why do i top a golf ball

These are a few of the potential causes of topping the golf ball:

• Your arc is too high at the bottom of the swing. When this happens you usually have two options. You either completely...
• You reach the bottom of the arc before hitting the ball and are on an upswing when the club connects. Again, you’re...
• You’re reaching the bottom of your arc after you’ve hit the ball.

Full Answer

How do you stop topping the ball in golf?

Top 100 Teachers share their best tips

1. Bounce the club off the turf. A topped ball simply means the club was too high when it got to the ball. ...
2. Practice on sidehill lies. Most topped shots are caused by pulling the arms up at impact or coming out of your posture on the downswing.
3. Steepen your swing. A good way to stop the tops is to steepen your swing. ...
4. Shift weight to lead side. ...

Why do you hit the ground before the golf ball?

What Causes a Golfer to Hit it Fat?

1. Ball Position This is the most common mistake I see among amateur golfers. Fortunately, it’s also the easiest to fix. ...
2. Pressure Shift I talk about pressure shift a lot. It may seem overly simple, but trust me: When my students get the pressure shift right, they see major improvement ...
3. Angle of Club Shaft

How to stop topping the golf ball?

How To Stop Topping The Golf Ball

• Posture Is Key. Poor posture at address is a primary cause of the top as you won’t be able to maintain your angles as you swing and are likely to ...
• 'Chasing' The Clubhead. Look at the difference in the two post-impact positions here, below - the first one being a good example of what we're trying to achieve, while the ...
• Tee Drill. ...

How to 'top' a golf ball?

A golf tee is an object that is pushed into or placed on the ground to rest a ball on top of for an easier shot; however, this is only allowed for the first stroke (tee shot or drive) of each hole. Conventional golf tees are basically spikes with a small ...

What causes you to top the ball in golf?

Typically, a ball is topped because the club has not gone far enough down towards the ball or you catch the ball on the way up, instead of at the bottom point. A lot of things can cause this to happen: A club that's too short. An awkward stance.

How do I stop hitting the top of my golf ball?

6:088:21How To Stop Topping Golf Shots - 3 Simple Steps - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAround about the width of my. Hand. Away and what i'd love you to do really is get that setup rightMoreAround about the width of my. Hand. Away and what i'd love you to do really is get that setup right get that nice end to turn then just focus on closing. The gap between your lead file your pocket.

How do I stop being a topping driver?

0:082:51How to Stop Topping Your Driver | Hit More Solid Drives - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHand drop it down scratch the knee of your trail. Leg from there keep that posture. Put the club orMoreHand drop it down scratch the knee of your trail. Leg from there keep that posture. Put the club or your hand on the club.

Why do I whiff the golf ball?

Quite simply, you are failing to make contact with the ball in a whiffed shot because the club doesn't reach down enough to allow for such a contact to occur. What is this? That's right, the bottom of the swing arc is too high in relation to the position of the ball.

How close should you stand to the golf ball?

The ideal distance you should stand from the golf ball is one where the butt of the club is pointing at your belt buckle and is about 6 inches away from your thighs. This should be the same for all clubs in the bag. It doesn't matter what club you're using, your arm position should be the same.

How do you stop skulling the ball?

0:261:31Sculling Golf Shots Tip: How to Stop Topping the Golf Ball - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe club should hit the ground slightly after the ball. Like so so if you find yourself strugglingMoreThe club should hit the ground slightly after the ball. Like so so if you find yourself struggling with topping the ball. Change. Your thought process we don't want to focus on keeping our head down.

What causes a topped drive?

As you approach impact, you lose your original address posture and spine inclination to the ground, which causes you to practically swing over the top of the ball. This is often caused by the urge to help the ball into the air.

Why am I hitting the top of my driver?

They key thing to know about skying a driver, or hitting it high on the club-face, is that it means that your angle of attack is too steep and you are hitting down on the golf ball. The solution is simply to work on your angle of attack into the ball and focusing on a sweeping action to hit up on the golf ball.

How do I stop topping the golf ball with fairway woods?

1:546:09Stop Topping Your Woods - Learn to Hit Fairway Woods Off the GroundYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipGet your weight going forward all right that's tip number one now the second thing that could beMoreGet your weight going forward all right that's tip number one now the second thing that could be causing you to actually top your fairway woods is swing.

Where do you look when hitting a golf ball?

0:127:15Where Should Your Eyes Focus In The Golf Swing? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOver top of the ball.MoreOver top of the ball.

Do air shots count?

No matter how many times a player swings, if the club does not touch the ball, it is not considered a stroke. However, when the ball moves with an air shot, it counts as one stroke.

Is it a penalty if you knock your ball off the tee?

Knocking the ball off the tee by accident is not intent to hit the ball so it doesn't count as a stroke. Put the ball back on the tee and hit away with no penalty. The teeing area is a special part of the golf course.

What happens if you hit the ball 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.

What is it called when a ball is bouncing?

But many players make contact above the ball's equator, resulting in a low-flying or bouncing ball. This is called "topping" -- also "skulling" or "thinning" -- the ball, and there are several common reasons that it happens.

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. ...

When do weekend players straighten up?

Unlike Michelle Wie, weekend players frequently straighten up when the ball is below their feet and top the shot.

Can you swing up on a golf ball?

Unless the ball is sitting up on thick grass, which would give you a chance to get under it, you'll either swing up on the ball ( as with poor ball position) or stand up during your downswing. But most of the time, you'll still top the ball.

Is standing up bad for the ball?

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 is my ball not rolling across the ground?

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. (GETTY) If that’s not happening, there may be a few reasons why. Here are some of the most common I see: 1. Bad Posture. Good posture is the basis for solid contact.

How to throw a golf club toward the ground?

It can be helpful to practice this by placing a ball in your right hand, from your golf posture. Allow the elbow to fold as it would in your backswing and then throw the ball so that it hits the ground.

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 maintain a good path in backswing?

It’s possible to have a proper path in your backswing without sacrificing width. Keeping your hands away from your sternum can help to maintain the width of your backswing, making it easier to brush the grass. One of my favorite drills for feeling this is to hold your lead wrist with your trail hand. From here, make your backswing without a club and feel your trail arm pull your lead arm wide. While you practice, be sure to keep your lead underarm close to your body to maintain a good path and width.

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.

Why is it so hard to keep your head down?

The problem with keeping your head down is that it limits your body’s ability to move athletically. If you attempt to keep your head down, it’s very difficult to allow your body to rotate properly on your downswing to get the club down to the ground and the ball into the air. 7. Tension in hands and arms.

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.

Why do I top the golf ball?

Your calves could be the problem if you find yourself standing up onto your toes as you swing down toward impact. This is a move that some golfers end up putting into their swing, usually by accident, as they try to get more power. It is actually possible to play good golf this way, and you might see better players who get up on their toes from time to time – especially when swinging hard. However, for a golfer who wants to figure out how to stop topping the golf ball, getting rid of this move should be a top priority.

What position should the driver be on the golf ball?

If you’ve been topping the ball often, check your ball position first. With the driver, the ball should be opposite your left heel; a little farther back is OK, but too far left is no good. Proper positioning varies with the irons, woods and hybrids, but a little experimentation should tell you whether your problem stems from the setup or the swing.

How does a golf swing stay level?

Good golf swings remain level throughout the backswing and downswing, so the body remains as stable as possible and the job of delivering the club head to the back of the ball gets that much easier. To better understand this concept, think about other areas of life outside of the golf course that require precision.

What is it like to watch your golf ball fly?

One of the great pleasures in the game of golf is looking up after your swing and watching your ball soar through the air in the direction of the target. Even if you don’t hit a great shot every time, there is something satisfying about watching the ball fly that gives the golfers a great feeling of accomplishment.

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.

How does a golf swing work?

While your body might move a little bit laterally throughout the swing, the majority of the motion is going to be rotational – that is, your center of gravity is going to remain in roughly the same spot while your body turns to the right, and then back to the left toward the target. Much of golf instruction has to do with removing any extra unnecessary motion from the swing. For example, sliding from right to left while the club is in motion is something that will hurt your golf swing and rob you of power.

What happens if you don't clear your swing?

If you aren’t clear on what is going on in your swing that is leading to the topping of the ball, you don’t stand much of a chance at all to fix it. The good news is that unlike some other parts of the golf swing, the issue that you are likely dealing with to create this problem is relatively easy to understand.

Why does my club head hit the ball above the equator?

Topping the ball and seeing the clubhead striking the ball above its equator can be explained by a swing that stays too high, in one that doesn’t reach down enough to catch the ball cleanly on the sweet spot of the club.

What is a top shot in golf?

In golf a topped shot is one that see the club hitting the ball above its equator. (For a shot that sees the club hitting just below the equator see the page on thin shots ).

Why is the bottom of the swing arc not a strike?

That’s because a swing that sees the bottom of the swing arc located too much in front of the ball will not produce a pure strike and if far enough in front will produce a topped shot. While the club will correctly approach the ball as it travels down it will catch the ball above its equator if the bottom of the swing arc is too late in the swing, ...

What is lateral sliding in golf?

Particularly, it involves the lateral sliding of the hips back during the backswing and forward during the downswing. This is in contrast to the swing proceeding normally as the golfer’s hips are rotated while staying mostly in place, allowing for the upper body to rotate mostly along a central axis.

What happens when you finish a swing with your weight on your right foot?

By finishing with your weight on your right foot instead of your left, the swing arc will be moved back as well, and its bottom will be located behind the ball. As we’ve seen before, this is one of the recipe for a topped shot.

What happens if you put your weight on top of your left foot?

In one instance, placing your weight too far on top of your left – or forward – foot can lead to your swing arc bottom being located behind the ball, and ultimately to a topped shot.

How to move weight back in tennis?

Instead of moving your weight back towards your right foot during the backswing you will move it forward towards the front foot. Likewise, during the downswing and as you head into impact with the ball, you will move the weight back towards your right foot, instead of correctly moving it forward towards your left foot.

Why do golfers struggle to stop topping the ball?

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.

How do golfers top the golf ball?

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.

How to stop topping the golf ball?

So the real key to stopping topping the golf ball is to maintain your posture and spine angle throughout the golf swing.

What side of the golf swing do you hit the full shots on?

Work your way up to hitting full shots and feel like you're balanced and finishing with your weight on your left side (lead side) after the follow-through. If you can do the chair drill successfully you'll continue to strike the ball solid time after time eliminating any topped golf shots from your game.

Who said golfers should keep their eye on the ball?

Schippel says golfers should instead "keep their eye on the ball.". He breaks it down in the video below & provides an easy drill that you can try to generate power from the ground up and finish your golf swing with ease.

What is the most common miss in golf?

Published on Tuesday, December 15, 2020. One of the most common misses in golf happens when the lead arm breaks down at impact and you top the golf ball. Of course, when this happens we've all heard the peanut gallery on the golf course say "keep your head down.".

What causes a ball to swing over the top of the ball?

FAULT 1. EARLY EXTENSION. As you approach impact, you lose your original address posture and spine inclination to the ground, which causes you to practically swing over the top of the ball. This is often caused by the urge to help the ball into the air. FAULT 2.

How to stay down on a golf club?

To help you stay down, think about keeping your right knee flexed and your right heel on the ground for as long as possible. This encourages you to stay bent at the hips and prevents your legs from straightening and lifting the clubhead farther off the ground.

How to get a fuller shoulder turn?

When viewed from behind, you should be able to see just a little bit of your left forearm. This setup adjustment promotes a fuller, deeper shoulder turn and, as a result, a more inside downswing path and delivery.

Is it embarrassing to dribble off the tee?

Few shots in golf are more embarrassing than the topped tee ball. Unfortunately, there’s more than one way to dribble the ball off the tee. You can swing too steeply from the outside and skim across the ball, or even drop-kick it from the inside. Or, as so often happens with amateurs, you can come up out of your posture at impact and all but whiff.