What Causes Topped Driver Shots?

Many golfers find the drive one of the toughest shots in the game. The club is the longest, and the ball travels the farthest, making it more difficult to keep the shot straight. If you find yourself hitting plenty of "wormburners," or those shots that never get high in the air and mostly roll down the fairway, try some techniques to improve your swing.

  1. Grounded Club

    • If you often find divots in the ground behind your tee, you lower the club too soon during your swing. This causes the driver to bounce off the ground behind the tee and catch only the top of the ball during the club's upward arc. This is likely caused by an inside-out swing. Correct this problem by rotating your hands more. Try to keep the club head parallel to where you're aiming as you hit the ball.

    The Whiff

    • You think your swing is too low, so you pull the club head up too much at impact, causing the driver to barely make contact with the ball. While this is not technically a whiff, it's close enough to kill the momentum of your swing. This is often caused by pulling your head up and taking your eye off the ball. Make sure your knees stay flexed and keep your head down. Keep your right heel down, only lifting it near impact.

    Outside-In Swing

    • If your swing is more of the outside-in variety, you will often find yourself only catching the top of the golf ball during impact. Lower your right shoulder and flex your right elbow so that it's closer to your abdomen than your left elbow as you address the ball. This should keep you from dipping your shoulder and allow you make the correct turn.

    Addressing the Ball

    • There may be other problems in addition to correcting swing flaws you can address to help prevent topped balls. The ball should be placed on the tee at a height at which the center of the ball is level with the top of your driver. When addressing the ball, line up the teed ball with the back of your front heel.