Curing the Fat / Duff

Few shots in golf are more frustrating than a big, fat duff. All that effort and care, then you hit behind the ball, take a huge divot and the ball goes nowhere... Work on these simple tips next time you're on the range, and start hitting the ball crisply and cleanly.

Please note: all lessons refer to right-handed golfers

There are several reasons why these shots occur:

• Gripping the club too loosely or tightly

• Playing the ball too far back or too far forward in the stance

• Leaving your weight on the right side at impact

• Actively moving the lower half of your body too quickly through the golf shot leaving the club to come down on a steep downward swing

• Un-cocking your wrists (or releasing) too early on the down swing and trying to lift the ball into the air is also a common cause of the duff shot.

• A simple drill to help correct these faults is by hitting some shots with your feet and knees together, remembering to hold the club firmly but not tight - about 5 on a scale of 1-10.

• Move the body weight to the left from the top of the backswing through impact, release the wrists as late as possible, by driving forward with the right hip and hand and get the feeling of driving into the back of the ball with the club still descending.