Swing Fault- Over the Top

This picture courtesy of www.mytpi.com.

Defined-
Over the top is perhaps the most common swing fault among high handicap golfers. It usually occurs due to an overuse or over-dominance of the upper body on the downswing. As a result the club is thrown outside of the intended swing plane, with the club-head approaching the ball from the outside in. This creates a pull if the clubface is square or a slice if the clubface is open.

This fault can rob a golfer of power and limit their ability to control the ball flight as they add or decrease loft to the club and additional spin to the ball through impact. By changing the path, they will create a more solid strike and increase their distance and accuracy.

Causes-
1. The ability to disassociate the lower body from the upper body to lead the downswing. Limited pelvis to trunk separation is usually caused by reduced spinal and hip mobility.

2. Core stability to help maintain posture and trunk stability is essential. Any loss in posture (flat shoulder plane or reverse spinal angle) can force the torso and arms to fire first in transition to help re-position the body for rotation.

3. Good Balance on each leg, especially the lead leg, is paramount for proper weight shift. Limited weight shift toward the lead leg can reduce the lower body’s contribution to power generation in the swing. Therefore, players will try to produce excessive power in their upper body by chopping down or throwing the club-over-top.

This is probably the most common swing fault of all amatuer golfers! It is the cause of slices, shanks, loss of power and one of the reasons players get so many shoulder, elbow and wrist issues.

If you have any questions on how to get rid of this swing fault, let us know, we’d be happy to create a program just for you and your issues that will help you get rid of over the top forever!