The Definition An Over the Top swing occurs when your hands and the clubhead are pushed outward toward the golf ball at the start of the downswing, rather than dropping vertically down into the "slot."

Because the club is approaching the ball from completely outside the target line, you are forced to swipe across it. This glancing blow creates massive sideways spin, resulting in a weak slice or, if you manage to close the clubface, a low, dead pull.

The Amateur: The Steep Path

Watch the Down-The-Line (DTL) video below. The 3D motion engine traces the exact path of the golfer's hands: the Orange Line is the backswing, and the Yellow Line is the downswing.

The Data Check: Notice how the Yellow downswing line crosses well over the top of the Orange backswing line. But why did the hands push out?

Look at the amateur's Pelvis Rotation at the top of the swing: they have only turned -28°. Because their right hip never rotated deep enough to get out of the way, there is physically no space for their arms to drop down on the inside. With the hips blocking the path, the hands have no choice but to route outward and over the top.

Stop Guessing. Start Measuring.

Are you an Over the Top swinger? Feeling like you are "dropping it in the slot" is useless if your body sequence is actually throwing the club outward.

Upload your swing video for a Digital Analysis. We will use 3D motion tracking to trace your exact hand path and measure your hip depth to tell you definitively why your club is cutting across the golf ball. [Button: Start My Swing Analysis]

The Professional: The Inside Slot

For comparison, watch how a Tour Professional creates space and drops the club onto the correct path.

The Data Check: Look at the Pro’s 3D trace. Their Yellow downswing line falls directly underneath or perfectly retraces the Orange backswing line.

How do they create this room? At the top of the swing, this professional has rotated their pelvis a massive -50°.

Look at the Professional Acceptable Range:

• Pelvis Rotation (Top of Swing): -30° to -41° (This Pro is exceptionally deep at -50°)

By turning their right hip deeply behind them, they have created a massive pocket of empty space (the "slot"). The arms simply fall into this space via gravity, allowing the club to attack the ball from the inside for a powerful, compressing draw.

The Body-Swing Connection

An Over the Top move is rarely just a poor swing thought. It is a sequencing error heavily tied to physical limitations. There are 13 physical limitations that can impact your golf swing.

If your lower body cannot clear out of the way, your upper body must take over. The physical limitations that directly cause an Over the Top move include:

• Limited Trail Hip Internal Rotation: If your right hip can't turn deep, it blocks the arms.

• Limited Lead Hip Internal Rotation: If you can't clear your left hip in the downswing, your shoulders will spin out early.

• Poor Lower Body Sequencing: The inability to separate your lower body movement from your upper body.

A simple screening process can identify these limitations and provide a straightforward exercise routine to unlock your swing.

Find out more about mobility in the golf swing: [Insert Link]