Irons · Lesson
How to Stop Topping the Ball
Part of our irons programs for topped or thin. Build a program with it
Topping usually comes from trying to help the ball up. You lift your body or your arms, and the club catches the top of the ball. Trust the loft instead. Stay in your posture. Make practice swings that brush the grass where the ball sits. Keep your chest pointing at the ball until after impact. Your only goal is to brush the grass after the ball. Don't worry where it goes yet.
Step by step
- Set up with a 7-iron, ball in the middle.
- Brush the grass in practice swings.
- Keep your chest on the ball through impact.
- Brush the grass after the ball.
- Ignore the result until contact is solid.
Why it works
Irons are built with loft, so the club lifts the ball when it strikes down and through it. If you stand up or pull your arms in to help the ball up, the club's low point moves back and up, and the leading edge hits the top of the ball. Holding your posture keeps the low point in front of the ball, so the club meets the ball first and then the grass.
Common mistakes
- You stand up through impact to lift the ball.Keep your chest pointing at the ball until after the club has passed it.
- You scoop with your wrists to get under the ball.Keep your hands level with or just ahead of the clubhead at impact and let the loft do the work.
- You look up early to see where the ball went.Keep your eyes on the spot where the ball sat until the club has brushed the grass past it.
How you'll know it's working
- The club brushes the grass after the spot where the ball sat, not before it.
- The ball leaves the face with a rising flight instead of skidding along the ground.
- You feel a small, shallow divot or scuff starting just in front of the ball's position.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Hit the ball off a low tee or a good lie on short grass, and take shorter backswings until contact is solid.
Harder: Move to a tighter lie or hit with a longer iron while still keeping your chest on the ball and brushing the grass after it.
Common questions
Why do I keep topping the ball with my irons?
Most often you are trying to lift the ball, so you stand up or pull your arms in during the downswing. This raises the club's low point, and the club hits the top of the ball.
Should I swing harder to stop topping the ball?
No. More force usually makes you lose your posture sooner. Use a smooth swing, keep your chest on the ball, and trust the loft of the club.
