Hitting the ball thin, also known as topping the ball, is common among golfers on a Thailand golf tour. It happens allot when golfers do not practice much and then get here ready to tee it up after not playing for weeks, if not months.
It's so sad to see golfer’s top the ball when hitting their first approach shot on their first round at say Thai Country Club in Bangkok. Topping an approach shot not only ruins their approach, but adds strokes to their score as well. Instead of being on the green sizing up a putt, golfers on holiday in Thailand are way over the green considering their next shot, or worse.
There are two things I do to avoid topping the ball. They work for me all the time.
1. Relax before hitting. This helps practically everything as tension is the “devil” in my swing.
2. Swing your arms back wide and make a full shoulder turn with your back to the target at the top of your backswing.
If I have a poor backswing it almost always results in a bad ball strike. A topped shot occurs when I swing the club too steeply into the ball, which results from taking the club back too abruptly in the backswing. This forces me to slide past the ball on the downswing, and requires me to swing the club straight down to make contact. As a result, I cast at the ball and only catch only the top of the ball.
The key to hitting a ball flush is making a full shoulder turn. I take a normal address position, and then a couple of deep breaths to relax. When I find myself rushing, it almost always results in a bad shot.
Also, I swing my arms back wide during my backswing. I make sure I turn my back to the target at the top of the swing, make a smooth transition, and turn completely through the swing. If I do all this, I'll make a more level strike at the ball and never top the ball.
Hitting it thin is a common problem in Thailand. You can hit the ball thin anywhere on the course and with any shot, but it's really frustrating when you're hitting an approach shot. Imagine hitting a great drive over the canyon on the 12th hole at Blue Canyon in Phuket. Then after a great drive you top your next shot. That is a game killer!
Now, I bet if you relax before hitting the shot and make a full shoulder turn before committing to your downswing, you'll hit the ball flush and be on the green putting for birdie.
Give this a try and let me know how it works for you. Now get out any enjoy your next round of golf in Thailand!
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