A hybrid golf club can be one of the most useful pieces of equipment in your golf bag.
If you hit the ball into the rough off the tee, the hybrid can easily help you get the ball out and moving towards the hole.
In addition, hybrid golf clubs are typically easier to launch than a long iron.
If your long iron has you frustrated, switching to a hybrid was the right idea.
However, a hybrid is not a magic club, and there are things that can cause you to hit your hybrid poorly.
One of those misses that is quite annoying is the topped ball.
When you top a shot, it hardly goes anywhere, and it brings about a great deal of frustration.
If you want to stop topping your hybrid, we have the causes and the fixes to help you get it done.
I Keep Topping My Hybrid (Causes, Fixes)
Each golf swing is different, and therefore, the issues causing you to top your hybrid will vary.
However, these are the most common problems that lead to a topped shot.
If you are smart about your golf swing and try to follow some of these suggestions and ideas, you will have a much easier time fixing this issue.
Take your time, read through each one, and see what you think could be the cause for the topping of your hybrid.
Chances are that the fix will be easier and quicker than you think.
1. Golf Club Is Not The Right Fit
One of the major causes of a missed golf shot of any kind is that the equipment you are using is not the proper fit for your game.
Playing with golf equipment that fits the needs of your swing and gives you the ability to get distance, proper ball flight, and forgiveness is essential.
Years ago, players had difficulty understanding if the equipment would be the right fit for their game.
They went about this process by purchasing what looked best to them on the shelves and hoping that it would work.
In today’s world of golf, there is just no excuse for that.
You can try out and be fitted for almost any type of golf equipment from your driver down to your putter.
Purchasing a club that is not the right fit for your game does not need to happen anymore.
The biggest issue we see with topped shots is that the club is too short.
When the club is too short, a golfer can do what they need to do when swinging the club, yet when they come around, the club simply doesn’t match up with the ground or impact position.
Of course, this is a problem and will continually cause you to top the golf ball.
In addition, sometimes a top can be caused by a golf club that is too light for you.
If your swing speed is very fast and you try and get through a ball quickly, a club with no additional weight at the bottom could simply come in over the top of the golf ball.
The Fix
Unfortunately, the fix for a golf club that is not the right fit is often to get a new golf club.
There are, however, some golfers who find that a slight adjustment to the club could make it useable.
The adjusting of a club to make it feel a little heavier is usually quite easy, but to try and get the club longer, you may struggle.
One option or idea is to try and stand just a little closer to the ball to see if that helps, but it will sometimes cause other swing issues.
If you are taller than six feet and purchase a standard-length hybrid, it is very likely too short for your game.
2. Lie Was Difficult
Sometimes topping the ball with your hybrid has more to do with the lie than anything else.
A golf ball that is sitting funny in thick rough will be tough to launch.
The idea of a golf hybrid has really been to help us hit the ball further and make the game of golf easier.
Most people have realized that the hybrid is an incredible tool to have in your game for shots out of the rough.
However, it should be noted that golf hybrids are not magical clubs.
If you are playing a golf course that has some very difficult rough, you need to be aware of the impact this will have on your shot.
Sometimes even though a ball is in the rough, a hybrid is not a great club to choose.
There are times when popping the ball out of the rough with a pitching wedge or nine iron will be your only choice.
If you are not able to do this, you will find that you often top the ball.
Topping the ball happens most often when the ball is below your feet or if the lie is very buried in the rough.
The Fix
Golfers need to be a bit better about evaluating the lie they have on the golf course.
If you can barely see your golf ball, don’t expect your hybrid to be able to fix this situation.
Take a wedge, get it back in the fairway, and move on.
If you do this, you will be much better off and have a great chance of improving your game long term.
Sometimes being a better golfer has everything to do with being a smarter golfer.
3. Weight Hanging Back
When you hit a golf ball properly, your weight is going to shift from your back foot or right foot to the left foot during the downswing.
This transfer in weight helps to bring power and get players to feel this transition through impact.
Some golfers don’t transfer their weight through the ball properly, and they hit most of their shots while their weight is hanging back on the right foot.
This poor weight transfer often causes you to top the ball.
If you happen to make contact, chances are the ball won’t go all that far, and it will travel off to the right.
Starting to learn to transfer your weight will be one of the better things you can do for your golf game.
The better you get at this process, the better your chances are of hitting solid hybrid golf shots.
The Fix
Start by working on the driving range with a few different wedges.
Try and hit shorter shots where you feel your weight transfer and turn from one golf swing to another.
Ensure that when you are making an impact with a golf ball, some of your weight has already transferred to the left side.
If you can do this, you will find that you can then work your way up through your golf bag.
You will feel it with the pitching wedge, then the seven iron, and finally, move on to the hybrid.
Allow that weight to move forward and play around with the timing on it to get the proper feeling in your swing.
4. Shallow Swing Path
The swing path is the path that the golf club takes during your golf swing.
If your swing path gets a bit too shallow, you could end up topping the ball.
The hybrid is a unique club because it is not quite a wood and not quite an iron.
However, you should be playing your hybrid golf club a bit more like you play your irons.
The way to hit a hybrid is part of a descending blow like you do with an iron.
This means that the swing path will be slightly more upright than it may be for a driver.
If you are a player that has a bit too shallow of a swing path, you may end up topping the golf ball with your hybrid.
The Fix
Swing path issues can take a little bit of time to fix.
Golfers don’t always have the easiest time feeling them, and therefore, they struggle to get the results they need.
One of the things you can do is work with golf alignment sticks to ensure that you are not taking the club too far inside as your first swing movement.
Some golfers set themselves up for this very shallow path within the first few inches of their swing.
Try to ensure that you are taking the club back low and slow along the ground before you just simply whip it around you.
Getting the club on the proper path will help ensure that you stop topping your golf ball.
5. Ball Position Too Far Forward
Sometimes golfers struggle with where they should play the hybrid golf club in their golf stance.
Some golfers place the ball too far forward, thinking that this club is like a fairway wood or a driver.
Although the hybrid may look similar, it is closer to iron and should be played more like an iron.
Wherever you would play your four or five iron in your stance is where you should play your hybrid.
We have noticed that when the ball is too far forward, it becomes impossible for a golfer to hit the ball on the downswing.
If you were on the downswing and ended up hitting the golf ball, chances are you will not top the shot.
The Fix
Luckily, this is one of the easiest issues in the sport of golf to correct.
In fact, if you are topping the ball, this may be the fix that you want to try first.
You will have to move the ball back to the middle of your stance as a starting point.
Once you have the ball in the middle, you can then move forward slightly to find the perfect location.
Most golfers need a ball position that is just forward of center when hitting a hybrid.
Once you correct this issue, you will be thrilled with how easy it is to stop topping your hybrids.
6. Poor Understanding Of Golf Swing Dynamics
Some players top the ball simply because they don’t understand the way a golf ball gets up in the air.
When you are hitting a hybrid shot, you will need to hit down and through the golf ball to be able to get it to go up in the air.
This is the same as the irons in your golf bag.
Since the hybrid has a slight fairway wood style look to it, some players start trying to sweep the ball with the hybrid.
Hybrids are not built for this type of shot, and therefore, you will end up with topped shots and other poor mistakes.
If you took the time to research a hybrid and then the money to invest in one, it pays to have a clear understanding of what it takes to hit this club consistently.
The purpose of a hybrid club is to become a true replacement for your long iron.
The overall swing dynamics are going to be very similar and allow you the visual concepts to get this shot completed consistently
The Fix
Watch some videos of golf professionals who are hitting golf shots with hybrids.
They are going to hit down and through each shot and use that to launch the ball.
Sometimes just the visual of what a golf hybrid shot should look like can be enough to get your swing back on track.
As golfers, it’s much better to be informed than to wonder about exactly what you should be doing when you swing the club back.
7. Fear Of The Ground
Last but certainly not least, some golfers top the ball because they are afraid to make contact with the ground.
The fear of hitting the ground makes them nervous that it could hurt or bring about an injury somehow.
This is something that is very common for a newer player, and it’s also common for golfers who have had a hard time with an injury through the years.
Most of the time, making contact with the ground is not going to hurt in any way.
As long as your swing mechanics are generally good, there is no reason to fear the ground.
However, this can be easier said than done for some golfers.
The Fix
There is a simple drill you can do at the driving range that will allow you to hit down and through your golf shots with ease.
The idea here is to take a small leaf or a tee (not inserted in the ground) and place it directly in front of your golf ball.
When you do this, you are going to be able to see this small object in front of the ball.
Now, when you swing the club, force yourself to hit the golf ball as well as the object in front of the ball.
If you can hit both, you may start to get over your fear of hitting the ground.
It can take a few tries before you can make this happen, but it is certainly possible.
If it is too difficult to do with a hybrid, first try with a wedge and work your way up to the hybrid.
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