Most likely cause for pulling up on the ball?

Impossible to say without seeing your swing but here's a possibility. Check out this video of Tom Watson explaining spine angle.  Very helpful.

Oh, and one other thing I forgot to mention. Don't know if this describes you but most beginners have this problem because they try to lift the ball instead of letting the clubhead do the work. Instead of hitting the little ball and then the big ball, they try to scoop the ball off the turf and lift it into the air. Hit down to go up. 

I feel with you on this one! I am fighting the same problem. What helps for me is to have a descending blow on the ball and I do that by aiming just in front of the ball (target side).  

Quote:

Originally Posted by applejr 

I'm going to try and get a video when we get another stretch of good weather, but any initial thoughts on what oculd be causing this? Maybe overswinging?

Have you had any golf lessons? If you have been playing for year, are stuck at 120, and top the ball a lot, sounds like you have major swing problems.

Consider taking private lessons, or finding a weekly beginners' golf clinic when the weather warms up.

 

Here's Erik's now famous weight forward drill

My father-in-law's favorite line when he tops the ball is "I keep picking my head up".  I tell him it's a good thing because if you didn't you would hit it so fat that you could plant a field.  With him it is that on his backswing he dips and his body knows (not his head) that if it doesn't pick up he will hit it fat.  The picking up is the result of a faulty backswing.  Hope this gives you something to think about. 

We can hit one good shot after another on the range, but things change on the course. Out there, there is only one chance to get it right. That thought gets into our head and makes us do silly things with our swing.

Condition yourself into making your garden-variety swing and being fine with however the shot turns out. 

Trying too hard really doesn't help.

That's just my guess at what's going on, but I see it a lot in my foursomes and I fall into that trap, too.

One other thing - make sure you're holding enough club to get to the green.

If you think you'll have to hit the ball hard to get it there, that will ruin your swing. Take one more club, maybe two, and put an easy swing on the ball.

Knowing there's enough club in your hand is a great comfort, which will let your smooth swing emerge.

For a good player with lag leading into impact, the most likely cause is ball position...particularly a ball that's too far back relative to the swing center.  Unless you cast, the club is going to catch the top half of the ball or worse.    For most people topping the ball, it's probably both.  Put the ball forward in your stance, and hit it with lag.  It will be almost impossible to top it that way.

Looking up before impact.  Focus your eyes on the turf just behind your ball, and hold that focus until well after impact.

I disagree...usually once the player has some sense of the swing, the cause is looking at the ball but lifting up and shortening the arms

OK....I can top a ball in a heart beat.  I hate that!!!

IF I can keep FOCUSED on a particular spot either as much as 4" in front of the ball or for long irons and woods, a specific dimple on the back of the ball, then I hit the ball as well as I can.  And I'm not saying "look at the ball", I mean focusing on a small part, not taking my eye focus off that spot, then swinging ONLY as far as I can without loosing "focus".  Even if I "look" at a spot it is FAR different then "focusing" on a spot.  I started doing this with long irons and fairway woods and my shot consistency and striking improved a ton!!  I now use this "focus" on every shot even those  with wedges where I'm focused on a small piece of grass as much as 4" in front of the ball.

Yep my major issue. I played horrible in Mrytle beach for 2 rounds, 90's.. Though one day i was at low 80's till i took a 12 on the 17th hole.. It wasn't pretty, omg, it was like a nuclear bomb went off.. 

But the last day we played, i decided to keep my eyes looking down at the ball through impact, and i shot low 80's... great round..