For many golfers the 'fat' shot is an all too common occurrence but, fortunately, it is also something which is not too difficult to cure.

A fat shot is simply one in which the club head grounds before hitting the ball so that you end up taking more grass than ball and your ball simply pops up into the air and flies short. So just why does this happen?

More often than not the fat shot happens because your back shoulder dips during your swing so that the club head hits the ground earlier than you intend. This is perhaps most commonly seen when you are a long way from the green and attempt to get as much distance into your shot by playing your shot with as much strength as you can muster. In this scenario it is natural for you to dip your shoulder as you ready yourself to hit the ball as hard as you can. In essence, it is a bit like getting yourself ready to hit a home run in baseball rather than a golf shot.

Let me try to illustrate the principle. Stand up and get yourself into your normal stance ready to fire the ball up the fairway and onto the green. Now, without moving the rest of your body, turn your hips towards your target while keeping them horizontal and note what is happening to your back shoulder. That's right, it is dipping towards the ground and this will cause you to hit the ground before you hit the ball. This is the perfect recipe for a fat shot and also often for a slice.

The secret to curing this problem is to hit the ball with as much power as you can muster but without moving your lower body as it is this lower body movement which causes your shoulder to dip.

So, at the top of your swing keep your leading arm as straight as you can and then keep it fully extended during your down swing. At the same time keep your head and hips as still as possible. The key here is to start your downswing with your arms and not your legs and this is something which you may find difficult to master at first because you will probably already be in the habit of using your legs to power your swing.

Nevertheless, if you practice this technique and concentrate on keeping your hips still so that too much weight does not transfer onto your back foot and cause your back shoulder to drop you will soon find that the fat shot is a thing of the past.