Over swing problem!!!

Hi everyone,

I have been playing for around 2 years and have reduced my handicap from 21 to 13.5 in that time. One of the main swing problems I suffer from is a massive over swing. The take away and plane et. all seem fine until it edge over the top just too much and the reverse pivot comes into play. With this also some weeks I can control my back swing and limit the problem but then the week after I can start to spray the balls about. Is there a drill / technique which I can adopt into my practice sessions to prevent this? I would really like to hear your feedback on this one as my mission for this summer is to reduce my handicap even more, maybe to 10 / 11.

Many thanks,
Dave

Hi Dave, might not be relevant for you but I'm currently working on restricting my hip turn as overdoing that opens the door wide for overswinging. Do you feel the stretch at your inner right knee/thigh?

Hi Simon, I think it is more the hands going that little bit too far over and causing me to lean over to the left. This someimes causes a hip slide into the shot and keeping the face open at impact.

If it's any consolation I think you have a similar problem to me. I'm working on maintaining distance between my hands and my body whilst attempting to work at 3/4 swinging (which is actually about a normal full swing). To do this I have changed my setup to ensure I keep my spine straight and try to swing around it rather than slumping forward as I have been doing. In doing this, I have introduce more knee flex at setup.

Not sure if any of this helps --- but sure hope so.

WahnamCH

Thanks for this. I will try this out on the range. I am constantly fighting with this 3/4 swing but hopefully the straighter spine angle will help make this a more natural process.

Thanks for you help on this.
Dave

Please do let me know how you get on --- I haven't been able to hit a ball for a while due to snow ..... and it's snowing now too which means I have to wait a bit more before I can get back to practicing this myself.

Where are you at? I'm over in England and all it has done for the last few months is rain, I don't know whcih is worse. I will certainly let you know how I get on as you have given me some pointers. Will try and get out tonight between showers!!! Speak to you soon, Dave

I'm in Switzerland ---- about an hour west of Zurich ---- but I'm an Englishman and that's where I started playing golf some 20+ years ago. But golf over here is only ust starting to become available to joe public (rather than just the elite i.e. rich) so I'm only getting back into golf again after a break of --- about 16 years. Mind you, during the break I did average 1 to 2 rounds per year

Have fun (it's the most important part of playing golf after all!)

Hi there, I said I would get back intouch once I had practiced on solving my overswing problem. I have had a few pointers from my club pro and he has taught me a great drill for stopping the overswing.

1. Set-up as normal
2. Take a slow and controlled back swing and stop when you feel you are half way back.
3. Take a look at where your arms, club etc. are at.
4. Look back down at the ball
5. Hit it!!!

This sounds very difficult & dangerous, but it works. Don't be surprised if the first few balls hit are topped, hit fat, etc. It gives you a feel and visual reference to where your arms should stop at the full back swing. If you do this drill for 3 shots and then hit a proper full shot you will notice a difference. After a while it becomes grooved in an all your shots will become fantastic ones, as 100% of mine have become. The trick is not to move your head with your arms as you take them back, yours arms should stop at the top of the swing and THEN you look at where they are. It needs to be a smooth controlled technique and not a jerky slashing one.

Hope the now has gone and you are playing again.

Hope this helps cure the overswing we are both fighting!!!

Thanks,
Dave

Hi Davie,

Sounds like it's killing you game, A very simple but the most effective way of eliminating the overswing.


Lift your right heel off the ground at address and keep it off the ground throughout the swing, if you struggle then put a ball under your heel, this aids two thing stops your over turning and help get through the ball at impact, worrying thing is you can actually hit really good shots like this.


Hope this helps


ian.

I just try to keep my right leg still throughout the whole backswing. Any harm in possibly overdoing it?

The way I found to shorten my backswing was to make it part of my pre shot routine to take the club exactly how far I wanted to, stop and then look where my arms where. I tried to remember how far back that was and then conciouisly go no further back than that one point

Probably simplistic but it works for me

I also had a over swing problem

the good thing was I had a very fast swing down and I could hit very far

my problem however was that with the over swing, my club didn't come down in plane; sometimes it did, but most times I hit to much to the right

I also tried a 3/4 backswing and that was terrible: topping the ball most of times and no distance at all

I kept on trying 3/4 on the practice range for about 3 weeks

then I tried to forget all about it, and just do my backswing without trying to stop it at 3/4

And the result was: a good fast swing in plane, and now hitting balls straighter then ever and further then ever before !!

Also a good tip: on the backswing, try to push out your RIGHT hand

You can also try swinging in front of a mirror. This will give you a visual that you can correlate with the feel of your backswing as to how far you should go. Also check your left hand grip to make sure the club is supported under the fat pad of the palm above the pinkie.

Thanks for the feedback Dave. The snow has gone and I've been out for 2 rounds (9 holes each) shooting 17 and 21 stableford respectively . My overswing hasn't completely gone but I did, believe it or not, play a bit with exactly what you are trying. And it does help a lot to get a feeling of where you want to be (and check the left elbow )

In the end I decided to accept the fact that I tend to see the club head in my left eye during the back swing --- but I also have exceptional peripheral vision (so I am told). I do this without, however, accepting other faults and do constantly keep checking where things are in the backswing.

But when I hit the course I forget all of the mechanics etc. and try to enjoy the game --- 'cos that's why I play it.

Andrew