
5 keys to stop coming over the top
- Take a normal golf swing and pause at the top of the backswing
- Instead of starting the downswing by moving your right shoulder and arm to the right and down do this:
- Drop the hands around waist height and pause
- Finish the swing off as normal driving through with the legs
- Repeat and repeat again
How can I stop swinging over the top?
The over-the-top golfer generally does the following things:
- (1) The shoulders and feet are aimed left of the target;
- (2) The weight is too far left at address;
- (3) The ball is generally too far forward at address;
- (4) The club is taken away too far to the inside and around the body which causes the arms to lift up too high as the club reaches the top ...
How to fix an over the top golf swing?
Once you get the impact tape:
- Go to the range and put it on a couple club faces. Make sure to try it out on, at least, your driver and an iron.
- Then, hit some different shots at different intensities. ...
- Then, record in a note on your phone or a piece of paper, which type of swings you hit the club face most consistently with and which type of swing ...
How to correct the over the top golf swing?
The Best Way to Stop Coming Over the Top in Your Swing
- Stop the Right from Dominating the Downswing. A lot of the material on the website talks about pushing versus pulling, and that's what we're going to go back over right ...
- Pull With the Left. Now let's look at the other arm. ...
- The Second Key: Weight Transfer. ...
- Know How to Use the Website. ...
How to stop coming over the top?
Stop Coming Over The Top
- Flat Takeaway. Taking away the club too flat is the most common of the backswing flaws. ...
- Reverse Pivot. The next most common error that leads to an over-the-top move is having too much weight on the left (forward) leg at the top of the backswing (left).
- Narrow Arc. The third most common reason for coming over the top is narrowing the swing arc. ...
- Open Face. ...

What causes an over the top golf swing?
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.
Can not stop coming over the top golf swing?
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 do you get rid of over the top?
0:103:36The Golf Fix - Stop Coming Over the Top | Golf Channel - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHere and the easiest way to do that is to just feel like when you start down that you're going toMoreHere and the easiest way to do that is to just feel like when you start down that you're going to keep your back to the target for as long as you can and if your back stays to the target your arms.
Do any pro golfers come over the top?
Craig Stadler, Craig Parry and many other champion golfers swing this way. Bruce Lietzke made a wonderful career on the PGA Tour with an “in-and-over” move.
Does coming over the top cause a shank?
It often comes when the clubface is too open on the backswing, which causes you to loop the club to the outside coming down—called swinging over the top. This re-routing can move the hosel closer to the ball, leading to a shank. It also can cause a shift onto your toes, another shank producer. Here's what to check.
What makes someone over the top?
too extreme and not suitable, or demanding too much attention or effort, especially in an uncontrolled way: I thought the decorations were way (= very) over the top.
What does it mean if someone is over the top?
outrageousDefinition of over-the-top : extremely or excessively flamboyant or outrageous an over-the-top performance.
When somebody is over the top?
extreme and exaggerated. This expression is usually used disapprovingly.
What does it mean to go over the top?
The idiomatic phrase "over the top" or "going over the top" is used to describe someone making an effort that is excessive or more than is required to accomplish a task.
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.
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.
How to do a downswing in golf?
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 .
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.
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.
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 club path?
Thanks to its location outside or on top of the target line the club cannot follow a desirable inside-square-inside club path. Instead, it will come in towards the ball under an outside-in club path, a path that is strongly associated with slices and one that cannot produce straight shots at the target. It can even lead to shanks.
Why do golfers struggle coming over the top?
Golfers who struggle coming over the top often have too much wrist set in their swing, which force the shaft into a vertical — steep — position. That’s why Mark suggests feeling like you’re making a wider arc, with less wrist hinge, which will let the center of mass of the club work from more behind you and less over-the-top.
What is an over the top move?
Before we go any further, it’s worth clarifying, for those who may be unfamiliar, what an “over-the-top” move actually is. It’s when the club moves from outside-to-in on the downswing. Paired with a closed clubface, it can result in a nasty pull hook. Match it with an open clubface, and bingo! Slice time.
How to close a modal window?
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.
How to swing over the top?
When you swing over the top, you tend to bring the club in shallow, your body rotating to compensate for the inside move. But, the body overcompensates pushing your club head out. To solve this, hold a golf ball in the hand of your non-lead arm (arm farthest from the target). Bring that hand up as if you were swinging a club and then back down, throwing the ball underhanded as you come through the impact zone. You'll want the ball to fly at a right angle away from you. If the ball is flying out straight, or to the left, you are coming over the top and across your body. As you practice throwing the ball out to the right, you'll learn the feel of proper rotation and arm movement needed to fix the problem.
What is an over the top golf swing?
Overview. An over-the-top golf swing is one of the most common types of swing faults. When you have an over-the-top swing, there are generally two results you can expect at impact: a slice or a pull. It's all determined by the angle of your club face at impact. Because the problem is so common, there are a variety of drills ...
How to fix a golf swing that brings the club to the ball from outside the swing plane?
An excellent way to fix this is to focus on keeping your club head inside to square, then back inside during the course of your swing. You can use a drill to practice keeping your club inside.
How to tell if you are over the top in golf?
Lead Arm Tight. One of the common symptoms of an over-the-top golf swing is a lead arm (the arm closest to the hole) that stretches away from the body as you go into the downswing. Take some controlled swings and you should notice this if you have a tendency to swing over the top. A simple drill can help correct this.
How to keep your club inside?
You can use a drill to practice keeping your club inside. Take a golf club head cover and place it an inch to the outside of your ball. You can start off a little farther away (say 2 inches) if it makes you more comfortable.
What happens when you throw a ball out straight?
You'll want the ball to fly at a right angle away from you. If the ball is flying out straight, or to the left, you are coming over the top and across your body. As you practice throwing the ball out to the right, you'll learn the feel of proper rotation and arm movement needed to fix the problem. Bryson DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers win The Match.
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.
What happens when you swing a golf club over the top?
Without the right (dominant) hand on the golf club it is nearly impossible to push the club out away from your body and come over the top during the transition from backswing to downswing, which is precisely what happens during an over the top golf swing.
What are some mistakes you can make in golf swing?
There sure is a lot to learn about the golf swing. The good news is you’ve come to the right place! Beginners (and even more advanced golfers) often face several challenges when attempting to improve their golf swing. One common swing mistake many golfers make is an over the top move that usually occurs during the transition from their backswing ...
What Causes an Over-the-Top Move?
One of the most common causes of an over-the-top golf swing is a backswing that is too far ‘inside’. When a golfer takes the club back too close to his body (inside), the natural tendency is to compensate by extending the right elbow away from the body during the transition from backswing to downswing.
What is a medicus swing trainer?
It’s basically a driver with two adjustable hinges that allow the club to ‘break’ whenever the golfer does something wrong during the backswing or downswing.
What happens when you execute a backswing without a Medicus club?
When a golfer can execute the backswing without the Medicus club breaking, they have achieved the proper swing plane and will no longer feel it necessary to compensate with an over-the-top move during their downswing. By simply executing a downswing along the same path they performed their backswing, the Medicus will remain intact and their slice will be eliminated.
How does dropping the golf club behind him affect the golfer?
The instructor demonstrates how dropping the golf club behind him at the top of his backswing alters the tendency that golfers with an over the top move have to extend the arms away from the body and force the club downward from this position.
Why does my right elbow slice in golf?
We now understand that an over-the-top golf swing happens when we push our right elbow away from our body during the transition from backswing to downswing. It is one of the most common causes of the golf slice.
What is swinging from out to in?
Swinging from out-to-in, or “coming over the top” with an open clubface has been the most common problems in golf seemingly since it’s inception, and it’s especially common among golfers who once played baseball. Undoing the tendency to lunge at the ball with your upper body first at the top of your backswing by learning the ideal golf swing sequence is a transition every golfer needs to go through at some point.
When turning on the backswing, do you need to tilt?
Think of a line that’s drawn across your shoulders, like you see on the golfer to the right: When that shoulder line flattens so it’s more in-line with the ground, it puts your backswing in a position where you’re more likely to come over-the-top. The club is so far behind you and your shoulders are so flat that, as you begin to turn, there’s no other way for your club to move but from out-to-in.
How much more tilt does a lower handicap have?
Lower handicaps have more shoulder tilt: About 7 degrees more of it on average, according to GOLFTEC, and usually more. Why is shoulder tilt a good thing? For a bunch of reasons, but among them:
Does golf tilt affect your handicap?
When GOLFTEC studied this, they found a direct inverse correlation between higher handicappers and shoulder tilt at the top of the backswing. In a nutshell: The higher your handicap, the less shoulder tilt you probably have.
Is the downswing rooted in the backswing?
But after analyzing millions of golf swings from hundreds of thousands of golfers in the largest golf study ever recorded, GOLFTEC research shows that the problem plaguing your downswing is actually one rooted in the backswing.
Do you need to turn on the backswing?
Golfers have heard by now that they need to turn on the backswing — and indeed, they do. A big turn creates more power in your golf swing. The problem is what gets lost: You can’t just turn. It’s about how you turn.
Does Max Homa play golf?
Max Homa plays a lot of golf with recreational golfers — and sees even more recreational golf swings every day on Twitter. There’s one mistake he says he sees golfers make in their swing more than any other.
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.
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 happens if you aim too far right?
If you aim too far right, your body knows it and you will (without even thinking about it) try to save the shot and pull the ball left to get back on target. This will led to an over the top swing after a while.
