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.
Full Answer
What does over the top mean in golf?
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.
How to prevent the club from coming over-the-top during the golf swing?
In order to prevent the club from coming Over-the-Top during the golf swing several physical characteristics must be developed. It is paramount to develop a proper weight shift from your back foot to your front foot in order to start the downswing in the proper sequence.
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.
Why do I hit the ball over the top?
When you come down over the top, you are swinging down in front of this line. It is usually caused by unwinding your shoulders too soon or throwing your arms and hands at the ball too quickly at the start of your downswing. A down swing that starts from the ground up and unwinds in the correct kinematic sequence will prevent over the top hits.
What does over the top mean in 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.
What does a trap mean in golf?
Basically, you are 'trapping' the ball between the face of the club and the ground. By hitting down through the shot, you can compress the ball against the face of the club, which will provide the shot with both power and spin.
Does an over the top swing cause a hook?
Coming over the top is an error which occurs when you get to the top of the backswing. The next move is supposed to be powered by the lower half of the body and getting it wrong will mess up your swing plane, causing hooks, slices and other common swing issues.
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.
How do you hit a trap in golf?
Swing from inside to out and strike down on the ball. Hold your finish low to the ground. The ball will fly out like a low line drive and turn sharply to the left. A trap draw is a great shot to learn to get out of trouble and get your ball in a good position to save par.
Can I ground my club in a sand trap?
Grounding a club in the bunker is a penalty in golf for both stroke play matches and match play. The rule prohibits a golfer from grounding his club and making contact with the ground when hitting from a bunker. If the golfer makes contact or disturbs the sand in a bunker, there is a penalty awarded.
How do I stop coming over the top?
0:473:36The 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.
How do I stop over the top?
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.
How do you fix over the top?
6:118:05FIX AN OVER THE TOP SWING INSTANTLY (My Secret Tip)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFeel the heel. Okay feel the heel then the club will clear all right so let me go over it againMoreFeel the heel. Okay feel the heel then the club will clear all right so let me go over it again gotta follow this exactly. We've got our ball teed up about six inches inside the ball.
What is the most important move in the golf swing?
The first move down from the top is one of the most important in the golf swing. No matter how you take the club back, the transition into the downswing has to be smooth, and the club needs to come into the ball from inside the target line. And the overall downswing has to start from the ground up.
Why do I slice with my driver but not my irons?
The main reason that a driver will slice, but not the irons, is the length of the club. With a golf driver being longer than a golf iron, it is much harder to square the club face and release the club at the proper time. Golfers of all ability levels struggle with this concept.
How do you tell if you're coming over the top?
4:188:54Why You're Coming Over The Top In Your Golf Swing + How To Fix It!YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow let me talk about quieting the body and getting your arms in motion. Remember most people thatMoreNow let me talk about quieting the body and getting your arms in motion. Remember most people that come over the top they're here in their all body and the arms aren't involved enough.
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 is over the top golf?
What is ‘Over the Top’. There is an imaginary line drawn from the top of the back swing to the ball, which is called the plane of the swing. The idea of a good golf swing is to swing up and down on this line. This is the simplest swing, and the easiest to repeat. A swing that is ‘over the top’ simply refers to the journey the club takes on ...
What does it mean to swing over the top?
A swing that is ‘over the top’ simply refers to the journey the club takes on the downswing relative to the perfect line. There are only two possibilities. The path on the downswing can either be underneath the perfect swing plane line – or over it. The swing that is over it, we call – ‘over ...
What happens when a golf club is out of position?
If the club is out of position, the brain will send messages to the body to make adjustments. If the swing is too much underneath the plane, the brain will tell the body to get the club up to the correct line. At this point you are still not over he top.
What happens at the top of a golf swing?
At the top of the swing, there is a momentary pause while the golfer changes direction from the back swing to the downswing. In this split second the brain senses whether the golfer is in the correct position. If the club is out of position, the brain will send messages to the body to make adjustments. If the swing is too much underneath the plane, ...
What causes a slice in golf?
An Over Top Swing or Out to In Golf Downswing, Causes a Slice. An over the top swing is one of the most frustrating faults in golf. No matter how hard golfers try to stop the shoulders swinging round, it never seems to make any difference and the slice is as bad and destructive as ever.
How to come down on a better line?
There are two ways to come down on a better line – a quick fix and a more permanent cure. The quick fix is to make sure you swing slowly from the top. At the moment, you probably swing to the rhythm ‘one- two’, one for the back swing, two for the downswing. You need to change your rhythm to ‘one – and – two’. ...
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.
