One of the most common problems plaguing golf swings is the "over the top" move. It occurs when the downswing begins with the hands taking the club outside and away from the body, which leads to an "outside to inside" swing path. This type of swing path is likely to cause a shot to be pulled--that is, a ball that veers hard to the left (for right-handers). The two most frequent reasons for this to happen are poor position at the top of the swing and/or no pause at the transition between backswing and downswing.
Step 1
Move into a comfortable and stable position at address. Execute five to 10 practice swings in which you stop at the top of the backswing. Concentrate on setting the club at the top so as to have your club shaft pointing down the target line. If five to 10 swings are not enough to become comfortable with finding this position, repeat until you can easily reach the desired alignment with the club shaft at the top.
Step 2
Practice five to 10 swings in which you begin with the club in the ideal position at the top and drop the hands down nearly to the level of your right hip before starting the downswing. Swing down and through the hitting zone emphasizing an inside to out swing path. Make five to 10 more practice swings with this technique, but this time put your left hip into motion, unwinding toward the target as the "trigger" for dropping the hands and beginning the downswing. Repeat this process as many times as you require to master the sequence of hips triggering the action, followed by hands dropping and club swinging.
Step 3
Begin hitting golf balls with the moves you've practiced. Start from the standard position at address. Use your first five swings to insert a small pause at the top of the swing. The brief pause will be important for setting the proper tempo with the new elements of your downswing.
Tips and Warnings
- The ability to incorporate these three swing tips all at once will come with time and repetition. A good practice strategy is to break a session on the range into three parts--focusing on only one of the tips at a time.
References
- "Ben Hogan's Five Lessons"; Ben Hogan with Herbert Warren Wind; 1957
- Swing Machine Blog
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