Over the Top - the importance of the instructor

[wubears71]

That comment should actually be quite interesting for mainstream golfers. Well done!

Thanks.

 

[Tenputt]

Please, instead of buying a new, shiny club, find an instructor. It really is the best money spent.

I say do both. Just kidding. Your point is valid, but at least I never claimed to buy an inordinate amount of equipment because it was truly going to help me play better. I have an addiction and the kind of instructor you are referencing will not rid me of my addiction.

 

[WeAreAllUnique]

When you do your over the top move does your grip have to change? The reason I ask is because I have an over the top swing and when I try to flatten it out and come from the inside I block the ball way right.

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[Desmond]

Agree - find a good instructor.

But therein lies the challenge - finding a good instructor.

 

[Desmond]

When you good your over the top move does your group have to change? The reason I ask is because I have an offer the top swing and when I try to flatten it out and come from the inside I block the ball way right.

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Video, please

 

[Grins]

When you good your over the top move does your group have to change? The reason I ask is because I have an offer the top swing and when I try to flatten it out and come from the inside I block the ball way right.

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The main reason instructors and golfers want to change an over the top move is because you will tend to lose a lot of distance as you’re cutting across the ball l, hitting it with more of a glancing blow and almost always putting a lot of slice spin on the ball. Also, the dynamic loft of the club will be higher, so the ball goes higher, shorter and curves right.

For most people this is a tough way to improve

 

[Grins]

It's a big reason why I was such a good offensive lineman. I was not the strongest in regards to the power lifts (I was respectable but there were lots of guys benching 350+ and squatting 500+), but I was extremely efficient with my feet and using the ground.

I worked with 2 former NFL players (Jay Brophy - Dolphins; and Mark Murphy - Packers) at St. Vincent-St. Mary HS and they always talked about linemen using their feet. As in "This kid has Division I ability - he uses his feet so well."

Makes sense how you describe it. Kind of a leverage thing too, being able to apply that force from the best angles to maximize power.
It's why a little guy like Justin Thomas can smack the crap out of the ball and be a long driver.

 

[Luchnia]

I worked with 2 former NFL players (Jay Brophy - Dolphins; and Mark Murphy - Packers) at St. Vincent-St. Mary HS and they always talked about linemen using their feet. As in "This kid has Division I ability - he uses his feet so well."

Makes sense how you describe it. Kind of a leverage thing too, being able to apply that force from the best angles to maximize power.
It's why a little guy like Justin Thomas can smack the crap out of the ball and be a long driver.

I think the feet are more critical in golf than many realize. I know I can tell when my feet don't have that well placed feeling that my shot will struggle. I am not fanatic about it, but I know it makes a difference.

 

[Grins]

When you do your over the top move does your grip have to change? The reason I ask is because I have an over the top swing and when I try to flatten it out and come from the inside I block the ball way right.

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This is where a good coach is imperative. The right teacher can help you become more efficient with your swing. There are lots of reasons why the ball would go right. Could be grip, or you're flipping or making another move to compensate for the original change and you don't notice it. This kind of stuff is really hard for most people to see on their own. Then you throw in the fact that what you feel during your swing is usually not really what's happening at all. You can see this a lot when PGA tour players describe what they do in golf magazines (i.e., they aren't actually doing what they think they're doing & what they're describing).

Which gets back to Wubears71's original point. Find a good instructor if you really want to improve.

 

[WeAreAllUnique]

The main reason instructors and golfers want to change an over the top move is because you will tend to lose a lot of distance as you’re cutting across the ball l, hitting it with more of a glancing blow and almost always putting a lot of slice spin on the ball. Also, the dynamic loft of the club will be higher, so the ball goes higher, shorter and curves right.

For most people this is a tough way to improve

Weird thing is, I hit the ball relatively straight. Every once in a while I pull it. But mostly straight.

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[DataDude]

I have been working on coming over the top since the golf season ended last year. I have tried several things and stumbled on keeping weight inside the right foot on the back swing. Basically making sure that you are not swaying. After a few days of work and a round of 9 yesterday I believe this may have been my problem all along. The over the top motion was just my body trying to get the club back to the ball because I was moving my hips back and forth. I knew not to do this, but I saw a tip that said even if you don't think you're swaying when your weight gets on the outside of your right foot (right handed golfer) on your back swing, you're swaying. I went to work and changed nothing else and after getting the feel down my divots straitened out and I stopped topping and hitting balls fat. My dispersion got much tighter as well. I shot 7 over on 9 yesterday which for a 19 handicapper is great. Best thing though is my lower back was not tight at all after the round. The motion allowed me to generate power much more naturally.