Irons · Lesson
Stop Topping Your Fairway Woods
Part of our irons programs for topped or thin, fat or chunked, long irons and hybrids. Build a program with it
Topped fairway woods happen when the club bottoms out behind the ball. Three things control where it hits the ground. Ball position, weight shift and swing direction. Make sure the ball isn't too far forward. Start with your weight centered. Take the club back a little more straight and up, rather than low and around. Then move your weight onto your lead foot as you start down.
Step by step
- Check the ball isn't too far forward.
- Start with your weight centered.
- Swing back more up, less around.
- Shift to your lead foot as you start down.
- Brush the turf at the ball.
Why it works
A topped shot happens when the club reaches the bottom of its arc before the ball, then rises into the top of it. Ball position, weight shift and swing direction decide where that low point falls. A ball not too far forward, a centered start, a slightly more upright backswing and a move onto the lead foot at the start of the downswing all move the low point toward the ball.
Common mistakes
- You place the ball off your lead heel, so the club is already rising when it arrives.Move the ball back a little so it sits inside your lead heel, then check contact again.
- You stay on your trail foot through the downswing and the low point lands behind the ball.Start down by moving your weight onto your lead foot before the club reaches the ball.
- You swing the club back low and around, which flattens the arc and sends it bottoming out early.Take the club back a little more up and less around, keeping the swing path steady.
How you'll know it's working
- The ball leaves the face with a low-to-medium launch and does not skid along the ground.
- You see a light brush mark in the turf at or just past the ball, not well behind it.
- You feel your weight on your lead foot at impact and your chest facing slightly past the ball.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Put the ball on a low tee or a good lie and make half swings so you can focus on the weight shift and brushing the turf.
Harder: Hit the ball from a tight fairway lie with a full swing, keeping the same ball position and weight shift.
Common questions
Why do I keep topping my fairway wood?
Most often the club bottoms out behind the ball because the ball is too far forward, your weight stays back, or the swing is too low and around. Then the club rises and hits the top of the ball.
Where should the ball be for a fairway wood?
Place it forward of center, but not so far forward that the club is rising at impact. A spot just inside your lead heel is a sensible place to start for a right-hander.
