Over the top help!!

[Mcdougle]

I have a problem of coming over the top causing either a slice or a pull. I am a 5 handicapper and i have a two plane swing but i am not hitting enough greens in reg, especially on par 3's. It seems the pressure gets to me and i hit a weak slice that finishes just right of the green. I have a quite strong grip which i heard is bad for a two planer but this obviously helps to keep the face slightly closed and therefore the slice not too big.

Also i am hitting the ball quite low especially with the driver and long irons which i thought was kinda odd as slices are meant to go high but i dunno.

Can anyone give me some drills to help sort this problem out as i dont really get the one and two plane swing stuff but i know that mixing them is bad news. Thanks

Also are centre shafted putters good for people that slice across their putts or pull and push a lot of putts? Cheers.

[takinitdeep]

Re: Over the top help!!

If you are a 5 (although your profile says 10) with OTT problems, you must have one hell of a short game.
Anyway, two things I would recommend:
1. check your position and distance from the ball; you need width to create width, otherwise you are handcuffing yourself on the ds.
2. check your right arm at the top of the swing-it should be in the tray position while the left is almost straight.
p.s. weaken that grip-the stronger the grip the more tendency for OTT

I have a problem of coming over the top causing either a slice or a pull. I am a 5 handicapper and i have a two plane swing but i am not hitting enough greens in reg, especially on par 3's. It seems the pressure gets to me and i hit a weak slice that finishes just right of the green. I have a quite strong grip which i heard is bad for a two planer but this obviously helps to keep the face slightly closed and therefore the slice not too big.

Also i am hitting the ball quite low especially with the driver and long irons which i thought was kinda odd as slices are meant to go high but i dunno.

Can anyone give me some drills to help sort this problem out as i dont really get the one and two plane swing stuff but i know that mixing them is bad news. Thanks

Also are centre shafted putters good for people that slice across their putts or pull and push a lot of putts? Cheers.

[bdbl]

Re: Over the top help!!

If you are a 5 (although your profile says 10) with OTT problems, you must have one hell of a short game.

I have to say that I read the OP and thought wtf, how do you get to "5" with an OTT move creating inconsistent pulls & slices; come to that how do you even play to 10 with those problems? Especially if, as seems likely, you can't putt for toffee either.

I wonder if perhaps there are parallel universes; one (mine) where bad swing flaws and poor putting mean that its hard to play even bogey golf, and the other one where despite these problems you are in low single figures.

[GoNavy]

Re: Over the top help!!

I have a problem of coming over the top causing either a slice or a pull. I am a 5 handicapper and i have a two plane swing but i am not hitting enough greens in reg, especially on par 3's. It seems the pressure gets to me and i hit a weak slice that finishes just right of the green. I have a quite strong grip which i heard is bad for a two planer but this obviously helps to keep the face slightly closed and therefore the slice not too big.

Also i am hitting the ball quite low especially with the driver and long irons which i thought was kinda odd as slices are meant to go high but i dunno.

Can anyone give me some drills to help sort this problem out as i dont really get the one and two plane swing stuff but i know that mixing them is bad news. Thanks

Also are centre shafted putters good for people that slice across their putts or pull and push a lot of putts? Cheers.

Sounds like you might be swinging inside too much on the backswing, almost always causes an OTT move back, or you get the club stuck behind you. Also causes a flat type swing, alla Hogan. Try to make the first move off the ball more out in front of you, even feel it moves outside the target line, probably won't, your preception of path are usually wrong.

What I like to do on the range is lay two clubs down, one between me and the ball for alignment, another off my right toe along the target line behind me. I want my backswing to stay on the ball side of that second club until well after the club is halfway back (beyond horizontal to the ground) in the backswing, if the clubhead and/or shaft crosses the one laying on the ground, you are swinging too far inside and will usually get stuck on the downswing. Once you get stuck you intinctively have two options, flip the hands or move out and over to get around the body.

[golfndawg]

Re: Over the top help!!

I think if one gets the left hip out the way on the downswing (maintaining spine angle) and swings the hands down the track(G-1) No more OTT........Alot of this OTT stuff is because we start the downswing with the upper body(kinda like lunging) instead of the lower and throwing the club out way way to early. My feeling is trying to brush my right thigh (but the left hip has to clear) with my right forearm close to impact.........I can't do that if I've thrown my hands out at the top without cutting way across the ball.....
No instructor here......But has helped me out a ton and makes sense to me.

[Mcdougle]

Re: Over the top help!!

If you are a 5 (although your profile says 10) with OTT problems, you must have one hell of a short game.

Havent updated the profile in a while, will do now!!

Cheers guys for all the advice, im going down the range tomorrow so ill see how it goes.

[Mcdougle]

Re: Over the top help!!

I have to say that I read the OP and thought wtf, how do you get to "5" with an OTT move creating inconsistent pulls & slices; come to that how do you even play to 10 with those problems? Especially if, as seems likely, you can't putt for toffee either.

I wonder if perhaps there are parallel universes; one (mine) where bad swing flaws and poor putting mean that its hard to play even bogey golf, and the other one where despite these problems you are in low single figures.

My puttings not that bad, i just miss too many 10 footers for birdie. I hardly ever three putt and i make very few mistakes. I have learnt to play with the faults i have in my swing meaning i can hit the greens and putt well but to get my handicap down further i need to iron them out.
They say that the number of mistakes made in a round is equal to your handicap but if you only make 1 or 2, you have plenty of room for **** shots! A good, reliable short game also helps.

[bulldog2k]

Re: Over the top help!!

It's not that a good short game helps, it's essential - far more than the long game.

Dr Bob suggests 70% of practice should be on the short game. With some players, he suggests they don't worry about the long game at all.

I don't think saying your putting isn't that bad is the way to approach it. (a) as a scratch golfer, your putting should be stellar along with the rest of your short game, and (b) you should be able to quantify exactly how good it is. If you can't measure it, how can you know if it's improved?

[oldwease]

Re: Over the top help!!

First thing to check - you forward spine angle. Keep this constant throughout the swing.

It's certainly possible to come over the top with a constant spine angle but one of the contributory factors, namely throwing the right hip forward at the start of the downswing, is much less likely to occur.

[ilang]

Re: Over the top help!!

I always maintain the transition from back swing to down swing is vital.
Usually the tall player has the fault of getting back to the ball too soon.Opposed to small player who has a two piece swing,too much on the inside in the take away, hence must come over the top.

There will always be gimmicks that have a limited time of success.You cannot beat basics,grip, stance, alignment,ball position,last but not least,be a great looker at the ball,How may people can say they can see the dimples on the ball when addressing it?

[ilang]

Re: Over the top help!!

I always maintain the transition from back swing to down swing is vital.
Usually the tall player has the fault of getting back to the ball too soon.Opposed to the small player who has a two piece swing,too much on the inside in the take away, hence must come over the top.

There will always be gimmicks that have a limited time of success.You cannot beat basics,grip, stance, alignment,ball position,last but not least,be a great looker at the ball,How may people can say they can see the dimples on the ball when addressing it?

[kevinhendrix]

Re: Over the top help!!

I have a problem of coming over the top causing either a slice or a pull. I am a 5 handicapper and i have a two plane swing but i am not hitting enough greens in reg, especially on par 3's. It seems the pressure gets to me and i hit a weak slice that finishes just right of the green. I have a quite strong grip which i heard is bad for a two planer but this obviously helps to keep the face slightly closed and therefore the slice not too big.

Also i am hitting the ball quite low especially with the driver and long irons which i thought was kinda odd as slices are meant to go high but i dunno.

Can anyone give me some drills to help sort this problem out as i dont really get the one and two plane swing stuff but i know that mixing them is bad news. Thanks

Also are centre shafted putters good for people that slice across their putts or pull and push a lot of putts? Cheers.

Kevin McDonald PGA here.
I hope you are well.
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It would benefit your game incredibly.
We have a revolutionary new coaching system that we have been doing now for around 2 years.
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Have a nice day.
Kevin McDonald PGA

[BrianW]

Re: Over the top help!!

I have to concur with Kevin here. All these thoughts on body positions will tie you in knots if you are not careful. The ball is passive in all this, it only understands the direction it is struck and how fast, get these things working and your body will take care of it's self.

[Mcdougle]

Re: Over the top help!!

I have found that putting my right elbow next to my right hip during the downswing helps but i seem to catch the longer clubs thin and sometimes top them but with the short and mid irons i can take dead aim and hit it straight at the flag. Is this sequence of putting the right elbow next the to right hip correct as i am worried that it could lead to flipping of the wrists and the dreaded snap hook i used to have.