Any tips for preventing overswing?

[Whee]

Morning all.

Has anybody got any effective drills for preventing an overswing, particularly with the longer clubs?

I'm alright keeping the wedges and shorter irons nice and tight, but I let anything beyond a six iron get away from me, overswinging and taking it across the line at the top.

I've been practising just trying to keep it shorter, but still lose the clubhead on occasions. Worst effected is the driver - it's costing me plenty of distance and control. I end up with a slappy connection, and a big left to right.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Lump]

Not sure how you swing, but over swingers tend to straighten the right leg . Try to maintain some flex in the right leg, this will limit your turn and hopefully stop the over swing

 

[virtuocity]

I'd like to think I know a bit about it.

It's all about posture for me. Get this right and maintain your spine angle. If you struggle with this then try and take your swing but close your right eye. Work on a few swings where you never lose sight of the ball in your backswing.

By the way- I'm STILL overswinging but working all the time to reduce it.

 

[Whee]

Thanks for your replies guys.

Lump, I try and keep flex in my knees, and certainly try and keep my right leg still (ie; not swaying) so that I build up resistance in my hip turn. I think by concentrating on keeping my left arm locked straight, I let the club head get away from me.

Virtuocity - I'm probably a bit further on from your August picture - it'd be good to see an image looking down the line, to see where your club head goes. Mine points across the line, probably towards 1 or 2 o'clock... It all happened when I started trying to attack on the inside - ruined a perfectly controllable slice haha!

 

[USER1999]

Make sure you are turning your shoulders, pretty much from take away, and not just your arms moving. Maintain the triangle, as they say.

 

[Snelly]

Maintain the triangle, as they say.

What has proper pubic topiary got to do with overswinging Murph?

 

[One Planer]

I would guess that you're either not resisting your shoulder turn with your hips and as a result your hips are turning too far or you're letting your right arm come away from your body........ Or Both

 

[Foxholer]

If you are trying to avoid an overswing, then consider the effects below.

Position of the thumbs can have a considerable effect. Hogan emphasised his change to 'short thumb' as being THE major contribution to his consistency. Thumbs on top create a better brace than otherwise.

Bracing the left wrist - pushing it up and away from the right shoulder (rightee) - should help, but can over-correct.

Be aware that collapsing either arm allows/encourages the weight of the club-head to dominate, often resulting in an overswing.

 

[Jimbooo]

I was overswinging of a sort - I was letting the grip of the club come away from the heel of my left palm at the top of my backswing - like a loosening of my grip.

Since I've consciously tried to keep the club grip from separating away from the heel of my left palm, it's sorted it.

Hope this helps. :thup:

 

[sawtooth]

Morning all.

Has anybody got any effective drills for preventing an overswing, particularly with the longer clubs?

I'm alright keeping the wedges and shorter irons nice and tight, but I let anything beyond a six iron get away from me, overswinging and taking it across the line at the top.

I've been practising just trying to keep it shorter, but still lose the clubhead on occasions. Worst effected is the driver - it's costing me plenty of distance and control. I end up with a slappy connection, and a big left to right.

Thanks in advance.

Get a 2 litre coke bottle and cut both ends off, slip ths over your leading arm covering your elbow. Then hit some golf balls.

You can play full shots with this, I've actually played full rounds with it on (under a top of course!).

It will stop you collapsing your arm and it also helps maintain good extension through impact. You can buy a genuine aid to do this but you dont need to , this works a treat. I used it to a point when I no longer needed to, I know now how far I need to go back (and turn) before I make my transition to the downswing. You wont be able to finish off the swing in the way that you would normally (because you are phyisically unable to fold your arm) but dont worry about that. Hit short shots with it at first.

Collapsing the elbow is one factor in overswing, the other is excessive breaking of the wrist at the top of the backswing. If you are doing this as well you are probably swinging back too fast. The wrist will break naturally a little with the longer shafted clubs, but if you go back too fast you will make this excessive.

Do you feel like your hands are losing or retaking your grip on the club at the top? Do you get any premature wear on your glove?

I had all of these faults pretty much, my swing was loose and I was changing gloves after only a few rounds.

 

[Whee]

Crikey, thanks so much for the replies guys, cracking stuff.

I think i'll try and get a video next time i'm at the range, and see what i'm doing well with the short irons, and try and put that into the swing with the longer clubs.

To answer a few points - I never lose sight of the ball during the back swing, I wrap my thumbs over the hand, rather than resting on the grip (i found this helped me loosen my grip a little), I could well be guilty of relaxing the left elbow a little bit (and I certainly feel as though i'm chopping not long after impact, with the left elbow coming up away from the body a little.

As a result of the overswing, I end up throwing the club head early I think (casting?) to try and get it back in position. I don't seem to get the right hand over on impact, so I guess I have poor extension through impact.

Good god this next range session is going to give me a headache haha!

Thanks again for the replies fellas, much appreciated.

 

[Whee]

Wow, what a difference some concentration makes.

Teed up on the first, concentrating on shorter back swing. Was aiming left of target ready for my normal slice... Managed a penetrating low draw that found a bunker, not disappointing at all.

Front 9 tee shots with driver:

1st, draw into bunker, missed fairway left.
2nd, push right, slight fade, miss fairway right.
3rd, fade from middle of fairway, miss fairway right.
4th, laced one down the left, faded into middle of the fairway.
5th, drilled one, stayed straight, missed fairway left by a yard.
7th, nobbed slightly, straight ball flight, but only just missed fairway right.
9th, high fade, missed fairway right.

Got to the 10th and absolutely creamed a 3 wood, middle of the fairway in wedge distance.
11th, slapped a pull out of the sweet spot, drilled left OOB, felt absolutely ace and I couldn't wait to tee up the penalty tee shot. Same shorter swing, ace connection, middle of the fairway. Something felt like it just worked properly!
12th, middle of the fairway into the wind where I normally struggle.
13th, 15th, 16th and 18th, all second shots played from middle of the fairway.

Also a positive, iron striking was better, although accuracy left a little to be desired. Had 1 GIR all day, but scrambled well and shot within 3 of my handicap... Lots of positives. Actually feels as if I've remembered how to drive through a ball and get it away.

Left arm straight, shorter swing, head behind ball, belt it - winning technique!

Got so excited I ordered new shinies!

 

[Region3]

It's good to hear of such an improvement from advice given on here.

Your front 9 sounds like me. I hit 2 fairways (from 14) on Monday at Sherwood Forest.

You spoilt the comparison with the back 9 though. Well done :thup:

 

[Whee]

It's great to just get reminders on what you're supposed to be doing. I used to take the club away beautifully with a great straight left arm, and power through the ball.... Think I'd let myself become a bit choppy, it had easily started costing me 25-35 yards with the driver. Just hope I can keep this accuracy up, makes such a difference!

Was a bit disappointed not to convert any of the approaches into GIR, but I turned up with a decent short game and had 3 or 4 up and downs from 50 yards and in.

Unfortunately, I think I'm going to play this weekend with bags of confidence, and we all know what that does to a handicap golfer haha!