That frustrating over-the-top move is the number one swing fault that plagues amateur golfers, leading to weak slices and pull hooks that can ruin a round. It feels like no matter how hard you try to swing straight, the club seems to have a mind of its own. This guide will help you understand exactly why that move happens and provide simple, actionable drills you can use to grooves a powerful, in-to-out swing path for good.
Before we can fix it, we have to understand it. Imagine a pane of glass angled from your shoulders down through the golf ball. This is your ideal swing plane. During a good backswing, the club travels up and along this plane. An "over-the-top" move happens at the start of your downswing. Instead of the club dropping back down along that same plane, your shoulders and arms lunge forward, throwing the club above or over the ideal plane line.
From this "over" position, the club has no choice but to travel from out-to-in as it approaches the ball. This steep, cutting motion puts slice spin on the ball or, if you manage to close the clubface in time, results in a nasty pull to the left. It’s an inefficient, power-sapping move that stems almost entirely from how you start your downswing.
Most golfers don't consciously decide to swing over the top, it's a reaction, usually to a deep-seated instinct to hit the ball hard using the arms and shoulders. Let’s look at the primary reasons this fault creeps in.
This is the most frequent cause. Golfers are often anxious to generate power and think that comes from the upper body. At the top of the backswing, their first move is an aggressive spin of the shoulders or a forceful throw of the hands and arms toward the ball. Think of it as "hitting from the top" Tense shoulders and arms rush to get back to the ball, completely ignoring the lower body. The golf swing is a rotational action meant to be sequenced from the ground up, but when the upper body fires first, the club is immediately thrown outside the proper path.
Great golf swings have a beautiful, flowing sequence. The downswing is initiated by the lower body - a slight shift of the hips toward the target. This subtle move provides space for the arms and club to drop down onto the correct “inside” plane before rotating through impact.
An over-the-top swing has the sequence reversed. The shoulders spin open before the hips have had a chance to lead the way. This happens fast. When your brain says "hit," the first thing to react is often your dominant upper body. Without the right lower-body feel, that upper-body dominant move will almost always throw you over the plane.
This one seems counterintuitive, but it's a common compensation. If you pull the club too far inside and behind your body during the backswing - often by rolling your wrists and keeping the club too flat - your body instinctively knows it's out of position. To get the club back to the ball, the only available move from that trapped position is to loop it "over the top." A good backswing has width and works up and around your body, powered by your torso’s turn. This sets you up in a position where dropping the club down into the "slot" feels natural, not forced.
Now that we know the "what" and the "why," let's get into the "how." The following drills are designed to retrain your body and give you the proper feeling of an in-to-out swing path.
The key to fixing this issue is not just thinking about it, but feeling the correct motion. These drills are designed to exaggerate that feeling so it becomes second nature.
This is a classic for a reason - it provides immediate, undeniable feedback. It forces your swing path to come from the inside.
This drill is all about reprogramming your swing sequence so your lower body leads the charge. It builds the crucial transition move that all great ball-strikers have.
This drill keeps your arms and body connected, preventing that "flying" trail elbow that is a primary characteristic of an over-the-top swing.
Coming over the top is a stubborn habit, but it isn’t a life sentence. It is almost always a sequencing issue rooted in an urge to hit with your arms. By using these drills to focus on initiating the downswing with your lower body and keeping your arms connected to your torso’s rotation, you can overwrite that old instinct and build a powerful, consistent in-to-out swing path.
Sometimes, feeling the change is one thing, but knowing for sure is another. This is where modern tools can help take the guesswork out of your practice. Here at Caddie AI, we built our app to act as your 24/7 golf coach in your pocket. You can ask why you're slicing, describe your ball flight, and get instant, clear advice on what might be causing it - like that over-the-top move - along with targeted solutions. The next time you're stuck on the range or even on the course, you'll have an expert guide ready to help you get back on track.
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