Topping and slicing the golf ball are two of the most embarrassing things that can happen to a skilled golfer. As awkward as they are, they are common in the golfing world, and nearly everyone struggles at some point in their lives.
Golfers from different parts of the handicap spectrum can be found topping the ball every now and then. Topping the golf ball is even more appealing when done with a driver as it is during the early stages of the game and ruins a player’s confidence. Regardless, golfers can avoid topping the ball by choosing the right equipment, having the correct posture, and practicing a few drills.
This article will discuss the main reasons golfers tend to top the ball and how they can avoid and remove it from their game altogether.
Main Reasons for Topping the Golf Ball
There are many reasons why golfers tend to top the ball when hitting with a driver. Here are the most common ones:
Incorrect Posture
Although it may seem obvious, the fact that a golfer’s posture and spine angle change throughout the golf swing is one of the most frequent causes of fat or thin shots. You must hold the proper body position throughout the swing if you want to make the appropriate contact with the ball consistently.
Your back should be straight, your shoulders should be relaxed, and your knees should be bent to maintain the perfect posture for not topping the ball. You will start making better contact with the ball if you have the proper posture throughout the swing.
Watching the Shot before Hitting
You risk topping the golf ball if you attempt to watch your shot before your golf swing is complete. A top may result from your club missing the center of the golf ball as you elevate your head a little to look at the shot. You’ll hit the golf ball more consistently if you take your time watching your shots.
Short Golf Driver
Using a golf club that is too short forces you to reach for the ball, which compromises your stance and posture and, as you might have predicted, causes you to top the ball.
Hence, it would be best if you always went for a golf driver that suits your height and physique and allows you to hit the center of the ball effortlessly. Also, many golf drivers are known for resistant to topping the golf ball by design. These include Callaway Golf Paradym Driver, TaylorMade Stealth Driver, and Cobra Radspeed Driver.
Reverse Pivot
One of the most frequent reasons for topped shots is the reverse pivot. This results in you pivoting off your front foot rather than your back foot due to a poor weight shift throughout the swing.
As a result, you hit the ball higher than usual since your weight is kept in the back. When in the address posture, you should maintain flexible knees and broad feet to prevent this.
Be careful to have a strong base in the address position if you want to get back on track and correct your poor weight transfer. You should make sure your knees are flexed, and your feet are broad. This will enable the right arc into the ball and assist you in regaining most of your weight.
Improper Spine Movement or Sliding
Your spine doesn’t move during a flawless golf swing as your goal is to rotate around it as an axis. Moving your body back and forth when swinging or sliding is a common mistake. You must precisely time the slide back to the left if you slide to the right during your backswing.
Sliding in your swing makes timing more challenging and much more difficult to play consistently. Poor shots, even tops, can frequently result from this maneuver. There aren’t many scratch golfers whose swings include a “slide.”
If you slip in front of the golf ball before your club reaches the impact point, you will strike the top of the ball. TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Driver, Callaway Golf Rogue ST Max Driver, and Callaway Big Bertha B21 Driver are some golf drivers that allow smooth spine movement.
Ways to Cure Topping the Golf Ball with a Driver
There are some proven ways that will help you cure topping the golf ball with a driver. Here are the easiest methods to remove topping from your game:
Keep a Steady Head
To make good golf strokes, you need to be in a stable position. For some players, it could be challenging, but it’s the greatest approach to put everything back together. You don’t lift, dip, or sway your head while you have a steady head during a golf shot.
Instead, you should maintain as much posture during the backswing and downswing.
With every tiny shift, it will get more challenging to put the club back in the desired position. For right-handed players, swaying your head back to the right makes it harder to come back to square.
Correct Ball Position
One of the most crucial things to get right when hitting fairway woods from the grass is your ball location. The ball should be between one and two ball lengths behind the inner of your leading foot for optimal positioning.
By doing this, it will be simpler for you to strike the ball with the proper attack angle. You should still produce a divot, hit the ball, and then the ground even when utilizing fairway woods and drivers.
Hand Adjustment and Setup
Your hands are the last component of setup to alter as many golfers hold their hands back rather than pressing slightly forward at address. But remember that you need to have the proper swing arc to correctly hit the golf ball. Have any club in your hands and slightly press forward to remove it.
Due to your hands and wrists’ excellent position after doing this, it is one of the simplest techniques to stop topping the ball. Instead of attempting to lift the ball into the air, you will be able to hit the ball down with ease.
Easy Drills To Help You Stop Topping the Golf Ball
The above-mentioned techniques are proven to cure topping the ball with a driver. Still, you need to practice a lot to eliminate topping from your game permanently. The Golf Reporter team has identified several drills that you can use in a driving range to achieve a more permanent solution to your topping problem.
Unsurprisingly, specific golf drivers are more suited for performing these drills and have a track record of better results. Callaway Golf Epic Speed Driver, Cobra Golf LTDX Men’s Driver, Taylormade Golf Stealth2 High Draw Driver, and Cleveland Launcher XL Driver are some of the best choices.
Here are a few easy drills to cure topping the golf ball with a driver:
Weighted Driver Drill
You’ll need a weighted driver for this drill that is designed to help you practice maintaining a low, slow takeout.
Start your takeaway with the weighted driver, and when it is parallel to the ground, hold it there. As long as you can continue doing this without getting too exhausted, it will make your takeout go a lot more smoothly.
The weighted driver should prevent you from yanking the club at the beginning of the backswing and should significantly enhance your release technique, so try to incorporate this routine at the start of each practice session.
Visualization Drill
Do a quick visualization before you hit the shot to help you improve it (or any shot). Imagine the shot going perfectly as you stand behind the ball. Imagine making a clean, precise contact and watching the ball go toward your intended target.
Imagine the sensation as the ball takes flight if you are more kinesthetic than visually inclined. Feel how wonderful it will be to make contact with the club’s center, as it’ll help you be more consistent with your drives.
Front Foot Drill
Stop the swing and keep the club stationery when your club is parallel to the ground at the top of your backswing. Check to see if you can now lift your front foot off the ground. You haven’t switched your weight to your back foot if your foot won’t budge.
Continue trying until you can raise up your front foot, at which point, move on to the next phase of the practice. It’s time to use your rear foot now. After finishing your swing, keep the club in the follow-through posture.
Check to see if you can raise your rear foot. If not, then your front foot has yet to receive enough weight transfer, and you’ll need to continue this exercise until you can lift your rear foot.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are a lot of causes why the majority of golfers face the problem of topping the ball with their drivers. A variety of factors, including the erroneous address position, the wrong weight shift, and others, can cause this frequent yet annoying error. If you examine your swing and do the aforementioned drills, you may significantly improve your game and start making greater contact with all of the clubs in your bag.
Keep in mind that you want to maintain roughly the same posture of your head throughout the swing as you did in the starting position. Golf Reporter has similar innovative solutions to many other golfing problems, like avoiding the slice.