What is a shallow golf swing? A shallow golf swing means the club shaft lies flatter on the downswing, closer to the ground, just before impact. This helps you hit the ball better and further. It is a key move for better golfers.
Why Shallowing the Golf Swing Matters
Many average golfers swing too steep. This means the club comes down sharply from the top. A steep angle causes problems. These problems include slicing, topping the ball, or hitting the ground first (a fat shot).
Shallowing the golf swing creates a better shallow golf swing plane. This flatter plane lets the club approach the ball from the inside. This inside path is what most good players use. It delivers power efficiently. It makes shots straighter and longer.
Benefits of a Flatter Swing
Getting a flatter swing offers huge gains. Think about distance and control.
- More Distance: An inside path means less slice spin. Less side spin means the ball flies straighter and carries further.
- Better Consistency: When the club comes from the inside, there is a larger margin for error at impact. You hit the sweet spot more often.
- Easier to Hit Different Shots: Shallowing the golf swing makes it simpler to hit draws. It also helps you control trajectory better.
Deciphering the Shallow Golf Swing Plane
The swing plane is like an invisible line the club travels on. In the backswing, the plane is set. In the downswing, the goal is to drop the club onto that same plane, or slightly shallower.
The Transition: Where Shallowing Happens
Shallowing is not about the backswing or impact alone. It happens in the transition. The transition is the short moment between the top of the backswing and the start of the downswing.
During this moment, your body starts to unwind. If your lower body moves first, it naturally drops the hands and club behind you. This is the magic of shallowing the downswing.
If your arms start first, the club stays high. This steepens the angle. We want to avoid that steep action.
Easy Fixes to Achieve a Shallow Golf Swing
You don’t need complex changes. Small adjustments can make a big difference. Here are some easy shallow golf swing fixes.
Fix 1: Focus on Lower Body Movement
The engine of the shallow move is the lower body. Your hips must initiate the downswing.
Feeling a Shallow Golf Swing
To get the right feeling a shallow golf swing, think about unwinding your lower half first.
- Start the Move: As you finish your backswing, feel your lead hip (left hip for right-handers) start to move toward the target.
- Keep Hands Quiet: Keep your hands relatively still for a split second while the lower body starts. This allows the club to drop naturally.
- Hips Lead Arms: Imagine your hips pulling your arms down, rather than your arms pulling your body.
This sensation encourages the correct sequencing needed for a shallow golf swing plane.
Fix 2: The ‘Throwing’ Sensation (For the Driver)
When using a driver, the goal is slightly different. We want maximum speed with a slight upward angle of attack. How to shallow your driver relies heavily on rotation and lag.
Use this technique to promote shallowing with the driver:
- Head Stays Back: Keep your head slightly behind where the ball is positioned at address. This keeps your chest from spinning out too fast.
- Rotational Pull: Think about rotating your chest toward the target, but let your hands naturally drop behind your body as you turn.
- Shallow Path: This rotation ensures the club comes from the inside. A steep path with a driver often leads to a huge slice. A shallow iron swing path concept applies here too, but with less concern for hitting the ground first.
Fix 3: Adjusting the Takeaway
The start of the swing sets the tone. A common mistake is taking the club too far outside on the takeaway.
- One-Piece Move: Make the first few feet of the takeaway feel connected. The hands, arms, and clubhead move together.
- Hands Inside: At about waist height, the clubhead should look like it is slightly inside your hands, not outside them. This small adjustment promotes an inside track for the rest of the swing.
This simple alignment adjustment supports a shallow golf swing drill starting point.
Drills for Promoting Shallowing
Practice is crucial. Using specific drills helps ingrain the proper motion. These drills help isolate the feeling needed for proper shallowing.
Drill 1: The Towel Under the Arm Drill
This classic drill forces synchronization between the body and arms, which aids shallowing.
- Place a small hand towel tucked under your lead armpit (left armpit for righties).
- Make half swings, focusing on keeping the towel pinned until the downswing starts.
- If you lift your arms steeply or use them too early, the towel will fall out immediately.
- This forces the arms to drop into the slot, leading to a shallowing drill for irons effect.
Drill 2: The Two-Ball Drill
This drill works on the inside path necessary for shallowing.
- Place one ball where you would normally hit it.
- Place a second ball about 6 inches directly behind the first one and slightly to the outside.
- Your goal is to hit the front ball without hitting the back ball.
- To avoid the back ball, you must approach the front ball from the inside. This naturally encourages a shallow golf swing plane.
Drill 3: The Pump Drill
This drill specifically targets the feeling of shallowing the downswing sequence.
- Take the club to the top of your backswing.
- Without fully completing the swing, let your lower body start the move down.
- As your hips unwind, let the club shaft drop down and slightly behind you (shallowing).
- Return the club back to the top position.
- Repeat this “pump” motion 3-5 times, focusing on that dropping sensation.
- Finally, swing through, trying to hold that shallow position through impact.
This is a fantastic shallow golf swing drill for grooving the transition.
Common Mistakes That Prevent Shallowing
If you are struggling, you might be falling into one of these common traps. Identifying the error is the first step to fixing it.
Mistake 1: Over-the-Top Move (Steepening)
This is the most common fault among amateurs trying to hit the ball hard.
- Cause: Starting the downswing with the shoulders or arms instead of the hips.
- Result: The club travels outside-to-in, creating slices or pulls.
- Fix: Go back to the lower body focus. Feel the belt buckle turn toward the target before the arms drop.
Mistake 2: Casting or Early Release
Casting is releasing the wrist angles (lag) too early in the downswing. This steepens the shaft immediately.
- Cause: Trying to hit the ball with the hands too early.
- Result: Loss of power and a steep angle of attack.
- Fix: Focus on maintaining wrist hinge deep into the downswing. The feeling a shallow golf swing often involves feeling like you are delaying the release until the last possible moment.
Mistake 3: Excessive Body Sway
Swaying means moving your entire body laterally away from the target on the backswing, instead of rotating.
- Cause: Fear of swinging too hard or poor balance.
- Result: An inconsistent low point in the swing, often leading to a steep descent as the body tries to recover back toward the ball.
- Fix: Keep your spine angle relatively stable during the backswing. Focus on turning around your spine, not sliding along the ground.
Technical Aspects: Clubface Control and Shallowing
Shallowing the club is only half the battle. You must also control the clubface through impact. A very shallow swing with an open face will still slice.
Relationship Between Path and Face
For a straight shot, the clubface angle must match the swing path at impact.
| Swing Path | Clubface Angle | Shot Result |
|---|---|---|
| Inside-to-Out | Square to Path | Push or Straight Drive |
| Inside-to-Out | Closed to Path | Draw (Ideal for distance) |
| Outside-to-In | Square to Path | Pull or Straight Shot |
| Outside-to-In | Open to Path | Slice (Most common amateur shot) |
When you successfully shallow your iron swing path, you are creating an inside-to-out motion. You must then ensure your face is square or slightly closed relative to that path for optimal results.
Using Video Analysis
To confirm you are achieving a shallow golf swing plane, filming your swing is invaluable.
- Set up your camera outside the target line, pointing at your body.
- Watch the transition phase.
- The shaft should appear to drop slightly behind your hands just after the hips start moving down. If the shaft moves out and away from you, you are steepening.
These simple checks give objective feedback on your shallow golf swing tips.
Adjusting Shallowing for Different Clubs
While the concept is universal, the execution changes based on the club length and loft.
Shallowing the Driver vs. Irons
How to shallow your driver requires more room for error than irons. The driver has a longer shaft, which naturally promotes a flatter plane if rotated correctly.
For irons, especially short irons, precision is key. A very shallow approach can lead to hitting the ball fat if you don’t match the drop with the right amount of forward shaft lean.
- Long Irons (3, 4): Benefit hugely from shallowing to keep the ball flight lower and straighter. They need a slightly shallower approach than short irons.
- Short Irons (9, PW): While shallowing is good, a little more downward force is needed to control trajectory and spin. Too much shallowing here can lead to thin shots (skulled shots).
The overall goal for a shallow iron swing path is consistency on that flatter plane.
The Role of Shaft Lean
Shaft lean is the forward tilt of the shaft toward the target at impact.
- Irons: Require significant forward lean. Shallowing should happen before impact, allowing you to add the forward lean through body rotation without steepening the shaft too early.
- Driver: Requires almost zero forward lean, often even a slight backward lean. If you successfully shallow the driver, your hands should naturally be in the right position relative to the ball at impact.
If you are struggling with thinning iron shots while trying to shallow, you might be overcompensating by releasing the angle too late, causing the clubhead to bottom out behind the ball. Experiment with a shallowing drill for irons that emphasizes hitting slightly up on the ball with the lower body rotation.
Making Shallowing Feel Natural
The biggest hurdle is making this move feel natural instead of forced.
Tempo and Rhythm
A jerky transition prevents the club from dropping correctly. A fast, jerky transition usually means the arms are firing too soon.
- Slow Down Transition: Try counting “One (top) … and (downswing starts).” The “and” should be smooth, not rushed. A good tempo allows gravity to help shallow the club.
- Use Gravity: Think about letting the weight of the club pull your hands down and slightly back. This is a key shallow golf swing tip.
Using Alignment Aids
For practice, setting up visual guides helps reinforce the shallow golf swing plane.
- Place an alignment stick just outside the ball, angled slightly across the target line away from you.
- Your goal in the downswing is to swing under or inside this stick.
- If you come over the top, the stick will be knocked away. This gives immediate feedback on achieving an easy shallow golf swing.
Advanced Tips for Maintaining the Shallow Slot
Once you start shallowing, how do you keep it consistent under pressure?
Incorporate Weight Shift Early
True shallowing requires proper weight transfer. The lead foot needs to accept weight early in the downswing.
- Feel like you are “stepping” onto your lead side as you start the move down.
- This shift pulls the center of gravity correctly. It encourages the hips to unwind.
- When the hips unwind correctly, the arms have no choice but to drop into a shallow slot.
Practice without a Ball
Sometimes, focusing only on the feeling helps more than hitting balls.
- Take 20 practice swings focusing only on the shallow drop.
- Stop at the halfway point of the downswing (hands around waist height).
- Check the club position. It should look like the shaft is parallel or slightly flatter than your target line. If it points outside that line, you steepened it again.
These mindful repetitions build muscle memory for shallowing the downswing.
Summary of Easy Shallow Golf Swing Fixes
Achieving a shallow swing is about sequence, not brute strength. Focus on these key takeaways:
- Lower Body First: Let the hips initiate the downswing.
- Stay Connected: Avoid letting the arms disconnect from the body early.
- Drill Often: Use the pump drill or the two-ball drill regularly.
- Check the Transition: Ensure the club drops behind you, not out away from you.
By focusing on these shallow golf swing tips and implementing the drills, you will quickly notice a more powerful and consistent ball flight.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Can I shallow my swing if I already slice the ball badly?
Yes! A bad slice is often the direct result of a steep, outside-in swing. Shallowing corrects the path. Focus heavily on the hip initiation drill to start rebuilding that inside track.
Q2: Does shallowing mean I have to swing slower?
No. Shallowing helps build lag, which stores energy. When done correctly, the shallow move allows you to release that stored energy efficiently at impact, often resulting in more distance, not less.
Q3: How long will it take to see results from a shallowing drill?
Some golfers feel the feeling a shallow golf swing after just a few repetitions. Consistency takes time, usually a few weeks of dedicated practice (15-20 minutes per session) to make the move automatic on the course.
Q4: Should I shallow my pitching wedge as much as my driver?
You should aim for the same mechanic (hips starting the move), but the resulting path will look slightly steeper with a wedge. Due to the shorter shaft and higher loft, a wedge naturally requires a slightly steeper angle of attack than a driver to maximize compression.
Q5: What is the difference between shallowing and dropping the club?
Shallowing is the result of a correct transition. Dropping is the physical action where the shaft angle decreases. When you start the downswing with your lower body, the club naturally “drops” onto a shallower plane.