I was listening to a golf instructor on TV the other night talking about what you should do if you are “over the top in your downswing.” He described and then demonstrated this as a condition where one is out and over the plan and therefore swinging left. A solution was then given by sliding the lower body toward the target thus keeping the club from inside and no longer over the top.

What about looking at why this golfer is over the top and then fixing that instead. Otherwise aren’t we just replacing one error with another error – sliding. And aren’t we now dealing with the effect rather than the cause.

Its important to understand that many golfers go back on one plane and then down on a totally different plane. Some come down below their backswing plane, some come over their backswing plane and some go back and through on the same. They may not be “over the top” for what is their downswing plane.

The goal is to have the hands and club at the right place and at the right time with the legs and hips at impact. This is easily achieved through the three givens: as long as the arms swing the arms and legs will always coordinate, the arms swing very nicely on the line of the shoulders, (after all they are attached to the shoulders) and the shoulders can only turn at a right angle to the spine. Clubface control is through a proper grip and by keeping the elbows down through out the motion.

However if we start with shoulder turn the sequence is disturbed. Now its turn going back, arms to the top and then turn, (with the shoulders), starting down. This will put one over the top. So if we are over the top, we are probably starting with an early shoulder turn.  or the posture is too erect which will cause and early turn as this reduces arm swing. 

Once again it comes back to set up. Good golf is a product of having a correct concept and a proper set up for your body type and then swinging the club.