Thursday, January 29, 2009

Swing Fault- "Over the Top"

Defined-
Over the top is perhaps the most common swing fault among high handicap golfers. It usually occurs due to an overuse or over-dominance of the upper body on the downswing. As a result the club is thrown outside of the intended swing plane, with the club-head approaching the ball from the outside in. This creates a pull if the clubface is square or a slice if the clubface is open.

This fault can rob a golfer of power and limit their ability to control the ball flight as they add or decrease loft to the club and additional spin to the ball through impact. By changing the path, they will create a more solid strike and increase their distance and accuracy.

Causes-
1. The ability to disassociate the lower body from the upper body
- to lead the downswing. Limited pelvis to trunk separation is usually caused by reduced spinal and hip mobility.

2. Core stability to help maintain posture and trunk stability is essential. Any loss in posture (flat shoulder plane or reverse spinal angle) can force the torso and arms to fire first in transition to help re-position the body for rotation.

3. Good Balance on each leg, especially the lead leg, is paramount for proper weight shift. Limited weight shift toward the lead leg can reduce the lower body’s contribution to power generation in the swing. Therefore, players will try to produce excessive power in their upper body by chopping down or throwing the club-over- top.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE ONLY WAY TO SOLVE A SWING FAULT IS IN THE GYM!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey Dee, I like these articles that highlight common swing faults. The statement, "The only way to correct swing faults is in the gymn" (my paraphrase) is huge. Certainly, my work with you has helped minimize this over-the-top move in my game.