How to stop hitting thin golf shots
Quick answer: A thin shot happens when the leading edge hits the ball near its middle, causing it to fly low and run. Things to try: stay level through impact, hit down on the ball with irons, and check your ball position.
How to stop hitting thin shots: keep your height through the ball so the club bottoms out under it. A thin shot is the leading edge meeting the ball near its middle, so it comes off low and hot.
12 Strike
The situation
A thin shot stings the hands and often runs over the green. The bottom of the swing has risen, or it came too early and the club is already on the way up. Either way the leading edge strikes the equator of the ball instead of the face meeting the back of it with the club still moving down.
If the club catches the top of the ball and it rolls along the ground, that is topped. If the club hits the ground first, that is the fat shot.
A check you can do
After a low, hot shot, look at where the ball marked the clubface. A mark on the leading edge or the lowest groove, and no turf taken after the ball, is a thin strike. Then do the line check from the fat shot. If the club never touches the ground, the low point is rising. If it touches behind the line, the low point came early and the club was rising by the ball.
The fix
- 01Stop trying to lift the ball The loft on the club gets the ball in the air. Scooping with the hands to help it up brings the leading edge into the middle of the ball. Let an iron hit down a little.
- 02Keep your height through the ball If the chest and head rise as you swing down, the bottom of the swing rises with them. Keep the knees soft and the chest over the ball until it has gone.
- 03Check the ball for the club in your hand A ball too far forward for an iron is met after the low point, with the club rising. Use the landmarks on ball position.
- 04Finish on the lead foot Hanging back on the trail foot moves the low point behind the ball, and the club meets the ball on the way up. The weight ends on the lead foot.
- 05Ten balls at half speed The win is a small mark of turf after the ball and a normal flight, not a longer ball. Around the green, a chip that skulls across is on the chip.
Thin vs topped
A thin shot is struck with the leading edge around the ball's equator; it flies low and runs. A topped shot hits the top half and barely gets airborne. Both often come from standing up through impact.
Thin chips around the green
Thin chips often come from a wristy scoop. Keep the hands a little ahead, weight on the lead foot, and make a putting-style stroke; see how to chip.
Common questions
What causes a thin shot?
A thin shot is usually caused by rising up through impact, which brings the leading edge into the middle of the ball. This can happen if you scoop with your hands or stand up too early in the swing.
How can I tell if I'm hitting thin shots?
Look at the clubface after impact. If there's a mark on the leading edge or the lowest groove and no turf taken, it's a thin shot. The ball will also fly low and run along the ground.
Can a thin shot be fixed with just a grip change?
Usually not; a thin shot is more often about swing mechanics, such as staying balanced and keeping your height through impact.
Does ball position affect thin shots?
Yes, if the ball is too far forward for an iron, it can be hit after the low point of the swing, leading to a thin shot. Use ball position landmarks to help position it correctly.
Related fixes
Last updated: 2026-10-23
Free tip sheet: First Round Checklist, 10 checks
Get the contact checks from this page on one printable PDF, plus the other checks in the First Round Checklist sheet, so you have it at the range. Free by email.
Free printable: Thin Shot Checklist
9 checks on one page to tick off at the range. A PDF, no sign-up needed.
Download the thin shot checklist (PDF)
Want more checks like these? Get the free First Round Checklist tip sheet by email just below.
Part of Fix your miss. See every page in this hub.