Over the top is one of the most common swing faults in golf, leading to slices, pulls, and inconsistent ball striking. It occurs when the swing path comes too far from the inside on the backswing and then loops over the top on the downswing. While over the top is difficult to fix, there are several excellent golf training aids that can help ingrain the proper swing path and get you hitting your best shots consistently. In this article, we’ll review the top golf training aids for curing an over the top move.
What Causes Over the Top?
Before jumping into the best training aids, it’s helpful to understand what causes over the top in the first place. There are a few key swing errors that contribute to this fault:
Swaying off the ball during the backswing. This causes the swing to come too far from the inside.
Breaking the wrists and arms too early in the downswing. This causes the club to loop out away from the body.
Rolling the forearms and clubface open on the backswing. This promotes an over the top move to close the clubface.
Lifting or rolling the front shoulder upwards on the backswing. This makes it very difficult to swing back down on plane.
Correcting over the top requires training aids that can ingrain a one-plane backswing and prevent the clubface and swing path from getting too far out of position at the top. The leading golf training aids for this focus on wrist angles, swing plane, and shoulder turns.
Golf Training Aids to Cure Over the Top
Wrist Hinge Trainer
One of the best aids for an over the top swing is a wrist hinge trainer. By stabilizing the golfers wrists and promoting proper hinging action, it prevents the arms, wrists, and clubface from breaking down on the backswing. This keeps the club in a stronger, more connected position at the top, making it easier to swing back down on plane.
The Momentus Hinge is one of the most popular hinge trainers. It allows free shoulder turn while keeping the wrists and clubface perfectly on plane. Just a few minutes a day can ingrain the proper wrist hinge and eliminate over the top tendencies.
Swing Plane Trainer
Swing plane trainers guide the club into the proper backswing plane, keeping the path from getting too far inside. They generally work by providing a guide rail or channel that forces the swing to stay on the ideal plane angle.
The Tour Striker Smart Ball is a great swing plane option. It has a guide path to keep the swing on plane and sensors that detect if the backswing gets off track. Feedback helps golfers make incremental improvements to their backswing plane.
Shoulder Turn Trainer
Limiting lateral movement of the shoulders during the backswing is key to preventing over the top. A shoulder turn trainer braces the upper body and guides the shoulders into a disciplined single-plane turn, instead of excessive swaying.
The Golf Swing Shirt is a popular model that harnesses the upper body to encourage a steady shoulder turn. Keeping the upper body quiet promotes proper sequencing coming into the downswing.
Smart Swing Analyzers
Swing analyzers use sensors to provide swing data and feedback that can identify over the top tendencies. They track club face angle, swing plane, hand path, and more to visualize swing faults.
Zepp and Arccos 360 are excellent smart sensor systems. They visually show over the top errors and provide drills tailored to correcting it. This data helps reinforce proper swing mechanics.
Using Training Aids to Cure Over the Top
The key with any of these golf training aids is consistency and perfect practice. Here are some tips to get the most out of your training aid for fixing over the top tendencies:
Use the training aid during range sessions 2-3 times per week for 10-15 minutes. Daily use is ideal.
Don’t just mindlessly hit balls. Focus on proper motions exaggerated by the training aid.
Use video or smart data to check for improvements to backswing and downswing plane.
Slowly wean off the training aid as new swing feels more natural.
Reinforce changes on the course with alignment sticks and swing thoughts.
With disciplined practice and smart training aids, over the top swing tendencies can be a thing of the past. You’ll strike the ball purer, improve contact consistency, and have more accuracy off the tee and into greens. Say goodbye to slices and pulls by incorporating the best golf training aids into your improvement plan.
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