Causes of the Over the Top Golf Swing
- Starting the backswing by taking the club too far inside.
- Lifting your arms too much in the backswing.
- Starting the downswing with your upper body.
- Flying your front shoulder too far open in the downswing
How do you cure 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 in golf swing?
- You whip the club too far inside with your hands in the takeaway. ...
- You don’t give yourself enough room to come from the inside on the downswing. ...
- Your alignment is way off. ...
- You have a great backswing, but your first move in the downswing is to come over the top. ...
Which golf clubs improve your swing?
Which Golf Clubs Improve Your Swing?
- Overview. All golf clubs are not created equal, and to get the most out of your swing, you should have clubs that fit your body measurements and ability level.
- Drivers. Technological advances allow for greater distance on your drives while providing more margin for error on mishits.
- Hybrids. ...
- Irons. ...
What makes a great golf swing?
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
- Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
- Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options: Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing.
- Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. ...
- Practice Frequently. ...
How do I stop my golf swing from going over the top?
5:198:06FIX AN OVER THE TOP SWING INSTANTLY (My Secret Tip)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNot a problem that is just that you're hitting the ball flat footed on your back foot. So what youMoreNot a problem that is just that you're hitting the ball flat footed on your back foot. So what you want to do there is feel the weight coming off of this heel right here you want to lift your heel.
Why do I keep hitting the top of my golf ball?
Typically, a ball is topped because the club has not gone far enough down towards the ball or you catch the ball on the way up, instead of at the bottom point. A lot of things can cause this to happen: A club that's too short. An awkward stance.
How do you fix a topping ball?
1:156:55HOW TO STOP TOPPING THE GOLF BALL - 5 EASY TIPS IN ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo tip number one is just about ball position. And this can be the first reason I say a golf orMoreSo tip number one is just about ball position. And this can be the first reason I say a golf or topping a golf ball the golf club moves you around your body on a big circle the bottom of that circle
How do you fix a topping driver?
0:082:51How to Stop Topping Your Driver | Hit More Solid Drives - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHand drop it down scratch the knee of your trail. Leg from there keep that posture. Put the club orMoreHand drop it down scratch the knee of your trail. Leg from there keep that posture. Put the club or your hand on the club.
How do I stop topping the golf ball with fairway woods?
1:546:09Stop Topping Your Woods - Learn to Hit Fairway Woods Off the GroundYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipGet your weight going forward all right that's tip number one now the second thing that could beMoreGet your weight going forward all right that's tip number one now the second thing that could be causing you to actually top your fairway woods is swing.
Why am I topping my 3 wood?
Todd Kolb explains that amateurs often position the ball too far forward in their stance. That is because they attempt to replicate the set-up of a tee shot with a wood. If your ball is too far forward, your club will bottom out before it reaches the dimples, causing a topped shot.
Why can't I get my golf ball in the air?
7:3410:28HOW TO GET THE GOLF BALL INTO THE AIR - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou can't hear any connection between the sole of the club and the ground. You know you're swingingMoreYou can't hear any connection between the sole of the club and the ground. You know you're swinging the club too high so you've got forget so that you're connecting with the ground.
How do you stop topping hybrids?
1:215:15This is how you STOP TOPPING Hybrids and Fairway ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you get behind the ball ball lean back you start to work up too quickly you can see how you wouldMoreIf you get behind the ball ball lean back you start to work up too quickly you can see how you would catch that ball sort of halfway up it not a good strike.
What happens when a golf club goes up and out of the swing plane?
When you get this wrong, the club actually comes up and out of the swing plane during the downswing. This creates a swing path that becomes very steep into the ball which can cause hooks and slices. The inconsistency of the flight makes this flaw so difficult to manage.
What does it mean when you come over the top in golf?
Coming over the top is a dreaded swing issue that can wreak havoc in your golf game. You never know when it is going to strike but, when it does, it’s important to be able to recognise it and fix it. This is a problem that many golfers will face in their life, if you’re going through it now then you’re not alone.
How Does It Effect Performance?
When you are coming over the top, you will be delivering the club inconsistently, hence the resulting slices, hooks and everything in between. This will ruin your accuracy as you can miss both left and right without rhyme nor reason.
What Causes You To Come Over The Top?
I find that one of the main causes of this is often trying to hit the ball, by this I mean golfers chasing more distance by swinging harder at the ball and losing good sequence.
How Can You Stop Coming Over The Top?
One great tool is your golf towel or a head cover which you tuck under your arm (right for righties, left for lefties).
What does a golf coach do?
Having a qualified golf coach have a look at your swing and give you strategies to help you fix your swing.
What is a drop in golf swing?
This is a small move at the top of your swing that can derail everything on the downswing. You get to the top, your next move should be led by the lower half of your body which makes the club “drop” into the plane. This takes the club on a nice path into impact and beyond.
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.
Can you overdo a golf club?
Of course, the beauty of golf is that there’s no one way of swinging a club, and yes, you can overdo it and have too much shoulder tilt. But if you find yourself hitting big pull-slices, you probably need more shoulder tilt, like our man Josh Berhow found out himself on his most recent GOLFTEC journey. Turn and tilt: That’s the formula for low scores and high draws.
What happens if you hit the ball too far forward?
If the ball is too far forward in your stance, it's easy to hit it fat. The clubhead reaches the bottom of its swing arc before it gets to the ball. If you adjust your swing so you don't hit the ground, the clubhead will be swinging upward by the time it reaches the ball.
What is it called when a ball is bouncing?
But many players make contact above the ball's equator, resulting in a low-flying or bouncing ball. This is called "topping" -- also "skulling" or "thinning" -- the ball, and there are several common reasons that it happens.
How to get more clubhead speed?
Throwing the Clubhead. Sometimes you try to gain extra clubhead speed by flipping your wrists at impact, but all you do is straighten your wrists before the clubhead reaches the ball. That makes the club reach the bottom of its arc farther back in your stance, instead of in front of the ball. The clubhead then swings upward sooner ...
When do weekend players straighten up?
Unlike Michelle Wie, weekend players frequently straighten up when the ball is below their feet and top the shot.
Can you swing up on a golf ball?
Unless the ball is sitting up on thick grass, which would give you a chance to get under it, you'll either swing up on the ball ( as with poor ball position) or stand up during your downswing. But most of the time, you'll still top the ball.
Is standing up bad for the ball?
The ball might be in a bad lie, lower than your feet. In any case, standing up increases the distance from you to the ball; if you hit the ball at all, you probably are going to hit the top half.
Do you straighten your legs when you start downswing?
You might keep this position during your backswing but, as you start your downswing, you might straighten your legs and back. Perhaps you're trying to hit the ball harder.
Why is my golf ball so over the top?
Another cause of being over the top is trying to steer the ball to the left . The root cause of this is a fundamental misunderstanding of the ball flight laws (get the facts HERE ). These golfers see the ball slicing to the right so they think they will fix it by swinging to the left. The easiest way to swing to the left is to go way over the top.
What does "over the top" mean in golf?
From TV analysts to instructors on the range, it’s used to describe a problem that’s common to a huge number of amateur golfers. Today, I’ll explain what you may be swinging over the top of, why it’s a problem, and how to fix it.
What is an over the top downswing?
The term “over the top” is most commonly used to describe a downswing that starts out over the plane that the shaft creates at address.
How to get power in a swing?
If you do this, you’ll realize that the only way to create any power is to swing from the ground up. Again, start slow by hitting pitch shots and half shots.
Is being over the top bad?
Before I continue, I want to note that being “over the top” is not inherently a bad thing . There are guys who’ve played on Tour, and thousands, maybe millions, of very good amateur golfers, who are over the top. I would not suggest making a change unless you’re having a problem with contact or ball flight.
What causes a golf ball to fly over the top?
This is a swing fault which affects millions of golfers, and it is the main cause of the dreaded ball flight known as the slice. If you are currently fighting a slice in your game, and you have been fighting that slice for some time, it is almost certain that you are moving the club over the top during your transition from backswing to downswing. Fixing your slice is probably as simple as getting rid of that move – of course, getting rid of that move is not going to be simple at all.
Why do amateur golfers rush through their swings?
Countless amateur golfers rush through their swings, either because they are trying to swing as hard as possible, or because they are nervous about the outcome of the shot. Either way, rushing is only going to put you off track and out of position when you get down to impact.
What is the ideal backswing for golf?
The ideal backswing is one that has plenty of width, with your hands reaching back well away from your body as you turn to the right (for a right handed golfer). Unfortunately, many golfers make a backswing that is far too narrow, with the hands quickly coming in close to the body during the takeaway phase of the swing.
How to get rid of swinging over the top?
First, you are going to need to make a wider backswing. Work on the extension that you get in your takeaway, keeping your hands out of the equation as you rotate your shoulders away from the target. By maintaining great extension, you will naturally have good width at the top and your issue of a narrow backswing should become a thing of the past.
What happens when you make a narrow backswing?
When you do make a narrow backswing, your hands will be very close to your head at the top of the swing. From there, they only have one choice – to move up and away from your body. There simply isn’t room to drop the club to the inside after a narrow backswing, so an over the top action is your only option.
Can you play golf if you don't play at a high level?
While golf can be fun even if you don’t play at a high level, it’s frustrating to be stuck in neutral without any improvement in your play.
Can you hit a push with a swing?
It is possible to hit a push with this kind of swing, but most people see their ball flight turn into a slice after coming over the top.
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 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.
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.
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 ...
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
How to swing a golf club right handed?
For right-handed golfers, hold the golf club with ONLY your left hand and SWING using ONLY your left hand. Concentrate on using only your left arm and the rotation of your body to bring the club back.
