What Is OTT in Golf?

The dreaded over the top move is probably the most common swing fault in amateur golf, leading to weak slices, ugly pull-hooks, and endless frustration. It’s that feeling of lunging at the ball with your upper body, only to watch your shot sail offline. This guide will break down exactly what an 'OTT' swing is, un-pack the real reasons it happens, and give you some simple, actionable drills you can use to finally get your swing on the right path.

What Exactly Is an "Over-the-Top" Golf Swing?

Imagine your ideal swing path as a big Hula-Hoop angled through your body. On the downswing, you want the club to travel down and from the inside of that hoop, approaching the ball from behind and then extending out towards the target. An over-the-top move is a flaw in the downswing sequence where the club does the opposite. Instead of dropping onto that inside path, your shoulders and arms fire first, throwing the club outward and "over" the top of that ideal swing plane. From there, the club has no choice but to cut back across the ball from out-to-in relative to your target line.

Many golfers describe it as feeling like they are trying to "chop wood" or throw a baseball sidearm from the top of their backswing. That very first move is initiated by the right shoulder (for a right-handed player) pushing out towards the ball, instead of the lower body starting the unwinding process.

How OTT Causes Your Bad Shots

This out-to-in swing path is the primary cause of golf's two most frustrating shots:

• The Slice: This happens when your clubface is open (pointing to the right of your crooked swing path) at impact. The over-the-top path starts the ball left of your target, and the open face puts a massive amount of side-spin on the ball, causing it to curve weakly to the right. It’s the classic banana ball.
• The Pull: This happens when your clubface happens to be square to that out-to-in path. Because the entire path is moving left of the target, the ball starts left and stays left, often traveling like a low, hard line drive into trouble.

In both cases, the root problem is the same: your swing has left the proper track, and you're starting the downswing with your upper body instead of your lower body.

Why Does an Over-the-Top Swing Happen? The Root Causes

Saying "you swing over the top" doesn't help much if you don't know why. This isn't just a bad habit, it's a symptom of a deeper issue in your swing mechanics. Understanding the cause is the first step toward finding a lasting fix.

Cause #1: The False Search for Power

When you stand over the ball, your natural instinct is to hit it hard. And where do most people think power comes from? Their arms and shoulders. The over-the-top move is often just a subconscious, all-out effort to throw the club at the ball with the upper body. You feel like you're creating speed, but you're actually destroying it.

Real power in the golf swing comes from the ground up. It starts with your hips and torso rotating - the big muscles of your core. They are your engine. Pulling the chain with your arms first is like trying to peddle a bike with your hands. It's an inefficient sequence that puts you in a weak, disconnected position at impact.

Cause #2: A Flawed Backswing

Sometimes, the die is cast before you even get to the top. If your backswing is "all arms" with very little body turn, you're left with no choice but to start the downswing with your arms. There's no wound-up "engine" to fire first.

Similarly, if you take the club back too far to the inside (getting it "stuck" behind you), your brain’s natural correction will be to throw the club out and over the top to get it back to the ball. Your backswing sets up the downswing. A stable, rotational backswing where your torso turns and your arms simply follow gives you the space and time to start down correctly.

Cause #3: The Incorrect Downswing Sequence

This is the main offender. The correct sequence of movement in a powerful downswing is like a chain reaction: hips, then torso, then arms, and finally the club. Think of a baseball player throwing a ball, their hip fires first, getting out a little ahead, and then the torso, shoulder, and arm follow in a whip-like motion.

An over-the-top swing flips this sequence completely. The hands, arms, and shoulders attack the ball first, leaving the hips and lower body behind. The "upper body wins the race to the ball," an athletic move that unfortunately sends your swing path way off course. Your body's attempt to help actually hurts.

Cause #4: Poor Setup and Alignment

Your swing tends to follow your body lines. If you set up with your shoulders aligned well to the left of the target (known as being "open," a very common fault), your inherent sense of direction will try to compensate. To get the club moving toward the target, your body will instinctively reroute the club over the top. Always check your fundamentals. Ensuring your feet, hips, and especially your shoulders are parallel to the target line gives your swing a neutral runway to start from.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing the OTT Move

Fixing an over-the-top swing isn't about one tip. It’s about re-training your body’s sequence and teaching it what the correct path feels like. The following drills will help you replace that "hitting" impulse with a proper "swinging" motion, starting from the ground up.

Step 1: Check Your Foundation - Get Your Setup Right

Before any swing changes, confirm your setup isn't working against you.

• Use Alignment Aids: Place two alignment sticks (or a couple of golf clubs) on the ground. Put one down parallel to your target line, just outside the ball, for your clubface alignment. Place the second one parallel to that, where your toes will be. This gives you a clear visual confirmation that your feet, hips, and shoulders are aimed properly, not open to the left.
• Revisit Your Posture: Stand tall, then bend forward from your hips, not your waist. Feel your glutes push back slightly, which will counterbalance your upper body leaning over. Your arms should hang down naturally from your shoulders, with no tension. A relaxed, athletic posture puts you in a position to turn, not lunge.

Step 2: Re-Train Your Downswing Sequence with Drills

These drills are designed to force your lower body to initiate the downswing, making it almost impossible to come over the top.

The "Step-Through" Drill

This drill is fantastic for feeling the proper weight shift and lower body lead.

1. Set up to a ball with your feet together.
2. Take your normal backswing.
3. As your club starts its journey down, take a small step toward the target with your lead foot (left foot for righties), planting it in its normal stance position.
4. Complete your swing from there.

This little step forces your lower body to fire first. You simply can't lead with your shoulders if your feet are still in motion. It synchronizes your swing in a powerful way.

The Headcover-Under-the-Arm Drill

This drill is a classic for a reason. It stops your trail arm from "flying" away from your body on the downswing.

1. Tuck a headcover or a glove under your trail armpit (right armpit for righties).
2. Take some easy half-swings initially, focusing on keeping that headcover pinned against your body as you start down.
3. The goal is to feel your arm stay connected to your torso's rotation. If you throw your shoulder out and over, the headcover will drop instantly. You should feel it stay in place until after impact.

Step 3: Groove the Correct In-to-Out Swing Path

Once you are sequencing better, you need to teach your brain and body what the new, correct path looks like and feels like.

Slow-Motion Rehearsals

This might be the most valuable drill of all. Without a ball, make extremely slow-motion backswings and downswings. At the top of your swing, pause. Consciously feel your hips starting the downswing rotation while the club "drops" slightly behind you. Watch the clubhead as you bring it down slowly. See it approaching the "ball" from well inside the target line. Feel this path over and over. This builds the muscle memory without the pressure or distraction of hitting a golf ball.

The Two-Ball Gate Drill

This provides immediate feedback on your swing path.

1. Address your ball as normal.
2. Place a second golf ball about 4-6 inches outside and slightly behind your main ball.
3. Place a third golf ball about 4-6 inches inside and slightly in front of your main ball.
4. Your task is simple: hit only the middle ball without touching the other two. To do this, your club must approach from the inside (missing the back a_nd outside ball) and exit to the outside (missing the front and inside ball). If you come over the top, you will almost certainly hit the outside ball first.

Final Thoughts

Breaking the over-the-top habit is about turning off your "hitting" instincts and replacing them with a better "swinging" sequence. It all begins with understanding that power comes from a ground-up rotation, not an upper-body lunge, and then committing to drills that engrain that proper feeling.

Retraining your swing path can feel strange at first, and it’s tough to know if you're really doing it right on your own. My coaching app, Caddie AI, acts as a personal swing coach in your pocket. It can analyze a recording of your swing, check if your club is on the correct path, and give you clear, objective feedback. Getting that instant evaluation helps you practice with a purpose and removes the guesswork, so you can build a better swing faster.