How to stop over the top swing

[jb0330]

Looking for a thread that this has been talked about, as I am sure it has. If not I am looking for some drills to help stop me lifting my heads at the top of my swing and almost casting them to create an over the top swing. Sometimes its very small and its a nice little fade and I can aim it. As this season has went on it has slowly gotten worse, I could hit anything from a straight shoot down third base line, a fade, or a really bad slice. I never know what its going to be until the round starts, super frustrating. 

[cnosil]

Looking for a thread that this has been talked about, as I am sure it has. If not I am looking for some drills to help stop me lifting my heads at the top of my swing and almost casting them to create an over the top swing. Sometimes its very small and its a nice little fade and I can aim it. As this season has went on it has slowly gotten worse, I could hit anything from a straight shoot down third base line, a fade, or a really bad slice. I never know what its going to be until the round starts, super frustrating. 

The basic answer is that the majority of the people on this site are not instructors. We could provide tips but they would be as valuable as google searches in helping your swing. Best course of action is to find an instructor to help you with your issue. You have described a symptom and not a cause. It is kind of like telling a doctor that you have a cough.

[Crowev01]

2 hours ago, jb0330 said:

Looking for a thread that this has been talked about, as I am sure it has. If not I am looking for some drills to help stop me lifting my heads at the top of my swing and almost casting them to create an over the top swing. Sometimes its very small and its a nice little fade and I can aim it. As this season has went on it has slowly gotten worse, I could hit anything from a straight shoot down third base line, a fade, or a really bad slice. I never know what its going to be until the round starts, super frustrating. 

I would agree with @cnosil that it would probably be best to work with a pro that can help see the specific areas of concern and how to address them. There's a lot of good YouTube content in the meantime that you could review and see what's coming closest to what you need. Good luck, and I'm sure someone will have some good stuff for you. However, this is my best advice for going over the top. Note the arm angles: 

[Crowev01]

@jb0330 without being too silly though, it sounds like since sometimes it's working and sometimes its not, I would hate to suggest any one size fits all solutions. There are some instagram accounts that are doing free swing analysis, so maybe submit a couple of videos where its working and where it isn't, and they might be able to give you some more specific advice if it's too cold for lessons where you are. 

[jb0330]

2 hours ago, cnosil said:

The basic answer is that the majority of the people on this site are not instructors. We could provide tips but they would be as valuable as google searches in helping your swing. Best course of action is to find an instructor to help you with your issue. You have described a symptom and not a cause. It is kind of like telling a doctor that you have a cough.

 

2 minutes ago, Crowev01 said:

I would agree with @cnosil that it would probably be best to work with a pro that can help see the specific areas of concern and how to address them. There's a lot of good YouTube content in the meantime that you could review and see what's coming closest to what you need. Good luck, and I'm sure someone will have some good stuff for you. However, this is my best advice for going over the top. Note the arm angles: 

Thank you both. I will see what the local courses offer, I would expect much for where I live though. 

[jb0330]

Just now, Crowev01 said:

@jb0330 without being too silly though, it sounds like since sometimes it's working and sometimes its not, I would hate to suggest any one size fits all solutions. There are some instagram accounts that are doing free swing analysis, so maybe submit a couple of videos where its working and where it isn't, and they might be able to give you some more specific advice if it's too cold for lessons where you are. 

I will look into that for sure!! I am not against video or remote lessons either. 

[Crowev01]

8 minutes ago, jb0330 said:

I will look into that for sure!! I am not against video or remote lessons either. 

Robstevensgolf on IG does pretty affordable online lessons. I've never had one, but he's a really nice guy and I would have to imagine he could help you out more than me.

[russtopherb]

Yeah lessons for sure. In person, video, whatever it takes to get a pro's eyes on you.

Case in point - I had a banana slice when I started for a few years. It was maddening with the driver, and it was an annoying wipey fade with my irons. I tried every YouTube tip and drill I found. Nothing worked.

Got a lesson with a former mini-tour player. He watched me hit a few balls and came over, grabbed my shoulders, and moved me. He told me I was aimed 40 yards left of my target on every shot so I had no choice but to cut across the ball. Instant results from something I never would have known about if someone hadn't looked at my setup and swing.

[ChitownM2]

As someone who also occasionally fights a slice and looked for a fix, I'd be cautious about watching youtube videos as they may lead you down a path of trying to implement a fix for something that isn't wrong. An in-person or video lesson is a much better option, that way you can make sure the actual cause of your problems is being addressed rather than trying to line up your symptoms with a video. You can end up worse off than where you started trying to implement a swing change that isn't warranted....

[DubiousPro]

Instead of using an alignment stick next to the club you can slide a pool noodle over the alignment stick so you don't smack your club on the stick. But this is a decent drill. 

I even saw Bryson simply put two head covers on the ground beside the ball. Narrow spacing for tighter control, wider spacing for beginner. The goal is for the club to pass through the club head covers without hitting them. 

Have you ever videoed your swing? If you're over the top you are losing swing plane. A lot of people I've held with this have an issue with early extension too.

[Kenny B]

8 hours ago, jb0330 said:

Looking for a thread that this has been talked about, as I am sure it has. If not I am looking for some drills to help stop me lifting my heads at the top of my swing and almost casting them to create an over the top swing. Sometimes its very small and its a nice little fade and I can aim it. As this season has went on it has slowly gotten worse, I could hit anything from a straight shoot down third base line, a fade, or a really bad slice. I never know what its going to be until the round starts, super frustrating. 

I played that way the first two years after starting this game.  One day I said to myself:  "I can't keep playing golf like this.  I'm either going to fix my swing or quit the game."  I took a lesson... several really.  In fact I still take lessons 27 years later.  

What I found out was that I can't fix it myself.  I'm sure some players can, but I believe most would fix it quicker and likely more permanent with an instructor.  Most of us don't understand what the real cause of our swing issue is, so tips don't work because the don't address the root cause.  In the case of Over-the-Top, that move is not a flaw.  It's the ONLY move your body can make to hit the ball because of an issue that occurred earlier in either setup, during the backswing, or in transition.  Just my opinion based on "been there, done that!!"

[Buffly]

@jb0330 the over the top getting worse over time is appropriately labelled as a symptom by @cnosil

Trying to fix it yourself becomes an issue because if you knew how to fix it then you would have done it already. 

In my experience, limited as it is, gaining knowledge about proper setup and swing mechanics helps only if you have the awareness of what you are actually doing - like video or using a mirror. The better you get, the more aware you are of your swing/body/alignment. 

I like these two videos for swing mechanics:

 

 

The second video really breaks down some good setup lines and drills. 

The first video is a classic - lots of faults and cures. 

[jb0330]

I really appreciate the direct answers!! I will be talking to the boss about getting a few lessons over the winter months and hopefully fix whatever has popped up. I was making my way down to single digits and this has halted my progress.


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[Urbs_Valhalla]

27 minutes ago, jb0330 said:

I really appreciate the direct answers!! I will be talking to the boss about getting a few lessons over the winter months and hopefully fix whatever has popped up. I was making my way down to single digits and this has halted my progress.


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I used this drill the last time I was on the range and had good success with it.

 

[pulledabill]

Tough to fix the over the top by yourself. Lots of remedies if you put the work in. My game was very limited this year for multiple reasons but the main culprit was being much more over the top than what is my usual. Im steep, but never been steeper as I have been this year. 

Once the pros in my area catch their breathes from being very busy, I will work at my games with lessons to fix my swing. Golf was not fun  with not getting off the tee or with packed courses due to Covid. 

Takes lessons with someone who teaches in a way you understand.