One of the most common mistakes average golfers make in the golf swing is that they swing ‘over the top’ on the downswing, which leads to sliced shots that lack distance.

‘Over the top’ basically means that your chest turns early and your hands and arms come out in front of you too soon at the top of the downswing and you end up swinging over the top of the correct swing plane (pic 1).

What good swingers do from the top of the downswing (pic 2), is they feel their weight shift back to their left side (for right-handers) and their arms drop down towards the ball (pic 3) and they swing slightly under the plane and reach impact on the swing plane established at address (pic 4) … see how the club shaft mirrors the angle of the swing plane. This is ideal.

Swinging over the top is a common problem and there’s a number of causes, including trying to overpower the ball, a swing plane that is too flat or too upright and even a weak grip.

One swing thought you should have if this is a problem is: what goes up must first come down. You swing the club up so the first movement down into impact MUST be down, not out (or over the top) and then down.

The downswing sequence should be to get the club on plane at the top of the backswing (it doesn’t matter how far you swing your arms back), then the first movement is your weight moving forward as the hands are dropping down and in the direction of the ball.

Here’s a quick drill you can use to get the feeling of swinging down into the ball. Address the ball without a club but hold a ball in your right hand. Swing to the top of your backswing. Now slowly shift your weight to the left side and drop your hands down. Once your hands are at hip height, take your left arm away and throw the ball (pics 5 & 6) at the ball on the ground in front of you. From this ‘on plane’ position, you should hit the ball (or go very close) and it will help you develop a good feel for the right sequence of your downswing.

Instruction