Solutions for Swinging Over The Top
From Dave Phillips On December 09, 2021
The dreaded "Over-the-Top" move is one of the more common problems to afflict golfers and something that golf instructors address every day on the lesson tee. Over-the-top refers... to a downswing pattern where the club is swung above the shaft plane line established at set-up, as observed from behind the golfer. This results in an attack angle that is steeper than ideal and a swing path that moves from outside the golf ball to inside, cutting across the ball and producing either a pull or a slice. The over-the-top motion is frustrating because its steepness leaves little room for error. Thin and fat shots can be common and even when you make ball-first contact, you often deliver a glancing blow that results in weak, high shots that curve excessively.
Titleist staff member and TPI co-founder Dave Phillips has seen his share of over-the-top moves and in this video he shares the main cause - not dissociating the hips and the shoulders during the downswing. In an ideal kinematic motion, the downswing is initiated by the lower body, but in an over-the-top swing, the shoulders and hips turn back to the ball together. To fix it, Dave has two solutions.
1. For players who are physically able to turn their hips independent of their shoulders, place a head cover directly behind the ball and use it as a visual barrier. As you start your backswing, try to make the club head work over the head cover as you move the club away from the ball. As you shift and start the downswing, feel like your shoulders remain closed, chest facing behind the ball as your arms drop. This will promote more of an inside-to-out path and shots that draw.
2. For players who have difficulty dissociating the movement of the pelvis and torso, try a one-plane swing. Bend from the hips a little more at address. At the top of the backswing, feel like your lead arm is below the line of your shoulders. This flatter backswing will get your arms swinging deeper, further behind your body. From this position, although your shoulders and hips still turn back to the ball together, you'll swing the club on a flatter, more shallow plane that will approach the ball from an inside path and promote shots that draw.
Titleist staff member and TPI co-founder Dave Phillips has seen his share of over-the-top moves and in this video he shares the main cause - not dissociating the hips and the shoulders during the downswing. In an ideal kinematic motion, the downswing is initiated by the lower body, but in an over-the-top swing, the shoulders and hips turn back to the ball together. To fix it, Dave has two solutions.
1. For players who are physically able to turn their hips independent of their shoulders, place a head cover directly behind the ball and use it as a visual barrier. As you start your backswing, try to make the club head work over the head cover as you move the club away from the ball. As you shift and start the downswing, feel like your shoulders remain closed, chest facing behind the ball as your arms drop. This will promote more of an inside-to-out path and shots that draw.
2. For players who have difficulty dissociating the movement of the pelvis and torso, try a one-plane swing. Bend from the hips a little more at address. At the top of the backswing, feel like your lead arm is below the line of your shoulders. This flatter backswing will get your arms swinging deeper, further behind your body. From this position, although your shoulders and hips still turn back to the ball together, you'll swing the club on a flatter, more shallow plane that will approach the ball from an inside path and promote shots that draw.
The dreaded "Over-the-Top" move is one of the more common
...
problems to afflict golfers and something that golf instructors address every day on the lesson tee. Over-the-top refers to a downswing pattern where the club is swung above the shaft plane line established at set-up, as observed from behind the golfer. This results in an attack angle that is steeper than ideal and a swing path that moves from outside the golf ball to inside, cutting across the ball and producing either a pull or a slice. The over-the-top motion is frustrating because its steepness leaves little room for error. Thin and fat shots can be common and even when you make ball-first contact, you often deliver a glancing blow that results in weak, high shots that curve excessively.
Titleist staff member and TPI co-founder Dave Phillips has seen his share of over-the-top moves and in this video he shares the main cause - not dissociating the hips and the shoulders during the downswing. In an ideal kinematic motion, the downswing is initiated by the lower body, but in an over-the-top swing, the shoulders and hips turn back to the ball together. To fix it, Dave has two solutions.
1. For players who are physically able to turn their hips independent of their shoulders, place a head cover directly behind the ball and use it as a visual barrier. As you start your backswing, try to make the club head work over the head cover as you move the club away from the ball. As you shift and start the downswing, feel like your shoulders remain closed, chest facing behind the ball as your arms drop. This will promote more of an inside-to-out path and shots that draw.
2. For players who have difficulty dissociating the movement of the pelvis and torso, try a one-plane swing. Bend from the hips a little more at address. At the top of the backswing, feel like your lead arm is below the line of your shoulders. This flatter backswing will get your arms swinging deeper, further behind your body. From this position, although your shoulders and hips still turn back to the ball together, you'll swing the club on a flatter, more shallow plane that will approach the ball from an inside path and promote shots that draw.
Titleist staff member and TPI co-founder Dave Phillips has seen his share of over-the-top moves and in this video he shares the main cause - not dissociating the hips and the shoulders during the downswing. In an ideal kinematic motion, the downswing is initiated by the lower body, but in an over-the-top swing, the shoulders and hips turn back to the ball together. To fix it, Dave has two solutions.
1. For players who are physically able to turn their hips independent of their shoulders, place a head cover directly behind the ball and use it as a visual barrier. As you start your backswing, try to make the club head work over the head cover as you move the club away from the ball. As you shift and start the downswing, feel like your shoulders remain closed, chest facing behind the ball as your arms drop. This will promote more of an inside-to-out path and shots that draw.
2. For players who have difficulty dissociating the movement of the pelvis and torso, try a one-plane swing. Bend from the hips a little more at address. At the top of the backswing, feel like your lead arm is below the line of your shoulders. This flatter backswing will get your arms swinging deeper, further behind your body. From this position, although your shoulders and hips still turn back to the ball together, you'll swing the club on a flatter, more shallow plane that will approach the ball from an inside path and promote shots that draw.
373
Videos
Filter:
- Alex Buckner
- Brad Faxon
- Dan Whittaker
- Dr. Mo Pickens
- Matt Leach
- Matthew Johns
- Sophie Walker
- Cameron McCormick
- James Sieckmann
- Mark Blackburn
- Michael Breed
- Trillium Rose
- Jonathan Yarwood
- Dave Phillips
- Brandon Stooksbury
- Justin Parsons
- Layne Savoie
- Dr. Rob Neal
- Dr. Greg Rose
- Skip Guss
- Jason Baile
- John Kostis
- Jennifer Hudson
- Ryan Hager
- Corey Lundberg
- Tom Patri
- Driver
- Fairway
- Hybrid
- Utility Iron
- Iron
- Wedge
- Putter
- Fundamentals
- Shot Shaping
- Anti-hook
- Anti-slice
- Alignment
- Tight Lie
- Long Rough
- Bunker Play
- Consistency
- Distance Control
- Trajectory
Line Up Your Putts with Brad Faxon
From Brad Faxon On November 13, 2024
Titleist staff member Brad Faxon discusses his keys for lining up putts and how...
Learning vs. Performing in Golf
From Dr. Greg Rose On November 13, 2024
One of the most important things you can do to improve your golf game is to...
Pelvic Punch Drill for Distance Wedges
From James Sieckmann On November 13, 2024
Distance wedges (shots that carry anywhere from 35-120 yards) represent a huge...
The Importance of the Takeaway in Your Golf Swing
From Jason Baile On November 12, 2024
As you move the golf club away from the golf ball, the first couple of feet are...
Five Drills for a World Class Short Game
From James Sieckmann On November 05, 2024
To improve your short game, Titleist staff member James Sieckmann stresses that...
Pressure and Your Pre-Shot Routine
From Justin Parsons On October 29, 2024
In golf, to perform under pressure you need to think clearly and in this video,...
No results
Titleist Tips: Make the Most of Your Golf Practice Time
One of the coolest things about the game of golf is the fact that we play the same game as the pros. Most of us will never take batting practice in...
Morgan Hoffmann: #ProvingIt
On Dec. 4, 2017, Morgan Hoffmann penned an article for The Players' Tribune, an online media platform that provides first-person content written by...
The Titleist Story
The Titleist brand started with a vision - and an x-ray. The Titleist success story began one Sunday in 1930, when Phil Young, a dedicated amateur...