Golfers come in every different shape and form, of all ages, from all over the world. It’s rare that you’ll even get two swings that look somewhat alike.
And yet, through some terrible kind of miracle, there’s one golf swing mistake that unites large swarths of them: Coming over the top.
There are plenty of causes that lead to golfers coming over the top — from turning too soon at the start of your downswing to poor alignment to not enough shoulder tilt — but the fact is that lots of golfers get into trouble this way. Pair coming over the top with an open clubface and you’ll get a slice; over-correct and you’ll be dealing with over-the-top’s nasty cousin: Getting stuck and flippy with your hands.
But not to worry, because this week GOLF Top 100 Teacher Scott Hamilton shared on Instagram a simple drill that he said is one of his “favorite” and “best” ways to shallow the club, and keep the clubface stable. And you only need one arm to do it!
- First take your normal golf setup.
- Then lift your right arm off the cub and hold your left shoulder.
- Start making swings.
Hamilton notes that this drill is best done with a lighter club than usual (his student here is using a junior club), because using one that’s too heavy could compromise your technique, or worse, lead to injury. But as you make swings, the weight of the club will become more apparent, which will help shallow the cub into a good spot.
“This drill is the best way I have found to use the weight of the club to learn how to shallow and deliver a stable face,” he writes.
Watch the full video below.
