| Coming over the top is among the average and | | | | wrecker. |
| weekend golfer's most common swing faults. Coming | | | | The primary goal of the backswing is to prepare you |
| over the top is an all too common problem and is | | | | to make a simple, efficient downswing motion and |
| what causes most pulls, shanks and slicing resulting in | | | | set up a stable impact condition. Hitting from the Top |
| high golf handicaps. | | | | is what happens when you reach the top of your |
| For some weekend golfers, however, coming over | | | | backswing and start the downswing by throwing |
| the top is more than just an occasional mistake. You | | | | your hands and arms at the golf ball. |
| always hear about how coming over the top is the | | | | The Downswing |
| number one flaw of amateur golfers, but you are not | | | | As for coming over the top this means that the |
| always aware you are doing it if you can't see | | | | downswing plane of the club is outside the plane of |
| yourself swing. | | | | the club going back. The majority of weekend and |
| Make this the year you take control of your golf | | | | recreational golfers come over the top on the |
| swing! | | | | downswing. |
| The key to fixing the problem of coming over the | | | | Downswing path problems can be caused by a |
| top is to first understand why it happens. | | | | variety of reasons. |
| The Golf Swing | | | | A proper downswing starts with the hips then |
| In golf everything is in controlling the swing and the | | | | shoulders which pull the arms and club down to the |
| path of the club head from and to impact with the | | | | ball but excessive quickness in the downswing can |
| ball. | | | | and normally creates havoc with your downswing and |
| The root cause of an over the top, or an outside to | | | | weight distribution. |
| in swing is starting the swing by rotating the | | | | Your natural reaction to this weight distribution is to |
| shoulders before moving the arms toward the target. | | | | fall backward in the downswing. When you shift |
| Coming over the top is when the downswing path or | | | | weight into your back leg at the beginning of the |
| plane is above, or over, the correct or desired plane, | | | | downswing, the club will be thrown out and over the |
| causing the path of the club through impact to be | | | | top. |
| across from outside to inside the line to the target. | | | | Instead of bringing your hands back inside on the |
| Swinging over the top delivers the club head from | | | | downswing it results in you moving your hands |
| the top of the swing to impact on a path outside the | | | | outside of the swing plane and coming down across |
| target line and at an approach too steep to produce | | | | the ball resulting in a pulled or sliced shot. |
| the desired ball flight. | | | | However, if you move your weight into your left leg |
| Attempting to hit the ball farther than you can with | | | | (for right-handed players) at the beginning of the |
| any club can cause swing quickness and contributes | | | | downswing, the club will be held and pulled from the |
| to coming over the top. Many times in an effort to | | | | inside. |
| hit the ball with maximum power or in an effort to | | | | Players who come over the top do so because they |
| swing in-out on the downswing, the golfer will change | | | | generally have no other option they can take and as |
| their position on the downswing. | | | | hard as we try to correct the fault, most result in |
| If the in-out path becomes excessive, it causes your | | | | little success. Quickness in both back and down swing |
| swing to break down resulting in a very unpredictable | | | | errors are caused, in the main, by: |
| ball flight. It normally takes one of two forms:- | | | | - attempting to hit the ball further than is either |
| | | | practical or possible |
| 1. The spine tilts excessively away from the target | | | | - attempting to compensate for faults in their swings |
| on downswing | | | | - unrealistic expectations about how far they should |
| 2. Spine drifts toward the ball on the downswing. | | | | be able hit the ball |
| Both of these motions will tend to alter the | | | | - frustration, annoyance and stress from any or all of |
| downswing path excessively in-out, setting the golfer | | | | the above. |
| up with a need to save or correct the shot with the | | | | The main problem experienced by most golfers is |
| club face | | | | that their backswing & downswing tend to break |
| The same result will occur if you lunge forward with | | | | down when they try to generate more power to |
| your upper body when you start your downswing. | | | | achieve more distance. The average weekend golfer, |
| The Backswing | | | | in particular, is also more prone to swinging off |
| The lower body should be the foundation for the | | | | balance as they both play and practice less, if at all, |
| upper body during the backswing. | | | | than more serious lower handicap golfers. |
| Taking away the club too flat is probably the most | | | | In most cases, coming over the top is a function and |
| common backswing flaw with the next most | | | | combination of:- |
| common error leading to an over-the-top movement, | | | | - bad/misaligned starting position |
| being having too much weight on the left (forward) | | | | - backswing too far on the inside |
| leg at the top of the backswing (right leg for | | | | - in the downswing, shoulder/hips starting to rotate |
| left-handers). | | | | too early |
| If the majority of your weight is on your forward leg | | | | It is important to remember that your starting setup |
| at the top of the backswing, you will naturally and | | | | & position has an impact on your backswing. In turn |
| inevitably transfer it onto your back leg on the way | | | | your backswing impacts on your downswing and |
| back down. | | | | your downswing influences your impact with the ball. |
| When the club face is left open at the top of the | | | | In most cases what we feel is happening during our |
| backswing, the natural reaction is to swing to the left | | | | swings and what is really happening are not the same |
| (over the top) to get the club face back square at | | | | and it is important to find out what is really happening |
| impact. The club must work more upwards on the | | | | in your swing before you attempt to make any |
| backswing in order to keep the club on plane. | | | | major change to your swing. |
| Excessive quickness in the backswing is a real swing | | | | |