10 Ways to Stop Overhitting the Ball, According to a Top 100 Teacher

1. Hit the ground…please!

Many golfers who top the ball have one thing in common: they are afraid to touch the ground because they think they will miss the shot. But interaction with the turf is crucial to properly compress the ball. Therefore, it’s time for elite players to change their intent and aim deeper – to ensure they make contact with the ground.

2. Bend forward from the hips

Bending forward from the hips allows you to better hang your arms and keep your hands under your shoulders, which is the proper golf posture. This stance puts you in a forward position so your eyes and chest are a little closer to the ground, making it much easier to make contact with the turf during your swing.

You don’t need to bend your knees too much. So make sure they are relaxed enough to release the lock – but not to be used as the primary lowering means. Bending your knees too much causes your torso to be too upright, making it more difficult to touch the ground or make contact with your core.

3. Throw your hands and club head to the ground

As you perform your backswing, you want your arms to be extended and stretched toward the ground. If you feel like you’re throwing something from your hands straight onto the floor, you’re doing it right.

By doing this stretch and straightening your arms, you help the club reach the ground, which allows the ball to fly higher.

4. The weight stays in front

I like the weight to remain relatively constant throughout the swing from toes to heels. Not everyone does this, but if you beat the ball a lot, it’s something to consider.

As you do this, you should feel the weight remaining in your toes and on your front foot on the downswing. This will help you avoid backing away from the ground, which can cause the shot to overlap or thin out.

5. Make a divot

A divot is not a bad thing. So if you think this is the case, be sure to retrain your brain to make sure you don’t take a divot. However, not all divots are created equal as they can say a lot about your shot. Often, first divots occur before the ball, resulting in a fat shot that isn’t perfect – but still a step in the right direction if you usually hit the ball at the top, as this shows how far you are in it, to bring the club to the ground.

A good training tool for practicing interacting with the turf is the Divot Board (available here), which is both fun and easy to use.

6. Hear the “pumping”

Some players don’t like practicing swings, but if you top the ball a lot, I think they’re important. This is because during your practice swing you can feel and hear the club hitting the ground, giving you the opportunity to mimic this as you execute your swing.

For example, if you use a hybrid racquet and don’t make a practice swing that touches the ground, you can be almost certain to top the ball. But with some practice before executing your shot, you can convert your thoughts into feelings and gain the confidence to hit your ball correctly.

7. The trail heel comes up

If your posture is good and you extend your arms toward the ground on the downswing, the trail heel should naturally pull up.

To quickly illustrate this, imagine throwing a ball underhandedly. Your back heel will naturally rise as you throw it toward your target – the same thing should happen in your golf swing.

Elevating this heel helps the bottom of the arc appear in the correct location and also helps the club stay low to the ball to make contact with the turf (and hopefully make a proper divot).

8. Keep your hands, arms and elbows relaxed

Any tension in your body will make it difficult to lift the golf ball. Assuming your grip is correct and you are holding the club in your fingers, be careful never to squeeze too hard. Instead, simply close your hands and secure the club without much tension. Proper grip allows you to relax your hands, elbows, arms and shoulders. This makes it much easier for the club to reach the ground while increasing speed and distance.

9. Beat higher

If you tend to round your shots off the tee, I recommend setting your tee shot as high as necessary to improve ball flight. On all par 3 holes, I like to see the tee shot break in half when hit unless you use your driver.

10. Change your intention by aiming deeper

Golfers can be stubborn and stuck in their habits, so it’s important to break these bad habits regularly. To stop punching your punches, get comfortable being uncomfortable and take a different approach. Of course, you may make a mistake, but if you see a different type of miss, it generally means you’ve changed something in your swing – which could very likely be a step in the right direction.