The thin mis-hit is caused by breaking the Law of Ball Flight called Angle of Attack. This happens when you hit UP on an iron, not down, resulting in a low trajectory ball flight and poor distance control.
Mis-Hit
Thin
Did you know?
A Thin shot can often sting your hands from the collision of the club and ball causing the shaft to vibrate in your hands. The “sweet spot” of the club face is where the ball should be struck. This is why the Law of Angle of Attack is crucial to understanding this mis-hit.
What you need to know: All swings have a low point – a place where the club reaches the bottom of the arc of its movement. For the club to reach this point, you have to release the arms and hands. Doing this too early in the downswing can cause the club to reach its low point too soon.
FAQ
How do I stop hitting it thin? Understand the laws of ball flight and how they relate to your swing. Work on your primary swing faults and stick to your roadmap.
If I keep my head down my friend tells me I will stop hitting the thin shot? Unfortunately, this is an overused treatment of a more complex problem, easily fixed with your own PGA Pro.
Can a thinned shot gain distance? – Yes, but undesirably so, and only on shorter shots. For example, if you had 50 yards to the green and you thin a wedge you could hit it over the green. Sometimes the thin shot can get lucky.