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Avoid Fat and Thin Shots All clubs Beginner / Intermediate ⏱ 9 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Lifting Your Head While Golfing: The Real Cause of Top-Shots

“You lifted your head”: Rick Shiels and Dan Whittaker debunk this partner’s advice. In their view, a “top” comes from straightening your posture or from a heel strike that resembles a “top.” Two simple exercises are all it takes to verify this.

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Rick Shiels
Rick Shiels · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

6 minSame problemGripping Down When Chipping, by Van de VeldeJean Van de Velde · Beginner / Intermediate8 minNext Level UpFat Shot from Tipping Back: Right Shoulder Toward the BallLewis Wallace · Intermediate3 minFrom the same proThree-Zone Pre-Shot Routine: Rick ShielsRick Shiels · Beginner / Intermediate

What the lesson shows

A "top" is a club used to hit the ball above its equator: The ball rolls or bounces. Rick Shiels says that in nearly ten years of teaching, he has never seen a player top the ball because he lifted his head. Keeping your head down actually slows down the spin. The real cause: the bottom of the club’s arc doesn’t reach the bottom of the ball, because the player breaks out of his stance and straightens up during the swing. Dan’s tip: At the finish, the head remains tilted, as if resting on a pillow. He cites Henrik Stenson, who is almost looking at the target at impact.

Second point: Are you sure you're hitting the ball? A clean hit in the heel, often with an outside-in swing and the body leaning forward, results in a shot with no loft that skims the ground, sometimes veering left or right. The exercise: Place a tee just outside the ball and hit without touching it to find the center of the clubface. Dan also recommends taking practice swings in socks to get a feel for where your balance is on your feet.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Without a club, cross your arms over your chest in this pose.
  2. Turn backward and then forward while maintaining your spine alignment, facing a mirror or a camera.
  3. During the backswing, let your left shoulder drop toward the ball and turn your head.
  4. As you cross, keep your hips back and your weight centered on the balls of your feet.
  5. At the finish, make sure your head is tilted, as if it were resting on a pillow.
  6. Place a tee just outside the ball and hit it without touching the tee.
  7. Take a few practice swings in your socks to get a feel for your balance.

Key Takeaways

A top is a shot made above the ball's equator.
Lifting your head isn't the cause; keeping your head down blocks the rotation.
A common cause: you straighten up and lose the spinal angle.
At the finish, the head remains tilted, as if resting on a pillow.
A heel strike can look like a thin shot.
A balanced swing helps you regain consistent contact.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Keep your head down at all costs and stop the rotation.
  • Straighten up during the swing and change your body position.
  • Lean forward and strike the heel.
  • Swinging your head without checking where the ball hit the clubface.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. Cross-arm rotations while maintaining the spine angle
  2. Film yourself and compare your address posture and impact posture
  3. Tee placed outside the ball; do not touch it
  4. Test swings in socks to improve balance

Your Questions

If I don't look up, why am I nodding?

According to Rick Shiels and Dan Whittaker, you’re coming out of your stance: your body straightens up, the club’s arc rises, and your head follows that movement. That’s the result, not the cause.

How can you tell if it's a thin shot or a miss?

Look at the mark on the face. A clean impact on the heel produces no loft: the ball skims along the ground, sometimes veering left or right. Dan attributes this to the body leaning forward and an outside-in swing.

What is the tee next to the ball for?

Placed just outside the ball, it forces you to hit the ball without touching it. This keeps the heel of the club away from the ball and helps you achieve a more centered impact.

Why train in socks?

Dan Whittaker suggests taking a few practice swings in your socks to get a feel for how your weight is distributed across your feet. You can then make adjustments, such as changing your stance distance from the ball.

Learn More

All “Avoiding Fat and Thin Shots” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you Gripping Down When Chipping, by Van de VeldeShortening the grip brings you closer to the ball and makes your swing more vertical: the clubhead leaves the ground sooner and strikes the ball in the center, without a fat shot or a top. Thin Shots and Early Extension: The Chair DrillA thin shot comes from the pelvis moving early toward the ball; to keep your spine angle: a chair against your backside, and Woods' low downswing. Fat Shot from Tipping Back: Right Shoulder Toward the BallThe “gratte aux fers” comes from tilting the upper body backward: the sternum in front of the ball (“right shoulder toward the ball”), controlled by a stick. Rick ShielsAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Rick Shiels). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons, without hosting them.

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