From Brent Kelley,
Your Guide to Golf.
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A thin shot occurs when the club makes contact with the ball near the ball's equator or slightly below, or when the leading edge of the clubface strikes the ball first (called blading the ball). This usually results in a shot whose trajectory is very low, whose distance can be greater than intended, and, often, whose ball flight is unpredictable.

It's important to note that a thin shot is not always a bad shot. Highly skilled golfers often play thin shots intentionally to guard against the fat shot (hence the saying, "thin it to win it" and "hit it thin to win"). However, for most golfers and all recreational golfers, a thin shot is rarely played intentionally and is most likely to be the result of a mishit.

Note: This text is written from the perspective of a right-hander; lefties should reverse the directional elements.

Diagnosing Thin Shots
Golf instructor Roger Gunn (www.golflevels.com) offers these quick tips for diagnosing the cause of thin shots:

Grip
Not normally a factor in thin shots.

Set-up
Your shoulders could be pointing well right or well left at address. This puts the bottom of the swing in the wrong place.

Ball Position
Look for a large deviation from the norm. A driver's ball position should be around the front heel, moving progressively farther back until it reaches the middle of the stance with short irons (photo).

Backswing
The club may be deviating from its gentle arc on the backswing, tracking a path that's either too much inside or too much outside. Posture should remain constant without raising up.

Downswing
No effort should be made to lift the ball into the air by pulling your arms up through impact. Check to make sure the circle of your swing is in the right place by making practice swings to see if you can hit the ground slightly after the ball.