Golf-FAQ.com

golf how to stop coming over the top

by Margot Hickle Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Part of a video titled Stop Coming Over The Top! Drill To Fix Your Downswing & Slice
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Open i'm actually going to keep my left shoulder in place you'll see that my when i come over theMoreOpen i'm actually going to keep my left shoulder in place you'll see that my when i come over the top my left shoulder would be pulling back this way i'm going to keep my left shoulder stable.

How do I stop coming over the top in my golf swing?

To stop coming over-the-top, you need to work on shallowing the golf club in the downswing. This involves developing a more relaxed, tensionless feeling at the top of the backswing. Using alignment sticks to direct club path can also offer real-time feedback as to whether your action is, in fact, over-the-top.Nov 14, 2021

What causes coming over the top in golf?

Over the Top is perhaps the most common swing fault among high handicap golfers. It occurs due to an overuse of the upper body on the downswing. As a result the club will be thrown on the outside of the intended swing plane with the club head approaching the ball from outside to in.

How do you solve coming over the top?

Drills To Fix Coming Over The Top
  1. First thing you need is a lanyard with a clip on the end.
  2. Put the lanyard around your neck and attach an old golf club to the clip.
  3. Then, put the glove under your back armpit (right for a right-handed golfer).
  4. Then, hit your shots.

How do I stop my shoulder from going over the top?

Keep your knees -- especially your right knee -- flexed. When players come over the top, they usually straighten their right knee. That pushes their right hip upward, which also pushes their right shoulder upward. Keeping that right knee flexed will help keep your right shoulder on the correct plane.

Why can't I stop coming over the top?

One of the most common causes of the over-the-top move is when golfers fail to transfer their weight properly. This can lead to what's known as a reverse pivot where the weight stays on the left leg throughout the backswing and then shifts onto the right side coming down into impact.Mar 22, 2021

How do I clear my hips in my golf swing?

Part of a video titled How to Easily Clear Your Hips In The Downswing - YouTube
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So here going to the top of the swing a little squat engaging my legs. Now my heels lower. And I canMoreSo here going to the top of the swing a little squat engaging my legs. Now my heels lower. And I can go ahead and swing on through. Feeling like the club shaft is lower when I'm doing that now.

How do I stop my golf swinging with arms?

Part of a video titled TURN OFF YOUR ARMS FOR AN EFFORTLESS DRIVER SWING
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All right so start focusing on this effort level in your arms try to determine. Where they areMoreAll right so start focusing on this effort level in your arms try to determine. Where they are tightening. You do that yeah and like i said i said before. It's gonna be a different feeling.

Why do I slice with my driver but not my irons?

Honestly, it all comes down to one simple concept: You can't use the exact same swing for both your irons and your driver. Those two types of clubs are designed differently, with different shaft lengths and different lofts. They are made to achieve different goals.Nov 30, 2020

How do I stop my shoulder from dipping in golf?

Part of a video titled STOP DOING THIS WITH THE RIGHT SHOULDER IN THE DOWNSWING
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Allow your eyes to follow the spots of the golf ball. That's really gonna help that chest. MoveMoreAllow your eyes to follow the spots of the golf ball. That's really gonna help that chest. Move through to target.

How do I keep my shoulder back in downswing?

Part of a video titled The Magic Of The Right Shoulder In The Golf Swing - YouTube
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Right so during the downswing we have to have some amount of tilt. So you see how it's set up hisMoreRight so during the downswing we have to have some amount of tilt. So you see how it's set up his right shoulder is lower than his. Left.

Why is the over the top swing bad?

Another issue with an over the top swing is that it fails to generate much energy and as a result can’t transfer much power onto the ball.

What happens if you put a golf club on top of the target line?

They will incorrectly position the club on top of the target line and in doing so will interrupt much of the energy flow generated by the coiling of the shoulders and hips.

How to do a downswing on a golf swing?

In order to initiate the downswing properly you must resist turning your shoulders and hands forward, which is what happens with the over the top swing error. Rather, focus on your right elbow and initiate the downswing with your elbow dropping down rather than moving forward and out . This movement will place your hands and clubs on ...

What is the inside square inside club path?

This is in contrast to a better swing that sees the clubhead traveling from inside of the target line during the downswing on what is known as an inside-square-inside club path, where it will be square to the target at impact and continue moving along the golfer’s body during the follow through.

How to correct a swing?

Instead, a square takeaway or even an inside takeaway while you work to get rid of the swing error may be preferable. You’ll then need to make sure the club is positioned correctly at the top of the swing.

Where is the clubhead on a swing error?

Indeed, as the name of the swing error suggests the clubhead will be situated on top of the target line – generally speaking – and it will travel towards the ball on an outside-in club path, which is far from ideal in most circumstances. This is in contrast to a better swing that sees the clubhead traveling from inside of the target line during ...

Can a golf club follow a square inside?

Thanks to its location outside or on top of the target line the club cannot follow a desirable inside-square-inside club path.

How to put a golf club on the backswing?

How to Do It: Place a small stick (as shown in the photo above) a few feet behind the golf ball and a little outside of the target line. Practice taking the club head OVER the stick on the backswing, and then deliver the club on the inside of the stick on the way down.

How to hit the ball with a sidehill lie?

The only way to hit the ball with any success from this kind of lie is to allow the club to follow the slope and work around your body to the top, which will help you discover the feeling of how the arms follow the shoulders to the top, not the other way around.

Why does my ball fly outward?

The over-the-top move that causes this ball flight most often stems from poor sequencing of the body. When your body gets out of sync, it often forces the rear shoulder to ride outward on the downswing, shifting your swing direction in toward your body. Slice city.

What happens when your hips spin out?

Cause and Effect: Anytime the hips race out from under the torso or “spin-out” from the top, the club is usually thrown over-the-top. The longer the club, the more detrimental this move becomes.

How to do the rear foot back drill?

The Rear Foot Back drill gives the arms freedom to “drop” under the plane during the transition, putting you into a better position to deliver the club head into the ball.

Why do my arms lift to the top?

Problem #1: Arm Lift to the Top. Cause and Effect: The arm lift is caused when the shoulders aren’t the lead source of power in the backswing, leaving the arms to lift to the top independently of the torso’s actions.

Can you ruin your score faster than hitting three off the tee?

Nothing can ruin your score quicker than hitting three off the tee after you pump one out of play. And nothing is more frustrating than catching one solid, only to see it put on the blinker and slice hard to the right while losing big distance.

Why do golfers pivot over the top?

One of the most common causes of the over-the-top move is when golfers fail to transfer their weight properly. This can lead to what’s known as a reverse pivot where the weight stays on the left leg throughout the backswing and then shifts onto the right side coming down into impact.

How to get better at golf swing?

A simple drill to help encourage a better move is to set up without a club and place your hands across your shoulders. From there, turn back and feel your left shoulder moving across to your right knee, and then your right shoulder to your left knee as you swing through.

Why does Miguel Jimenez swing around his body?

From there, he would swing around his body on that plane to encourage the feeling of attacking the ball from the inside and releasing the hands better. It’s something we’ve also seen Miguel Jimenez do for many years when he is practising. The great thing about these drills is that they aren’t overly technical.

Can hitting an iron cause a slice?

No matter if you’re hitting an iron or a driver, coming over the top with your swing can spell disaster. It’s often the cause of a slice but can also lead to big pulls depending on how you release the club.

Can you swing over the top with a poor backswing?

Swinging over the top isn’t only for those with a poor backswing. There are many golfers who shift their weight nicely and get the club into a good position only to pull their left hip back violently, which throws the club outside. Starting the downswing by shifting the left hip laterally will get the club in a better position.

How to shallow out a golf swing?

You just need to learn to use the left arm correctly, especially at the top of the swing. That will allow you to shallow out.

What makes golf so difficult?

One thing that makes golf so difficult is that it's predominantly a left-arm, left-sided dominant game, and of course most players are right handed. The right arm plays a part in over the top swings. That's not to say the right side and the right arm don't play a huge part in the golf swing.

What arm is the swing at the top?

At the top with left arm only (left). Pulling with the left shallows the swing (center). An over the top move is awkward for the left arm (right).

What arm is the golf club at the top?

At the top with left arm only (left). Pulling with the left shallows the swing (center). An over the top move is awkward for the left arm (right). When you pull with the left arm, the club naturally shallows out.

What arm do you use to change your swing plane?

Today you're going to learn one simple trick with the left arm that, if you do it correctly, will immediately change your swing plane and path, making it almost impossible for you to come over the top.

How does weight transfer work in golf?

Weight transfer from the right side to the left shallows out the pitch of the shaft. This move also pulls the arm down. You're not just going to the top and ripping your left arm down by itself. You're using your body mass, your weight, to change the direction of the club.

Why is pushing with the right wrong?

One of the problems of pushing with the right is that it changes the pitch of the shaft, which steepens the plane and causes you to come over the top.

How to come over the top in golf?

A universal solution to coming over the top would be to learn to drop the club and your hands at the top of the backswing. However, if you can determine which problem you are doing, that solution will be easier to do by fixing the backswing if needed.

Where to hit golf ball in golf?

Try to hit the inside quadrant of the golf ball, as opposed to the center of the golf ball.

How to fix a backswing swing?

That way, when you are at the top of the backswing, you will have some room to drop the club and shallow the plane of the downswing. Use of the momentum of the golf club to your advantage.

What happens when your arms swing too flat?

If their arms swing too flat, they have no where to drop the hands and club “into the slot”. Therefore, their downswing goes the only place that is has room, away from the body and over the top compared to a good downswing. This is completely dependent on the golfer’s natural golf swing.

What is the first move in the downswing?

You have a great backswing, but your first move in the downswing is to come over the top. Your backswing could be spot on, but once you start your downswing, your hands and the club come too steep and you swing out-to-in instead of in-to-out.

What does "coming over the top" mean?

For a short description, just to make sure everyone is on the same page, coming over the top simply means that one’s downswing is too steep or vertical.

How to start a downswing in golf?

So if you are a right handed golfer, drop your right elbow directly downward to start the downswing. This is contrasted with what people that swing over the top do. At the top of the swing, they throw everything (the club, the hands, the arms, the trail elbow) towards the ball. It makes sense.

What causes coming over-the-top in the golf swing?

In essence, an over-the-top swing comes about due to an overuse of the upper body when playing a shot. Typically, the plane of the club in the downswing is steeper than, or over-the-top of, the plane of the club in the takeaway, leading to slices if the clubface is open, or pulls if the clubface is shut.

How do you cure an over-the-top swing?

To cure an over-the-top swing, you need to fix your club path in the downswing, changing it so that it comes down beneath, or identical to, the path you took it away on. The best way to do this is to implement some drills, such as using an angled alignment stick to redirect your path, while filming your swing to monitor progress.

How do I stop my shoulders from starting the downswing?

To stop your shoulders from starting the downswing, it’s important to work on using the lower body and its rotation to transition correctly into your shot. Instead of turning the shoulders and allowing the arms to ‘throw’ the club over-the-top, try opening the hips before the shoulders and arms move into the downswing.

Do any pro golfers come over-the-top?

There are a few pros who do occasionally come over-the-top, but the movement is usually extremely slight and their hand-eye coordination is good enough to make the action perform well.

Final message

In general, an over-the-top swing is going to be damaging for your golf game.

Why do I get over the top in golf?

The first cause that I'm going to discuss here is overuse of the right side of the body and right arm. This is THE most common cause of coming over the top in the golf swing.

Which arm is overused in golf?

This leads to an overuse of the right arm, and as you'll see in the Premium video, this steepens the pitch of the shaft and shifts the swing plane to the left.

Which arm stops you from coming over the top?

In the image on the right, you can see how the left arm stops you from coming over the top due to the musculature you have available on the left side of the body at the top of the backswing.

What happens when you overuse your right arm?

Overuse of the right arm steepens the swing plane and leads to swinging over the top.

1. Object by the ball

It doesn’t need to be a pool noodle, Clearwarter says. A bottle, headcover or other obstacle can work just as well. Place it just outside the ball and then start hitting (the ball, not the object!).

2. Diagonal pool noodle

You’ll need a friend to help you with this one, but all they’ll need to do is stand there and hold a pool noodle, alignment rod or club at a 45-degree angle. Your goal is simple: To swing under the obstacle on your downswing.

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