Swing Analysis: Crossing the Line

Here I take two of my younger students who both cross the line at the top of the swing and show how I try to get them more on plane at the top. Both Joey and Zach are strong hitters who generate a lot of club speed, but both tend to lift their arms at the top and cross the line quite a bit. They are also similar in that they tend to be overly late with their release into the ball with their fairway woods and drivers, which makes it difficult to control the clubface through the ball. Joey has grown about 8 inches over the past year and a half and he still has remnants of the swing he used to generate power when he was small. Zach is a former hockey player who uses his arms to pull the club down from the top, and while that generates tremendous power he tends to hit it pretty crooked.
 
I wouldn’t take every person I see who crosses the line and change their positioning just to change it. For example, Dick Mast crosses the line quite a bit and I haven’t touched that part of his swing. He is 61 years old and already a great player, so there is no point messing with that. For young players, however, especially those who are not already world beaters, I think it would be remiss not to try to get the club in a position at the top that would make the forward swing and the squaring of the face simpler. I think you will find the different ideas I incorporate into the lessons quite interesting.