The over the top golf swing is devastating.
It robs a golfer of any consistency, power and often results in a poor quality struck shot.
Are you someone that has struggled with the over top top golf swing and are tired of hitting pull shots or slices?
Well you are at the right place! I will provide some simple tips, drills and overview of what some of the best online golf instructors recommend to cure this issue in your swing.
Some of the basics first:
What is an over the top golf swing?
An over the top golf swing is when the golfer leads with their arms, resulting in an outside to in golf swing where the path is well to the left often resulting in a pull or a slice. This type of swing reduces power, consistency and accuracy.
Over The Top Golf Swing: How To Stop Today!
Below we will dive into the following topics or questions:
- Quick Review of Ball Flight Laws
- Best 3 Drills To Stop The Over The Top Golf Swing
- Best 3 Swing Thoughts To Stop The Over the Top Golf Swing
- Best 3 Online Golf Instructors To Help You Cure Your Over The Top Golf Swing
- How To Measure Your Golf Swing
Quick Review Of Ball Flight Laws
Here are some very basics to the ball flight laws.
- The ball will start generally in the direction that the club face is pointing at impact.
- The ball will then curve away from the path.
- For example, if the club face is 2 degrees to the right and the path is 4 degrees to the right, the ball will curve left.
- If the club face is 2 degrees to the right and the path is 4 degrees to the left (over the top) the ball will start right of the target line and slice to the right.
- One more example, if the club face is 2 degrees left and the path is 8 degrees left, the ball will start left of the target line and slice to the right (another common over the top golf swing)
Resource: Ball flight laws – Complete Overview
As we can see, the over the top swing causes a path well to the left and results frequently in a slice because it would be difficult to get the face left of the path. These are the swing numbers that driver golfers crazy who are battling the over the top golf swing and often the resulting sliced shot.
The ideal numbers to hit a push draw (the shot most golfers dream about) is a club face that is 1-2 degree open or right of the target line and a path that is 2-4 degrees to the right. This will result in a push draw.
The golfer is able to play a consistent ball flight all day long and know where the ball will start and how it will curve at least 70% of the time.
Best 3 Golf Drills To Stop the Over the Top Golf Swing
- Closed position drill
- Stock shot drill
- Keep the arms up drill
Over the Top Golf Swing: Drill #1
Closed Position Drill
If I was working with someone at the driving range, I believe with this drill I could completely get the golfer to change their path and maybe even hit a draw in as little as 15 golf swings. The cause of the top golf swing is often an overactive upper body. The golfer is essentially trying too hard to produce power or to hit the ball. These are the steps we would follow:
- Setup square to the ball.
- Next, turn your shoulders closed 45 degrees.
- You might feel like you are pointed almost away from the target.
- Keep the club face aimed at the target.
- Go ahead and swing along your shoulder line, while keeping your upper body and legs still.
- Feel the path from out to in. This should feel completely different than your over the top golf swing.
- Resist the urge to hit at the ball, instead let the arms move freely back and through along your shoulder line.
HIt 15-100 golf balls set up in this position. One of the causes of hte over top is when the golf gets anxious at the top and fires away. Instead, be patient and allow the arms and hands to work. Naturally your body will move slightly and the ultimate goal is to get you to feel the in to out path.
Over the Top Golf Swing: Drill #2
Stock Shot Drill
A major part that needs to shift here now that we got the path more in to out is the vision of where you are trying to hit the ball. We want you to get the ball started to the right and let it draw back towards the target.
In the previous drill you hit 15-100 shots and hopefully got the path swinging more in to out. Back to our ball flight laws, we know in an ideal shot that the face will be 1-2 degrees to the right with a path slightly more to the right. This drill below builds in the feeling of a path and club face that are slightly to the right.
- At the driving range, set up an alignment stick about 6-8 yards in front of you, straight down your target line.
- If you have a second alignment stick, set the stick 3-4 yards right of the first stick (for a draw) or left of the first stick (for a fade).
- Complete your initial assessment see how many times out of 10 you can start the ball to the right or left of your target. Pick one side and measure your game at this point.
- The goal is to eventually get 7 out of 10 shots to start to the correct side and draw back towards the target.
Resource: Stock Shot in Golf – How to develop!
The alignment stick that is 6-8 yards in front of you might look really far to the right because of the optical illusion from the law of parallax that occurs. This is fine though because we want you to feel that you have to get that path and the face more to the right.
Quick fix: if you are hitting shots that start right and curve right, get your face slightly closed until the ball starts curving left. Make subtle adjustments and go back to drill number one is needed to build in the feeling of an in to out swing path. This drill is great to provide a visualize and to read your ball flight.
Here is the drill being explained by Kyle Morris:
Over the Top Golf Swing: Drill #3
Leave Your Arms Up Drill
If you are still struggling with curing your over the top move, one more possible drill is to leave your arms up drill. One again, one of the issues with the over the top swing is that the arms pull down and across causing a steep swing.
- Keep your previous setup with the alignment stick in place.
- As you start your downswing have the feeling of keeping you arms in place at least for a split second.
- This will help you arms drop into the slot that is more in to out than an over the top swing.
Best 3 Swing Thoughts To Stop The Over the Top Golf Swing
- Keep your back to the target
- Focus on the target
- Be Patient
Over The Top Golf Swing: Swing Thought #1
Keep Your Back To The Target
When we head to the golf course, we must be able to replicate some of the drills completed at the driving range. Some basic swing thought can help you keep that path on in an to out path and get the ball started more straight.
The first thought is to keep your back to the target. What this does is that it allows your arms to drop in the slot or more to the inside before aggressively moving towards the ball.
Jack Nicklaus often has said he felt that his arms beat the button of his shirt to ball. This is a similar feeling and thought to keep your back to the ball and allow the arms to win the race. It is also similar to drill #1 above where we felt that our shoulders stay closed through impact to create the proper swing path.
Over The Top Golf Swing: Swing Thought #2
Focus on the Target
In your pre shot routine, make sure you pick a target off the distance and then use an intermediate target. Ideally, this target is slightly right of the final destination for your golf ball.
The swing thought is to throw your club towards that target way off in the distance. If you keep the target on your mind during the swing and complete this task you have a chance of stopping your over the top move that can devastate a round of golf.
Over The Top Golf Swing: Swing Thought #3
Be Patient
Too often the over the top golf swing is from being anxious or trying to hit the ball 100 miles. Instead, let your swing be patient from the top. This is another thought that can allow your arms to get into the proper slot and keep the path on the inside.
When we visualize the ball flight laws and that the path needs to be to the right, we can force ourselves to be patient. The golf swing takes less than 1.3 seconds, you don’t need to rush it anymore. Be patient from the top, focus on your target and keep your back to the target.
You will start hitting shots that start to the right and eliminate the dreaded over the top golf swing.
Interested in other drills?
Resource: 4 Great Drills for A Reliable Golf Swing
Best 3 Online Golf Instructors To Help You Cure Your Over The Top Golf Swing
- Shawn Clement
- Kyle Morris
- Jim Venetos
Over the Top Golf Swing: Online Golf Instructor #1
Shawn Clement
Shawn Clement has helped change the golf swing of many golfers over his many years working as a club professional and his success with youtube. The number of vidoes he has on youtube is rather impressive and it can help your over the top move.
Shawn Clement believes in a swing that allows garviety to work, a task is provided and the golfer focuses on a target. He tries to bring the athletic motion back into the game. He overall approach gets rid of the instruction that focuses only on hitting certain positions.
If golf was as easy as hitting certain positions, we would all be golfing great because so much instruction in the past has been based on getting into this position here and another position here. If you are tired of that type of instruction that Shawn Clement might be perfect for your game.
Here is a video on how he teaches to stop coming over the top in the golf swing:
Over the Top Golf Swing: Online Golf Instructor #2
Kyle Morris
Kyle Morris spends a significant amount of time teaching the stock shot and has a complete series on his website explaining the benefits of the stock shot and how to accomplish this.
You saw his video above and the drill on building a stock shot using the alignment stick. He is someone that is a Mike Bender disciple and has many of the same teaching philosophies.
Here is a video on how he teaches to stop coming over the top in the golf swing:
Over the Top Golf Swing: Online Golf Instructor #3
Jim Venetos
If you feel that you have tried everything in your golf journey and are just completely frustrated with trying to cure your over teht op move and the dreaded slice then it might be time to check out Jim Venetos.
His alternative approach to the game is simple to follow and is almost guaranteed to produce a slight draw for you. The closed pre set position that he promotes along with stillness can produce some amazing results with controlling your start line and the curve of the ball.
The most difficult part is training your mind to allow your body to stay still and not force the golf swing from the top.
Here is a video on how he teaches to stop coming over the top in the golf swing:
Over The Top Golf Swing: How To Measure Your Swing
In the ball flight law section, we discussed different numbers such as 2 degrees open or 4 degree left, etc. Would those numbers help your game if you have them after every shot during practice?
SkyTrak Launch Monitor: The Ultimate Tool for game improvement
We believe it could and more than likely would! The great news about being a golfer in today’s era is that even amateurs now have access to some rather impressive technology in golf launch monitors. There are three impressive models that range between 500 and 2000 dollars that can help your game significantly.
Here are our top three recommended. Check out the links below for current pricing:
If you head to any PGA Tour event you will see just about every golfer with a launch monitor. While many amateurs won’t be able to afford the Trackman or the expensive models, the information you can receive from the entry level launch monitors can still improve your game.
Some of the data includes:
- Ball speed
- Carry Distance
- Total Distance
- Spin Rate
- Spin Axis
- Path
Both spin axis and path is great data and feedback when trying to correct the over the top move in the golf swing. This provides instant feedback to build and improve your swing. When the SkyTrak has been compared to the Trackman head to head it has held its own and for the price difference, it is rather impressive how close it hands with the Trackman.
5 Alternatives to the Trackman!
Final Thoughts: My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.
I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.
