Stop Coming Over The Top
- Taking the club away too flat or under the swing plane
- Stranding the majority of weight on the left (forward) leg at the top of the backswing
- Creating a narrow swing arc
- Leaving the clubface open at the top
How do you come over the top in golf?
Apr 06, 2015 · Michael Breed demonstrates three drills to stop your swing from coming over the top. Watch more tips from The Golf Fix here: http://bit.ly/1L1QPci Download G...
Why can’t I Come Over the top in my golf swing?
Feb 17, 2014 · Again, for coming over the top there are two simple keys: weight shift, and left arm. Master those and you'll never be able to come over the top again. Don't do this: Hanging back on the right side and throwing the right arm
How do you get out of an over the top swing?
Aug 20, 2014 · Tee a ball as normal and then stick a shaft in the ground at a 45-degree angle to the ground, approximately 1-1/2 to 2 feet behind the …
What is the most important move in the golf swing?
Dec 16, 2016 · This places the arms, hands and club into a position where they have no choice but to transition over the top in the downswing. The Fix: Use the Stick drill. 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 …
How do I stop coming over the top in my golf swing?
1:223:36The Golf Fix - Stop Coming Over the Top | Golf Channel - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipObviously to turn but then it's going to help you kind of start. That lower body first because we'reMoreObviously to turn but then it's going to help you kind of start. That lower body first because we're going to help frees up the upper body by keeping this club perpendicular to the ground here.
Why do I come 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.
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
Why can't I stop swinging over the top?
Our natural reaction to wanting to hit the ball far is to tense up our muscles in order to explode with power through impact. The problem with that is that tense muscles, at the top of your downswing, will cause your arms to push away from your body and come over the top.
What is an over the top swing?
An over the top swing is one that features a downswing in which the clubhead is located outside of the target line as it makes it descent towards the ball. 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, ...
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 .
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.
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.
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.
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.
What happens if you overdo it?
Of course if you overdo it you'll start coming too far from the inside but, if you're an over-the-topper, coming too much from the inside is a dream come true. You'd probably love to hit a big snap hook, which terrifies a lot of golfers. Using the left arm correctly will allow you to shallow out your swing.
What arm is over the top?
At the top with right arm only (left). The right shoulder (center) and arm (right) naturally want to make an over the top movement. Your right arm wants to make that over the top motion because it's a natural movement for that part of your body at that point in the swing. What's more, this movement feels very powerful.
How does a good weight transfer work?
It's as simple as being loaded up on the right side, and then shifting your weight back to the left. This simple little move, of just shifting your pelvis from your right leg to your left, shallows out the shaft.
What happens if you don't shift your weight?
If you don't shift your weight first, you'll run into a lot of other swing problems, so it's critical that you put the two things together.
Why do I push with my right arm?
We'll see what happens when you push with the right arm in an effort to get power from the swing, instead of learning the proper mechanics for building speed. 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 swing a golf club?
Swing from the left to right field. With irons and wedges, try to make small divots that point to the right of target. Try to hit the inside quadrant of the golf ball, as opposed to the center of the golf ball. Try to make a steep backswing and aggressively drop the club.
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.
How to fix an over the top golf swing?
Here are numerous more ways that might turn on a lightbulb in your brain: Keep your shoulders pointing behind you longer in the downswing. Don’t “open everything up” and square up to the ball until later in the downswing. Get to the top of the swing. Pause.
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 when you whip the golf club too far inside?
When the club gets stuck behind you like this, it takes a lot of work to not come over the top due to momentum. You don’t give yourself enough room to come from the inside on the downswing.
What happens if you rotate your shoulders open?
If your first move from the top was to rotate your shoulders open, and come over the top, your hands would hit the shaft and the ball would bounce to the left. You can do this drill with just a ball at home to get a feel for how the hands and arms follow the lower body on the downswing, and approach the ball from the inside.
How to move your hands on a plane?
For the hands and club to be moving on-plane, you must initiate the downswing from the ground up, first moving the ankles, then the knees, hips, shoulders, arms and hands . In this proper kinematic sequence, your weight naturally shifts left and the hands drop to the inside, closer to your body (see photo, above).
How far behind a ball should you put a shaft?
Tee a ball as normal and then stick a shaft in the ground at a 45-degree angle to the ground, approximately 1-1/2 to 2 feet behind the ball and 6 inches outside of the target line (i.e., farther away from your body).
How far forward should you throw the ball?
Toss the ball at a spot on the ground approximately 2 yards forward and to the right of the target line (see photo, above). For this to occur, you must initiate the downswing with your lower body, transferring your weight forward while your hands and arms move down toward the ball and out toward the target line.
Where do you finish when you start down?
If you start down by pulling your hands out away from your body (i.e., over the top), they have nowhere to go but left, across your body, finishing near your left hip pocket. There’s no power in that.
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 swing a golf ball with your backswing?
How to Do It: To start, feel like you set up behind the ball with your rear shoulder lower than your front shoulder and your weight favoring your rear foot. Exaggerate this tilted position throughout the swing, and you will feel how the weight should move into the backswing.
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.
How to straighten your body?
Straighten your upper body to an upright position without changing the position of your arms, cocking your wrists or straightening your knees. Keep your lower body and hips in their original address position. Your hands will be around waist high and the shaft roughly parallel to the ground, perhaps pointing up slightly.
Why do golfers come over the top?
But as a general rule, players come over the top because they make a faulty takeaway to start their backswing. They lift their hands and then turn their shoulders. In a proper takeaway, you turn your shoulders to start the backswing, then bend your right elbow (for a right-handed golfer) to get to the top. This is called a one-piece takeaway.
How to play golf with your arms?
Take your normal setup position, with your knees slightly flexed, your upper body bending over from the hip and your weight over the balls of your feet. Your arms should hang straight down from your shoulders, with your triceps resting lightly against your chest. Hold your club with your regular grip.
How to do a squat on the backswing?
Return to the position your body would have been in if you had simply turned your upper body to this position on your backswing. Let your left elbow (if you're right-handed) move slightly away from your side. It should point straight down at the ground.
Who is Mike Southern?
He is the author of the instructional golf book "Ruthless Putting" and edited a collection of swashbuckling novels. Southern was trained in electronics at Forsyth Technical Community College and is also an occasional woodworker.
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.
Who is Luke Kerr-Dineen?
Luke Kerr-Dineen is the Game Improvement Editor at GOLF Magazine and GOLF .com. In his role he oversees all the brand’s service journalism spanning instruction, equipment, health and fitness, across all of GOLF’s multimedia platforms.
