Definition: A topped shot - often just called a "top" - is one in which the golfer very nearly swings over the ball, with impact between club and ball occurring near the crown of the golf ball.
Any shot in which the clubface strikes the ball above the ball's equator can be called a topped shot. The result of a topped shot is the ball scooting along the ground with tremendous topsin. How severe the top is determines how far the ball will go, with more severe tops (nearly missing the ball completely) sending the ball only few yards forward.
See the Top Shot Tip Sheet, for a quick checklist of possible causes of this type of shot.
Also Known As: Top, topping the ball
Alternate Spellings: Top shop, topshot
