shoulder turn

when turning away in the golf swing with my shoulders,,,, i come over the top in my downswing,,,,, my freinds say i take the club away and seem to go very steep and high ,they say i should just turn my shoulders like im going to look behind me but when i do this it feels like im turning in a circle and i think it makes my swing flat they also say it leaves room for my hands and arms to clear my hip what is the right way to turn

Take a look at this reference site, look at the takeaway section.

http://perfectgolfswingreview.net/backswing.htm

When thinking about turning the shoulders, you should really think about turning the upper chest as well.

If you start to fold your left shoulder round across your chest, you may get the feeling that you are turning the shoulders, but your right shoulder need not move much in the process.

I've found that if you concentrate instead upon turning the chest, then you get a much better (and correct) shoulder turn as a result. This move also helps to get your arms in the right position at the top of the backswing. (At first, though, resist the temptation to keep the swing flat by pulling the arms around the body - your chest turn will give you all the coil you need.)

Coming over the top can simply be the result of an incomplete shoulder turn as you try to generate power by, in effect, throwing the right shoulder. So, turn the chest - give it a try!

a thought, I think the shoulders should turn on the same axis as tha hips because the shoulders are on top of the spine and hips on bottom. so are the hips turning steeply?

The shoulders should turn around the spine. ( I like the chest thought, too) The flatness or steepness of the swing is more dependant on the spine angle you set at address and how much you lift the club with your arms. (By lifting, I mean lifting parallel to the spine axis, not pulling around your back. In other words, how much the arms slide up the chest or how "two-plane" or upright your backswing is.)