Over The Top (June 2007)
Chuck Evans - Executive Director of Instruction - Medicus Golf Institute
The dreaded "over-the-top" move. A lot of golfers have this disease and unless they find the cure, they will be doomed in their pursuit of better golfing. I haven't found a single player yet that wants to have this move in their golf stroke!
Over-the-top is ALWAYS a faulty pivot motion. The shoulders turn too early, and off plane, in the start of the downstroke and as a result the arms and hands follow. Now the player is using a bent plane line instead of a straight one! The pivot should never do anything to disrupt the path of the hands!
From the top of the swing the hips MUST slide, very slightly, parallel to thedelivery line while holding the shoulders back to start the downstroke. This allows the arms to drop.
Once the clubshaft gets to waist high in the downswing, then theright shoulder can turn along with the hands, arms, and hips. If done in this sequence, YOU CANNOT COME OVER-THE-TOP!
There are three distinctly different "Zones" that have to be trained individually but must work synchronous.
Zone #1 - Body - Provide balance throughout the swing. Zone #2 - Arms - Provide the speed and power of the swing. Zone #3 - Hands - Gives the shot direction.
If you're having balance problems work on your pivot. If you're having distance problems swing the arms faster, (in conjunction with your pivot). If you're having direction problems focus on your hands.
But remember, the hands are NOT educated until they control the pivot!
