AlignmentSlice (correction of…) All clubs Intermediate ⏱ 12 min 🇫🇷 Video in French

Coming Over the Top and Alignment: Fix the Root Cause

Name: Coming Over the Top and Alignment: Fix the Root Cause
Uploaded: 2023-07-31T12:00:00+00:00
Duration: 12 min 21 s
Channel: Renaud Poupard
Description: Shots that go straight to the left or slices: what if your shoulder movement is just a compensatory action? On the Los Arqueros course in Spain, Renaud Poupard (coursdegolf.net) demonstrates that this often stems from an alignment that’s too far to the right, and how to correct it in two steps.

Shots that go straight to the left or slices: what if your shoulder movement is just a compensatory action? On the Los Arqueros course in Spain, Renaud Poupard (coursdegolf.net) demonstrates that this often stems from an alignment that’s too far to the right, and how to correct it in two steps.

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Renaud Poupard · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

Schedule · Step 4 of 7Fix Your Slice in 7 StepsValid when: With the club on the ground, your feet are parallel to the line of play on every shot.

Step 5 →

To be continued

4 minSame problemReading Greens with Your Feet, Justin Rose's WayJustin Rose · Intermediate 10 minSame problemBrooks Koepka's Fairway Finder: The Safe FadeBrooks Koepka · Intermediate / Expert 9 minFrom the same proLetting Go on the Golf Course: Renaud PoupardRenaud Poupard · Beginner / Intermediate

What the lesson shows

The push brings the club back above the plane on a downhill slope, shots go straight to the left or become slices. According to Renaud Poupard, such a significant error doesn’t happen by chance: in the vast majority of cases, it compensates for an earlier mistake, alignment. At the driving range, the mat lines up the players; on the course, most amateur players line up too far to the right, because the eye sees the lines converging toward the horizon, like railroad tracks. The brain still wants to send the ball toward the target: it brings the club back from the outside, and that’s how the over-the-top move happens.

Step 1: Place a club on the ground and position your feet parallel to the line of play—or even slightly to the left to correct your alignment. Check your alignment on the course by placing a club on the ground after your shot, or by having someone film you. Note: It takes a little while to adjust, and at first, your shots may veer even further to the left. Step 2: quit the club at the top of the backswing. A pendulum doesn't swing forward on its own; if left to gravity, the club falls behind you and comes back from the inside. On the driving range, a brief pause at the top helps you get a feel for it.

The Exercise, Step by Step

Place a club or a stick on the ground to mark the line of play.
Place your feet parallel to this line; if you tend to swing your shoulders, align yourself very slightly to the left.
On the course, after taking a shot, place a club in front of your feet or have someone film you to check your alignment.
At the top of your backswing, pause briefly at the driving range.
Let the club, your arms, and your shoulders fall naturally, without making any effort to bring it forward.
Finish the swing while staying relaxed.

Key Takeaways

The shoulder charge brings the club back into the picture.

This is most often a way to correct an alignment that is too far to the right.

On the course, the eye is deceived: the lines seem to converge toward the horizon.

A club on the ground helps you check that your feet are parallel to the line of play.

After correction, the imbalance may persist for a while.

At the top, letting the club fall by gravity causes it to swing back from the inside.

Mistakes to Avoid

Rely on the alignment you achieve on a driving range mat.
Unintentionally veering too far to the right on the course.
Correct the shoulder movement without worrying about alignment.
Conclude that the correction isn't working because the balls initially go further to the left.
Add a driving motion that brings the club back in front of you at the start of the downswing.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

Keep the club on the ground with every swing to align your feet
A sharp stop at the top, then the club falls due to gravity
On the course: checking alignment after the shot or via video
Be willing to take a few shots off-target during the transition

Your Questions

Why does misalignment cause a shoulder injury?

When the body is aligned too far to the right, it senses that the target is to the left of its line. To send the ball there, it brings the club back from the outside, over the plane: this is the over-the-top move.

Why am I aligned properly at the driving range but not on the course?

At the driving range, you naturally line up on the mat. On the course, your eyes see the lines converging toward the horizon, like railroad tracks, and you think you’re aligned parallel to the target when you’re actually aiming to the right.

I adjusted my stance, and now my shots are going even further to the left—is that normal?

Yes, according to Renaud Poupard. For a while, the body retains the habit of coming over the top, which used to compensate for the old alignment. You have to accept it: the change comes later, especially with the feeling that you’re letting the club down.

What does it mean to “give up on the team” at the start of the relegation battle?

Don't add anything: at the top of the swing, the weight of the club, your arms, and your shoulders causes it to drop vertically behind you. It then comes back from the inside, in the opposite direction of the over-the-top move.

Learn More

All “Alignment” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you All “Slice” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you Weak Grip and Slices: The Domino Effect with the DriverA grip that's too loose triggers a chain of errors (open shoulders, locked hips, poorly positioned right elbow) that are corrected in order, from the grip to the finish. An Open Clubface at Impact: A Lesson from Hank HaneyClose the face before the ball by rotating the back of your left hand, with a flatter swing directed to the right: a live lesson with a beginner. Coming Over the Top: The Left Arm CheckpointComing over the top starts with the left arm drifting outward; keeping it in line with your feet on the way down straightens out the club path. Renaud PoupardAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Renaud Poupard). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons, without hosting them.