Addressing Topped Shots and Improving Rotation

Today’s conversation with ChatGPT led to a structured practice plan aimed at addressing my struggles with topping and toeing the ball. I’ve been topping and toeing the ball almost always, which results in thin and shanked shots. I’ve never had a real connection to my swing. It’s hard to know what’s going wrong, but apparently I need to I need to address posture, rotation, and weight shift. “Keeping my head down” is not just about my head but about fixing these underlying issues, and this realization is where today’s focus begins: identifying the problems—with help from my Golf Fix app and Chat GPT —and figuring out how to fix them.

The Dilemma – Keeping My Head Down

My husband often says I come up too early or turn my head at impact. His advice is to watch the club hit the ball, but even when I think I’m doing it right, I’m apparently not. My Golf Fix app, however, has been helpful in identifying key issues that make ‘keeping your head down’ next to impossible, like:

• Lack of shoulder turn at the top of my swing.
• Hanging back at impact.
• Reverse spine angle.
• Lack of side bending.
• Lack of weight shift.

All of this ties back to a fundamental challenge: maintaining proper posture without lifting or swaying. Add my low back issues to the mix, and it’s no wonder I’m struggling. It feels overwhelming, but I’m starting to understand that fixing my swing is about improving these building blocks.

Rotation in Half Swings

I’ve also been feeling totally lost in my backswing, especially when focusing on half swings. When I go back to 3 o’clock (P2), I’m not sure how much rotation is appropriate. Am I overthinking this? Maybe. But if I don’t turn my chest enough, my arms are just flailing around with no real connection to my body.

Drill Plan: At Home and At the Range

Building on insights from my AI conversation, this practice plan was created that separates what I can do at home from what I’ll practice at the range today. Here’s the breakdown:

At Home (Foundation Work)

1. Wall Hinge Drill:

• Practice hinging at the hips (not the waist) by standing 6″ from the wall. Push my hips back until my glutes lightly touch the wall. Perform 10 repetitions, holding each position for 5 seconds, to help reinforce proper posture. 

1. Chair Rotation Drill:

• Sit on a chair and rotate my shoulders to simulate the backswing and follow-through for a half swing. Perform 10 rotations on each side, holding each turn for 5 seconds. Focus on turning my chest to the trail side and keeping my lead shoulder under my chin.

1. Club Across Shoulders Drill:

• Place a club across my shoulders and practice rotating in golf posture. Perform 10 rotations in each direction, holding each turn for 5 seconds. This builds awareness of how much rotation I’m achieving.

At the Range (Execution)

1. Hip Hinge Setup with Alignment Sticks:

• Stick two alignment rods into the ground at shoulder width, angled slightly forward. Use them to check my posture by lightly touching them with my hips when I hinge properly. Practice for 5 minutes to ensure consistent setup.

1. 9-to-3 Swing Drill for Contact:

• Half swings, focusing on brushing the grass after the ball (this is so stupidly challenging for me it’s ridiculous). Turn chest to trail side to ensure proper rotation during the backswing, aiming to rotate about 45 degrees with the shoulders. Perform 15-20 swings, taking a break every 5 swings to reset and evaluate contact.

1. Step-Through Drill for Weight Shift:

• Swing normally, then step forward with my trail foot after impact. Perform 10-15 swings, alternating with practice swings to ensure balance.

1. Full Swings with Rotation Awareness:

• Combine proper hip hinge, rotation, and weight shift in controlled swings, avoiding full swings to focus on consistency. Perform 15-20 swings, focusing on keeping my lead shoulder moving under my chin and my chest turning to the trail side in the backswing. Take short breaks as needed.

Key Cues to Remember

• Hinge and balance: Maintain proper posture at setup.
• Brush the grass: Focus on clean contact with the ground after the ball.
• Turn chest to trail side: Ensure rotation even in half swings.
• Step through for flow: Reinforce weight shift and balanced movement.

Final Thoughts

So I guess my focus right now is improving posture and staying balanced through my swing in hopes of making better contact with. They say it’s not addressing the key building blocks will ultimately help me hit the dang ball, but man, how far back to I need to go to fix the hot mess that is my golf swing!?