'You Lifted Your Head Up'... Why This Common Amateur Observation MIGHT NOT Be The Reason Your Are Topping The Golf Ball

You may have heard the frustratingly-timed phrase 'you lifted your head up' after topping your golf shot, but is there another reason why this happens?

Why Do I Keep Topping The Golf Ball? Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Ben Emerson demonstrating a topped golf shot
Topping the ball has to be one of the most frustrating shots in golf, but why does it happen?
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
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Topping the golf ball has to be one of the most frustrating shots in golf and can be the result of a few common swing faults for amateurs.

It’s generally followed by someone saying 'you’ve lifted your head' or 'come up on the ball'. Sometimes, that isn’t actually the case. Players can easily top the ball without lifting their head, so there is clearly another element that encourages this shot, too.

The regularity of this shot could be one of the reasons you don't get better at golf, but with the best golf tips you have a great chance to eradicate this from your game.

In this article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Ben Emerson explores why you might be topping the golf ball and offers a simple drill to fix the problem...

Why Do I Keep Topping The Golf Ball?

Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Ben Emerson demonstrating how the chicken wing swing position can cause you to top the golf ball

The 'chicken wing' swing could be the reason you are topping the golf ball

(Image credit: Howard Boylan)

Something that can often break down in the golf swing is your arms, causing you to top the golf ball. You can see in the image above, in an attempt to get the ball airborne, my arms have gone into this chicken-wing-swing position. This means that my lead arm has become disconnected from my body and the result is that I have raised the handle and the club up, facilitating a top. Remember, an iron shot is a downward blow – the more down the club goes, the more up the ball goes.

The 'Stop Topping The Golf Ball' Drill

Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Ben Emerson demonstrating a drill to stop you from topping the golf ball

This drill will help you to get a cleaner strike, more consistently!

(Image credit: Howard Boylan)

A nice drill is to start in the position on the left, with the club in front of you, and make some rehearsal swings. 

As you can see in the image, my chest and hips have turned, everything is in one unit and my right foot is slightly off the ground. We want our arms to feel like they’re squeezing together and our elbows coming through together – not wooden or locked. Make some rehearsal swings and get used to this new sensation of releasing past the ball, rather than helping the ball up. You’ll soon see some better strikes.

Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Ben Emerson demonstrating the perfect impact position when hitting the golf ball to avoid a topped shot

Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Ben Emerson demonstrating the perfect impact position

(Image credit: Howard Boylan)

Above, I have created an ideal position as I come through to impact. Don’t think of it as your head staying down, think of it as your arms being nice and tight. Practice this on the range and pretty soon you will be able to say goodbye to the tops!

Ben Emerson
Ben Emerson
Top 50 Coach

Location: Sand Martins GC 

Ben’s modern approach to golf coaching has seen him become one of the most sought-after coaches in the country and teaches none other than Robbie Williams. His honest, modern and fun style of coaching has help thousands of golfers of all ages and abilities and he has been coaching for over 20 years.

Advice for practice:

Start with slow, small swings. If you can’t do it small and slowly there is not a hope in hell of doing it at full speed with a full swing! In other sports such as rugby or martial arts they slow learn new moves/plays before making them at full speed. 

Teaching philosophy: 

‘Why guess when you can access’ Ever new student goes through a full TPI movement screen, 3D motion capture and pressure plate analysis as well as TrackMan and 2D video analysis. Coaching is based on facts and not guess work. 

Most common problem:

A lack of clubface understanding and awareness. I get golfers to aim the clubface directly at the target and get them to make a slow swings and deliver the club to the ball with an open face, then repeat the same thing again but with a closed face, followed by one at the target. Giving them full awareness based on feelings errors to find a happy middle ground.

 

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