Do you struggle with coming OVER THE TOP in your golf swing?
Do you pull or SLICE most of your shots?
If so, this training episode is really going to help!
The over the top move is a very common pattern that I see, almost on a daily basis. But what does coming over the top actually mean?
Coming over the top is essentially when a player gets to the top of their backswing and then starts the downswing over aggressively towards the ball with their upper body. Without any big compensations, this will tend to send the golf club in a more vertical position in the downswing.
From there it's VERY hard to recover. Sometimes people do! If they do recover, it's generally very difficult and hard to repeat with any level of consistency. What I tend to see if the golf club continuing to work on an out to in path (moving left for the right-handed player) and that will then cause a steepening of the club shaft.
The out to in nature of the swing will often lead to players throwing the club head late in the downswing to try and "square" the club face up, but it's often too late by this point. Hello slice!
If a player does manage to square the club face, then the ensuing results is the pull shot to the left (for the right handed player).
Here's a great drill to help you alleviate that over the top move:
1. Grab yourself some alignment sticks or golf clubs.
2. Imagine a clock face around you (with 12 o'clock) being in front of you.
3. Place one stick on the 12 o'clock hand, one stick on the 3 o'clock hand and one stick on the 4:30 position.
4. From your normal set up, take a backswing. When you get to the top make sure your lower body is working correctly in transition (this should start the downswing first).
5. If that's working correctly, I want you to try and match your club shaft up to the 4:30 stick on the clock face around you.
6. Pump up and down three times making sure each time the shaft matches the stick on the ground. On the third pump, continue to rotate through and hit some gentle shots to begin with. You'll notice that as soon as you start to add in any rotation the club is going to naturally come back out in front of you.
7. Start off with smooth, short shots and gradually build up the speed. Monitor your club path by setting up your phone video camera behind you or check the direction of your divots if practicing on grass. If you're fortunate enough to have access to Trackman (or a similar launch monitor) you'll also be able to see the numbers shift.
This is an excellent drill that I use quite often with clients to get them the exaggerated feel needed to move away from an over the top swing.
I hope it helps!
Have you tried this drill? Post any questions or comments below. Also, check out my YouTube channel with more FREE tips and if you find them helpful, please like and subscribe to the channel as there's plenty more great content to come.
Thanks again for checking out my latest Training Episode, and I hope to connect with you soon!
