If you’re tired of topped shots ruining your rounds, you’re not alone. Most amateur golfers struggle with this issue at some point in their development.
The good news? Topping the ball is completely fixable with the right techniques and practice. This guide shows you exactly how to eliminate topped shots from your game using proven methods that work for golfers at every level.
1. Understanding Why You Keep Topping the Ball
Before you can fix your topped shots, you need to understand what causes them. Topping happens when your club strikes the ball above its center line instead of making clean contact.
This creates that dreaded low, weak shot that barely gets airborne. The ball essentially gets “topped” by the leading edge of your club rather than struck cleanly by the clubface.
Four primary causes lead to topped shots:
- Poor posture at setup: Standing too tall or hunching over incorrectly
- Early weight shift forward: Moving your weight to your front foot too soon
- Lifting your head too early: Looking up to see where the ball goes before impact
- Incorrect ball position: Playing the ball too far back in your stance
Understanding these causes puts you ahead of most players who never identify the root problem.
2. Fix Your Setup Position
Your setup position determines everything that happens in your swing. Get this right, and you’re already halfway to eliminating topped shots.
Start with proper stance width. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart for iron shots, slightly wider for your driver. This creates a stable base without restricting your turn.
Weight distribution matters more than most golfers realize. At address, favor your back foot with a 60/40 weight split. This helps you stay behind the ball through impact instead of lunging forward.
Ball position varies by club but follows a consistent pattern. For short irons, position the ball in the center of your stance. For mid-irons, move it slightly forward. For your driver, play it off your front heel.
Your spine should tilt slightly away from the target. This natural tilt helps you hit down on the ball with irons and up on the ball with your driver.
Knee flex provides stability and power. Bend your knees slightly as if you’re about to sit down. Too much flex restricts your turn, while too little creates instability.
5 Setup Checkpoints You Can Verify in 30 Seconds
- Feet shoulder-width apart
- Weight slightly favoring back foot
- Ball position appropriate for the club
- Slight spine tilt away from target
- Comfortable knee flex
3. Master the Proper Swing Plane
Think of your golf swing like a tilted Ferris wheel. The club should travel on this angled plane throughout your swing, not on a flat baseball swing plane.
Many golfers who top the ball swing too flat, causing the club to approach the ball from too shallow an angle. This makes it easy to catch the ball on the upswing, leading to topped shots.
The correct takeaway sets your swing plane immediately. Start by keeping your left arm (for right-handed golfers) connected to your chest during the first part of your backswing.
Your club should point at the target line when it reaches parallel to the ground in your backswing. If it points right of the target line, your plane is too flat. If it points left, your plane is too upright.
Practice the wall drill to groove the correct swing plane. Set up parallel to a wall with your trail shoulder about six inches away. Make slow practice swings without hitting the wall. This trains the proper swing plane and prevents the flat swing that causes topped shots.
4. Keep Your Head Steady Through Impact
Lifting your head before impact ranks as the number one cause of topped shots among amateur golfers. This natural instinct to see where the ball goes actually prevents good contact.
When you lift your head early, your entire upper body rises with it. This raises the bottom of your swing arc, causing the club to catch the ball on its upward path.
Tour professionals use a “quiet eye” technique. They focus on a specific dimple on the back of the ball and maintain that focus until well after impact.
Try this practice drill: Place a coin under the ball on the tee or turf. Focus on hitting the coin instead of the ball. This keeps your head down and promotes the proper downward strike.
Another effective drill involves having a practice partner hold a club about two feet in front of your ball. Make practice swings while keeping your head from moving toward the extended club.
Remember, you’ll hear the ball leave the clubface before you need to see where it goes. Trust this sound and keep your head steady through impact.
5. Perfect Your Weight Transfer
Proper weight transfer creates the power and consistency every golfer wants. More importantly for topped shots, it ensures you strike down on the ball with irons and up on the ball with your driver.
Many golfers who top the ball make the mistake of shifting their weight forward too early in the downswing. This causes them to “get ahead” of the ball, leading to thin or topped contact.
The correct sequence starts with your lower body leading the downswing. Your hips begin to rotate toward the target while your upper body remains coiled. This creates the lag that generates power and ensures proper ball contact.
Stay behind the ball concept applies especially to driver shots. While your lower body moves forward, your head and upper body should remain behind the ball at impact. This promotes the upward strike needed for optimal driver distance.
Practice this weight transfer drill: Make slow-motion swings focusing on keeping your head behind the ball while your hips rotate toward the target. Gradually increase speed while maintaining this feeling.
6. Practice These 3 Anti-Topping Drills
Consistent practice with the right drills eliminates topped shots faster than any other approach. These three drills address the specific swing faults that cause topping.
Tee Drill for Solid Contact
This drill trains you to hit down on the ball consistently. Start by teeing a ball at normal height. After hitting successful shots, gradually lower the tee until it’s barely visible above ground.
Finally, place the tee completely flush with the turf and hit balls off it. If you can consistently strike the ball cleanly without hitting the tee, you’ve mastered the downward strike needed to avoid topped shots.
This progression helps golfers develop the proper impact mechanics through gradual difficulty increases.
Impact Bag Training
An impact bag teaches you the proper impact position and feeling. Set up with an impact bag where the ball would normally be. Practice hitting the bag while maintaining the correct impact position.
Don’t have an impact bag? A stack of old towels or a pillow works as an alternative. The key is feeling your hands ahead of the clubhead at impact, which prevents topped shots.
Focus on hitting the bag with your hands leading the clubhead. This creates the proper impact dynamics for solid ball striking.
Slow Motion Swing Practice
Slow motion swings build proper muscle memory without the pressure of hitting a ball. Make swings at 25% speed, focusing on maintaining your spine angle and head position throughout the swing.
Gradually increase to 50% speed, then 75%, and finally full speed. This progression ensures you maintain proper mechanics even as swing speed increases.
The beauty of slow motion practice is you can do it anywhere – your backyard, office, or even indoors with a practice club.
7. Track Your Progress and Stay Consistent
Measuring improvement keeps you motivated and shows whether your practice is working. Track these simple metrics during your practice sessions and rounds.
Count how many topped shots you hit during a typical round before implementing these techniques. After practicing consistently for a few weeks, count them again to measure your improvement.
Quality of contact matters more than perfect shots. Focus on making solid contact even if the ball doesn’t go exactly where you intended. Clean contact with minor direction issues beats topped shots every time.
Practice schedule consistency produces faster results than marathon sessions. Spend 20-30 minutes three times per week rather than one long session. Your muscle memory develops better with frequent, shorter practices.
Common setbacks include reverting to old habits under pressure. When this happens, return to slow motion practice until the correct feelings become automatic again.
Remember, every golfer improves at their own pace. Stay patient with the process and trust that consistent practice will eliminate topped shots from your game.
Take Your Game to the Next Level
Eliminating topped shots transforms your golf game immediately. You’ll experience longer drives, more accurate iron shots, and the confidence that comes from consistent ball striking.
These seven techniques work for golfers at every level, but nothing replaces personalized instruction from a qualified professional. A trained eye can spot swing faults you might miss and provide specific feedback for your unique swing.
At X-Golf, our advanced simulators let you practice these techniques year-round in a controlled environment. You can work on your swing mechanics without weather delays or course limitations, making improvement faster and more convenient.
Ready to eliminate topped shots from your game for good? Book a session at X-Golf Frisco today and start seeing immediate improvement in your ball striking. Our state-of-the-art technology and expert instruction will have you hitting solid shots consistently in no time.
