Golf Swing Error – Illustrated Guide

Golfers who struggle with an over swing often don’t know it. That is because the clues that can help diagnose the swing error are located behind your head. Indeed, since the shaft of the club is not visible to golfers at the top of the swing – since it is behind them – they often don’t realize that they went over and beyond what was required of their backswing.

Follow the tips below to get rid of your over swing and for tips on how to fix this swing error.

What is an Over Swing?

Club Past Parallel at the Top

Before we define an over swing proper we must first determine what a good top of the swing position looks like. One of the characteristics of that swing position is how your hands position the club in relation to the ground.

A good, full backswing generally should end when the club is pointing between 2 and 3 o’clock, if we were to imagine clock hour hands anchored at the grip end of your club.

Now during an over swing, the shaft of the golf club will cross past 3 o’clock – and what would be parallel to the ground – and will point at the ground instead. This is in contrast to seeing the club pointing up slightly, or just above parallel to the ground.

Problems Associated with an Over Swing

Loss of Power and Distance

The first problem associated with an over swing is lack of practice with this exaggerated swing amplitude. Meaning that the golfer, again probably not knowing his swing suffers from this, will visit the practice range and hit balls with a perfectly correct backswing length and regular swing rhythm.

Only when he moves over to the golf course will he engage with overswinging his club and as a result of not practicing this swing amplitude, will see his timing affected. This will result ultimately in a golf shot scatter will be all over the place.

It can also lead to deceleration, i.e., the decel swing error.

But the main problem associated with an over swing is that it generally leads to shots that don’t go as far as they could otherwise, quite the tragedy since that’s often the objective being pursued here. Indeed, save for the John Daly’s and participants of the longest drive challenges of the world, golfers will generally hit the ball further with a controlled backswing.

The proof can be seen in the Pro golfers that you see on TV, where most if not all don’t push their golf club past parallel to the ground and still hit it an incredible distance.

How to Fix an Over Swing

Take a Video of your Live (Not Practice) Full Swings

The best way to fix your overswing is to actually see it as it happens with your own, live full swings. And the best way to see it is to record yourself. Sure, mirrors go a long way in training you to stop going overboard in your backswing but again, the problem with an over swing is that it often happens when you are on the course, and not when you are in your garage or at the practice facility where you can see yourself in a mirror.

So if at all possible, ask a friend to film you while you are actually hitting a real golf shot during a real golf round. Once you can see yourself doing it, train yourself to stop your backswing before your club starts pointing at the ground. It might feel like you are not fully swinging at the ball initially but after a while you will gain confidence in your new swing amplitude.