Chili Dip
A chili dip is a mishit chip or pitch shot in which the clubhead strikes the ground behind the ball, gouging up turf and leaving the ball well short of its target.
What is a chili dip in golf?
The term refers to a specific type of fat shot that happens on short shots around the green. When a golfer chili-dips, the leading edge of the wedge or short iron buries itself into the turf before reaching the ball. The energy that should have driven the ball forward gets absorbed by the grass. The ball barely moves. A noticeable gouge in the turf marks where the club hit down too early.
According to Merriam-Webster, the term has been part of golf vocabulary since at least 1956. While “fat shot” and “chunk” describe the same kind of contact, “chili dip” is reserved almost exclusively for short shots: chips and pitches played from just off the green. That distinction matters because a chili dip happens in a moment when the golfer expects an easy result, which is part of why the shot stings so much.
How a chili dip happens
A wedge or short iron is designed to strike the ball on the way down, with the lowest point of the swing arc just past the ball. A chili dip is what happens when that low point shifts behind the ball instead of in front of it. The clubhead hits the turf first. Most of its energy is absorbed before it reaches the ball.
Several setup and swing tendencies move the low point behind the ball. The most common is a backward weight shift during the swing, with the golfer’s weight settling onto the rear foot at impact rather than transferring toward the target. Trying to scoop or lift the ball into the air produces the same result. The club bottoms out early. Ball position matters too, as does a head that drifts back during the downswing.
Chili dip vs. other mishits
Most golf mishits get lumped together in casual conversation, but each one describes a slightly different fault. The table below shows how a chili dip compares to the other strikes it gets confused with.
| Mishit | What happens | Where on the ball | Typical result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chili dip | Club hits the ground first on a short shot | No clean contact | Ball moves a few feet at most |
| Fat shot | Club hits the ground first on any shot | No clean contact | Lost distance, sometimes severely |
| Chunk | Same as fat shot | No clean contact | Lost distance, often a deep divot |
| Thin shot | Club catches the upper half of the ball | Mid to high | Low, fast shot, often long |
| Top | Club strikes the very top of the ball | Top | Ball rolls along the ground |
| Sclaff | Older term for a fat shot | No clean contact | Same as fat or chunk |
The boundary between chili dip and fat shot is conventional rather than mechanical. Both describe the same kind of contact. The label changes based on which club is in the golfer’s hand and how short the shot was meant to be.
Other names for a chili dip
Golfers have invented many terms for this single shot. In the United States, “fat” is the most common alternative, with “chunk” running close behind. The British golf press tends to use “fat” almost exclusively, treating “chili dip” as American slang. “Duff” applies more broadly. “Sclaff” is an older, Scottish-derived word for the same fault, rarely heard on modern courses. When the chili dip is severe enough that a chunk of grass actually lands on top of the ball, golfers will sometimes say the player “laid the sod over it.” A more playful term is “Hormel,” after the canned-chili brand.
The phrase itself dates to at least 1956 in print, according to Merriam-Webster’s earliest recorded use. The most cited theory for its origin appears in The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms, which suggests the name evokes the feeble scooping motion of dipping a chip into a bowl of chili, the same kind of motion that produces the mishit on a golf course.
Related Golf Terms
- Casting — An early release of the wrists during the downswing, reducing power.
- Championship course — A course designed to host professional or major amateur tournaments.
- Cart girl — A person who drives the beverage cart on the course, selling refreshments.
- Cart path — A paved or gravel path for golf carts to travel around the course.
- Cavity back — An iron design with a hollowed-out back for increased forgiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a chili dip and a fat shot?
A chili dip is a fat shot, but the term is usually reserved for short shots around the green. A fat shot can happen with any club, while “chili dip” almost always describes a chipped or pitched ball that comes up well short of the target.
Why is it called a chili dip?
The most cited explanation links the term to the scooping motion of dipping food into a bowl of chili, which mirrors the lifting motion that produces the mishit. Merriam-Webster traces the first recorded use to 1956.
Are chili dips only chip shots?
Almost always. The term is closely tied to short shots played from just off the green, where the player expects a controlled, soft landing rather than a heavy mishit. The same kind of contact on a longer shot is usually called a fat shot or a chunk.
How common is the chili dip?
The chili dip is one of the most frequent short-game mistakes among recreational players. Even tour professionals hit them occasionally; the fault tends to come back when a player gets tentative or starts trying to scoop the ball into the air.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster. “Chili-dip.” Accessed November 2025.
- Brent Kelley, LiveAbout. “What Causes the Chili Dip Shot in Golf and How to Fix It.” May 2019.
- Jonathan Yarwood (Golf Top 100 Teacher), via Zephyr Melton, Golf.com. “These are the 2 reasons you chili-dip your wedges.” April 2021.
- David Leadbetter, Golf Digest. “Avoid The Dreaded Chili-Dip.”
- Susan Fornoff, GottaGoGolf, citing The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms. February 2011.
- Golf Compendium. “What Is a Chunk Shot in Golf?” July 2020.
- National Club Golfer. “NCG’s Golf Glossary: What is a chili dip?”
