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Thin shots occur when the ball is struck near the bottom of the clubface, causing low, line-drive shots with no backspin. Usually, theres no divot left behind after a thin shot.

The cure for thin golf shots is a setup and swing that promote a descending angle of attack into the ball. At impact, the clubhead should be moving slightly downward, catching ball before turf and creating a divot. Its “Golf 101.”

If you want to know why you hit a lot of thin shots with the irons, the first place to look is your setup. The shorter (more lofted) the club, the closer the ball should be to the center of your stance. As a general rule, wedges should be played in the middle; the 9-iron a half-inch or so closer to your left (lead) foot, and so on in half-inch increments.

Next, make sure your hands are in front of the clubhead at address, with the shaft leaning toward the target. Another simple rule is to position your hands directly in front of the inside of your left pocket for all shots. The shorter the club, the more the shaft will lean.

Once youre set up properly, weight shift becomes the big key. At the top of the backswing, approximately 70-80% of your weight should favor your right side. From here, you must transfer weight to the left through the downswing, leaning slightly on your left foot at impact. If too much weight stays on your right side, youll catch the ball on the upswing and hit it thin.

To sum up, the keys to eliminating thin iron shots by hitting the ball with a descending strike:

• Proper ball position
• Hands ahead of club, shaft leaning forward
• Weight shifts from right to left on the downswing

Golfers looking for thin shot cures will find more help via these links:

How to Trigger the Downswing

Seniors: What Causes Thin Shots, and How to Fix Them

Women: What Causes Thin Shots, and How to Fix Them

If the ball is too far forward, the clubs approach angle will be too shallow. Even if you catch the ball flush, youll fail to compress it against the turf and lose distance and backspin. Chances are, your swing will bottom out behind the ball and youll make contact near the clubs sole (or catch it fat).

Novice golfers often try to lift the ball into the air by flipping the wrists through impact. Others attempt to sweep or pick it cleanly. Usually, this leads to a thin shot. Remember, the clubs loft does the work of getting the ball airborne. Strive to make a divot that starts just past the bottom of the ball.

If 50% or more of your weight is on your right side at impact, youll likely hit the ball thin. (Or slice it, or push it…) You must transfer weight to the left to start the downswing, favor the left foot at impact and finish with little to no weight on your right foot.