Are you still a victim of topping in golf? A topped shot is one of the most frustrating things in golf and can leave you feeling foolish sometimes in front of your playing partners.
The topping is not that destructive since the golf ball typically stays straight in line but the technique is somewhat dissatisfying and can lower your confidence.
The fault is common especially among average players and a beginner though some golf teachers assert that topping is a good player’s mistake. Either way, the topping is most likely to damage your ego and lead to under-performing eventually.
For this reason, I have put together this article to help you understand and deal with topping the golf ball accordingly.
What is topping in golf?
In case you are new to golfing and you do not know if you are topping in the shots you make then I will help you understand the concept. It is a very common saying in golf that if you want the golf ball to go upwards, really have to hit down on it; which is very true.
It is also common practice that you make you iron shots with the club head still slightly in motion heading downward at contact and let the club only hit half the bottom of the ball.
To the contrary, most players make contact above the ball’s equator which results in the ball bouncing and this is what we call topping in golf. Below is a videos illustration of topping and why you top;
What brings about topping of a golf ball?
There are several reasons as to why you are still topping the golf ball. Whether you tend to irons, hybrids or tee shots the cause of this error definitely lies in the flaws of your basics of the game. The problem could be emanating right from a simple inconsistent posture to complicated faults such as the reverse pivot. I have outlined some of the most common causes of topping as follows;
1. Standing up
How do you stand in proper address position? The right address posture should be bending your knees at the hip and flexing them slightly.
The same posture applies for a backswing but for a downswing you might have to straighten your legs and back.
When you try to hit the ball harder, you will find that you tend to slide your hips forward during the downswing in order to gain balance.
Therefore, if standing up increases distance from you to the ball then you will probably hit the top half thus topping the golf ball.
2. Reverse pivot
The reverse pivot is a fault brought up when you do a downswing by leaning towards the target which in turn changes the lower swinging arc thus resulting in you leaning away from the target. If you are able to avoid hitting the ground then the club head will be in an up word swing when it finally gets to the ball and this is a topped shot.
3. Looking at the top of the ball at address
The way you look or position at the ball really matters in golfing. Many golf players tend to position themselves over the golf ball so that it is much easier for them to have a top view of the ball. This way the player will hit only the top of the ball.
4. Poor ball position
If in your stance the ball is far forward, it will be easier to hit it flat since the club head reaches the lower section of its swing arc even before getting to the ball. When the club is in such position you will barely be able to hit the bottom half of the golf ball managing only to whiff or top the ball.
5. Throwing the club head
I bet that before you might have tried to gain more club head speed through flipping your wrists slightly on impact.
This is common to most players but the difference comes in straightening the wrists before the club head can reach the ball.
Unfortunately, this makes the clubhead swing upwards much sooner than expected hence only hitting the top of the ball.
Ways to stop topping the golf ball
Below is an exclusive package of tips and a video tutorial that will help completely cure your tops in golf.
1. Maintain correct posture all through the swing
It is a very common to see many senior golfers habitually lifting up during downswings. It is a move to pull the club head in an upward direction and further away from the ball. Therefore, as in the direction of the ball during a downswing, remember to keep the left shoulder down on impact.
The right shoulder should rotate below the chin through the swing sticking below the left shoulder to the end of the swing. To improve you swing and eliminate topping consider the Molor Flatball Golf Swing Training Aid (6-piece), white on Amazon .com.
2. Move the ball back in your stance
This is simpler than it may seem. In case you have the ball close to your lead foot at address, your swing is more likely to reach the bottom before it hits the ball and will be traveling over and above the ball. To curb this, check your ball position such that the ball is on the opposite side of your heel.
3. Fix your pools weight shift
It is very clear that reverse pivot is not only responsible for a large percentage of topped shots but also contributes to slicing. A reverse shot arises when your weight shifts onto the left side then to the right on a backswing. In short, if you finish a shot with more weight on either side you are a victim of a reverse pivot. The solution is to balance your weight on both sides.
CONCLUSION
Topping the golf ball is definitely disappointing and I can assure you that the tips above will be helpful. During your training time do not forget the Molor Flatball Golf Swing Training Aid (6-piece), white that will come in handy in improving your swing hence minimize topping. If you have any comments about my article feel free to share them with us.
Source:
