Think 'long arms' through impact to get the clubhead down to the ball
Few things are more frustrating than topping a fairway wood—in other words, thinking you're going to blast one, and it ends up going nowhere. If you’re topping the ball, it’s probably because your arms are folding and shortening through impact. They’re moving in toward the body instead of stretching out away from it.
To hit the ball solid with a fairway wood, you need your arms to lengthen on the downswing and stay long through impact, so the clubhead can work down to the ball. Here’s an easy drill to help you learn extension in the arms.
JD Cuban
Set up as you normally would with a fairway wood and stick a tee in the ground about six to eight inches in front of the ball, just outside your lead foot (above). Your goal is to hit the ball and also clip the top of the tee. For that to happen, you need the clubhead to stay very low to the ground through impact, which requires your arms to be extended (top). If they shorten, the clubhead will rise up and miss the tee.
Many golfers think the reason they top the ball is that they lift their heads. That's not usually the case. Plus, trying to keep your head down shrinks the space you need to extend your arms. Instead, feel like you’re staying tall or level through impact, which will help you create extension. If your arms stay stretched, you'll flush your fairway woods.
Alana Swain, a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, is based at the PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Category: General Sports
