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When you swing a golf club, the motion of your arms and hands should be straight back and straight through. When you swing over the top, your hands and arms move too far away from your body, causing the club to swing too high and too far away from the ball. This decreases your accuracy and makes it more difficult to hit the ball solidly. Golf has its own special language, so there's a lot of misunderstanding about what people mean when they speak it. "Coming over the top" is one example of inside jargon. You either attempted to avoid it or heard it referred to before, whether it was in reference to your swing or not. The real deal, though, is that it's fairly likely to be something you're currently doing in your golf swing that you overlook. This swing problem might lower your score, lead to more uniformity, and add a lot of pleasure. What's Next for Over-The-Top (OTT)? So, let's go back to the beginning. What is going too far? To put it as simply as possible, the club's face is facing the ground instead of your body at the conclusion of the downswing. The first move of your hands, arms, and golf club as you take the club to the top of your backswing should drop down and travel close to your body from the inside. Impact can be made with the golf ball in the right position to see it go far and straight. The issue is that allowing your hands, arms, and club to drop down and approach the golf ball from the inside isn't a natural movement for most people. Rather, individuals at the top of the swing try to swing the club, pushing it through impact and causing it to “come over the top” and extend away from the body. You can effectively hit your target when you strike the ball over the top, since the club tends to make contact with the outside half of the golf ball. When the ball is nearing the top of your golf swing in the downswing, there's no way it can make a solid connection with the ball. So, you're left hoping and pleading for a lucky bounce to send the ball where you want it. What Does It Feel Like To Come Over The Top? When you come over the top, your hands and arms move too far away from your body, causing the club to swing too high and too far away from the ball. This decreases your accuracy and makes it more difficult to hit the ball solidly. The clubface is open when you come over the top, meaning that the club is facing the ground instead of your body. This causes the ball to fly off in a direction that's different from where you were aiming. The Most Common Causes For Climbing Over The Top Let's now discuss the primary reasons why most people choose to go over the top. Overdoing It One of the most common reasons for coming over the top is trying too hard. When you're trying to hit the ball farther, you may start to swing too hard and lose control of your motion. This can cause you to come over the top and lose accuracy. Another common reason for coming over the top is poor alignment. If your feet, hips, and shoulders are not lined up correctly, it can throw your swing off balance and cause you to come over the top. Trying to Hit Too Many Shots Down The third point is that most individuals have been advised to hit the ball down, which is correct. In fact, I've previously stated that to send the ball up in the air, you must strike it down. That is still true. When players attempt to “hit down on the ball,” they often misinterpret this phrase as meaning, “come over the top and cover the ball.” A golfer may also try to hit so far down that the club comes out of their body and smashes into the ground. It's crucial to note that even if you're hitting down on the ball in your downswing, you may still come from the interior. How To Avoid Overthinking Everything Let's discuss how to avoid going overboard. Concentrate on the back elbow Read the last sentence of the previous section again to begin. Remember, you may still attack from the inside while striking down on the golf ball. Focus your attention on your back elbow as you swing through the ball. (In case you're a right-handed golfer, focus on your left elbow.) The elbow should stay close to your side in your down swing. When your swing starts to go outside of your body, you're already swinging too far over the top. Allow the Club to handle it The fourth and final step is to remember not to try to hit the ball with exceptional force. I'd rather you swing softly and hit the center of the club face, rather than swinging violently but missing your sweet spot. To improve swing speed, don't jeopardize your centered contact. Assume that the tee shot is struck with a straight clubface, and keep in mind that your ball will fly the correct distance. Take a larger hit than you normally would if you don't trust it. Swinging with a more loose and relaxed swing will prevent your muscles from tightening up and pushing away from your body. Remove the hips Finally, you'll need to get your rear end out of the way. Another frequently-mentioned reason for many novice golfers to go over the top is because the player should avoid finishing with their hips behind their swing-through. What does this have to do with your arms and the club? Your hands won't have enough room to come from the inside if your hips don't move forward during your downswing. Drills to Use if the Ball Descends Over The Top Here are some great drills to help you solidify those ideas once and for all... Drill #1: Glove Under Arm This is, without a doubt, one of the most effective exercises to improve your golf swing. A lanyard with a clasp at the end is all you'll need to get started. Attach the lanyard to your neck and a rusted golf club to the clasp. Then, place the glove just beneath your back armpit on your right side (right-handed golfer). Finally, put up your shots. Your glove may drop out of your armpit in your downswing if you're over the top. The glove will fall as soon as the rear elbow swings away from your body. You've effectively gotten from the inside and stopped coming over the top if you can hit balls with the glove staying in your back armpit until after impact. Drill #2: Impact Tape Impact tape is a great way to help you stay on the inside path while you're hitting down on the ball. It's a simple, yet effective way to keep your swing on track. The tape will act as a visual cue and remind you to keep your hands and club in front of your body as you make contact with the ball. Here's how to do it: - Cut a piece of tape that's about 6 inches long and adhere it just below the top of the golf ball. - As you swing down, make sure the tape moves with the ball and stays in front of it at all times. If you start to come over the top, the tape will move away from the ball and you'll know that you need to adjust your swing. Drill #3: Hip Bump You'll need a snow pole or an alignment stick for this last exercise. Place the alignment stick in the ground so it is standing upright. Then, as you address a golf ball, rest the outside of your front foot (left foot for right-handed golfer) against the alignment stick's base. If you're wearing a gown, it's best to keep the top of your dress in line with the back. Adjust the alignment stick so that you can swing your arms without striking it and yet still have enough contact with it to bump it with your front hip. Simply put, use a golf tee to line up your shot. Then, just hit some golf balls. On the down swing, concentrate on hitting your hip into the alignment stick. If you aren't bumping it, you aren't clearing your hips enough. If it's too difficult to accomplish so while practicing swings, try bouncing the alignment stick instead. Summary That's all there is to it! You just need to know the basics to avoid coming over the top and hitting more solid, longer golf shots.

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