DRILL – Stop Coming Over The Top

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Paul Wilson is the creator of Swing Machine Golf and founder of Ignition Golf. Paul's golf swing technique is based on the Iron Byron swing machine. YouTube Channels: Paul Wilson Golf and Ignition Golf Tips. Please Join me on Google+

47 Responses to “DRILL – Stop Coming Over The Top”

  1. To get the club to flatten and to see the back arm below would the arms feeling like they are falling as the body turns be a correct feeling.

    • Sorry didnt finish. Or should we feel like we are holding our arms up or niether

    • Yes, the arms would feel like the are falling or dropping. Keep in mind this is doing it manually. This is just to help things along and give you a good habit to be working on. I want this to occur by starting your lower body first in the downswing.

    • Thanks Paul,this is the lesson I need to work on.

      clyde

  2. May 11, 2012

    MARKKEISE

    Paul
    Congrats on the launching of IG!! Once my arms get to the quarter swing position in the downswing, do I then engage them or should they remain turned off during the entire swing?
    Mark K

    • Thanks Mark. I was wondering when I would see you on the site.

      No arms at all throughout your whole swing. This means you are not hitting of helping it in any way. This is difficult because it is so easy to try to hit the ball. Keep at it and keep doing lots of practice swings. I know you will so I know you will get there.

  3. Nice site Paul. Congratulations. Looking forward to your continue help. Gerry

  4. This tip really helps remind me how I need to hit with my legs and let the club naturally come through because I am turning my body.

    • Glad you liked it Hollie. Yes, you want to keep this feeling of using the legs. If this does it, that’s great.

  5. Hi Paul, I can’t believe it is finally here. Congratulations! I know this site can help so many. I have been swinging a club, no ball for 3 weeks. Next week will play a round and am really ready to go. Will keep you posted on progress.
    Thanks, Mike

    • Mike,

      I can’t believe it’s finally here either. I spent 5 months every day working on it (as well as teaching). Now, it is time to fix the bugs and get the word out. There are so many people out there that need help. Definitely keep us posted.

      • Well Paul, I say a job well done! If all who have benefited from you, just keep telling others, this will be the #1web-site very quickly. I tell people about you and this site all the time. Thank you for your effort to meet our needs in golf! A friend of mine was in Las Vegas last weekend and picked a Bear’s Best golf shirt for me, and I wear it with pride. Got to save 4-5 strokes Ha Ha
        Thanks again, Mike

  6. May 13, 2012

    PatKarnes

    It’s great to see the new site up and running. I am looking forward to spreading the word to others about the best place to find consistent advice on a proven swing methodology. Swing Machine Golf has already helped me improve and now the Ignition Golf site will provide additional information to refine the swing. Congratulations on the new site!!

    • Thanks Pat. It will take a while to get a big community but with your help and others the word will spread. Any help you can give is much appreciated.

    • October 3, 2012

      Paul Wilson

      Pat, Thank you very much. The site was a lot of work but it will be well worth it. Thank you in advance for the promo. I need all the help I can get. I know it will help thousands of people improve their games which is a good thing. I hate to see people struggling.

  7. Paul, other instructors have said to have both elbows parallel to the ground. I find it difficult to do this. I will try your method. Does this mean the left elbow (lefty) stays close to the body throughout the swing?

    • Larry, this is a drill. You will see the right elbow under the left on the way down with longer clubs. As the clubs get shorter they will level out. by doing this you are counteracting the over the top and right elbow way above the left arm in the downswing. So you do this drill. You hit some practice shots with it then when you go to play forget it. After you do it for a week or two the club should be flattening better.

  8. Hi Paul,
    Enjoyed this tip also . I’m having a lot of trouble squaring the golf club especially with my driver and still have too many thin shots .
    Am trying to slow down my backswing and keep my spine angle down but still a problem. Anything else I can do ?Thanx
    Bob

  9. March 16, 2014

    JamesSinger

    Paul:

    I came to Vegas and had a lesson with you in Jan. I then joined Ignition Golf. I am a 19 handicapper and shot an 80 yesterday! Thank you. Will contact you soon for another lesson.

    Jim

  10. March 16, 2014

    KeithBowles

    Two things that has helped my game is this drill and learning to hit the ball with your lower body. I can do both with a slow swing. Any tips on how to speed up your swing without using my arms or does just come with time. I am hitting leaves in the yard about 30 minutes per day and hitting 60 balls at the range per day.

  11. March 16, 2014

    TomBlanton

    Hey Paul, Thanks for another, simple drill, my problem now is my stance width. I’m finding it nearly impossible to touch my legs together in the downswing, i have small feet and bowed legs so when i narrow my stance i feel unbalanced, maybe you could do something on stance in the future, again thanks for you hard work, i am spreading your name all over Cincinnati Ohio.

    • Tom ,Paul did an entire video on stance width Some time ago :very instructive .I myself had the same problem as you have (“Touch your legs “position ).I cured it by moving forcefully all my Weight on the left leg in the throgh swing ,sit The right foot up on the big right toe !

    • March 16, 2014

      Paul Wilson

      Tom,

      The purpose of physically touching the legs is so the position does not fall apart. If you touching today and 5 years from now you are doing the exact same position. If you cannot physically touch then you have to do your best and get them as close as you can. Then you need to be constantly checking them.

      Thank you for the promo.

      Watch:

      Width of Stance: https://ignitiongolf.com/width-of-stance
      Easy Way to Check Width of Stance: https://ignitiongolf.com/easy-check-width-stance/

  12. Paul,Some teachers recommend THE “Glove under THe right armpit “drill to flatten the swing plane .I personally h

    • March 16, 2014

      Paul Wilson

      Raymond,

      Why would you want to do anything different than the best player of all time did. Best swing ever was Tiger in 2001-2003. His right elbow was not tucked. Byron Nelson not tucked. Oh yeah, he used to consistently beat Hogan.

      How to Get Consistent Swing Tempo: https://ignitiongolf.com/consistent-swing-tempo/

      Tempo: https://ignitiongolf.com/golf-swing-tempo

      I am probably every other pro never thought about backswing/downswing ratio. Work on the right fundamentals

      • Paul ,You confirm what I believe :let the right upper arm go where it wishes naturally ,without contriving it .
        Regarding the backswing/downswing Time ratio ,you are right a gain,none of the”greats “of all Times touches on the subject .But the overall speed of the swing is something I’m trying to figure out :BOBBY JONES said “You never swing whatever too slow “.JOHNNY REVOLTA recommends the “QUICKIE ” swing ,saying that swinging too slowly was conducive to errors .
        At BOBBY JONES Time ,the shafts were Made of hickory ,and didn’t like to be brutalized .ERNIE ELS has a slow swing .TIGER WOODS ,LEE TREVINO have fast swings .
        As for myself ,by trial and error ,I found I’m better Off when I swing fast ,or at least I believe I swing fast .
        I’ll look i at the two vid

        • March 18, 2014

          Paul Wilson

          Raymond,

          Why not let the rotational speed of you body determine your arm speed? If so, it will repeat consistently.

  13. I developed a spin out move (right hip out, left hip back) a number of years ago and so I started sliding to stop it. Now that you have me rotating my hips, I’m starting to move the hip out again which in turn moves my arms out which in turn makes me come over the top. By the way this is another way of coming over the top that you haven’t mentioned. How do I get away from this? Thanks.

    • March 19, 2014

      Paul Wilson

      Richard,

      I already answered this a couple of days ago. You should be getting an email letting you know that I answered it.

      Here it is again:

      Richard,

      You are shifting too soon. If you try to turn but immediate shift your weight of course you will come over the top. I want a gradual shift of the weight as you are turning NOT and immediate shift.

      Watch:

      Pro Versus Amateur

  14. March 20, 2014

    Rick g.

    (previously Richard Gleason) Thank you so much for these tips.Your rotation move was very elusive for me especially trying to duplicate something that you can’t see if I’m doing it right. Your tips have clarified it. I now KNOW the feeling of what I’m suppose to do.This and the wrist release tips seem to be the two most important swing improvement moves I’ll constantly be working on.

    • March 20, 2014

      Paul Wilson

      Rick,

      I really don’t need to see the person hit the ball. I can tell what you are doing just by telling me where the ball is going. So make sure you are watching your ball so you can diagnose your own swing too. If the ball is going left you are using your arms. Starting right is a push from sliding laterally or driving your hips so hard that you disconnect leaving the face open.

      The lower body move is the same move as throwing a ball. I get people from time to time telling me they can’t do it. Then I have them throw a ball with a 7 iron stance and they find that they can in fact do it because it is the same move. So watch this tip below and throw some balls overhand in practice. Then get used to the feedback of the legs touching. Then apply it to practice swings. Then tee up balls and hit some easy shots feeling the same feedback.

      Watch:

      It

  15. April 4, 2015

    JaySchwarz

    Paul,

    Just a quick question on this. You frequently talk about how the club whips through the impact area. When you swing, do you feel this in just the loose wrists, or do you also feel it in the elbow joint? In this video, it’s very clear that the elbow is creating some lag that gets released very quickly.

    It looks like the turning body causes the right elbow to release a split second before the wrists start to unhinge.

    Just curious what you are feeling.

    • Jay,

      I am not feeling the elbow. Maybe I have allowed it to stretch out so many times I don’t feel it. I am feeling the clubhead and the wrists. The right elbow straightens because I am letting the mass extend to its widest point after impact. Just let the arms totally relax to the point you feel the weight of the swinging club stretch them out. In doing so, the club will feel heavy. If it feels light you’re too tight.

  16. Paul ,
    M’y question is not directly related to YOUR today’s video : here it is:should I be feeling That my upper chest is pushing my left biceps in the throughswing ,proving I’m connected and Adding Speed to my “POWERLESS “left arm?

    • Raymond,

      I am not feeling this although there is connection. I highly doubt you even have to worry about this. If you were disconnected, you would be pushing it through driving your legs and hips too hard. So, I really wouldn’t be worried or even thinking about this.

  17. Great tip, Paul. I’ve been working with your method for some time now and I can honestly say it’s allowed me to significantly improve my ball striking. The problem I’m experiencing is although I can consistently hit these shots at the range, I can only occasionally do so on the course and as the round progresses I begin to lose my swing and then get discouraged since it’s not translating to my score. I’m not certain, but I believe I start coming over the top more and more and have increased difficulty turning off my arms as I “try” to regain my swing and “hit” the ball. Any tips on how to improve my consistency and confidence on the course? I know that you’ve suggested playing less rounds of golf as I continue to develop my powerless arms swing, but that certainly would take away some of my enjoyment of the game of golf.

    • Joseph,

      Thank you for the kind words. Glad you are improving.

      So you are trying to hit the ball harder and harder when you are playing. This is sending you over the top. You should know this by know and know how to fix it.

      So you watch your ball. A slice is telling you the club is swinging left with the face open. So you roll your wrists early to unlock them. Then you step up to your shot and think body. Watch your shot. If you still slice it you roll it 5-10 times before hitting your next shot. This should have unlocked your wrists. So you hit and watch your next shot. Think body. If the ball still slices you need to immediately start trying to hook it by rolling it early. I say this because you are doing to slice the next shot anyway so you might as well hook it to get the wrists releasing. Once you can do this, then you go back to using the body to straighten it out.

      If you are slicing at this stage you have not rolled your wrists enough. You need to immediately work on this:

      DRILL: 3 Ways To Roll It Over: https://ignitiongolf.com/3-ways-to-roll/

      Then:

      Driving Hips Harder But Hook It First: https://ignitiongolf.com/driving-hips-hook-first/

      So that is the slice. If you are pulling/pull hooking it then you are saying to yourself that your wrists are working your body is late. So you drive the lower body faster. If you start the lower body first you will hit it dead straight.

      Consistency

      If you are hitting it well at the range and not on the course you are not doing the swing positions perfectly. Each position I teach gives you feedback so you know with 100% certainty you are doing it right. For example, if you are touching your legs and the range touching them on the course you are still touching them. You cannot touch them better than touching. Your right legs hits your other leg. I cannot do this better than you because my right leg hits my other leg too. If your club is parallel to your ears on the range and when you play it is still parallel because there is only 1 parallel.

      Starting to see it now? I teach the positions I teach for many reasons. Having the person’s swing not fall apart is one of the main reasons. So you need to check you grip, setup and follow and make them perfect first. No matter what it takes you need to be doing them exactly the same both at the range and when you play. Only at this point should you even be thinking of your backswing. Once you are at this stage you coil and you hinge going back. If you want to keep going work on takeaway last. If you do it this way you should be paying great golf in no time. I keep saying it is about the swing NOT the ball. Stay focused and make the movement perfect. If you do it will be perfect.

  18. Good stuff Paul.

    • Joesph,

      So much of this stuff is logical but we can get distracted. Stay focused and you will get there.

  19. April 11, 2015

    RickZech

    Paul,
    I’m a lefty with a slice off the tee box. I try rolling my wrists prior to each tee shot with mixed results. This drill and the lag drill have been a game changer. I can’t tell you where my back (left) elbow has been in the past but I now realize that I need it tucked and/or below my front arm. Every time it is tucked a little the ball takes off straight as an arrow. That’s fun. I just hope with practice I can make this a repeatable swing
    Thanks,
    Rick

    • April 12, 2015

      Paul Wilson

      Rick,

      If you are trying to roll and you are not hooking every shot you are not rolling soon enough. It is 1/4 of a second from the top to impact. You need to start rolling right away. Get used to this feeling. Master this feeling. If you are hooking it you are no longer a slicer. Then you just have to add body to straighten it out. I would be doing this at home and at the course thousands of times until I had it mastered.

      The tucking of the back elbow will occur if you start your body first in the downswing. This is due to the club flattening and not hitting it with the arms. I really think you are close. For the sake of doing more roll overs you could get rid of that slice forever. The the fun really begins.

      Watch:

      Flatten Plane 1: https://ignitiongolf.com/downswing-flatten-plane

      Flatten Plane 2: https://ignitiongolf.com/downswing-flatten-plane-2

  20. September 3, 2019

    MichaelBarrett

    Paul,

    I know it is difficult to keep coming up with new, fresh tips multiple times per week so please don’t be shy about re-posting many of these older tips. Most of us either do not remember them or were not even on the Ignition Golf site at the time and do not know what might be in the archive. So keep them coming. Your advice is timeless and I always learn something from any tip you post.

    Thanks,
    Mike

    • Avatar photo

      September 16, 2019

      Paul Wilson

      Michael,

      We post 2 new tips per week on Sunday and Tuesday. The others are reposts as there is a ton of content on the site (as you know) that people should be watching. I have tons of ideas for the site. Stay tuned.

      Glad you like them. Thanks.

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