Shallowing Your Golf Swing: The Advanced Move for Consistent Ball Striking

What It Means to Shallow the Golf Swing

When golfers talk about “shallowing the club,” they’re describing a movement where the shaft becomes flatter, or more horizontal, as the downswing begins. The club drops slightly behind the hands, creating a shallower approach angle into the ball.

This move helps the club glide through impact rather than digging steeply into the turf — the key to that powerful, effortless contact you see from professionals.

A shallow swing lets the golfer deliver the club from the inside with less effort. The body can rotate freely, the wrists maintain lag longer, and the clubhead approaches the ball on a path that encourages both compression and distance. When done correctly, you’ll notice crisper iron shots, more consistent contact, and a tighter shot pattern.

By contrast, a steep swing comes down too vertically. This steep angle of attack can cause fat shots, slices, and excessive spin.

The shallowing move helps balance your swing — the downswing flattens slightly while the body rotates through, producing that ideal ball flight where contact feels soft but solid.

Why Most Golfers Get Too Steep

Most golfers naturally swing too steep because their upper body dominates the motion. They start the downswing by throwing the shoulders over the top rather than letting the lower body and arms sequence correctly.

This “over-the-top” move steepens the shaft immediately, forcing the club to cut across the ball.

Another reason for steep swings is lack of depth in the backswing. When the hands lift straight up instead of turning around the body, the club has nowhere to fall — it must come straight down. Players who rush their transition or start with the arms instead of the hips also fall into this pattern.

A steep downswing creates several predictable misses: pulls, slices, and thin shots. It also limits distance because it adds spin and removes the shallow compression that creates efficient energy transfer.

The fix begins with learning how to let the club fall naturally behind you as your body starts rotating open — the move that shallows the shaft instead of steepening it.

The Science Behind the Shallow Move

Shallowing the club isn’t just about flattening the shaft — it’s a product of proper sequencing. When the downswing starts, the lower body leads, the arms drop slightly, and the shaft tilts behind the hands as rotation begins.

This chain reaction is what you see in every Tour player. Their hips and chest start turning toward the target while their trail arm stays bent and close to the body. That creates room for the club to shallow naturally without losing speed or control.

The key is how the body and arms move together. If the upper body starts too early, the club steepens; if the lower body starts first and the trail arm stays soft, the club shallows. This move sets the club on an inside path that produces solid compression instead of glancing contact.

Shallowing also preserves lag. Because the hands stay ahead while the shaft drops flatter, the golfer stores energy until the last instant before impact. That’s why shallow players create effortless power — they use the ground and body rotation efficiently, not hand manipulation.

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How to Feel the Shallow Move

To shallow the club correctly, you need to learn the feel of the motion before trying to add speed. The key move starts as your hips rotate toward the target while your trail arm externally rotates — that’s the elbow moving in front of your body instead of behind it. This combination shallows the shaft while keeping it connected to your rotation.

A good swing thought is to let the club “fall” behind you as your body begins to unwind. You’re not forcing it to drop — you’re letting gravity and sequencing do the work. The shallowing happens naturally when your body leads and your arms stay relaxed.

Another helpful feel is to imagine the clubhead dropping behind your trail shoulder in transition. You want to see the shaft angle flatten slightly as the hands start down. If it steepens or points toward the ground early, your upper body is moving too soon.

Finally, picture your trail elbow brushing the front of your shirt on the way down. That motion keeps the club in front of your body, ensures it shallows properly, and gives you space to rotate through impact without flipping or stalling.

Drills to Train a Shallow Downswing

The best way to ingrain a shallower swing is through repetition with the right feels. You want drills that train the motion naturally, helping your body sequence correctly instead of forcing the shaft to drop behind you.

1. The Pump Drill
Start by taking your club to the top of your swing. From there, slowly begin your downswing halfway, stopping when the shaft starts to shallow behind your trail shoulder. Repeat this “pump” two or three times, then swing through to full finish. It helps you feel how the club drops into position as your lower body leads.

2. The Towel Under Arm Drill
Place a small towel under your trail arm and make half-swings without letting it fall out. This keeps your arm connected to your torso and prevents the club from steepening early. As your hips turn, the club will shallow naturally instead of lifting over the top.

3. The Wall Drill
Stand a few inches from a wall or net with your trail side closest to it. Take the club to the top and begin your downswing slowly. If your clubhead or hands hit the wall early, you’re coming down too steep. The correct motion will let the shaft glide down and miss the wall as your body opens up.

4. The Split-Hand Drill
Grip the club with your hands spaced about six inches apart. Make slow-motion swings and feel how the trail hand shallows the club by rotating slightly behind you. This builds awareness of the trail arm’s external rotation — one of the key pieces to a proper shallow move.

5. The Step-Through Drill
Start your backswing normally, then step your lead foot toward the target as you start the downswing. This forces your lower body to lead while your arms naturally drop behind you, helping the club shallow and move through impact in sync with your rotation.

Each of these drills targets a different part of the shallowing sequence. Practice them in slow motion, then gradually blend the feels into your full swing. The goal is to make the shallow move automatic — smooth, natural, and timed perfectly with your body’s rotation.

Common Mistakes When Trying to Shallow

Many golfers overdo the shallow move and create new problems instead of solving old ones. The most common mistake is shallowing too early, dropping the hands behind the body before the lower body has begun rotating. This causes the club to get stuck and forces a flip or hook at impact.

Another common error is stalling the hips through the downswing. Players who try to shallow the club but stop rotating their body end up swinging from the inside without face control. The club drops behind them, the body freezes, and the hands flip — leading to blocks or hooks depending on timing.

Some golfers also try to manually “lay the club down” by rolling their wrists or flattening the shaft intentionally. This usually causes the clubface to open and adds inconsistency. True shallowing happens from the body and arms working together, not from manipulating the wrists.

The best way to avoid these mistakes is to keep the motion simple. Let the hips start the downswing, let the trail arm stay bent and rotate externally, and keep light grip pressure so the club can fall naturally. When shallowing is done correctly, it feels effortless — smooth, connected, and powerful without tension.

Advanced Feels from the Pros

Watch any Tour player in slow motion and you’ll notice the same move — the club shallows beautifully in transition while their body rotates aggressively through impact. The secret is that they don’t force the shallow move. It happens as a natural reaction to proper sequencing and tension-free arms.

Rory McIlroy, for example, shallows the club early in the downswing while his hips and chest open toward the target. His trail elbow works in front of his body, not behind it, giving the club space to drop into a powerful slot. From there, he can rotate freely through the ball without fear of a block or slice.

Collin Morikawa does the same thing but with a smaller motion. His club shallows just enough to keep the face square while maintaining precision control of his path. It’s a shallowing move built on timing and consistency rather than big motion.

A good way to feel this is to imagine your arms falling as your body turns open. You’re not pulling down or forcing the shallowing — you’re allowing gravity and rotation to sync naturally. When you get it right, you’ll feel the club drop behind you slightly, then whip through impact with ease and compression.

The pros make this move look effortless because it is — biomechanically efficient, not muscled. That’s the feeling to chase: relaxed control, smooth sequence, and powerful rotation.

Final Takeaway: Shallow the Club, Strike It Pure

Shallowing your golf swing is one of the most important advanced moves for consistency. It gives you the perfect blend of power and control, letting the club glide through the ball instead of chopping down on it. Once you learn to sequence correctly — lower body leads, trail arm stays soft, and rotation completes — your contact and compression reach a new level.

The shallow move also helps you eliminate two major misses: the slice and the fat shot. Because your club approaches the ball on a neutral path, you deliver the face squarely and compress the ball cleanly every time. That’s how tour players produce that crisp, penetrating flight that feels effortless.

When you first train this move, go slow. Focus on the feel of the club shallowing behind you as your body rotates open. It should feel connected, balanced, and smooth. If it feels forced or rushed, you’re trying to make it happen instead of letting it happen.

True shallowing happens naturally through proper sequence, not manipulation. When you get it right, the strike feels soft, the flight stays strong, and every swing starts to look and sound like a pro. Mastering this move isn’t about changing your swing—it’s about unlocking its full potential.

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Thanks for reading today’s article!

Nick Foy – Golf Instructor