Controlled-Top Stop
Stop the backswing where the lead arm stays long, so the top stops running away.
Use this if
Your top runs past parallel and the lead arm bends.
The fault
Overswing: the turn keeps going, the lead arm bends and the club drops past parallel.
Steps
- Swing back slowly and stop when your hands reach shoulder height
- Check the lead arm is still long and the trail knee still flexed
- Hold one beat, then swing through to a full finish
- Hit 10 balls with the same three-quarter top
- A full turn you can control, not a bigger one
Stop where the lead arm stays long
Reps
5 stop-and-check rehearsals, then 2 x 5 balls at 75%
Why it works
Stopping where the lead arm is still long sets a top you can repeat. A loose, long top usually comes from the arms and wrists over-running the body, not from a bigger useful turn.
You need
Club, ball
At home
No-ball rehearsals work anywhere. A mirror face-on shows the lead arm at the top.
More Backswing Turn drills
Hip-Stick Turn: Back
Turn your hips around a steady center instead of sliding them off the ball
Stick Outside the Trail Foot
An upright stick at the outside edge of the trail foot flags any slide as you turn back
Load the Trail Heel
Move pressure into the inside of the trail heel going back, so you don't reverse pivot