How to Come from the Inside in Golf

That weak, slicing shot that flies off to the right is one of the most frustrating feelings in golf, and it almost always comes from one root cause: a steep, over-the-top swing path. This guide is designed to help you fix that for good by teaching you how to come from the inside, shallowing the club to deliver it powerfully and accurately to the ball. We'll break down why it happens and provide the feelings, movements, and drills you need to build a consistent, powerful inside-out golf swing.

What is an "Over-the-Top" Swing and Why Does it Happen?

Before we can fix the problem, we have to understand it. An "over-the-top" move is exactly what it sounds like. At the start of the downswing, your shoulders, arms, and hands move outward and over the optimal swing plane. Instead of the club dropping behind you and approaching the ball from the inside, it chops down from the outside, creating a steep angle of attack. This action forces you to cut across the golf ball at impact, imparting the left-to-right spin that produces a slice for right-handed golfers (or a pull-slice).

But why does this happen? In almost every case, it's an issue of pure sequence.

Think of your golf swing as a chain reaction. The most common and instinctual way to start the downswing, especially when you want to hit the ball hard, is to use the muscles you can feel the most: your arms and shoulders. When you initiate the downswing by firing your right shoulder or throwing your hands at the ball, you instantly push the club outside the correct plane. The very first move dictates the rest of the swing, and this improper start leaves you with no choice but to come down steeply and from the outside.

The solution isn't to try and consciously "steer" the club back on plane. The solution is to retrain the sequence of your downswing so the club falls into the perfect inside slot automatically.

The Feel vs. Real of an Inside Path

Changing a long-held habit like an over-the-top swing requires embracing a new feeling. It is going to feel wrong at first. The correct inside approach will feel strangely exaggerated, almost like you're going to swing so far from the inside that you'll miss the ball completely to the right. This is the "feel vs. real" phenomenon.

Get ready for your new swing to feel like a big, shallow loop. If your old swing felt like chopping wood up and down, the new swing will feel more like skipping a stone across water - where your arm drops low and trails your body before whipping through. You have to trust this odd new feeling. Your old, comfortable swing produces slices, this new, strange feeling is the path to solid, straight shots and effortless power.

Be patient with yourself. When you practice the drills below, you might hit some funky shots at first. You might thin it, you might even hit some shots far to the right (a push). This is a good sign! A push means the club path is now coming from the inside, we just need to get the clubface a bit more squared at impact, which is a much easier adjustment.

First Things First: Setting Up for Success

You can't expect to have a good swing path if your setup is working against you. A proper inside approach starts before you even move the club. Here are a couple of checkpoints:

• Neutral Alignment: A lifetime slicer often subconsciously aims left to compensate. This is a temporary fix that reinforces the problem. By aiming left, you are practically encouraging your shoulders to open early and swing over the top to get the club back to the ball. Set up alignment sticks and make sure your feet, hips, and shoulders are perfectly parallel to your target line. Neutralize your alignment to give your new swing path a chance.
• Relaxed Posture: Too much tension in your shoulders and arms at address restricts your turn. Stand to the ball athletically but let your arms hang naturally from your shoulders. A relaxed upper body allows for a full, deep backswing turn, which is essential for creating the room needed for an inside path.

The Backswing: Making Room for the Club to Drop

You can't drop the club "into the slot" if that slot doesn't exist. Creating that space happens in the backswing. If your backswing is simply a lifting of the arms, you have no room behind you for the club to approach from the inside. The goal of the backswing is to create depth.

The feeling you want is a "one-piece takeaway," where your shoulders, arms, and club move away from the ball together, powered by the turn of your torso. As you turn, focus on getting your hands to feel like they are working inward and behind your body, not just straight up in the air. A great checkpoint is to feel like your hands are over your back foot at the top of the swing, rather than directly over your head. This depth - this space you've created behind you - is the entire setup for a natural, unforced inside downswing.

The Golden Move: Initiating the Downswing from the Ground Up

This is where the magic happens. This is the moment that separates the slicers from the great ball-strikers. After creating depth in your backswing, the move that drops the club on an inside path is to start the downswing with your lower body.

Here’s the sequencing you need to feel:

1. As you reach the top of your backswing, your very first thought for the downswing should be to apply pressure into your lead foot. It's a subtle but distinct shift of your weight and pressure forward.
2. Led by this pressure shift, your lead hip starts to rotate open. It unwinds toward the target *before* your shoulders or arms have had a chance to do anything.
3. This lower-body-first move is what shallows the club. Because your torso and arms are still coiled at the top, this hip rotation causes your arms and the club to passively "drop" down into the powerful inside slot you created in your backswing. Your hands will feel like they are falling straight down toward your back pocket.

This sequencing is everything. By letting the lower body lead, the arms are simply passengers at the start. They are pulled down onto the perfect plane. Contrast this with the slicer's move: firing the right shoulder first, which instantly throws the club over the top and outside the line. Feel your weight shift forward and your lead hip begin to open, and let that be the trigger that drops your hands into that precious inside path.

Proven Drills to Retrain Your Swing Path

Reading about it is one thing, feeling it is another. Take these drills to the range to ingrain your new inside-out path.

Drill 1: The Headcover Barrier

This is a classic for a reason - it provides immediate, undeniable feedback. Just grab an extra empty headcover, a water bottle, or even an empty range basket.

• Set up to your ball as you normally would.
• Place the headcover on the ground just outside your target line, about a foot in front of the ball.
• Your goal is simple: hit the ball without hitting the headcover.
• Anyone coming over the top will inevitably clip or smash the headcover on their way to the ball. To avoid it, you are forced to make your club approach the ball from the inside. Start with gentle half-swings and work your way up.

Drill 2: The Pump Drill

This drill helps you memorize the feeling of the correct lower-body-first sequence.

• Take your normal backswing.
• At the top, "pump" the club down three times. Each "pump" is just the start of the downswing: a slight weight shift forward and a small hip rotation that causes your arms to drop a few feet. Then you return to the top.
• Pump one... zurück to the top. Pump two... zurück to the top.
• On the third pump, continue the motion all the way through to a full finish. This exercise isolates and exaggerates the feeling創業 of letting the lower body initiate the downswing, teaching your body how that feels separate from the full motion.

Drill 3: The Trail Foot Back Drill

This drill is amazing for restricting your upper body and promoting an inside path.

• Set up to the ball normally.
• Now, pull your trail foot (your right foot for a right-handed player) straight back about 6-8 inches, resting it on its toe for balance. Your weight will be heavily favored on your lead foot.
• Try hitting balls from this position. With your trail foot back, it becomes much more difficult to fire your right shoulder and upper body aggressively. It almost forces you to drop the club to the inside to get to the ball. It also helps you clear your hips through impact, a bonus benefit for creating power.

Final Thoughts

Changing your swing path from over-the-top to inside-out comes down to one fundamental concept: proper sequencing. By understanding that a steep path is caused by an upper-body-first downswing, you can focus on building the correct habit. By learning to create depth in your backswing and then initiating the downswing with your lower body, you create the space for the club to naturally drop onto a powerful and consistent inside path.

While these drills build crucial muscle memory, seeing is believing. Instant feedback can dramatically speed up the process of ditching your old over-the-top move for good. You can get exactly this kind of real-time analysis with a partner like Caddie AI, which allows you to analyze your swing path on the spot while you practice. This helps you finally blend the *feel* of an inside delivery with the *real* of observing it happen, removing the guesswork so you can trust your new move on the range and on the course.