Pop-Up / Sky Ball
A weak, high, short shot that comes off the top of the clubface and barely goes anywhere.
Why it happens
A pop-up happens when contact is made high on the clubface with a steep, descending angle of attack, when the driver actually wants a slightly ascending strike. That combination sends most of the energy upward instead of forward.
Possible causes in your swing, and how to fix each one
Tap any cause to see its fix. Work through them one at a time, usually one or two are the real culprit.
1Ball position too far back in the stance
This sets up a descending blow with the driver, which the club's loft and design aren't built for.
2Swinging too steeply
An upper-body dominant downswing tends to bring the club down at too sharp an angle into the ball.
3Tee height too high for a steep swing
A high tee combined with a steep swing makes contact high on the face, or even off the top, almost unavoidable.
4Spine tilted toward the target at address
A driver setup should have your spine tilted slightly away from the target (right shoulder a touch lower), which encourages the upward strike the club needs.
When to stop self-diagnosing
If you've genuinely worked through two or three of these causes over several range sessions and the miss keeps showing up, that's not a failure since it usually means the real cause is something you can't feel or see in your own swing. A single 30-minute lesson with a certified instructor, who can watch you hit balls, will find it faster than any website. Bring this page along and tell them what you've already ruled out; it'll save you both time.