Golf swing tips - 7: How to stop topping the ball

This is the seventh article in our ten of the best golf swing tips for beginners series.

The top is a shot that travels very little distance due to the club hitting the top of the ball (Fig.1).

Like the duff shot, topping the ball leaves you with a red face and makes your next shot a real tough task, so check out my quick fixes for more consistent ball striking...

1. Have a looser grip

A too tight grip will restrict your hand's movement at impact and may prevent you from getting the clubface underneath the ball. So make sure your hands are active through-out.

2. Flex legs and don't stand up too tall

No leg flex (left-hand image of Fig.2) will cause your body to stand up tall at address and in-turn will cause you to pull up the club away from the ball. So make sure your head is over the ball and your legs are active.

3. Straighten your left arm

For a right-hander, a key aspect of any swing is keeping your left arm straight (Fig.2). Unusually, Lee Westwood has has a bent arm at impact since he was a kid but for most amateurs it's very important for getting underneath the ball and striking it properly.

4. The ball maybe too far forward or back in stance

If you have a short iron then the ball should be in the middle of your stance beacause this is when the clubface is at the top of your swing arc. If it's too far forward you may have the tendency to hit up on the ball or if it's too far back you may strike it too early. Both instances would cause a top shot.

5. Don't hit the ball too hard

Like me, most of us have probably tried to hit the living daylights out of the ball when hitting our drivers and sometimes you'll only catch the top of the ball. This is because your swing plane changes and more often than not you'll full back on the shot. So keep your stability through-out the swing.

Want any more swing tips and cures? Then check out our instructional articles on...

1. How to cure a slice
2. How to cure a hook
3. How to cure a push
4. How to cure a pull
5. How to stop shanking the ball
6. How to stop duffing the ball
8. How to hit a fade
9. How to hit a draw
10. How to hit a punch shot

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