Other Causes (and Solutions) for Topped Golf Shots
- Swaying. This mechanical error in your golf swing can result in topping the ball. ...
- Reverse Pivot. This occurs when you move weight in the opposite direction of your swing. ...
- Improper Positioning. Failing to position the ball properly in your stance can also lead to challenges that result in topping the shot.
- The Club Is Too Short. ...
- Uneven Weight Distribution. ...
How do you stop topping the ball in golf?
The ball might be in a bad lie, lower than your feet. In any case, standing up increases the distance from you to the ball; if you hit the ball at all, you probably are going to hit the top half....
Why do you hit the ground before the golf ball?
Oct 11, 2018 · Director of Instruction at the TruGolf Academy Jon Watts talks you through the 3 main reason you may be topping the ball and how to stop topping for good!SUB...
How to stop topping the golf ball?
Jul 21, 2020 · Loss of balance. Nothing ruins a great golf swing like a loss of balance. Assuming you’re in a good set up to start, it only takes a small loss of balance to cause you to top the ball. A …
How to 'top' a golf ball?
Aug 12, 2021 · There’s one mistake he says he sees golfers make in their swing more than any other. “The most common problem I see in the golf swing is …
How do I stop hitting the top of my golf ball?
How do I stop topping the ball with my irons?
How do I stop hitting over the top driver?
Why am I hitting over the top?
Why am I topping the ball with my fairway woods?
Why am I topping my long irons?
Why can't I stop coming over the top?
How do you fix an over the top swing?
How do you cure an over the top swing?
Why do I slice with my driver but not my irons?
Why do I hit my woods better than my irons?
What happens if you swing too far forward?
If the ball is too far forward in your stance, it's easy to hit it fat. The clubhead reaches the bottom of its swing arc before it gets to the ball. If you adjust your swing so you don't hit the ground, the clubhead will be swinging upward by the time it reaches the ball. When that happens, you have no chance of hitting the bottom half of the ball.
How to get more clubhead speed?
Throwing the Clubhead. Sometimes you try to gain extra clubhead speed by flipping your wrists at impact, but all you do is straighten your wrists before the clubhead reaches the ball. That makes the club reach the bottom of its arc farther back in your stance, instead of in front of the ball. The clubhead then swings upward sooner ...
What happens when you lean toward the target?
If you lean toward the target at the top of your backswing, you'll tend to lean away from the target during your downswing. This changes the bottom of the swing arc. If you manage to avoid hitting the ground before you hit the ball (a fat shot), the clubhead will be swinging upward when it reaches the ball – and that's the recipe for a topped shot. ...
Who is Mike Southern?
He is the author of the instructional golf book "Ruthless Putting" and edited a collection of swashbuckling novels. Southern was trained in electronics at Forsyth Technical Community College and is also an occasional woodworker.
What happens if you hit the ball too far left?
If you’ve got the ball too far left (closer to your lead foot) at address, your swing will find its bottom point before it reaches the ball. By impact, the clubhead is traveling up and over the ball, usually clipping it above the equator. If you’ve been topping the ball often, check your ball position first.
Is the topped shot embarrassing?
Ah, the topped shot. It’s embarrassing, all right. Even worse, the ego damage is compounded by a lousy result, which moves you only a little closer to the intended target.
What is reverse pivot?
It’s true that the reverse pivot is a leading cause of slicing. It’s also responsible for a large percentage of topped golf shots. Briefly, a reverse pivot is when your weight shifts to the left on the backswing, then right on the downswing and follow-through – the reverse of a correct transfer.
What do topped golf shots look like why they happen
I get asked a lot from golfers "why do I top the ball in golf"? Firstly, you need to understand what an actual topped golf shot looks like. The golf ball is hit on an ascending arc and only catches the top half of the golf ball which results in it trickling over the tee and usually only a very short distance.
1. Maintain your spine angle
The most common reason for topping the golf ball is when golfers come out of their posture or lose their spine angle during the golf swing. What I mean is at set up you should have a nice posture with your back bent at the waist and arms hanging comfortably over the shoulders.
2. Understanding your strike location
Another common way golfers top the golf ball is they perform an over the top golf swing and come in too steep at the golf ball. A steep downswing leads to more of an outside to inside swing path which makes it difficult to strike the golf ball solid.
3. Maintain balance
Having great balance is vital to a good golf swing and poor balance is another reason golfers struggle to stop topping the golf ball. Here's a great drill you can practice at home that ties in with the 1st method talked about above.
What ruins a golf swing?
Nothing ruins a great golf swing like a loss of balance. Assuming you’re in a good set up to start, it only takes a small loss of balance to cause you to top the ball. A good check of balance is holding your finish until your golf ball lands.
How to get the ball down to the ground?
1. Bad Posture. Good posture is the basis for solid contact. Bowing forward from your hips so that your hands can hang below your shoulders can put you in balance and also get the club down to the ground. Too much knee flex or squatting can often make it extremely difficult to get the club down into the turf, and therefore get the ball into the air.
What is the most common miss in golf?
One of the most common misses is topping or thinning the golf ball. Often, a thin shot can be recoverable, but topping can be a score-killing shot, and immensely frustrating if you don’t know what’s causing it. In simplest terms, in order to get the ball up into the air — and not rolling across the ground — is to hit down into the dirt.
What happens if you stand too far away from the ball?
If you stand too far away from the ball at address, it’s almost difficult not to top the ball without a heroic move. Reaching for the ball — where your arms often get into a diagonal position — will often lead to a thin shot or a top.
How to make a change?
It’s okay to make the opposite mistake and hit too much ground on the way to improvement. Be willing to exaggerate your changes, because all-too-often the “feel” and the “real” are very different. Make up your mind and do it. Don’t be afraid to hit that ground and make a mess.
The mistake
Golfers have heard by now that they need to turn on the backswing — and indeed, they do. A big turn creates more power in your golf swing. The problem is what gets lost: You can’t just turn. It’s about how you turn.
The magic move
Lower handicaps have more shoulder tilt: About 7 degrees more of it on average, according to GOLFTEC, and usually more. Why is shoulder tilt a good thing? For a bunch of reasons, but among them:
What happens when you hit behind the ball?
Hitting fat, hitting heavy, chunking the ball, grounding the club, whatever you call it, hitting behind the ball can cause huge issues in your game. Hitting behind the ball causes a divot to get between your club and the ball, resulting in an ugly mis-hit which tends only to jump 5 or 10 yards forwards. Hitting behind the ball can happen ...
Where should the ball be in your stance?
The ball should be in the center of your stance for iron shots or even a bit further back for shorter clubs.
How to keep your lead arm straight?
Your lead arm should be kept straight throughout your swing as if it is bent at the point of impact. Bending the lead arm will shorten your swing and cause you to miss the ball and hit the ground instead. Concentrate on keeping your arm straight, but not tense, at the point of impact.
Why release the club early?
Releasing the Club Early. Also known as ‘casting’, releasing the club too early disrupts your swing plane, causing you to hit across the ball rather than through it . Not only is this an issue by itself, but it also promotes the hip movement we spoke about earlier.
How to get better at swinging?
Follow your swing and allow the momentum to turn your body towards your target . Keep your front foot planted and pivot your back foot to aid proper rotation. Check your belt buckle is pointing at your target on the finish. Ensure the majority of your weight is on your front foot.
Who is Angus Wright?
Angus Wright. Angus Wright is a freelance writer and amateur golfer based in the North East of Scotland. He has been playing golf for over 20 years and also spent 6 of them coaching junior golfers at his local club. He has written for several online publications and has covered everything from sports to travel guides.
