Putting your ball in the fairway is the first step to making a par or better on a hole. Playing from the short grass will really increase your enjoyment of the game. But, what if when you finally gain the accuracy off the tee you start topping the ball with your fairway woods or irons?
That's the problem Rose West was having when she sent in her question to customer service. She plays well when she can tee it up, but is having all sorts of trouble with her approach shots from the fairway.
Here's what she had to say:
I am okay on the tee but often top the ball in fairways. Help, please, with what I am doing to cause this?
Rose West
The setup determines the motion, so we have to start there. Bad alignment could have you topping the ball. There's also a myriad of other issues that can cause you to top the ball from the fairway.
Things like grip, overturning, going past parallel at the top of swing, standing too close to the ball, having a poor transition, and incorrect ball position are all things that can lead to topping your shots.
I'm going to demonstrate each one of these swing flaws so you can see why they make golfers top the ball. I've never hit this many poor shots in one daily video, but it's to prove a point. Even I can top the ball if I put myself in bad positions and that is what you will need to avoid. Put yourself in the right positions by having a solid setup and swing and you shouldn't have any issues finding the green in regulation.
Good luck and keep it vertical!
The Surge
If you can't view the YouTube video above try CLICKING HERE. You must allow popups from this site for the link to work.
Comments
Rule #5
Discovered PPGS at the end of March and have already spent hundreds of hours studying, practicing and applying on the course. Last week while playing a round with friends, started topping the ball from the fairway and in the spirit of Rule 5, decided to focus on MSP. After a few more tops, I suddenly realized that although I was applying the outward pressure to my knees when setting up, my knees were straightening before I reached impact. Since I am analytical by nature (Mechanical Engineer) I am prone to wonder what went wrong with a bad shot and violate Rule 5, but I do not allow myself to find a solution outside of the first 4 rules. These 5 rules have become my mantra. In less than two months my hdcp has dropped from 18.8 to 15 and I expect to see it drop more before the end of the season.
I noticed you are also
I noticed you are also missing the fundamentals videos too. You have a couple of our other videos (Thank You immensely for those purchases) but you don't have the fundamentals. I'll send you an email...
Listening to HER
Surge, it's very, very cool to see my wife Cindy really get a hold on the swing. Many of you already know that the PPGS is the only swing she knows. Quite frankly she does it better than I do. She really understands and knows it well. If you saw her swing you would see that she's 3/4's and vertical. She is killing it right now breaking 90 frequently and really striking it well. The neat thing is that she knows what I am working on or should be doing and often she will say just the right thing too correct me when I'm off. Yesterday during and evening round I was hit and miss with my shot making and she said that I was breaking my arms during the swing and doing what Surge just discussed the other day - the "huggy bear" move. In addition it was obvious I was swinging left in my finish as that was where the ball was heading and where I was facing at swings end at times. She reminded me to keep my arms long and swing up. The very next hole was the 480 yard par 5 13th hole (from the middle tee). Setting up I reminded myself " long arms back and long arms through". Bang, one of my best drives in weeks about 285 down the middle on the high side of the slight dogleg, ideal. This left me with 195 to the center of the green. Over the winter and cooler days I would have taken at least a 5 wood here but it was very warm and I was feeling good about my 4 iron. Set up and again thought only "long arms back and long arms through". Nutted it and watched it fly high and over the fronting bunker and settling at the back of the green with a 35 foot down hill putt for eagle. Missed but two putted for a birdie. Fun stuff and one for the memory bank. Over the course of the nine I had my share of good and not so good swings but came away with a 40 that of course could have been better with a few less putts. Still I have AGAIN re-learned that vertical back and up and vertical forward and up (another way of saying up to up or long to long) is as valid as ever. This is why as Surge says, when we get off course it's always about getting back to the first 4 rules and fundamentals. Oh and, sometimes (or often in my house) it is very wise to listen to your wife!
Everything after impact
What purpose is served by pop tart and t-finish? Isn't the ball on its way before these moves?
My forward leg has been weakened by polio and I can't pop but I can do everything, including the bump, that leads to impact.
Why worry about after impact
Sorry to hear about your left leg problems, and you certainly need to make adjustments for that. The purpose of the pop tart and swinging up to the T-Finish is to be sure that we are accelerating through impact. If you focus your swing only at the ball, you actually tend to decelerate the club prior to impact, leaving power and control out of your swing. How you adjust for your particular physical limitations is something that you may need to work out, but I'm sure Steve Smith, who has a life-long left leg injury but still hits the stuffing out of the ball can give you some advice.
Why worry after impact
Robert Fleck, thank you for your explanation. Makes sense to me.
You mentioned Steve Smith as someone who could give me some advice. How do I contact him?
Jacques Cartier
Patience
Most likely, he'll be along sometime soon. He's a regular on the blog. Lots of great advice and a very good mind for seeing what works and what doesn't and how to make adjustments.
Patience
Ok. I'll be on the lookout for Steve Smith.
Wanted
Ha ha ha! I clicked to the blog and saw this comment at the bottom of the page and thought maybe I was now on the post office bulletin board.
My advice would be to flare the front foot quite a bit so no torque is created on the front leg as your upper body faces the target.
No need at all to snap the leg straight (even for someone that is completely healthy). The pop tart is just allowing the upper body stand up facing the target after impact from the momentum of the swing. No hitting down pre-impact and no trying to stay down post-impact.
I don't have any strains or pressures at all on my front leg during or after a swing. The only issue I have to deal with is a slight problem with balance in the finish because of some nerve damage.
Since this swing has a recoil and relax finish the balance problem is mitigated quite a bit. No way I could hold a finish very well with my shoulders well left of the target like most of the rotational players do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5kw3g1wi00
Wanted
Thank you Steve Smith. I watched the YouTube video and noticed how you set up with your lead foot open. I'll try to open my lead foot even more and I think it may work. I appreciate your guidance. (I'm a lefty.)