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 ...
What does over the top mean?
The term over the top is used in reference to the swing plane ...specifically the original shaft plane. Imagine a line that runs from the head of your club up the shaft, through the grip and indefinitely up to the sky. When your swing is on plane, your club will move up and down on this line. When you come down over the top, you are swinging down in front of this line.
Why do golf clubs come over the top at the top?
When you come over the top, you club tends to make impact with the outside half of the golf ball. Once your club starts to come over the top in the downswing, there’s really no way that swing can make solid contact with the ball. So, you’re left hoping and praying for a lucky bounce to get the ball to go where you want.
What is an over the top golf swing or shot?
Feb 09, 2014 · An over the top golf swing or shot happens when the golfer (right-handed) moves their right shoulder and arms at the top of the downswing out to the right first. This results in the downswing coming down steep and cutting across the golf ball from an out to in position (right to left). It is also sometimes called an outside to inside golf swing.
What does “set the club at the top” mean in golf?
Aug 23, 2017 · How To Fix Your Slice In 15 Shots:★ http://www.performancegolfzone.com/view/yt1nAre you coming over the top in your golf swing? Here's how to fix it!Coming o...
How do you get rid of over the top golf swing?
5:198:06FIX AN OVER THE TOP SWING INSTANTLY (My Secret Tip)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what you want to do there is feel the weight coming off of this heel right here you want to liftMoreSo what you want to do there is feel the weight coming off of this heel right here you want to lift your heel. Okay if you lift your heel. The club won't hit the ground.
What does it mean to come over the top?
phrase. You describe something as over the top when you think that it is exaggerated, and therefore unacceptable. [mainly British, informal] The special effects are a bit over the top but I enjoyed it. Synonyms: excessive, too much, going too far, inordinate More Synonyms of over-the-top.
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. Their secret was simple: They made one move from the top of the swing.Feb 23, 2016
What happens when you swing over the top?
A golfer is said to swing over the top of the ball when the club comes down on a very steep angle from outside-inside. Generally this type of swing creates a a big divot that points to the left of target . The ball flight can be a pull or a pull hook to the left, or a terrible slice to the right.Feb 7, 2017
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.
Why do I slice with my driver but not my irons?
The general problem with a slice is that your stance is too open. This means that your leading foot is behind the trailing foot when facing the target. To exacerbate this, golfers tend to open their stance aiming further left and increasing the angle of the out-to-in swing path.
What is the Tour twist?
5:2411:09GOLF: The Twist Away Method For Better Contact And CompressionYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRight palm more towards the camera right wrist more bent back twisting it closed on the way back.MoreRight palm more towards the camera right wrist more bent back twisting it closed on the way back.
What do pro golfers think about while swinging?
In a recent survey of 24 PGA Tour players, 18 said they didn't think about anything at all during their swing, while those that did have a swing thought said it was to focus on a spot a few inches in front of the ball, to encourage swinging through, instead of hitting at the ball.
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.
An Endless List
When I see a golf swing, I can easily predict (like most of you reading) when others are going to say, “He comes over the top.”
There is No Universal Definition for Over the Top
This list could get longer, but as you can see, over the top can mean something different to each person you talk to. But every scenario I listed above can create a shot that flies in the hole.
Be Careful With This Term
Now finally how to get something useful out of this blog post. When you walk into a lesson, the best thing you can do is tell your teacher what you want to do better. Don’t waste your time and money telling the teacher what you think you do wrong.
How To Quickly Fix Coming Over The Top
There are some basic steps you can take to get rid of your over the top golf move. These steps won’t take you long to learn, and you can practice them both at home and at the driving range.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about the over the top swing and what needs to be done to fix it and get the club in the proper position.
Conclusion
Now that we have discussed what an over the top swing is and how to fix it, the only thing left to do is head to the driving range.
Why do golfers come over the top?
Another reason a lot of amateur golfers come over the top is because they either let their weight get too far back in their downswing and finish, or the never clear their hips.
What happens when you come over the top of a golf club?
When you come over the top, you club tends to make impact with the outside half of the golf ball. Once your club starts to come over the top in the downswing, there’s really no way that swing can make solid contact with the ball. So, you’re left hoping and praying for a lucky bounce to get the ball to go where you want.
How to put a golf glove on your back?
First thing you need is a lanyard with a clip on the end. Put the lanyard around your neck and attach an old golf club to the clip. Then, put the glove under your back armpit (right for a right-handed golfer). Then, hit your shots. If the glove drops out of your armpit in your downswing, then you’re coming over the top.
Why do my arms go over the top of my golf swing?
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. Too much tension in your golf swing will, almost always, result in an over the top downswing.
How to use impact tape on golf clubs?
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.
When does the glove drop?
As soon as that back elbow moves away from your body, the glove will drop. If you can hit shots with the glove staying in your back armpit until after impact, then you’ve sufficiently come from the inside and stopped coming over the top.
What does it mean when you hit down on the ball?
The problem comes when people interpret “hit down on the ball” to mean “come over the top and cover the ball.”. Or they try to hit so far down that the club comes away from their body in order to slam down into the ground. It’s important to remember, when hitting down on the ball, that you can still do that while coming from ...
What is an over the top golf swing?
An over the top golf swing or shot happens when the golfer (right-handed) moves their right shoulder and arms at the top of the downswing out to the right first. This results in the downswing coming down steep and cutting across ...
Which side of the body should I swing my golf club from?
Pulling from the left side is key. Using more of the left side of the body you can get yourself in a much better position to strike the golf ball. Using the left side of the body is more of a pulling motion and a much more efficient way to swing the golf club. Here’s a video I did with my friends at The Art of Simple Golf ...
What is the downswing in golf?
This results in the downswing coming down steep and cutting across the golf ball from an out to in position (right to left). It is also sometimes called an outside to inside golf swing. The result is you either pull the golf ball to the left (if the clubface is square) or slice it out to the right (if the clubface is open).
How to do a golf swing with a backswing?
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.
Can you swing over the top of a golf club?
You’ll notice the club will drop perfectly on plane right throughout the downswing to impact. In fact, it’s impossible to swing over the top this way because of the way the body is anatomically built. Try doing the same drill with your right arm swinging the club only (right-hander).
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.
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.
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.
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).
