Nina Caldwell
Shallowing the golf club is an advanced move that can help golfers hit the ball longer and straighter. It involves flattening the club out more horizontally on the downswing, which is the opposite of the over-the-top motion that many amateur golfers make. To shallow the club, golfers should focus on their weight shift and lead wrist during the downswing, as well as the tempo of their swing. Starting the downswing with the lower body can also help to shallow the club.
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What You'll Learn
Start with your lower body, not your arms
To shallow your downswing in golf, it's important to focus on initiating the downswing with your lower body rather than your arms. This means starting the downswing with a subtle but powerful hip movement, which will help you achieve a shallower angle of attack and improve your ball-striking consistency.
Here's a step-by-step guide to help you master this technique:
Begin by setting up to the ball as you normally would, ensuring a comfortable stance and a steady posture. Distribute your weight evenly between both legs at address, this will help you maintain balance throughout the swing.
As you start your backswing, shift your weight onto your right side (for right-handed golfers), turning your hips and shoulders together. Keep your lower body stable and avoid any excessive lower body movement that could disrupt your balance.
At the top of your backswing, begin your downswing by initiating a subtle but decisive hip rotation toward the target. Imagine your hips are the engine of your swing, driving the club down toward the ball. This hip rotation should be the first move down, not your arms or shoulders.
As your hips start the downswing, your arms and club will be naturally pulled into a shallower plane. This will help you achieve a more efficient angle of attack, improving your chances of making solid contact with the ball.
Continue the downswing, focusing on keeping your arms and club in sync with your body. Your hands and arms should not lead the downswing; instead, they should be responding to the movement initiated by your hips. This will help you maintain a consistent rhythm and tempo.
By starting with your lower body, you'll find that your swing becomes more controlled and coordinated. This technique will help you shallow your downswing, leading to more consistent ball-striking and improved accuracy. Practice this move slowly at first, grooving a repeatable move before building up to full speed.
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Slow down your swing
One of the most common issues with golfers is a steep downswing, which can cause a loss of speed and power. This is often caused by starting the downswing with the upper body, rather than the lower body. By focusing on slowing down your swing, you can improve your tempo and make consistent contact with the ball.
Start by practising a smooth, easy tempo in your swing. Emphasise a pause at the top of your swing between the backswing and the downswing. This will help you to generate power and put your club into a shallower position.
Another way to improve your tempo is to use an alignment stick. Place the stick in the ground at a 45-degree angle and practise swinging without making contact with it. This will help you to avoid a steep downswing and encourage a smoother, slower motion.
When you begin your downswing, focus on using your legs to create power and momentum. This is a technique used by professionals such as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, who start their downswing with a small squat to activate their legs. By using your legs more, you can slow down your swing and improve your overall technique.
Additionally, pay attention to your weight distribution. A proper weight shift during your downswing will help to shallow your shaft angle. Shift the majority of your weight (about 55-60% for right-handed players) to your left or forward side before opening your hips. This will help you to use the ground more effectively and get the club behind you.
By focusing on slowing down your swing and improving your tempo, you can achieve a shallower downswing and make more consistent contact with the ball.
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Avoid an over-the-top casting motion
"Coming over the top" is a common error in golf, where the golfer's upper body (particularly the shoulders and arms) moves outwards instead of downwards during the downswing. This often occurs alongside casting, a premature uncocking of the wrists or straightening of the angle formed by the left arm and the club from the top of the swing. Casting releases the stored energy in the swing too early, resulting in a loss of power.
To avoid an over-the-top casting motion, it is important to initiate the downswing with the lower body, using the legs to create power and momentum. This can be achieved by shifting the majority of your weight to your left or forward side before opening your hips. This will allow you to use the ground and get the club more behind you, resulting in a shallower swing plane.
Another way to shallow your swing is to focus on your tempo. By slowing down your swing and emphasising a pause at the top, you can generate more power and put your club into a shallower position.
Additionally, understanding and maintaining proper wrist angles during your swing can help prevent casting. With the help of training tools like HackMotion, you can analyse your swing and make adjustments to improve your angles and contact with the ball.
Finally, drills such as the wall drill or using alignment sticks can provide instant feedback on the steepness of your swing and help you correct any issues.
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Use an alignment stick
Alignment sticks are a must-have in your golf bag and can be purchased online, at your local golf warehouse, or at a golf course near you. They are an inexpensive training aid that can help improve multiple facets of your game.
If you're an amateur golfer, one of the components of your swing that you may want to focus on is "shallowing". Shallowing your golf swing means getting your club into a more horizontal position during your downswing. This will likely improve your ball striking due to the angle of attack you're taking toward the ball.
To use an alignment stick to shallow your swing, place it in the ground at a 30-degree to 45-degree angle behind you, pointing toward the ball. Position it so that you'll hit the stick if you swing over the top on the downswing. This is a great way to shallow the plane and create a more inside-out swing path.
You can also use an alignment stick as a visual aid and checkpoint while practicing. Set the club on the ground at the same angle as your shaft at setup. For a driver, this will be a shallower angle than for a wedge. As you take the club back, make sure you are following the plane. Stop again and check on the downswing to see if everything is in the right spot.
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Focus on your weight shift
Shallowing your golf swing is important for achieving consistency and improving your game. One of the key ways to achieve this is by focusing on your weight shift.
Many golfers make the mistake of starting their downswing with their upper body, which leads to a steep swing plane and a loss of power. Instead, you should focus on shifting your weight to your left or forward side at the top of your swing. This small squat, or "ground force", helps generate power and uses your legs more in the swing. Approximately 80% of your weight should be on your left side before you open your hips, allowing you to use the ground and get the club behind you.
To achieve this, you can practice a drill where you start with your feet together, then take a small step with your left foot as you begin the downswing. This will help you master the motion of using your legs to create power.
Another way to focus on your weight shift is to ensure that your clubhead is trailing your hands during the transition from backswing to downswing. This will help you achieve a shallower shaft angle, as your upper body will lag behind your lower body.
Additionally, you can try the "wall drill". Stand with your back to a wall and swing your club down, feeling as if you're dragging the club down the wall. This will help you avoid the common mistake of an over-the-top swing, keeping your swing direct and shallow.
By focusing on your weight shift and practicing these drills, you'll be able to shallow your downswing, improve your consistency, and boost your swing speed.
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Frequently asked questions
Shallowing the club refers to the club's shaft motion in the downswing. It is important to shallow the club to improve contact with longer irons, increase consistency, and boost swing speed.
The biggest mistake golfers make when trying to shallow the club is trying to do so with their hands. Your hands should feel passive, and your weight should be shifted to your left side.
To shallow the club, you should start the downswing with your lower body, not your arms. You should also focus on your weight shift and your lead wrist during the downswing.
Yes, you can use an alignment stick or a wall drill to help shallow the club. For the alignment stick drill, place the stick in the ground about 3-4ft behind you in line with your toes and try to keep the clubhead inside the "line" during your downswing. For the wall drill, simply stand in front of a wall and practice your swing, making sure to drag the clubhead down the wall during your downswing.
