So the week is over and you and your group are finally at the first tee. And you are so glad you have a chance to play a round with your friends and just forget about work and all that goes with it.
It’s a beautiful day. Sun is shining bright and warm, the sky is so blue it can’t be real.
What a day!
You are up.
And as you get ready to tee off, you remember that your ball flight is left to right and so you must aim to the left to compensate. You think that maybe this time you won’t slice the ball, but that thought quickly dissipates into the world of ” not true” and reality sets itself firmly back into your mind. For you know that your slice will not disappoint you.
And so you take your backswing and wallop the damn thing out over the lake to the left, is it coming back ? Oh no .. you think, it’s going straight… wait, no here it comes .. back to the right. Just like it always does. Into the far right rough, just where it always goes.
If you could just hit it a little more straight you would surely hit it a lot further.
You once again promise yourself that you will take that golf lesson from the pro next week.
One golf swing instruction should take care of that slice once and for all. That’s what you may think.
So the round went well, you had fun and didn’t play too bad.
The week went by fast and now you are going to do what you promised and take that golf lesson.
And here is what happens.
Your golf instructor tells you the following:
Look you know that the slice occurs because of your downswing. But you have to be aware that all sorts of things have gone wrong before you even begin the backswing, let alone the downswing.
But if you want to get right to the actual movement that creates the spin on the ball that makes it go to the left and then to the right … well it is referred to as an ” over the top move”
This move happens when the clubhead comes from the top of your backswing to outside of your target line into the ball and continues on to the inside of your target line.
Now think about what I just said for a minute.
In most cases the clubface will be open and you will hit a glancing blow outside of the ball to inside of the ball. Kinda like a foul ball in baseball, where the bat only hits some of the baseball below it equator. Or on the bottom of the ball.
Sometimes the clubface is closed, in this case you hit it dead left, no slice, maybe a snap hook. Do not be encouraged by this. It is not a draw gone astray. The problems are exactly the same ” hitting from the top”
Generally you will end up off balance, your weight will be more on the right side and your right shoulder will be higher than your left. This is also called hitting from the top because there normally is little if any weight shift in this move.
Have you ever seen the guy who swings and his left foot swings around on his finish, off the ground and it’s a struggle for him to remain standing? All of his weight is on his right side?
The fact that the club is outside the target line and open will is unavoidable if you have an over the top swing.
The club is off plane and out of it’s proper swing path. Neither is a good thing and tons of potential power is lost through this draining move.
In golf it would be a side swipe and you will bet some nasty spinning from this move. Left to right.
In this golf instruction you will learn that most folks who suffer from the over the top move have similar grips. Wrong grips I might add.
In this golf lesson you will note that this wrong grip is always a weak one. Left hand too far under the grip and the right hand too far on top of the grip. This grip tends to force an over the top move and it tends to prevent a release of the clubhead at impact or better stated it keeps the clubface open at impact.
Check you grip.. is it weak? If yes change it now to at least a neutral grip.
The clubhead must come down to your right side, not out and around the ball. Your right elbow can lead this first move to your right side. So… right elbow to your right side = first move
Use it as a mini drill .. half swing back with your new grip.. right elbow to the right side, hit the inside of the golf ball.
Roll a towel up.. lay it on the out side of the ball.. about 11/2 inches away parallel to the target line. lengthwise… now use the mini drill to hit balls .. do not hit the towel.. got it? Do not hit the towel.
Hit the inside of the golf ball and do not hit the towel and don’t cheat.
This will help you get an inside swing path and prevent the over the top move.
One more time. Using your new grip, half back swing, right elbow to the right side first move, continue to push the clubhead toward the inside of the golf ball and do not hit the towel.
Gradually increase the length and speed of this move and soon you will no longer hit a slice and you will know why. Very important.
By: Paul Macleod
About the Author:
A Simple Golf Swing is a thing of beauty. You could actually have one too, have a look if you want more information about how to develop a consistent Simple Golf Swing and shoot in the 80′s in 14 days or less: http://www.ebooksbestbuy.com/golf
