Golf is a sport of fine margins and should something go slightly wrong, it can look bad. The swing is a vital element of golf and one of the more embarrassing moments on the golf course is topping the ball.
This happens when the face of the club hits the ball above the half-way point, also known as the equator. Many topped shots see the leading edge of the club striking the top of the ball instead of the sweet-spot of the face making a good contact with the ball.
A topped shot results in the ball travelling close to the ground and a much shorter distance than anticipated. Hitting a topped shot is awful and this is what makes it one of the worst shots you can play on the golf course. The question is, what can you do to stop topping the golf ball?
The main reason why many people top the golf ball is posture. This generally happens when lifting up during the downswing and that pulls the clubhead up and away from the ball. The result is the club face is above the equator of the ball on impact which leads to a topped shot.
If you feel this could be the problem, think about keeping the front shoulder down during impact with the ball. The back shoulder should remain level with the lead shoulder on the through-swing and rotate under the chin.
Why not record your golf swing and look for this fault? If you spot your lead shoulder is above you back shoulder on impact, try keeping it down next time and see if this results in a better contact with the ball.
If this is not the issue, you may have a weight distribution problem. When your weight moves to the front on your backswing and to the back on your downswing and follow through, it is called the reverse pivot and can lead to both sliced and topped shots. If you finish the swing with more weight on your back side than your front, the face of the club will lift during impact and is more likely to strike the top half of the ball than anything else.
You need to make a smooth transition with your weight from the backswing, through the downswing and follow through. Weight needs to be transferred from back to front, not the other way around.
Finally, and a simple way to stop topping the golf ball is to check the position of the ball in your stance. If the ball is too close to your front foot at address, you will reach the bottom point of your swig before contacting the ball, which leads to a topped shot.
Correct ball positioning with each club will help you to stop topping the ball and improve your overall play.
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