The usual result is the golf swing is moved off plane and has to make certain compensations to get back in the right position. Most commonly what happens is at the start of the downswing the clubhead comes over the top and down across the line of the golf ball. This results in many poor golf shots including pulls, pull hooks, and weak slices.
Why is my golf swing so over the top?
Specifically, there are two swing issues which most-commonly wind up resulting in an over the top action: 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).
What is swing from out-to-in in golf?
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.
Why do your hands fold early in the golf swing?
If the left arm stays connected to the body, the hands work inside and the club stays outside the hands. As a result, this helps create higher hands at the top of the golf swing. Unlike the left arm, the right arm folds early in the golf swing.This allows the right arm to stay connected with our rotating upper body.
How do you swing a golf club?
The first move down should be a pulling motion initiated by the left leg ( pictured above ). From the top, the left knee shifts toward the target and starts pulling the rest of the lower body into its forward rotation. If the lower body leads the downswing, the club drops to the inside, and you can sling it out to the ball.
How do I stop coming across in golf swing?
0:438:19Stop Coming Over The Top! Drill To Fix Your Downswing & SliceYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOpen i'm actually going to keep my left shoulder in place you'll see that my when i come over theMoreOpen i'm actually going to keep my left shoulder in place you'll see that my when i come over the top my left shoulder would be pulling back this way i'm going to keep my left shoulder stable.
Why do I come across the golf ball?
Instead, at the top of the swing, people try to swing the club, forcing it through impact, which makes the club “come over the top” and extend away from the body. When you come over the top, you club tends to make impact with the outside half of the golf ball.
How do you stop coming over the top on a downswing?
One of the best drills to use to fix an over-the-top swing is by taking an alignment stick and placing it in the ground about three feet behind your ball and in line with your target. Then, line the angle of the alignment stick up with your club shaft at address (you may need a friend to help you with this part).
Why do I keep 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.
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.
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.
The mistake
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.
The magic move
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:
Why do you use tees in golf?
As a side note, we’d recommend using tees to start with to ensure no damage is done in the event of any mishaps. Over time, the benefits from honing this move will be plentiful. For one, it will improve the quality of your strike, which in turn will increase your swing speed, ball speed and therefore distance.
How to feel like you're whipping a wicked topspin forehand?
In tennis terms, it should feel like you’re whipping a wicked topspin forehand. Once you’ve set the drill up, raise your driver off the ground and take some initial practice swings to really get a sense of what you’re trying to achieve. Then give it a go and see how you get on.
What does it mean when a golfer gets into the correct position at the top of the swing?
A golfer who gets into the correct position at the top of the swing due to a solid backswing will be able to deliver the golf club in a much more consistent manner. I have been teaching the game of golf for over twenty years.
What does it mean when a golfer has a flat backswing?
If the golfer has a really flat and laid off backswing (meaning the club shaft is more horizontal at the top of the golf swing), the player will cast the club over the top of the swing creating a vertical shaft, cupped left wrist (which opens the club face) and a leftward swing path. All of these symptoms lead to some nasty slices.
What is the backswing of a golf club?
The backswing in golf might be the most important part of any player’s swing. It is what gets us into position to deliver the golf club to the ball. If we are out of position in the backswing, it is very hard for us to swing the club on plane and deliver a square clubface at impact.
How to hold a pizza in golf?
Remember, if the right elbow folds correctly in the backswing you can hold a pizza with your right hand at the top of your golf swing. If the right arm separates the pizza will fall to the floor.
What are the common mistakes in golf backswing?
There are three very common mistakes that occur in the golf backswing. The first mistake is opening the clubface during the backswing. This move sets up a golfer’s followthrough to fail by creating an open clubface at the top of the swing and an open face at impact most likely causing the ball to slice. The second mistake is separation of the ...
How to keep your elbows apart in golf?
You want it a little higher than in the previous drill, but still below your elbows. Take your golf swing without letting the ball drop. This drill forces you to keep your elbows the same distance apart in your golf backswing. If the right elbow separates from the left elbow, the ball will fall to the ground.
What is a golf backswing?
The golf backswing is one of the most scrutinized aspects of any golfer’s technique, and for good reason. A quality golf backswing sets you up for a powerful follow-through . . . and a poor golf backswing can alter your clubface angle, weaken your downstroke, and cause you to slice the ball. After all, nobody has a perfect golf swing by starting ...
What is the motion of a golf swing?
Put simply, the overall motion of a good swing is push-pull: You push the club back, and you pull it through. The opposite move—a pull-push—is a common amateur fault. So a lot of golfers have the fundamental motion ...
What happens if you push the club down from the top?
On the fault side, if you push the club down from the top, like a lot of right-hand-dominant golfers do, the club moves out and away from you. From there, you're going to make a steep swing that cuts across the ball from out to in. That swing has no power and produces a lot of pulls and slices. A Drill to Help.
What is the benefit of push back?
Another benefit of the push-back is the wide takeaway that it creates. A wide takeaway helps shift your weight to your right side. With the weight back and your upper body fully coiled, you're ready to reverse those actions and start the downswing.
Why do golfers use right hand?
A lot of right-hand-dominant golfers do this, it causes the club moves quickly to the inside. From there, you have to lift it to get to the top, and that reduces body rotation and saps a lot of energy out of the swing. You lose all of that torque that's produced when the upper body turns against a stable lower body.
How to do a push pull on a wall?
Make sure: (1) Your left leg gently bumps the wall as you start down, and (2) the back of your left hand faces the wall as it comes down in front of you. Now you're ready to put the push-pull to work for you.
How to do push back swings?
Here's a good drill to groove the push-back move. Grip a short iron in your left hand only, and make some chipping swings. Without the right hand on the club, you isolate the pushing motion of the left hand on the backswing. Re-create that feel when you go back to swinging with both hands.
Why is the left hand a good focal point?
The left hand is a good focal point because the hands are the only parts of the body on the club. In fact, think of the back of the left hand as the clubface: If the hand stays steady, so does the face.
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.
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.
Why does my golf swing fall apart?
To do, you must begin by bracing your left leg, followed by hip rotation, and all while keeping your upper body lagging behind in rotation with your lower body.
How to swing a golf ball on the left side?
With your setup, place most of your weight on your left side. In your stance, your shoulders should be kept level and the ball should be slightly back. When you take a swing make sure you create a steeper angle while staying on your left side. As you swing you should have less tall grass to slice through.
How to get back your swing?
Practice. When you lose your swing it’s often a result of sloppy habits and poor setup. Practicing golf drills in combination with hitting balls at the range is a great way to get back the power your swing is missing while also improving your aim, balance, weight shift, and timing.
How to get back to basics when your swing falls apart?
If your swing has fallen apart, it’s time to get back to the basics. Focus on squaring the clubface up at impact. In order to get your sequence and tempo working in tandem, begin with a few slow practice swings. As you start the downswing, you should feel your weight first transferring to your left foot.
Why is my golf ball stuck in the grass?
When a golf ball is stuck in the rough and you take a sweeping swing in order to free it this can result in the club head getting stuck in the grass, causing the club to twist and decelerate, sending your shot wild.
What control the face of the golf club?
Additionally, this can also create an outside in downswing path, costing you a lot of power. Your left wrist and hand are what control the face of the club. The right wrist, forearm, and hand control the path of the club.
What happens when your upper body lags in rotation?
When your upper body lags in rotation your hands will have the opportunity to slot the club using the right downswing path, improving your chances of pivoting and hitting off a much cleaner swing. The result is power from the hands and both the lower and upper body.
