Swinging over the top is by far the biggest golf swing problem amateur golfers have. And this causes so many ball striking problems so I’m going to do my bit to try and help golfers fix this one BIG swing problem. To do this I’m going to do a 2 part video instructional series. In this first part I’m going to define the “over the top” problem and give the major reasons why golfers do this. So if you suffer from the over the top golf swing problem watch this video. And if you don’t, watch the video anyway 
. If after watching the video you have any questions simply post them on this blog and I’ll try my best to answer them in the second video.
Tags: over the top, swing
May 8th, 2008 at 3:43 am
Yup, that’s what I do. When I decided to play this game more than once a year I took lessons. BIG mistake. Too many restrictive ideas; like not moving the hips and such. I am too old and too stiff to do that. Plus, I was told to “delay the hit” so I held my arms back which led to my shoulders moving early and Presto! Over the top I came. Looking forward to the cure.
Hopefully.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Yes that is my main problem! I don’t think for me that it is a flat swing plane more one of trying to muscle the shot with my right shoulder, especially when trying to get as much yardage out of the shot or trying to get out of the rough. I know I need to keep my shoulder back but doing it is another thing!
May 8th, 2008 at 10:35 am
In the 2nd video can you specifically address the problem of flattening the downswing. I can get nicely into position at the top of the swing but still end up too steep coming down. You mention in your book it is a movement in the hands and a similar action to opening a door. Can you please demonstrate.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Pls resend as video went blank when I tried to open it?
Tx,
Bill
May 8th, 2008 at 11:57 am
hi nick, enjoy your newsletters very much, i am 69 yrs. of age left handed and can hit about 200 yds if straight have a bad slice sometimes but seem to hit a lot of shots straight left without slicing,discovered that if i move the ball past my leading foot it goes straight down the middle, is this good or am i creating more swing problems and just a bandaid solution.thanks keep up the good work. frank
May 8th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Good job identifying the issue. I refuse to eat Bananas anymore because I see enough of them after my golf swing…
Waiting for part 2 so I can go back to the grocery store and not get anxious when I walk by the Produce aisle and see the display of Bananas…..
May 8th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Nick, I think you omitted two other possible reasons for coming over the top and Nicola hinted at one; muscle the shot with the back shoulder to get the extra distance. Some players when trying to obtain the extra yards will start the downswing with the upper body (shoulders) which can cause an over the top swing. The other possible reason is if your right hand (for right-handed players) is in a neutral or weak grip, you could come over the top if you start the downswing with the upper body.
I agree with the alignment issue and the compensation of a flat backswing. I’m interested to hear your solutions. There are many.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
On the range,perfect plane back and thru even aiming at targets and varying distance..but on the course, under pressure I will tend to open the shoulder and muscle a shot with an over the top trap…or trying to hit one out of a not perfect lie…looking forward to the cure.
May 8th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I believe that another reason i swing over the top is that I swing too hard/fast, initiating the downswing at the arms and shoulders, rather than the hips. How best to fix that?
May 8th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Nick:
Thanks. I am totally impressed with your giving attitude. This over the top thing, can it also cause the snap hooks from hell? I seem to hit my irons pretty well, but driver and 3 woods are useless right now. I will come out of it sooner or later, but I find myself playing an old Hogan blade 1 iron to even get off the tee. Life is hell right now. Everyone says my swing looks good, but the snapper makes life impossible. I do tend to pull the irons when they are off.
May 8th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I thought about one of the explanations Nick provide about alignment (feet in line with the target, shoulders open to the target line). Nick’s next explanation mentions a flat take away on but not what it looks like when the alignment is off. My thought is if the downswing is on the shoulder line instead of the feet line (the target line), then it looks like an over the top downswing.
May 8th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Excellent to watch.A must for anyone who slices, and for those who need to understand the cause of the slice.
A very simple video that I wished I had the benefit of many years ago.
Darnalldavid
May 8th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Excellent description of a flat take away or back swing and how it causes an over-the-top downswing…makes sense. What I need to know, and hopefully the 2nd video will demonstrate this clearly, is how does one take the club away correctly and how can it be done consistently without thinking about doing it or being too mechanical? Is there a simple or single swing thought that will assist in taking the club back on the proper plane without being stiff or trying to force it out, back and up?
May 8th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Fanstatic explanation Nick, but how do you stop whipping it away on the inside when that is what you’ve always done??Waiting for the next with baited breath :>
May 9th, 2008 at 1:35 am
Nick, I have tried everything to cure my fade / slice. The ball travels straight for about 150 yds and then fades to the right about 20 yds from the center of the fairway. Distance is only about 175 yds total. Also, I’m 69 yrs. old and just resumed playing after a 35 yr. layoff. I have tried the 3 different grips to no avail, including seeing 3 knuckles on my left hand. I’m a right hander. I have placed the ball anywhere from the middle of my stance to the heel of my leading foot. I have a slow backswing and a pretty good follow thru. No matter what I attempt it always goes straight for 150 yds and then fades to the right 20 yds from fairway center, which puts me just inside the rough about 2-3 yds.
HELP me please…..I’m frustrated.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:45 am
Nick, I got to tell you that this couldn’t of come at a better time. This is exactly what I have been doing and its getting worse by the round. I’ve went from an nine to a fourteen in 3 months and can no longer get off the tee without hitting it fat or a huge slice with absolutely no distance.My whole body seems to be “swaying” instead of turning. I can’t wait for your part two to fix it…….I was seriously going to quit the game for a while but now at least until I can fix it. Thanks for id’ing my problem.
Jeff
May 10th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Nick-
That’s me. I don’t believe that I have a flat swing plane, but I know that I am coming over the top because every divot I take is going left of center. I never know where my ball will go…pull left, short and right, fat, skulled. I can’t hit a driver off the tee. I use a 3 wood and can only muster about 220 on a solid hit, which is usually a solid pull. The more I play, the worse I seem to get. Can’t wait to hear you solution. I would love to be competitive. Signed…an 11 handicapper slowly sinking to 12, 13, 14, etc…
May 10th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
HEY NICK HOWS IT GOING? I LOVE YOUR VIDEO LESSONS YOU EXPLAIN THINGS SO WELL. NICK I GOT A PROBLEM, I PURCHASED YOUR GOLF LESSONS LAST YEAR ON EBOOKS, BUT LIGHTENING RAN IN ON MY COMPUTER LAST WINTER AND I LOST EVERYTHING SO HOW DO I GET MY EBOOKS BACK OR DO I NEED TO REPURCHASE THEM ? THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP YOUVE GIVEN ME, TONY RICE.
May 11th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Thanks for all the nice comments. I’ll do my best to answer all the questions in the second video.
And Tony, we have sent you an email with information on how to get the ebooks again.
Thanks.
-Nick
May 17th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Hi Nick
In my opinion “coming over the top” is one of the major problems for the 9 to 14 handicapper. I agree with Nicola(and others) that trying to muscle the shot with the right shoulder can be a main contrbutor.
I seem to know how to stop (cot)but doing it is difficult for me. Although I try to come from inside to out on the downswing I still have a divot showing an outside to in swing path.
I am also looking forward to your next video.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Nick, when are you able to show
the video? its just what I wanted
having that exact fault, I was so disappointed not to see it
Ray
May 20th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Hi Ray, I plan on doing the “fix” video early next week. The weather is not too good here at the moment plus I’ve got a cold/flu. So next week I should be good to go.
Thanks.
-Nick
May 21st, 2008 at 3:27 am
Type your comment here.
Great advice; however, I am hitting straight with all the irons and still slicing left to right with fairway woods and driver. willkeep trying.
May 30th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Thanks for the instruction. You demonstrate the faults and fixes very well. I will be looking forward to further advice.
May 31st, 2008 at 4:31 am
dear nick,
May 31st, 2008 at 4:46 am
Thank you Nick for the information you provide us golfers. I failed the swing test and now that I know what to correct I can honestly say it is a great help to hit more consistent straight shots. As a matter of fact I aimed at different areas on the range and hit the ball where I wanted it to go, it felt good. I really am glad for all your help. Happy golfer in Texas
December 8th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Nick,
Thanks so much for all your help for all us hackers. I tried a little
advice Seve had and it sure helped me. I couldn’t believe the distance
I was hitting and they were right down the middle of the fairway.
He said he was a right hand domanate player and didn’t want to change
so in working on keeping it he discovered he had to turn his right hip
more along with the shoulders. I tried it and it works,and of course
you have to start the downswing with your hips sliding to a stop and
then hit with your right side. That’s legs, arms and hands and let the shoulders turn because of the release and not before the release.
I have seen and have told some of the older golfers to let the hips turn with your swing and it helped them. They all seen Tiger not
seeming to turn his, so they are trying to copy him and they shouldn’t
do that.
Turning the hips more to the right and back put the weight more over on the right side in the back swing and I think it helps the whole swing. I once told a friend to try this and saw him later and asked
how he was doing and he said he went back to his old swing and I asked him why and he told me he was hitting it too far. Can you believe that??????
Del