Topping the ball

[Matty]

I hadn't played for a few week due to the weather until Saturday arrived. I nipped out on my own for a few holes to keep my swing going and in many cases wish now that I hadn't bothered!

I was topping a huge amount of shots and also left the course with a sky mark on a relatively new hybrid - not pleased

So, any tips or drills out there I can try to stop this pretty consistent topping of the ball? I've had a little session in the garage without a ball aiming to ensure I consistently contact the floor (old club and a wooden board with a lino covering in use for this) but is that doing any good and is there anything else I should be doing?

 

[Marty420]

Im my own experience, topping the ball is normally down to lifting the head too early (looking for where the balls gone before you've hit it).

A few years back I had a similar issue and just practised swinging the club without moving my head at all. Only looking up when the rotation of my body and shoulders forced my head to turn. Ignore the ball, and concentrate on the ground directly beneath it. Two buckets of range balls later and I was cured.

I cant guarantee it will solve your problem, but its worth giving it a go if you are having issues. I'm sure some others will be in here shortly to offer some more advice.

 

[Astraeus]

Im my own experience, topping the ball is normally down to lifting the head too early (looking for where the balls gone before you've hit it).

A few years back I had a similar issue and just practised swinging the club without moving my head at all. Only looking up when the rotation of my body and shoulders forced my head to turn. Ignore the ball, and concentrate on the ground directly beneath it. Two buckets of range balls later and I was cured.

I cant guarantee it will solve your problem, but its worth giving it a go if you are having issues. I'm sure some others will be in here shortly to offer some more advice.

My experience is similar. A surprising number of bad shots are down to lifting my head too early and "topping" is most common amongst the duffed shots.

 

[Roops]

Here's another thought for you to consider. When you setup, just check that you have a nice little bit of flex in the knees. The aim through the swing is to retain that flex, topping is often caused by the tendency to straighten out the knees raising your self out of the shot, before you have reached the moment of impact. It's normally the left knee that straightens most (for a righty), which is enough to catch the ball above the equator. Good drill for this is to half bury the ball in loose earth and hit it out. You have to stay in the shot to achieve it.

 

[woody69]

I think it is a bit of a myth that lifting your head is the reason for a "top" - assuming you are topping it, i.e. missing the ball on the downswing and clipping the front of the ball causing it to jump up. You may be actually thinning it, i.e hitting the equator of the ball on the up as your swing has bottomed out.

Biggest cause I have found for either fault is moving the head laterally, either too far forward or too far back as the body sways.

If you do a few half or even quarter swings, do you still top the ball?

 

[the_coach]

I hadn't played for a few week due to the weather until Saturday arrived. I nipped out on my own for a few holes to keep my swing going and in many cases wish now that I hadn't bothered!

I was topping a huge amount of shots and also left the course with a sky mark on a relatively new hybrid - not pleased

So, any tips or drills out there I can try to stop this pretty consistent topping of the ball? I've had a little session in the garage without a ball aiming to ensure I consistently contact the floor (old club and a wooden board with a lino covering in use for this) but is that doing any good and is there anything else I should be doing?

that would depend if you can hit the 'same' piece of the floor with every swing but crucially would depend on where exactly that 'floor contact' was in relation to where a ball would be, as to whether it would be 'helping improve' impact or maybes grooving some faults - need to be sure you are not swaying laterally either back or through to the ball (the latter swaying towards target in the downswing is a big part of leading to sky shots issues)

you say you use a board on lino, is the board (if the old club is say a 6i) positioned some 4" or 5" behind the 'imaginary ball' so you gotta to miss the board then contact the floor after? if not would suggest putting a flat bag towel some 4" or 5" behind the 'imag ball pos' & then you gotta miss the towel to reach a sound impact condition - ball first ground second

do you mostly often times hit the ball on a left to right flight pattern?

there's a bunch of ways to top a ball - but basically all it is, is delivering the 'low point' of the swing arc in the wrong place too soon before the club gets to ball

common ways this can happen is having the majority of the weight in the downswing on the trail leg so in order to miss the ground to get to the ball folks have to raise up - couple ways this can happen is straightening up from the hips & the hips moving nearer to the ball/target line so the arms & hands have to 'pull' the club up & in towards the body often times the lead arm/wrist breaks down (gets 'cupped') with the trail wrist/hand flipping the club upwards
all part of taking action not to dump the club head in the ground before it arrives at the ball

often times this hip action (ee) accompanied with the legs straightening by not keeping the knee flex into impact - this is the point some well meaning playing partner interjects with "you moved your head up" - head only moves upwards through the body & legs not staying in posture & often times this 'standing up' is remedial reaction to an oversteep AoA swing path that would dump the club into the ground if folks didn't raise up pull the arms in & up & flip

get a chair to do the garage swing with the 'towel' in position - at set-up feel the 'butt' against the 'chair back' as you swing back up to the top feel trail 'butt cheek' still against the chair & slightly increasing pressure against it, at transition feel the lead 'butt cheek' against the chair & it has to stay in contact all the ways into impact & finish - again that pressure of the lead b-ch will increase & push the chair directly back behind you - at no time in the swing should the 'butt' move away from the chair back - also while doing this try to feel the head stays in a steady position behind the 'ball' & the vertical height remains pretty level, both back & through - not rock still will obviously be some head motion - just dont want any big lateral movement off the ball or any big up & down in the vertical height

topping & skying often times (my take) is an indication of swinging the club very much more independent of the body - so not much rotation goin on - so no real connection between arms & club to the rest of the body that ways the backswing gets a little narrow & lifty, meaning the downswing is a ways steep & narrow

assuming the sky's are off of a tee
with the ball on a tee (is the ball position a ways too far back in the stance this would magnify a very steep angle of approach) with a more armsey swing the upper body moves towards target so head either at or infront of the ball, armsey swing down a good ways too steep so present the very top leading edge of the face (or crown top) of a driver, metal or hybrid to the ball so the marks & the 'pop up' ball flight that goes no place just high

need to re-check posture, ball position at set-up, keep a feeling of a centered turn with the chest with the lead upper arm staying lightly connected with the chest wall not lifting up & moving away during the backswing while maintaining angle in the forwards bend from the hip sockets & a feeling of maintaining the vertical height

good drill at the range say with a 7i is the "L" to "L" drill - so around 90º angle between lead arm & shaft when lead arm is 1st horizontal to the ground that's as far back as you take the club (so the L)
then bearing in mind keeping posture & height feel weight into leg lead kick starts the downswing to hit ball then ground (good idea to put that towel 4" behind the ball too) then you 'turn' & swing through to form the reverse L shape in the through swing, trail arm horizontal to ground with shaft around 90º is the finish position - with weight on the lead side head staying behind the ball up to strike let the eyes follow the ball by rotating the head (don't try to keep head rigidly down after strike)

 

[the_coach]

have a look at the vids posted on the thread 'balls going off right' would help you stay in posture & rotate

 

[Matty]

Thanks all - somenew things there for ne to give a try - guess I'll be heading down to the driving range

 

[bobmac]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'topping' the ball.
My interpretation would be you are getting in front of the ball at impact with a steep angle of attack hitting down on the top of the ball, driving it into the ground.
A thin is when the weight stays behind the ball and is struck on the way up.
Two different faults and two different cures so impossible to help until I which you are doing.
As you are getting sky marks on your hybrid, my money would be on the former........weight too far forward.

 

[Matty]

If I knew what I was doing I would need to ask for help

The sky mark was a one off due to really soggy and boggy section of the fairway, club head slid straight under the ball leaving a parting in the grass!

As for the 'topping' - all I can tell you is that the ball moves forward with apparent forward spin, if often leave a gouge in the fairway for about 8-10 inches before travelling a short distance at very low elevation.

I would normally think about booking a lesson but due to the weather I won't get much change to practice so it might have to wait until next year. In the meantime I'll try to figure it out by trial and error and a little help from this wonderful forum!

 

[woody69]

If I knew what I was doing I would need to ask for help

The sky mark was a one off due to really soggy and boggy section of the fairway, club head slid straight under the ball leaving a parting in the grass!

As for the 'topping' - all I can tell you is that the ball moves forward with apparent forward spin, if often leave a gouge in the fairway for about 8-10 inches before travelling a short distance at very low elevation.

I would normally think about booking a lesson but due to the weather I won't get much change to practice so it might have to wait until next year. In the meantime I'll try to figure it out by trial and error and a little help from this wonderful forum!

This may help

[video=youtube;mH9hsvWqFUs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH9hsvWqFUs[/video]

 

[bobmac]

We really need to see what the problem is. If you could record your swing from face on and post it on here, we would be able to help.
If you are getting too far forward, all the advice above will just make you worse, but if you are too far back, it will help.
If you cant film your swing, try this............
Stand with the sun behind you and note where your head shadow is on the ground. Make your backswing and stop. Then look to see where your head shadow is. Has it moved back?

 

[woody69]

We really need to see what the problem is. If you could record your swing from face on and post it on here, we would be able to help.
If you are getting too far forward, all the advice above will just make you worse, but if you are too far back, it will help.
If you cant film your swing, try this............
Stand with the sun behind you and note where your head shadow is on the ground. Make your backswing and stop. Then look to see where your head shadow is. Has it moved back?

Can you explain this to me? Surely the drill in the video would help if he was getting too far forward, not make it worse?

 

[bobmac]

Can you explain this to me? Surely the drill in the video would help if he was getting too far forward, not make it worse?

The advice above assumes that the player is staying too far back and hitting the ball on the way up.The advice is to encourage the player to transfer more weight onto the left side through impact.
If the OP already is too far forward at impact, hitting too steepy down on the ball, telling him to get further forward would make it worse.

 

[woody69]

The advice above assumes that the player is staying too far back and hitting the ball on the way up.The advice is to encourage the player to transfer more weight onto the left side through impact.
If the OP already is too far forward at impact, hitting too steepy down on the ball, telling him to get further forward would make it worse.

I see, thanks for clarifying.