The Over the Top swing fault is one of the most common swing faults among amateur golfers.  We you come Over the Top, your club head approaches the ball from outside to in or above the swing plane.  Overusing the upper body on the down swing is often the cause of coming Over the Top.

 

If the club face is open at impact the ball will slice.  If it is square at impact, it will pull.  Distance and accuracy are casualties of coming Over the Top (although that can probably be said about every swing fault).

According to the Titleist Performance Institute, causes of Over the Top can be:
•    Weak grip at address
•    Reverse Pivot or Reverse Spine Angle swing fault
•    Too much rotation (open face) of the clubface on the backswing
•    Poor address position with the shoulders too level or even leaning toward target at address
•    Lack of understanding of an inside approach and the correct sequence
•    Clubs that are too stiff and too heavy
•    Physical limitations

Because I am a fitness professional, I will go over the physical limitations and what you can do to try to correct them.

•    Inability to separate lower body from upper body. The lower body needs to be able to lead the downswing in order to develop the proper sequence (pelvis, trunk, arms, club) of motion during the transition and downswing.  Proper hip mobility is essential to this separation
•    Instability of the core- core stability helps to maintain posture and trunk stability.  Once you lose posture, the torso or arms can fire first  in the transition in order to compensate for being out of position.  Remember, we want the pelvis to initiate the transition.
•    Poor balance on each leg.  Poor balance can limit weight shift in the backswing and reduce the amount of power the lower body can contribute, forcing a player to try to generate their power with the upper body.  You want to develop good stability, strength and balance in your legs.

In part 2, I will go over some stretches and exercises that you can do to help you correct your physical limitations.

Anthony Renna, Titleist CGFI

Anthony is a Certified Golf Fitness Instructor (Titleist) , a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA), and a Sports Performance Coach (USAW)  who works with elite and recreational golfers.  Anthony has been working with golfers for almost 25 years, starting out as a caddie at Century Country Club in Westchester, NY.  He is founder of Five Iron Fitness, a golf-specific personal training company; www.GolfFitnessProducts.net, a resource for all things golf fitness; and www.BetterGolfwithFitness, a blog discussing the current issues in golf fitness. 

Anthony is also the host of the Better Golf with Fitness Podcast.

The articles at GolfFitnessProducts.net are for informational purposes only and are not intended to substitute for direct examination and exercise prescription by the appropriate health professional.  It is strongly recommended that you do not perform any exercise program without the consent of your personal physician.