It’s a common problem that many players face. As you come into the ball, do you feel like your club is moving in an unnatural position? Do you find yourself struggling to finish with anything resembling control or consistency? In this article, we’re going to discuss how to stop coming over the top in golf.
Chances are, you’re coming over the top of the swing and need to fix that!
What Is “Coming Over the Top”?
Many instructors define coming over the top as “the steepest part of your swing is on the way down.” If you are in a proper backswing position, then there should be an easy transition into the downswing. If things get too steep too quickly – that’s usually how we tell if someone is “coming over the top.”
What Causes It?
To truly understand how to stop coming over the top in golf, we need to identify what is causing it. This issue is usually caused by an inability to set up proper spine tilt and rotate the body under the ball. If your swing looks more like this: you’re going to have a hard time making good contact on the downswing without coming over the top of your swing.
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6 Ways On How To Stop Coming Over The Top In Golf
There are numerous ways that you can fix this issue so that you can start buttering those irons! The first step will be identifying if you are at risk for coming over the top or if there are clear signs of already doing it during your swing. The next thing to do is to start at the address.
Some of the things you can do to fix this issue are:
1. Proper spine tilt at setup
As mentioned above, a large cause for this swing fault can come from improper body positions during your backswing and/or setup.
In general, when you’re setting up for a follow-through shot (as opposed to one where you would not rotate much), it’s important to have your spine tilted back fairly significantly – almost like if you were going to stand up.
If you do not set up in a position where your spine is tilted properly, it’s going to be difficult to rotate properly through the shot and prevent “coming over the top.”
2. Don’t let your chin move away from the ball
If you find yourself coming over the top of your swing, it might be helpful for you to keep your head really still as you’re swinging back and/or through. The unnecessary movement here can lead to all sorts of issues and cause you to steepen out into an awful-looking golf swing.
So remember – try keeping that chin really low! And don’t worry about getting inside-out or outside-in too much – just focus on hitting great shots by keeping those hands soft while you’re swinging.
3. Keep the clubhead from moving too much In space
Another reason why we see people coming over the top is because of a swing fault called “casting.”
This occurs when you swing back and forth without getting your club in front of your body enough, which will cause you to sweep down through impact with an awful-looking golf swing.
So be sure to keep your hands soft and follow through by not letting yourself move too much from side to side.
Try aiming for about 1 inch – that’s usually a good amount of space.
4. Use a mirror! watch yourself hit balls!
If you’d like, you can also use a mirror or have someone watch as you go through your swings to make sure that you’re not coming over the top. If you don’t want to do either of those things, it’s alright – just pay attention to how your shots look or feel.
If you’re hitting a lot of slices (where the ball goes offline) or pulling off to the right, the chances are that you might be coming over the top in your swing.
5. Use slow-motion video analysis!
If you still aren’t sure if your swing is coming over the top, take some time and get a video of yourself hitting balls from different angles using SLOW MOTION!
Slow-motion cameras can be purchased online at various locations for under $200.
By watching yourself in slow motion, where each frame lasts 1 second, it becomes easier to tell if you’re moving too much or in a way that will make it more likely for you to cast.
6. Change your setup
If all else fails and you still feel like you might be coming over the top, try changing your setup when hitting golf shots!
Even something as simple as bringing your left knee closer to the ground (towards your front foot) can help to promote proper spine tilt at address.
If that’s not working – maybe playing some more on-center practice shots will help get you comfortable with rotating properly through impact? Be sure to try out lots of different variations until you find one that feels good!
How to Stop Coming Over the Top in Golf – Conclusion
Here’s a brief summary of all the things that you should do if you feel like you’re coming over the top in your golf swing:
1. Proper spine tilt at address
2. Don’t let the head move from side to side
3. Keep the clubhead from moving too much from side to side
4. Use a mirror or have someone watch, make sure it doesn’t look/feel like you’re coming over the top of your shot!
5. & 6. are optional – try them out!
Now get out there and practice your golf shots with lots of focus on staying down through impact. These will make you do better at golf!
Be sure to keep those hands soft and come inside-out towards where your thumbs are pointing [away from your body]. If you make it a point to follow through with this, your golf game will improve soon enough!
Thank you for reading my article. I hope that you were able to learn something useful from it. Please use the contact page if you have any questions or comments about this article. Thank You!
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