Topping the Ball

To cure topping, place the ball on a penny and hit the
penny out from underneath the ball. If you can hit the
penny with regularity, your hands are well trained. If you
can not hit the penny consistently, you must learn to aim
the club head into the bottom of the ball as a tradesman
learns to hammer a nail. You must hit the bottom of the
ball to utilize the club's loft. Start out with a very lofted club
making small chip swings and gradually increase the
length of your swings as you get better. Practice with just
a penny and no ball at times. Even practicing penny chip
shots off the welcome mat if you cannot get to the driving
range has helped many students. Training the hands to
aim the club head is a high priority as the chances are
that you did not lift your head or the 100 other things you
may have worked on. You simply missed. Practice this
until you do not miss anymore.