How to Stop Coming Over the Top with Driver?
Are you fed up with ending up with slices? Have you yet not figured out why your transitions turn ugly? Wondering why all the swings divert their direction? Well, the most probable reason can be that you are in the initial stages of your game and don’t have suitable awareness of your body. It can also be because of poor weight management and lack of mobility in your lower body.
To help with this issue, I am here with this comprehensive guide on How to Stop Coming Over the Top with Drivers? This includes all the common posture mistakes and useful drills and tips that can help you in building muscle memory and reduce the number of slices in your game. So, don’t waste more time and dive right in.
How To Stop Coming Over The Top Golf Swing?
Well, given that you are here, you most probably would know about this term. In simple words, it means a swing you get when your club is far away from your body. This is also known as the top of the downswing and can be explained by the moment that is between the top and the transition movement. Here, these body-related issues are the most common causes of why you end up coming over the top with the driver; here is the solution for fixing over the top swing.
Improper Hip Mobility
The first reason why you are coming over the top is because of a lack of flexibility. In simple words, if you have restricted upper body movement and you feel like your arms are not active in a golf swing, you can easily end up with the ball moving away from the driver. When it comes to getting accurate shots, there is no doubt that the hips play a vital role. This is because they make sure your lower body turns while you hit the ball with a club. If you find it challenging to rotate, you are in a difficult position.
Related Post: How Long Should A Driver Be?
Poor Weight Shift
As a golfer, I would say one of the things that can make a huge difference in your gameplay is managing the weight. Hence, all you are doing throughout the shots is transferring the weight between the front and rear foot. So, if you don’t know how to keep on moving during the shots and you often end up transferring all the weight on the front foot, your upper body will dominate, which is not considered ideal.
Having Tension in the Arms
In the end, another thing that is not taken ideally while hitting the ball with the club is a shallow position. This is often the case when you do not allow your arm muscles to relax as it can unevenly distribute the upper body weight and add too much tension to the upper body. Hence, not having properly relaxed armpit muscles can easily get you shots away from the club.
How to Stop Coming Over the Top With a Driver
Here are some useful tips and tricks that can help you in stopping the bad habit of coming over the top with the driver, so make sure to follow;
Always Use Gloves for UnderArms
First and foremost, you need to find gloves for your underarms. For this purpose, you need to have a lanyard that starts from your neck and attach an old club with it. Now, if you are a right-handed golfer, it is important that you cover your armpit with gloves. Doing this can help you in reducing downswing and coming from the top. This is because it easily makes the elbow more active and flexible.
Put Something Next to the Ball
Similarly, you can always place an object just right on the golf ball, so that the club can easily hit the ball in order for it to follow a straight path. It is equally important to have a soft object or else it can damage your club. I would advise you to hit at least twenty shots with this object on the right side of the ball to build muscle memory. Once you have mastered this drill, you will not be needing this object in the near future.
Using the Alignment Stick
Another thing that can save you from coming over the top is the massively popular alignment stick. All you need to do is place it on the ground and make sure it is at least three feet behind the target. It is equally significant to have the stick aligned with the target. This will further prevent you from having a deeper angle as it can easily provide you with a sweeping ugly shot.
The Wall Technique
Similarly, another incredible alternative that can stop you from coming over the top. For this purpose, you need to have your posture backed against the wall with an alignment stick. This will help you upswing the ball in a straight path. Hence, from the wall, this will stick to it, preventing downswings.
Make Sure the Maximum Speed is at the Bottom
Although as a golfer, I can understand that you desire a longer and higher shot, all it is going to provide you is a slice and an over-the-top golf swing. Hence, to prevent this from happening, you need to put all the speed on the bottom of the swing. For this, you can do a simple test with the alignment stick. Here, you need to grip it like a club and make a swing.
In addition, you also need to wait for the transition to happen. This transition is noted by a woosh sound that is made when your hand movement is restricted with the help of the stick. If the sound of the shot comes from behind the ball, it means the speed is perfect. Doing this can help you in fixing the shot and will prevent you from coming over the top, over time.
Related Post: How To Choose Golf Clubs For Beginners?
Monitor Your Swings
Last but not least, another thing you immediately need to do is record yourself for analysis. This is specifically important for practice sessions as it allows you to have a better look at your posture and technique. All you need for this purpose is a tripod and a camera or phone for recording. You can also use a number of phone applications for better visual feedback. This has clearly helped me in the back and anyone in the initial stages should try it.
Final Thoughts
In the end, if you have just started playing golf and don’t know why all swings turned out to be over-the-top swings, you are in first place. In most cases, it happens to beginners and if you are one, all you need is the right technique, posture, and suitable awareness about your body. For this purpose, it is absolutely important to know how to stop coming over the top with drivers, have flexibility in your body, the right posture, proper weight management, and desired technique.
Finally, I hope this guide on how to stop coming over the top with a driver can save you from all the struggle, so you end up being the master of swings. So, make sure to follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I come over the top with my driver?
Well, it primarily happens to golfers in the initial stages of their gameplay. This is because they are not completely aware of their body and have restricted movement. The commonly found issues of this can be the lack of flexibility in your lower body as well as not having evenly distributed weight among both feet. Similarly, limited arm movement can also provide you with an ugly transition, resulting in an over-the-top swing.
How do I stop coming over the top with my driver?
Well, there are a number of practices with which you can stop coming over the top with your driver. My favorite is using the alignment stick to make sure the muscle movement is suitable to throw the ball straight in the air. Apart from this, you can also use armpit gloves to get a better hold of the club. My favorite is to use any phone application to record yourself during practice sessions, so after one, you can clearly analyze and give constructive feedback.
Do any pro golfers come over the top with the driver?
There is absolutely no doubt that pro golfers have better hand and eye coordination, needless to say, ideal body placement that reduces their chances of coming over the top. However, some pro players can come over the top yet these are extremely light. Some golfers also slightly do this but it is intended and controlled in a manner that is suitable for the desired shot.
Thanks a lot for the blog post.Really looking forward to read more. Really Cool.