What Causes an Outside-In Golf Swing?

That weak, curving slice that robs you of distance and lands you in the right-side trees is one of the most frustrating shots in golf, and it almost always stems from an outside-in swing path. If you’re tired of compensating for a slice and ready to hit straighter, more powerful shots, you've come to the right place. This guide will break down precisely what causes that path, why you’re doing it, and provide you with actionable drills to start swinging from the inside and finally straighten out your ball flight.

What Exactly Is an Outside-In Swing Path?

Before we can fix it, we need to understand it. Imagine a straight line running from your target, through your golf ball, and extending behind it. This is your target line. In an ideal swing, your club head would travel down this line (or slightly from the inside of it) through impact, sending the ball directly toward your target.

An a outside-in swing path is exactly what it sounds like: your club head approaches the ball from outside the target line and then cuts across the ball, moving to the inside of the target line after contact. You’re essentially wiping or swiping across the golf ball instead of hitting it from behind.

Why It Causes the Dreaded Slice

This outside-in path is the primary cause of the slice for right-handed golfers (and a pull for lefties). Here's why:

• The Path is Moving Left: Because your club is cutting across the ball from right-to-left (for a righty), the path itself is directed left of your target.
• The Face is Probably Open: To compound the issue, at impact, your clubface is very likely open relative to that leftward swing path.

This combination of a left-moving path and an open clubface puts a massive amount of "slice spin" (clockwise spin for a righty) on the ball. The ball starts left of the target (a "pull") and then curves dramatically to the right (the "slice"). This is the classic, power-sapping "pull-slice" that plagues millions of golfers.

The True Culprit: The "Over The Top" Move

So, why is your club swinging on that destructive path? In almost every case, the root cause is a move at the beginning of the downswing that golfers and coaches call coming "over the top."

Coming "over the top" is a sequencing error. An efficient golf swing unwinds from the ground up. At the end of the backswing, your weight should shift to your lead foot, and your hips should begin to rotate open. This creates space for your arms and the club to drop down on an inside path - what's often called dropping the club "in the slot." From there, you can rotate your body through powerfully and deliver the club squarely to the ball.

An "over the top" move flips this sequence entirely. Instead of the lower body starting the downswing, the upper body takes over. Typically, the right shoulder (for a right-hander) will lurch forward and out, towards the ball. This aggressive move from your shoulders and arms throws the club outward and onto a steep, outside-in path. There is no longer any room for the club to drop onto the correct inside path. From that moment, a slice or pull is almost inevitable.

Essentially, you’re using your arms to hit at the ball instead of using your body rotation to swing the club through the ball.

Four Common Reasons You’re Coming Over The Top

Recognizing the "over the top" move is one thing, but understanding why you’re doing it is the next step to fixing it. Here are the four most common faults that lead to this destructive sequence.

1. Poor Setup and Alignment

This is a sneaky one. Many golfers who slice have learned to compensate by aiming far to the left of their target. The logic seems sound: "If my ball is going to slice 30 yards to the right, I'll just aim 30 yards to the left."

The problem is that your brain knows where the real target is. When you aim your body and feet left but still want to hit the ball towards the flag, your subconscious will force an "over the top" move to re-direct the club back towards the target. By aiming left, you are practically forcing yourself to use an outside-in path. This is a classic case of the "fix" embedding the fault even deeper.

2. A Faulty Takeaway or Backswing

What happens in the first few feet of your swing has a huge impact on the final result. A common backswing error is immediately pulling the clubhead too far inside the target line on the takeaway. This is sometimes called getting "stuck behind you".

When the club gets this far inside on the way back, your body's only option to get it back to the ball on the way down is to loop it "over the top." A proper backswing keeps the club head in front of your hands for the first few feet before naturally moving upwards and around your body as your torso rotates.

Think of it this way: a path that goes too far in must come too far out.

3. No Lower Body Engagement (An All-Arms Swing)

As we discussed, great golf swings are powered by the body’s rotation, not by the arms. The power comes from your core and hips uncoiling. The arms are just along for the ride, delivering the speed that the body creates.

Many amateur golfers overuse their arms because their lower body is passive. If your hips don’t start the downswing, your shoulders and arms have no choice but to take over. This is when that lurch forward happens. If you watch the best players in the world, you'll see their lead hip has already started to clear out of the way before the club even starts to travel down. This creates the all-important space for the club to drop onto a powerful inside path.

4. The Wrong Mental Concept of the Swing

The golf swing is not an up-and-down chopping motion. Many players who come over the top have the mental picture of "hitting" the ball, as if they were hammering a nail. This puts all the emphasis on forcing the club down onto the ball with the arms and hands.

You need to change this mental image. Instead, think of the golf swing as a rotational action around your body. You are swinging the club in a circle around your spine. Your job is to rotate your torso back, and then rotate it through. The ball just gets in the way of that rotational motion. Shifting from a "hitting" impulse to a "swinging" motion is transformative.

Actionable Drills to Fix Your Outside-In Path

Understanding the theory is great, but real change happens with practice. Here are three simple drills you can do at the range to start curing your over-the-top move and grooving an inside-out swing path.

Drill 1: The Headcover Blocker

This is one of the most effective drills because it provides instant, undeniable feedback.

1. Set up to a golf ball as you normally would.
2. Take an empty headcover (or a rolled-up towel) and place it on the ground about one foot outside of your golf ball and about six inches ahead of it. It should be positioned directly in the path of your current outside-in swing.
3. Your goal is simple: hit the golf ball without hitting the headcover.

If you make your usual over-the-top swing, you will hit the headcover every time. To miss it, you will be forced to drop the club down on an inside path. Start with slow, half-swings to get the feeling of the club approaching the ball from the inside before you work your way up to full speed.

Drill 2: The Feet-Together Drill

An aggressive move with the upper body also causes a loss of balance. This drill helps promote a smoother, more balanced rotation.

1. Take your normal setup, but then slide your feet together so they are touching or just an inch apart.
2. Make smooth, 75% swings focusing on staying balanced from start to finish.

With such a narrow base, you cannot lunge at the ball with your arms and shoulders without falling over. This drill forces you to rotate your body more calmly and teaches you to rely on proper sequencing and rhythm, rather than brute force, to generate power.

Drill 3: The Pump Drill

This drill is all about helping you feel the correct downswing sequence.

1. Take your normal full backswing.
2. From the top, start your downswing but only bring the club down to about waist height, feeling your hands and the club drop behind you. This is the first "pump".
3. Return to the top of the backswing.
4. Repeat the pump motion, again feeling the club shallow and drop behind you.
5. On the third pump, continue the motion all the way through and hit the ball.

The goal is to ingrain the feeling of your arms and club dropping down on a shallower plane rather than moving out and over the top. This exaggerate a feel, will help sync up your hips and arms properly.

Final Thoughts

Fixing an outside-in swing path comes down to fixing your swing's sequence. An over-the-top move created by an overactive upper body is the problem, but by improving your setup, backswing, and getting your lower body to lead the downswing, you can reroute your club onto a powerful, inside path and finally start hitting pure, straight shots.

Feeling the difference between an outside-in and an inside-out swing can be tough on your own, and personalized feedback is hugely beneficial. We built Caddie AI to act as that personal coach in your pocket. By filming a short video of your swing, we can help identify the root cause of your over-the-top move - whether it's setup, takeaway, or transition - and provide targeted advice and drills to help you correct it. It’s like having an expert second opinion to take the guesswork out of getting better so you can play with more confidence.