the rear foot and you’ll likely strike the ground before the ball or flip upward
.
Practice with an Impact Bag or Foam Roller: A great training aid to teach proper impact is an impact bag (a heavy stuffed bag you can hit). Take swings where you hit the bag, focusing on having your hands leading and the clubface squaring with your body turn – you should feel the left wrist firm against the bag and your weight on your front foot. If you flip at the bag, you’ll notice the clubhead slaps the bag without much force. When done correctly, your hands hit the bag first or simultaneously with the clubhead, and your body is in a strong, braced position. If you don’t have an impact bag, a couch cushion or a standing foam roller can work as a substitute for slow practice swings. This kind of practice builds the muscle memory for a no-flip impact.
Remember, chunking and flipping often go hand-in-hand. Golfers who flip are often doing so to avoid chunking (compensating for an early low point)
. By working on the drills above, you’ll naturally reduce the urge to flip because you’ll be contacting the ball properly. If you still find yourself flipping, video your swing or check in a mirror to ensure you are indeed shifting and turning. Often, just a bit more aggressive move to the front side and a feeling of “covering the ball” (upper body staying over the shot) will resolve the issue. Be patient – breaking the flip habit can take time, but with focus on weight forward, a flat lead wrist, and continuous rotation, you will see improvement. The result will be stronger, more penetrating ball flight and the end of those weak chunks and tops.
Recommended Training Aids to Fix Fat Shots and Topping
In addition to the drills above, there are some excellent training aids that can accelerate your progress by providing feedback and building good habits. Here are a few recommended products (with why they help). These can be great additions to your practice arsenal (many are relatively inexpensive) – each addresses a specific aspect of chunking or topping:
Divot Board or Strike Board: A Divot Board is a training mat that shows you exactly where your club struck the ground in relation to the ball. It leaves a mark or rotates a pad to indicate your impact point. This is fantastic for practicing indoors or on the range because it instantly tells you if you hit behind the ball. By reviewing the divot pattern, you can adjust your swing to ensure the mark moves forward, toward the target side of the ball. Consistent use of a divot board trains you to achieve ball-first contact. As a bonus, it also reveals swing path (direction of your divot) which can help identify if you’re coming too steep or from the inside, etc. The feedback is similar to the towel drill but more precise – and you don’t have to keep repositioning a towel. Affiliate tip: The Divot Board is portable and can even be used at home for practice swings. It’s a bit of an investment, but it’s durable and effective – many coaches use it to help students who struggle with fat shots.
Pressure Plate or Balance Board: Weight transfer is critical, and there are training aids designed to monitor your weight distribution. A Pressure Plate (like the WhyGolf Pressure Plate) is essentially a board that you stand on which can teeter or provide feedback if your weight shifts incorrectly. During a swing, it can indicate whether you’ve moved your weight forward or stayed back. For example, some plates will make a click or shift when you push into your lead foot. By practicing with a balance or pressure board, you ingrain the feeling of keeping your weight forward through impact. This is great for people who can’t feel their weight shift or tend to sway. Even simpler, a cheap alternative is placing more weight on your front foot using an exaggerated stance or a chair against your back hip to discourage falling back. But a dedicated training aid makes it more fun and gives real-time feedback. It’s especially useful for chip and pitch shots too (where chunking can be common if weight isn’t forward). Keep at least 60-70% of your weight on the front side with these tools and you’ll compress the ball instead of hitting behind it.
Impact Bag: As mentioned in the bonus tip, an impact bag is great for teaching a solid, no-flip impact which in turn helps you hit ball-first. You can purchase a golf impact bag (basically a heavy duty bag you fill with towels or foam) relatively cheaply. By making half swings into the bag, you learn to drive through impact with your hands ahead and weight left. If you release early or flip, the bag drill will feel very awkward (and you’ll notice a lack of power). When done right, you’ll compress the bag with a thud, and your body position will resemble a pro impact: front knee flexed, hips open, hands leading. This translates to the course by giving you the sensation of delayed hit and forward shaft lean. It’s almost impossible to hit an impact bag correctly and hit a fat shot on the ball – the movements are fundamentally opposed. So it helps eliminate the chunk by fixing your impact mechanics.
Alignment Sticks and Swing Plane Trainers: Sometimes chunking can be exacerbated by swing path – for example, swinging too far outside-in or inside-out can cause you to cut across the turf inefficiently or drop the club under plane (getting stuck). Placing alignment sticks on the ground or using a swing plane guide can help you neutralize your path. For instance, lay a stick on the ground just outside the ball (pointing at the target) to encourage swinging down the line, or stick one in the ground angled and try to miss it during your swing. These exercises keep your swing on a good plane so you can strike the ball solidly. While not directly a “chunking” aid, maintaining a proper swing path ensures you aren’t introducing new ways to mishit the ball. There are also specific aids like the “Swingyde” or “Tour Striker Plane Station” that give you targets for your swing path and club position. If you suspect your fat shots are due in part to a plane issue (like coming in too steep), these can be useful. Coupled with the low-point drills, a better plane will lead to very consistent strikes.
Golf Swing Recording Devices or Apps: Though not a physical training aid like the above, using a smartphone holder or tripod to record your swing can be incredibly eye-opening. Set up your phone to video your practice swings (or use a swing analysis app) and check a few key positions: are you moving into your lead side by impact? Is your divot starting after the ball? Are you maintaining your posture (not early extending)? Sometimes seeing your swing can help you pinpoint that “aha!” moment – maybe you thought you were shifting forward, but the video shows you on your back foot. Pairing video feedback with the drills accelerates improvement. Consider getting a phone tripod for your golf bag (there are many inexpensive ones online) – it’s like having a coach with you, and you can directly see if you’re still flipping or hitting behind, then adjust accordingly.
Each of these training aids targets a specific aspect of ball striking: low point control, weight transfer, impact position, swing path, and feedback. They are all relatively easy to incorporate into your practice. For example, you might take a Divot Board to the range and hit 50 balls, checking the divot after each swing, or spend 10 minutes at home swinging on a Pressure Plate to ingrain balance. While you don’t need any gadgets to fix your swing (the drills alone can do it), the aids can make practice more engaging and help you focus on the right feelings. Plus, if you’re practicing solo, they serve as your instant feedback mechanism. Investing in one or two of these can be well worth it for the long-term improvement in your ball-striking consistency.
Final Thoughts
Fixing chunked and topped shots in golf comes down to mastering the fundamentals of contact: a steady center, a proper weight shift, and a swing that delivers the club on a downward, ball-first trajectory. By understanding why chunking and thinning happen and using drills like the towel drill and step-through weight transfer drill, you can rapidly improve your consistency. Remember the key points: shift your weight to your front side, keep your swing arc forward, and maintain a strong impact position (no flipping). It might feel different at first – you may even hit a few thin shots as you adjust – but stick with it. The goal is to train out the instinct to hang back or scoop, and replace it with a confident move through the ball.
As you practice these drills, start slow and emphasize quality over quantity. Incorporate the training aids if you have them, and celebrate the small wins – like the first time you miss the towel and compress the ball, or when you finish a swing perfectly balanced on your front foot. Those are signs of progress. Over time, your “new normal” will be taking divots in front of the ball and hitting solid irons that fly high and straight, instead of the old fat shots and worm-burners. Even your playing partners will notice the difference in the sound and turf interaction when you strike it well.
In summary, chunking and topping are problems you can fix with the right approach. Use the tips and drills outlined above consistently. Be patient with yourself – building a repeatable swing takes time, but every bucket of balls with intentional practice will get you closer to pure contact. The next time you find yourself hitting it fat, recall these drills: grab a towel or do a few step-through swings to recalibrate your swing. Before you know it, you’ll be striking the ball first and flushing your irons with confidence. Now get out there and give these drills a try – your days of chunky shots will soon be a thing of the past, and your improved ball-striking will have you shooting lower scores and enjoying the game more than ever! Good luck and happy golfing.
