Tour Pros practice swings look over-the-top. Or just an illusion?

[binga7]

I seem to always notice when pros take a warmup or practice swing, to my eye it appears they swing across the line/over the top if you will.

As someone who has fought a natural slice for some time, I find it interesting if others see this or is it just my eye?

If this is deliberate I'd love to know why they do it?

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, binga7 said:

I seem to always notice when pros take a warmup or practice swing, to my eye it appears they swing across the line/over the top if you will.

As someone who has fought a natural slice for some time, I find it interesting if others see this or is it just my eye?

If this is deliberate I'd love to know why they do it?

I agree with you that it looks that way. Corey Paven has done it for a while. Tom Watson mentioned it in an interview. It is most likely to reinforce a swing feel.

http://www.golftoday.co.uk/golf_international_mag/features/tom_watson_interview.html

Quote

Q. You were inspired to make that change by Corey Pavin's eccentric pre-shot routine. Tell us about that. 

I had struggled with my game from around 1984 and got very frustrated. At one point I hated the game and even took a few months off to see if I could rekindle the fire. I was tired of getting the club stuck behind me and hitting the ball out to the right. I was beating my head against the wall and nothing worked. But then I pictured Corey Pavin's practice swing where he goes way inside and then comes way over the top to make a big loop. It gave me the down swing thought I needed to turn my upper body with my right shoulder higher and eliminate the pronounced ‘Reverse C' shape of my downswing in my previous swing. I immediately hit two perfect 3-irons and then played the Pro-Am and the tournament wonderfully.

 

[Wanzo]

My guess, it's probably an illusion if it seems that most do it. I'm sure some do and I would think those guys are guarding against a hook and want their last feel to be a "fade" move. I remember Corey pavin had a really exaggerated over the top practice swing but he would work the ball both ways. 

[iacas]

Just a little practice swing to help them ingrain the feel of not getting stuck, yeah.

[Ernest Jones]

As someone who battles a slice with the driver, I always look away when they do that "swinging hard left" move. Makes me want to puke. Ha ha. 

[Buckeyebowman]

Yes, it is deliberate. It is to counteract the usual "better players move" of coming a bit too much from the inside. They don't want the club getting stuck behind them, or to come into the shot too shallow. It's kind of the "exaggeration" that Haney talks about when trying to make a swing change.

[span3636]

Your eyes are not fooling you, but let me tell you a little nuance in what they are doing. They are working on "swinging left" to zero their club path. They want the club head to exit left after hitting the ball. When a person slices the ball the club head comes out over the hands and comes over the top. This little difference is almost impossible to pick up with your eye. If you want a training aid to help with path try the Plane Finder. I don't make any money off the link I just know the device has helped tremendously.