Top spin on drives

[Mattplusness]

Recently I have been having more and more trouble with my driver. The problem this time is that most of my shots have top spin on them. They get off the tee great for 30 yards, then take a nose-diving plummet to the depths of hell and roll for about 100 yards. I know it isn't the ball because I have used different balls with the same outcome (Callaway HX Hot, HX Bite, Bridgestone e6, Titleist Pro-v1 and pro-v1x). Any idea what is causing this without a look at my swing? I have a feeling I am hitting it on my downswing instead of upswing. With that being said, I should point out that I have been hitting down on the ball great on my irons.

[golfro]

you SHOULD be hitting it on the downswing, not upswing.

If your ball is nose diving, then I can only see one thing happening... you're topping (thinning the ball with the bottom lip of your club face) the ball with your driver...thus creating top spin.

[Tiger Spuds]

You can't impart topspin on a golf ball unless you top it.

[Zeph]

Bending your arms, weight too far back or a combination, most likely. Could be some flipping in there too.

Try hitting some shots using the drill demonstrated below.

[steelernation]

no topspin can be applied, its basically like slapping the ball and lifting steeply at impact. To the OP I assume you were a baseball player? /power hitter/ dead pull hitter?

[kafka01]

You can apply topspin to a golfball - no problem, but for that you have to hit it with the leading edge of your club - aka Topping it. That is the ONLY way you put Topspin on it:

[steelernation]

Wrong dude.

Explain how a ball leaves the face of a driver at impact goes out 30 to 50 yards at about 10 to 20 feet in height and then dives straight down as if it were sucked into the ground. A ball only acts in this fashion when it has top spin, sick topspin.. ALSO bear this in mind. The ball is hit square on the face of the club, not the leading edge or bottom of the face. Its hard to imagine since its unlike anything that this board ever sees, the ball literally gets slapped and the club is lifted vertically at impact at extremely high speeds. No its not a top. It is a very bad swing. maybe not in baseball but it is in golf

[iacas]

You can hit the ball with the leading edge of the driver near to or even slightly beneath the equator of the golf ball, and if the clubhead is moving upwards, create a drive that isn't "topped" but which has topspin.

Explain how a ball leaves the face of a driver at impact goes out 30 to 50 yards at about 10 to 20 feet in height and then dives straight down as if it were sucked into the ground. A ball only acts in this fashion when it has top spin, sick topspin.. ALSO bear this in mind.

The only way that could happen is if the angle of attack was greater than the loft of the club. I've seen it happen. It's rare, and it takes a horrid looking swing to do it because the loft is the DYNAMIC loft, so if you flip at all your driver's actually got 20 degrees of loft, or more... the hands have to be forward AND rising A LOT...

It's so rare I truly doubt these balls are hit "square on the face of the club." Film it or it ain't happenin'.

[steelernation]

You can hit the ball with the leading edge of the driver near to or even slightly beneath the equator of the golf ball, and if the clubhead is moving upwards, create a drive that isn't "topped" but which has topspin.

I appreciate the fact that you can comprehend the physics. I swing this way, its all arms and has gotten worse over the last 2 months.

Sorry but that type of video footage is illegal in my state. I Have hit them in the middle of the club face, but true usually a little to the left of center so it hooks a little left. Wow your analysis is dead on, Im amazed, truly. Few people have ever understood this. I dont even use my driver anymore because of this.

[kafka01]

I appreciate the fact that you can comprehend the physics. I swing this way, its all arms and has gotten worse over the last 2 months.

Why would you actually want to invest your time in understanding this kind of event, when you just could spent the time studying and practicing a proper golf swing? That´s a bit confusing to me, since it clearly seems you are unhappy about your situation and not just have done it for some scientific purpose.

[steelernation]

its a problem that appears from time to time....well I made some swing changes about 3 months ago and it stopped completely.

Its started again about 2 months ago, so I just play my irons off the tee. Im too busy to take lessons, but I like to understand what Im doing wrong so I can begin to fix the problem. The admin explained it pretty well. Its just hard to comprehend that my dynamic loft is at 20 but my lifting and SS causes the insane topspin, but I can figure out as to how it happens, I have a high SS and my guess is that OP has one also. I just need to stop arm swinging for starters.

Golf is not my top priority, if it were, I wouldnt be having this problem.

[David K]

its a problem that appears from time to time....well I made some swing changes about 3 months ago and it stopped completely.

You might swing fast but I doubt you have a high club head speed with whats happening. Your hands are probably very far in front of the club face (so you aren't releasing the club at impact which would also result in slow club head speed) and your contacting the ball as the club is moving upwards (which a lot of people do with their driver). Just think of it this way, your club face might be at 9° of loft but your club head is moving upwards at 11°. This would create a top spin.

Your probably not getting the club released and trying to lift the ball into the air. Try letting the club swing through and keep the club traveling along the ground at impact instead of upward. Without actually seeing the swing its tough to recommend anything else.

[Mattplusness]

I see this is to some debate. But I thought I heard that the driver was an upswing club as opposed to anything else. Maybe I was misinformed, but it's weird because I can hit the 3 and 5w no problem!

[steelernation]

You might swing fast but I doubt you have a high club head speed with whats happening. Your hands are probably very far in front of the club face (so you aren't releasing the club at impact which would also result in slow club head speed) and your contacting the ball as the club is moving upwards (which a lot of people do with their driver). Just think of it this way, your club face might be at 9° of loft but your club head is moving upwards at 11°. This would create a top spin.

WHen I was monitored over a year ago it was 119. I USED to hit 1 ball a round 310 to 320, now i dont even swing with driver. I tee the ball a foot left of center, so theres no doubt its on the upswing. Would it help to move the ball to dead center?

[James_Black]

WHen I was monitored over a year ago it was 119. I USED to hit 1 ball a round 310 to 320, now i dont even swing with driver. I tee the ball a foot left of center, so theres no doubt its on the upswing. Would it help to move the ball to dead center?

Man, if you have a SS of 120MPH, when the average on the pga tour is 110. You don't need a driver.

Just hit a 6i off the tee and you'll be ok.

[steelernation]

Man, if you have a SS of 120MPH, when the average on the pga tour is 110. You don't need a driver.

Funny I do, but I cant carry my 6 iron 220 yards. With the dry fairways it will roll that far, but if I play a course that requires a 220 yard carry over water or swamp, Im in deep doo. I played nine last night and shot a 46 on a 35 front nine, but I took a trple boge on a par 4 that requires 220 carry off the tee, should I lay up to the ladies tee? HAHA that would be funny.

[Phil McGleno]

Keep that Shanks a Billion guy away from this thread! An 18.7 index claiming he hits the ball 320! He'll flip his lid again!

Oh, and if your swing speed is 119 with a driver you should be hitting a 6-iron about 210, so okay, use a 5-iron.

I smell BS, but, well, whatever. You simply don't go from hitting the ball 320 to hitting it 30.

[steelernation]

Im sure hes already flipped a lid from one of my prior posts on another thread.

I dont own a 5iron, LOL. The 6iron was a recent new purchase nike sumo with xstiff, works great so far.

I dont know whats wrong with my Drive swing, Its just a mess. ok it goes maybe 50 yards in the air and dives with hard topspin. If it lands on a fairway it will roll out maybe another 75 yards. Even when I was more consistent, I would still worm burn a drive or snap hook 5 a round and maybe 7 decent drives and 2 good drives.

Im 6'3 plus with a baseball background, hitting far 1 out of 10 isnt a big feat.