Lots of top spin....

[Brady0626]

For some reason the last two rounds of 9 i did(busy lately) i have hit a few drives that get a ton of topsping and just dive down. it bothers me and i have no idea what I'm doing that did it. Today the last two holes i tried choking up a bit and moving the ball closer to me and for some reason i think i swung through the ball better and not up on it as much and i hit those both around 260/275. Is it do to coming "up" on the ball and not swinging through it?

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

For some reason the last two rounds of 9 i did(busy lately) i have hit a few drives that get a ton of topsping and just dive down. it bothers me and i have no idea what I'm doing that did it. Today the last two holes i tried choking up a bit and moving the ball closer to me and for some reason i think i swung through the ball better and not up on it as much and i hit those both around 260/275. Is it do to coming "up" on the ball and not swinging through it?

I think it's more likely due to hitting the ball off the very bottom edge of the clubface. The loft of the club and the fact that there's ground below the ball make it almost impossible to put topspin on the ball by coming up across it from underneath. If the bottom edge of the face hits the center or just above center of the ball, however, this could cause the downward swerve you're seeing, like the way a cue stick puts english on a pool ball.

-Andrew

[Brady0626]

I think it's more likely due to hitting the ball off the very bottom edge of the clubface. The loft of the club and the fact that there's ground below the ball make it almost impossible to put topspin on the ball by coming up across it from underneath. If the bottom edge of the face hits the center or just above center of the ball, however, this could cause the downward swerve you're seeing, like the way a cue stick puts english on a pool ball.

But then my ball wouldn't normally start out with a decent trajectory that is still low?

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

But then my ball wouldn't normally start out with a decent trajectory that is still low?

It could. If the club comes up from under the ball but the bottom edge of the face catches the equator of the ball, then the upward motion of the club would start it traveling slightly upward, but then the spin would swerve it downward. If the club contacted the ball any lower, you'd see a low drive but with normal backspin, and if it contacted the ball any higher, you'd see the ball topped straight into the ground.

But the fact that the face is 9.5* lofted, means that to put significant topspin on it by swiping up across the back of the ball, you'd have to come from under it at well over 10* below level. This would pretty much mean your club would have to have burrowed through the dirt on the way to the ball in order to approach from that low. -Andrew

[Brady0626]

It could. If the club comes up from under the ball but the bottom edge of the face catches the equator of the ball, then the upward motion of the club would start it traveling slightly upward, but then the spin would swerve it downward. If the club contacted the ball any lower, you'd see a low drive but with normal backspin, and if it contacted the ball any higher, you'd see the ball topped straight into the ground.

Could teeing it up to high be the result of that? Since I have been using really long tees i found on course and I've just been trying out teeing it up higher than usual since I usually get a somewhat low trajectory.

And could it also be that I am like pulling off the ball somewhat?

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

Could teeing it up to high be the result of that? Since I have been using really long tees i found on course and I've just been trying out teeing it up higher than usual since I usually get a somewhat low trajectory.

I guess if you teed it up really high, and didn't release the club so your hands are way ahead of the club coming through, then you could put topspin on it with the middle of the face.

Tee it up so that half the ball is above the face of the club. Then concentrate on making a good swing, making sure you release through the ball instead of hold the club back all the way through the swing. If that doesn't fix it, then you need to get someone to look at your swing. -Andrew

[Brady0626]

I guess if you teed it up really high, and didn't release the club so your hands are way ahead of the club coming through, then you could put topspin on it with the middle of the face.

I know I hit it with the bottom of the club but i was wondering why i was doing it. and I figured it was due to me pulling up to soon, haha.

[Finnstang]

Maybe the ball is too far forward in your stance.

[jaggy13]

If you're stripping it well when choking down then you are definatly missing it when you impart top spin.

Try keeping the choked down swing in your bag and when you have time to practice start out with your strongest shot and test out other methods. keep going back to your standard shot to make sure you are staying callibrated.

[Brady0626]

Maybe the ball is too far forward in your stance.

I think this was it, I did it once today and it was just an ugly swing and my concentration slipping. I'm still hitting a dirty draw that is borderling hook with a ton of sidespin that is always rolling off of the fairway, and still breaking down a bit,