You've no doubt heard somebody make a reference to the club being "laid off" or "crossing the line" at the top of the swing. Do you know what these terms mean? More importantly, do you know what they say about your swing? Visualize standing behind a golfer, looking through him toward the target. At the top of a perfect swing, the clubshaft points directly at the target. That indicates the club is on-plane and in position to come down into impact directly along the target line. If the clubshaft points right of the target, it is "laid off." If the clubshaft points left of the target, it is "crossing the line."
LAID OFF
From a laid-off position, the club has to swing out and over into impact, cutting across the ball on an out-to-in path. If the clubface is open to the path at impact, the result is a slice. If the face is aligned in the direction of the path, the result is a pull to the right. Getting laid off happens for one or more of the
following reasons:
1) the arms lift the club during the backswing;
2) the body turn is abbreviated or restricted;
3) the right-hand grip is weak (rotated too far counter-clockwise on the club).
CROSSING THE LINE
This swing crime is only a misdemeanor, but if unchecked, it can cause major problems. When the clubshaft points left of the target at the top, it is most likely going to come down into impact from the inside, a power position that often produces a nice draw. Therefore, it's okay if your club crosses the line a bit at the top. However, if the clubshaft points way left of the target, it indicates that you're either tilting your body instead of turning it or your left elbow is very high at the top of the swing, "flying" away from the right side. Both positions encourage an over-the-top move on the downswing and the same out-to-in clubhead path that produces a slice or pull (depending on clubface alignment at impact). Again, focus on turning the torso during the backswing and keep the left elbow close to the body as you swing to the top.
