Coming over the top in golf is when your downswing starts with your hands and arms moving outside the correct path, causing the club to approach the ball from the outside. Can you stop coming over the top? Yes, you absolutely can fix this common fault with the right drills and focus. This issue is the main cause of slices and weak fades for many golfers. It ruins power and consistency. This post will show you simple ways to correct over the top golf swings. We will focus on making real changes to your swing path.
Fathoming the Outside-In Disaster
The outside-in swing path is a big problem. When you come over the top, the club cuts across the ball from right to left (for a right-handed golfer). This creates a slice. A slice spins the ball away from the target line. It costs distance and accuracy. Many golfers try to fix this by manipulating the clubface late in the swing. This rarely works. The real fix involves changing the sequence of your downswing.
Why Does This Happen?
Several things can lead to this unwanted move. Often, it starts at the top of the backswing.
- Losing Connection: The arms and body get out of sync. The arms move too soon.
- Over-the-Top Transition: Many amateurs start the downswing with their upper body first. This throws the arms out wide.
- Trying Too Hard: Swings that lack tempo often result in trying to swing too hard from the top. This pulls the hands outside the plane.
- Poor Grip or Setup: Sometimes, a weak grip or an incorrect posture sets you up for failure before you even start moving down.
The goal is to fix outside in golf swing habits by promoting an inside out golf swing drill feel. This means the club should approach the ball from the inside.
The Key: Shallowing the Golf Swing
The secret to curing the outside-in move is learning to shallow the golf swing. Shallowness means that on the downswing, the shaft angle gets flatter than it was at the top of the backswing. This allows the clubhead to drop behind you slightly before impact.
When the club is shallow, it naturally approaches the ball from the inside. This sets up a powerful draw or a straight shot. If the club is steep (more vertical), it almost always leads to coming over the top.
How to Feel the Shallow Move
Shallowing happens early in the transition from backswing to downswing. It is not something you force at impact.
- Top of the Backswing Position: Focus on the relationship between your hands and your right elbow (for righties).
- The Drop: As you start down, feel your hands and arms slightly ‘drop’ or ‘fall’ inward toward your body, rather than immediately driving forward toward the ball.
- Body Leads: Your lower body rotation must initiate the move. If the hips turn first, the arms have room to drop into the correct slot.
Drills to Improve Downswing Sequence
Changing ingrained habits takes practice. You need drills that physically block the over-the-top move and promote the shallow path.
Drill 1: The Towel Under the Armpit Drill
This drill promotes body connection and forces the arms to stay close during the transition.
- Place a small towel or headcover under your trail armpit (right armpit for right-handed players).
- Take half swings.
- If you come over the top, the towel will fall out immediately because your trail arm disconnects and pulls away from your body.
- This drill helps you feel the body initiate the move, keeping the arms passive at the start.
Drill 2: The Gate Drill for Path Correction
This drill gives you instant feedback on your swing path.
- Place two headcovers or small alignment sticks on the ground near the ball.
- One stick should be slightly outside the target line, acting as a barrier.
- The other stick should be slightly inside the target line, acting as a target guide for the clubhead to pass through.
- Your goal is to swing the club between the gates without hitting the outside stick. This forces you to golf swing path correction towards the inside.
Drill 3: The Pump Drill
This drill focuses purely on the transition and shallowing sequence.
- Take the club to the top of your backswing.
- Slowly start the downswing, stopping when your lead arm is parallel to the ground. In this position, feel how the club shaft has flattened out.
- Return to the top, then repeat the pump. Do this three times.
- On the fourth time, swing through completely, trying to maintain that shallow feeling from the pump. This sequence helps eliminate over the top move by retraining your transition.
Addressing the Casting Issue
Often, coming over the top is linked to fix casting in golf. Casting is when you straighten your wrists early in the downswing, releasing all your wrist hinge before impact. This steepens the shaft angle, making it very hard to swing from the inside.
Think of the downswing like throwing a ball or whipping a rope. You hold the lag (the wrist angle) as long as possible, releasing the energy right at or just after impact.
Lag vs. Casting
| Feature | Lag (Good) | Casting (Bad) |
|---|---|---|
| Wrist Hinge | Maintained deep into the downswing. | Released early, near the top of the transition. |
| Club Shaft Angle | Stays steep (lagging behind the hands). | Becomes more vertical (steep). |
| Power Potential | High, energy released late and fast. | Low, energy leaks out early. |
| Swing Path Result | Promotes inside approach. | Promotes outside-in path. |
To fix casting in golf, focus on keeping your lead wrist firm and slightly bowed (cupped slightly away from you) for as long as you can during the initial downward move. Let the body rotation naturally pull the club through, rather than your hands pushing it from the top.
Drills to Encourage an Inside Out Golf Swing Drill Feel
To truly conquer the outside-in path, you must feel what an inside path feels like, even if it feels strange at first.
The Step Drill
This drill locks in the proper sequence: lower body first, then arms, then club.
- Setup: Start with your feet together, aiming at the target.
- Backswing: Take your normal backswing.
- Transition: As you begin down, step toward the target with your lead foot (left foot for righties).
- Impact: Let your body rotation pull the club through.
This step forces the lower body to start the action. When the lower body starts first, the arms have no choice but to drop down into the slot, naturally creating an inside path. If you try to throw your hands first, you will lose your balance or the club will jerk awkwardly.
The Tennis Racket Drill
If you have access to a tennis racket (or even a lightweight training aid), try swinging it instead of a club for a few swings.
- A tennis racket has a very small sweet spot and requires excellent timing to hit the ball squarely.
- Swinging a racket naturally makes you keep your hands moving toward the target line, rather than pulling them across the line. It promotes better sequencing and a sense of release after the body starts turning.
Using Technology to Fix Golf Swing Plane
Technology can offer objective data that your eyes might miss. Launch monitors or even basic video analysis are crucial here.
Video Analysis: Down the Line
Always film your swing from directly “down the line” (behind you, pointing at the target line). This view clearly shows the club shaft angle in transition.
- Good Swing Plane: At the halfway point down, the club shaft should point near the inside edge of the ball or slightly inside it.
- Over the Top: The shaft will point well outside the ball, appearing steep and high.
Compare your video to slow-motion examples of tour professionals transitioning. Notice how their shafts drop behind them slightly before they rotate through impact. This drop is the essence of shallowing.
Launch Monitor Data
If you use a launch monitor, look for these two key metrics:
- Face to Path: A significant negative number here (e.g., -8 degrees) indicates a severe slice caused by the path cutting across the ball.
- Swing Path: If your swing path reads significantly negative (e.g., -4 degrees for a righty), you are coming over the top. Your goal is to bring this number closer to zero, or even slightly positive (a draw path, like +1 or +2 degrees).
Developing Tempo for Stability
A hurried transition often causes the outside-in move. When you rush the start of the downswing, your body loses its sequencing, and the arms take over too early.
To stop slicing golf swing tendencies, focus intensely on tempo.
- Counting Drill: Practice counting to three during your backswing and transition. (1: Backswing up, 2: Pause/Transition start, 3: Swing through). The pause at “2” forces you to wait for your body to initiate the move, not your hands.
- Smooth Takeaway: Ensure your takeaway is smooth. Jerky, fast takeaways often lead to an over-the-top move because you’ve already created momentum going the wrong direction.
Adjusting Grip and Posture for Inside Delivery
While swing mechanics are primary, your setup can either help or hinder your ability to shallow the golf swing.
Grip Check
A weak grip (hands turned too far to the left for a righty) often makes it easier to come over the top because the golfer subconsciously tries to flip the clubface open to compensate.
- Ensure you see two to three knuckles on your lead hand.
- Your trail hand should be firmly gripping the club, allowing you to maintain wrist lag. A grip that is too weak encourages an active release (casting) to square the face.
Posture and Weight Shift
If you stand too upright or fail to shift your weight correctly, the swing plane suffers.
- Forward Bend: Ensure you have adequate knee flex and are hinging from the hips. This grounds your lower body.
- Weight Shift: The downswing must start with pressure moving toward the target on your lead side. If you shift your weight backward (toward the target on the right side), you have nowhere to go but out and over the top. The proper weight shift creates space for the club to drop in from the inside.
Maintaining the Change: Practice Strategy
Stopping the over-the-top move requires repetition of the correct motion, not just thinking about the wrong one.
You must commit to feeling uncomfortable initially. When you start successfully shallowing the club, the sensation of hitting the ball slightly on the toe (or feeling like you are swinging “under” the ball) might feel foreign. This is good! It means you are moving away from your old habit.
Practice Schedule Focus:
- Warm-up (15 mins): Focus only on slow, connected swings using the towel drill. No full swings allowed.
- Drill Work (30 mins): Spend most of your time using the pump drill and the gate drill. Aim for 70% effort, focusing 100% on path.
- Full Swing Integration (15 mins): Hit a few balls at 80% speed, trying to feel the shallow transition you drilled. Do not worry about the score yet.
Remember, the primary goal is to fix outside in golf swing motions by promoting an inside out golf swing drill feeling. Consistent practice of these moves will retrain your body to deliver the club from the correct plane, allowing you to eliminate over the top move for good.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How quickly can I expect to see results when trying to stop coming over the top?
A: Significant improvement in path usually takes several weeks of dedicated practice. You might feel a difference after just a few sessions, especially when using drills like the pump drill. However, solidifying the new pattern so it happens automatically under pressure takes time—often 4 to 8 weeks of consistent effort.
Q: If I fix the path, why am I still slicing?
A: The over-the-top move often causes a slice because the path cuts across the ball, but the golfer also tends to throw the face open trying to save the shot. If you successfully shallow the golf swing but keep your face wide open at impact, you will still slice (though usually less severely). Focus on keeping the face square to your new, inside path. A slight draw spin is the goal.
Q: Does a strong grip help golf swing path correction?
A: A slightly stronger grip can sometimes help golfers who struggle severely with casting or an open face. A stronger grip naturally encourages the lead wrist to maintain extension or even bow slightly through impact, which aids in shallowing and keeping the face closed relative to the path. However, the grip should never be the sole solution; focus on the lower body sequencing first.
Q: Is it possible to swing too far from the inside?
A: Yes. If you overcompensate and swing too far from the inside, you create a pull or a hook. This usually happens when golfers try too hard to keep the hands in after fixing the over-the-top issue. The key is balance—a path that is neutral or slightly inside, leading to a straight shot or a gentle draw. The goal isn’t to hook it; it’s to stop slicing golf swing patterns.