How to Fix an Over-the-Top Golf Swing

Updated October 12, 2026 · Written by the Your Golf Plan team · Written for right-handed golfers; if you play left-handed, flip left and right.

An over-the-top swing is when the club moves outside the target line at the start of the downswing and then cuts across the ball from outside to in. It is the most common cause of the slice and the pull, and it is a feel problem more than a strength problem.

What it looks like

The ball starts left and curves right (a pull-slice), starts left and stays left (a pull), or is struck weakly because the face is cut across the ball.

On video from down the line, the clubhead and shaft are outside your hands as you start down, and the club swings across the line toward your trail side after impact.

Why it happens

The upper body starts the downswing. The shoulders spin open and push the club out before the lower body has moved.
The arms throw the club toward the ball ("hit from the top").
A steep backswing that leaves the club above the plane.
Not enough weight shift to the lead side, so there is nowhere for the club to drop.

How to check

From down the line, freeze your video when your lead arm is about parallel to the ground on the way down. The club should be on or slightly inside the line from the ball through your hands. If it is outside, the club is over the top.

Drills that help

Pause and shift

Make a backswing and pause for a second at the top.
Start the downswing by shifting your hips toward the target before your shoulders turn.
Hit slow half swings first, then build speed.

What you should feel: The club drops behind you as your lower body leads, instead of being thrown outward.

Trail elbow to the hip

At the top, feel your trail elbow move down toward your trail hip.
Let the club follow it rather than pushing it outward.
Make half swings with that feel and watch the ball flight move from left to straighter.

What you should feel: The club travels from inside and you feel a more rounded motion from the top.

Not sure this is your problem?

Drills only work if you are fixing the right thing. Film your swing from down the line and face-on, and a PGA coach will tell you what is actually happening and give you one drill to work on.

Get a coach to look at your swing · $35

What a coach looks for on video

Club and shaft position as the lead arm reaches parallel on the way down
The order of the hips, shoulders, and arms at the start of the downswing
Backswing plane and the position at the top
Weight shift and pressure onto the lead side
Swing path relative to the target line at impact

That is the difference between guessing from a guide and knowing from your own swing. Two short videos are enough for a coach to check all of this.

Keep going

Common questions

Is over the top the same as a slice?

No. A slice is the ball flight. Over the top is one of the most common causes of it, along with an open face.

What is the fastest way to stop coming over the top?

Change the start of the downswing. Let the lower body lead and let the club drop before you rotate your shoulders.

Have a coach look at your swing

Send two short phone videos and tell us what you are working on. A PGA coach sends back a video review and a drill built around your swing, usually within 24 hours and always within 48.

Get your swing analysis · $35