Causes and Cures topped golf shots and ground balls (Video) - by Pete Styles
Causes and Cures topped golf shots and ground balls (Video) - by Pete Styles

One of the most common shots in golf, particularly for beginners, is a top shot or sometimes you call it a ground ball. And there are three areas that I’d like to cover here just to make sure that you’re not falling foul of these top, tall, thin shots that run across the ground.

One of the first things, particularly for a beginner, is anxiety and getting too tight and too anxious over the golf ball. That will often cause you to pull your arms and if you hit the ball, catching the top and rolling the ball into the floor. So, I’d really like to go ahead and work on making a smoother and a slower golf swing at much better extension through the ball. Anytime you get quick and anxious when you hit the top of the golf ball, you’re going to struggle with those ground balls. And it could be self-perpetuating sometimes. The more you top the golf ball, the more anxious you get, the more you lift up, the more you top the golf ball. So, if you can break that cycle and be smooth and staying down through the impact area that could certainly help you get rid of some tops and thins.

Another are I’d like to think about is going to be the reverse pivot. The fact that sometimes if your body weight is going to the left side in your backswing and then reversing on to your right side through the ball, this is very common with people that try and scoop the ball up into the air, desperately trying to hit the ball higher and not top it, you actually make your problems a little bit worse, I’m afraid because you’re trying to get underneath the ball and hit it up. And it just causes you to hit the top of the golf ball more and more. So, to reverse that, it’s a reverse the reverse pivot to get away from the reverse pivot. Think about the body weight coming back in the back swing, forwards in the through swing and having a nice balance follow through position standing on your left leg, getting away from the leaning back, reversing, and scooping the golf ball.

2012-12-03

One of the most common shots in golf, particularly for beginners, is a top shot or sometimes you call it a ground ball. And there are three areas that I’d like to cover here just to make sure that you’re not falling foul of these top, tall, thin shots that run across the ground.

One of the first things, particularly for a beginner, is anxiety and getting too tight and too anxious over the golf ball. That will often cause you to pull your arms and if you hit the ball, catching the top and rolling the ball into the floor. So, I’d really like to go ahead and work on making a smoother and a slower golf swing at much better extension through the ball. Anytime you get quick and anxious when you hit the top of the golf ball, you’re going to struggle with those ground balls. And it could be self-perpetuating sometimes. The more you top the golf ball, the more anxious you get, the more you lift up, the more you top the golf ball. So, if you can break that cycle and be smooth and staying down through the impact area that could certainly help you get rid of some tops and thins.

Another are I’d like to think about is going to be the reverse pivot. The fact that sometimes if your body weight is going to the left side in your backswing and then reversing on to your right side through the ball, this is very common with people that try and scoop the ball up into the air, desperately trying to hit the ball higher and not top it, you actually make your problems a little bit worse, I’m afraid because you’re trying to get underneath the ball and hit it up. And it just causes you to hit the top of the golf ball more and more. So, to reverse that, it’s a reverse the reverse pivot to get away from the reverse pivot. Think about the body weight coming back in the back swing, forwards in the through swing and having a nice balance follow through position standing on your left leg, getting away from the leaning back, reversing, and scooping the golf ball.