Short answer: You stop coming over the top by starting the downswing with your lower body instead of your shoulders and arms. Let your hips shift and rotate first, keep your trail elbow in front of your hip, and shallow the club so it approaches from inside the target line. A swing plane trainer gives you the feedback to make that path a feel rather than a thought.
What coming over the top actually means
Coming over the top means the club moves out and away from your body at the start of the downswing, so it arrives at the ball on an out-to-in path, cutting across the target line. Pair that path with an open clubface and you get a slice. Pair it with a closed face and you get a pull. Either way, the path is the problem you need to solve.
Why it happens
Almost always because the shoulders start the downswing. It is an instinct rather than a technical flaw. When you want to hit something hard, your upper body wants to do the work, so your trail shoulder throws forward and the club follows it outwards. A weak grip makes it worse, because an open face at impact quietly trains you to swipe left just to keep the ball on the planet. That outward move of the club is also the most common cause of the shanks, which is why the two faults so often turn up together.
Drill 1: the pump drill
Take your backswing, then pump the club down to waist height three times, feeling your trail elbow drop in front of your hip while your back stays turned away from the target. On the third pump, hit the shot. This teaches the sequence at a speed slow enough that you can actually feel what is happening.
Drill 2: the headcover gate
Place a headcover about a foot outside the ball and slightly behind it. If you come over the top, you will hit the headcover. Most golfers find an inside path within a handful of swings, because the feedback is immediate and impossible to argue with.
Drill 3: train the plane directly
A golf swing plane trainer gives your arms a physical guide to swing under, so the correct shallow path stops being something you think about and becomes something you feel. This is the fastest route for most golfers, because an out-to-in path is a motor pattern. Motor patterns change through repetition with feedback, not through understanding the theory.
Check your grip first
If your hands are turned too far towards the target on the club, the face will arrive open and you will keep swinging left to compensate. Before you rebuild your downswing, check that you can see two to three knuckles on your lead hand at address. A grip trainer makes that position automatic. Your aim matters here too. Shoulders pointed right of target force the same across-the-ball correction, and our guide to golf stance and ball position shows how to check it.
How long does it take to fix?
An out-to-in path is a habit built over years, so give it a few weeks of short, regular practice rather than one long range session. Most golfers see the ball start to straighten within two to three weeks of daily ten minute rehearsals at home.
Frequently asked questions
Is coming over the top the same as a slice?
Not quite. Coming over the top is the path. A slice is what happens when that path meets an open clubface. Fix the path on its own and an open face turns into a pull instead, which is why the grip usually needs checking too.
Can you fix coming over the top without lessons?
Yes, if you use feedback. The fault persists because you cannot see it while you swing, so drills with a physical reference such as a headcover gate or a swing plane trainer work far better than swing thoughts alone.
Should I swing slower to stop coming over the top?
Slower rehearsals help you learn the sequence, but the goal is a correct path at full speed. Rehearse slowly, then commit to the shot.
Browse our anti-slice training aids to train the fix at home.