Category: Lessons

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How to Cure Topping the Golf Ball

A Beginner’s Guide

By Kevin Cotter, PGA

Topping the golf ball is a common issue for golfers, especially beginners. The good news is that it’s entirely fixable. If your shots are skimming across the grass, aka “worm burners,” instead of soaring into the air, don’t worry—you’re not alone. With some practice and adjustments, you’ll hit solid shots in no time. Let’s break down why this happens and how you can cure it.

What Does It Mean to Top the Golf Ball?

Topping the golf ball occurs when the clubface strikes the ball above its equator, causing it to roll or bounce along the ground rather than take flight. This problem stems from several common mistakes, including poor posture, improper ball position, and an inconsistent swing path.

Common Causes of Topping the Ball

  1. Standing Too Tall or Too Close: If you’re standing too upright or too close to the ball, your swing arc can become shallow, leading to poor contact.
  2. Poor Weight Transfer: Failing to transfer your weight correctly during the swing can cause you to rise through impact.
  3. Ball Position: Placing the ball too far forward or backward in your stance disrupts your ability to make solid contact.
  4. Lifting Your Head or Body: Trying to “see” your shot before it happens can cause you to lift your head or upper body, altering your swing path.

Steps to Cure Topping the Ball

Perfect Your Posture

Solid posture is the foundation of any good golf shot, especially during set-up. Bend slightly at the hips, keeping your back straight, and your knees flexed. Ensure your arms hang naturally and your clubface rests squarely behind the ball.

Pro Tip: Avoid hunching over or standing too upright. Your posture should feel athletic and balanced. Your upper body should be straight yet tilted from the hips over the ball and maintained throughout the swing.

Check Your Ball Position

The ball’s position relative to your feet should vary depending on your club. For irons, position the ball closer to the middle of your stance. For the driver, align it with your lead foot’s heel.

Focus on Weight Transfer

Shift your weight to your back foot during the backswing and your front foot during the downswing. This movement ensures a downward strike, allowing you to properly compress and launch the ball. If your weight remains too far back, the club will be encouraged to begin working up through the ball.

Keep Your Head and Upper Body Tilt Steady

Maintain focus on the ball throughout your swing. Avoid the urge to lift your head or upper body before impact, which can cause you to come up and away from the ball, resulting in a topped shot.

Practice a Descending Blow

Strive to hit the ball with a descending blow, striking it before the ground. Hitting down through the ball with your irons creates crisp, clean contact while increasing the spin rate for softer landing shots.

Bonus Tip: Drills to Fix Topping

  • Tee Drill: Place a tee slightly above ground level and practice hitting it with your iron. This will help you perfect a downward strike.
  • Alignment Stick Drill: Use an alignment stick to ensure your ball position and swing path are consistent.

Conclusion

Topping the golf ball can be frustrating, but it’s a challenge you can overcome with the right adjustments and practice. You’ll soon hit solid, high-flying soft landing shots by focusing on maintaining posture, correct ball position, and weight transfer. Remember, every golfer has struggled with this at some point, so stay patient and keep practicing/habituating. Before long, you’ll leave topped shots in the past and enjoy the thrill of solid ball-striking!

For more help improving your golf game, visit kevincottergolf.com.

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Get More Distance Out Of The Ground

NEW RESEARCH

Get More Distance Out Of The Ground

3 power moves the pros make that you don’t

WITH RON KASPRISKE
PHOTO BY STEPHEN SZURLEJ

March 2011

There are a lot of differences between the golf swing of an elite player and that of the average amateur, but what are the biggest? Let’s look at what most golfers want more than anything: power. My work with biomechanics researcher Jean-Jacques Rivet has proved that most amateurs don’t push into the ground effectively to create leverage in their swings. And leverage leads to power.

With the use of J.J.’s data, we’ve found three spots in the average golfer’s swing where a lack of leverage is most evident: the takeaway, halfway back and the transition. I’m going to share our findings with you and give you some drills to fix these power leaks. Follow our advice, and you’ll start hitting the ball better than ever.

1.THE START OF THE BACKSWING

Ground force in the takeaway: 
Pro: 125% of body weight
Amateur: 70% of body weight
Most amateurs tend to lose leverage early in the backswing by raising their bodies, which lightens the force they apply to the ground. The pros do the opposite and apply even more force, giving them a much more stable base to coil the upper body.

leadbetter

DRILL
Take a wood block or similarly weighted object such as a hardcover book and place it behind your 6-iron at address. Push the block away from the target as you start your backswing (right. You should feel pressure building in your right heel as well as the ball of your left foot from the extra effort it takes to move the block.

2. HALFWAY BACK

Ground force in the takeaway: 
Pro: 125% of body weight
Amateur: 65% of body weight

Even if they had good ground force at the start of the swing, many amateurs lose that grounded feeling at this point. As that pressure decreases, they stop coiling and begin to lift their hands and arms as a compensatory move to finish the backswing. Pros continue to coil all the way to the top because they’re still grounded.

leadbetter

DRILL
Place a club on the ground and stand on the shaft with both feet as shown (right, shoes optional). Then swing a 6-iron while standing on the shaft. As you move past the halfway point in your backswing, you should feel a steady or increasing amount of force in your right heel and the middle of your left foot. Because of this force, you should be able to complete your upper-body turn just like the pros do.

3. THE TRANSITION

Ground force in the takeaway: 
Pro: 145% of body weight
Amateur: 90% of body weight

As the club starts down, elite players increase the pressure under their feet — it looks as if they’re starting to squat — which shallows the swing plane and increases clubhead lag. It’s a huge power move. Most amateurs swing down on too steep of a plane and release the clubhead lag early, usually resulting in a weak slice. They often have more ground-force pressure halfway down than at impact. The sequence of the downswing should be from the ground up, but these players frequently do just the opposite, leading with the upper body.

leadbetter

DRILL

Set up with your feet and hips open to the target and take the club to the top. As you start to swing down (right), rotate your hips in a clockwise direction — a feeling of closing them off to your target even more. This dynamic move will force you to push into the ground with your front leg. It also will keep your shoulders from unwinding early and will drop your arms and club onto a shallow plane. Those are keys to hitting a powerful shot that curves from right to left.

BIOS
DAVID LEADBETTER, a Golf Digest Teaching Professional, is based at ChampionsGate, near Orlando. JEAN-JACQUES RIVET is the sports biomechanics consultant to the European Tour.

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Executing the Perfect Pitch Shot

  1. This is a great tip to improve your pitching game.  The primary key to the shot is keeping the arms, shoulders and body moving somewhat in sync as described in this article by Krista Dunton PGA, by allowing the right elbow to fold against the right side during the back swing and left elbow to fold against the left side during the through swing.  Check out the article and video below for some great short game pointers.
  2. executing the perfect pitch shot | Short Game | PGA.com

    That troublesome 20-30 yard pitch shot is easier than you think.
    Pga
  3. Todd Anderson on the Pitch Shot
  4. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGA9HofE1Ek?feature=oembed&w=400&h=225]
    Golf: Pitch Shot
    SIvideo
    ·

    Sat, Feb 23 2013 15:37:26

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Hitting the Ball Farther

  1. This is a great tip by Martin Hall PGA.  I provided an excerpt below from my recently posted article referencing the one-piece-takeaway and how it also helps establish the coiling affect described in this video. Combining the two thoughts will certainly go along way in “Hitting the Ball Farther.”

    “The “one piece takeaway” sets the timing of the swing into immediate sync. The desired sequence of movement is; clubhead, hands, shoulders, hips and lower body in that order. This backswing sequencing establishes proper coiling of the upper body against the lower body, providing a power generating spring like action to be unleashed during the downswing.”

    Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7488903

  2. Hitting the Ball Farther | PGA.com

    Martin Hall, PGA Director of Instruction at Ibis Golf and Country Club in West Palm Beach, Florida talks … Hall demonstrates a drill …
    Pga
    ·

Of course better physical condition can also help you hit the ball farther, check out these drills from PGA.com to help build the muscles you need to hit the ball farther! 

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The Golf Grip

By Kevin Cotter, PGA

The grip is the essential link between your body and the golf club, serving as the foundation for every successful swing. The legendary Arnold Palmer once said, “The grip is the crucial junction point from which all the body’s strength and rhythm are transferred to the club.” Mastering the grip is, therefore, a vital step in building a consistent and powerful golf game.

When it comes to gripping the club, golfers have three primary options to choose from:

  1. The Overlapping Grip (Vardon Grip):
    The most widely used grip among golfers, the overlapping grip, is named after Harry Vardon, one of the pioneers of modern golf. In this grip, the little finger of the right hand (for right-handed golfers) rests on top of and between the index and middle fingers of the left hand. This connection creates a secure and unified hold on the club, allowing the hands to work harmoniously. The overlapping grip promotes a natural release of the club and helps maintain control throughout the swing.

  2. The Interlocking Grip:
    The interlocking grip is another popular choice, particularly among players with smaller hands or those seeking a firmer connection between their hands. In this grip, the right hand’s little finger intertwines with the left hand’s index finger, creating a solid bond. This interlocking action effectively merges the hands, ensuring they move as a single unit during the swing. This grip is favored by many top players, including Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, due to its ability to enhance consistency and prevent one hand from dominating the other.

  3. The Ten-Finger Grip (Baseball Grip):
    The ten-finger grip, often called the baseball grip, is less commonly used by advanced golfers but can be a valuable option for beginners, particularly young players or those with limited hand strength. In this grip, all ten fingers contact the club, similar to how one would hold a baseball bat. While it offers a simpler and more comfortable hold, the ten-finger grip may lack the finesse and control provided by the overlapping or interlocking grips. It is generally recommended for players who need extra leverage to swing the club effectively.

Each grip has its unique advantages, and the choice of which to use depends on individual preferences, physical attributes, and comfort. Understanding and practicing these grip options can significantly impact your performance, ensuring your connection to the club is as strong and effective as possible.

4 Steps to A Solid Grip

Brian Mogg, GOLF MAGAZINE Top 100 Teacher

 
 
Step 2 – Put your glove on and take your left-hand grip. Place the club how you had it in Step 1 — your palm on top and your fingers curled around the handle. You should apply pressure with the last three fingers of your left hand; you shouldn’t feel pressure in your palm.
 
 
Step 3 – When you position your right hand, the handle should rest across the base of your right pinkie to the top crease of your index finger. This sets your right palm to the side and a little on top of the club. Your index finger wraps around the handle.

Step 4 – With your fully formed grip, hold the club at waist height in front of you and check the positioning. The Vs formed by the thumbs and index fingers of both your hands should point to the right side of your face. If you see the two Vs point there, you are good to

 

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