Updated on June 23rd, 2023 at 11:45 am

If you start listening to golfers talking about the game, the term over the top or casting will come up quite often. Of course, some of these players have no idea what they are talking about, but many will realize how important it is to have a shallow angle of attack when you hit the ball.

Shallowing the golf club through impact is not a new concept; in fact, it has been around for quite some time; however, it is quite important to learn how to do this. If you want to take your game to the next level in 2021, here are all the important factors to know about how to shallow the golf club.

How-to shallow the club – Step by step

Here are some of the basic steps involved in learning how to shallow your golf club. For each golfer, these steps could vary a bit. However, you will know your strengths and weaknesses and what is necessary to learn how to get this done.

Step 1: Perfect the takeaway

The takeaway of your golf swing is very likely the most important part. If your takeaway is correct, you will be able to get the rest of the swing to work out as it should. If your takeaway starts too quickly or gets off the plane right away, chances are you will struggle with the shallowing of the golf club.

Keep your takeaway low and slow and focus on the fact that it must go back down the line. If your hands or arms get overly involved in your takeaway, it is going to have a major impact on your ability to recover and hit the ball straight.

Step 2: Allow gravity to help

When you get to the top of your backswing, you can really make some big moves to help you shallow out your swing. At the top of the swing, your arms are going to need to drop into place. They fall slightly towards your body, and your right elbow (right handed golfer) gets tucked into the side.

As this happens, you will hear many golfers talk about the golf club dropping into the slot. The more your practice and perfect this move, the more you realize it is simply letting gravity take place. When your club reaches that parallel position, have it do nothing more than drop into place.

Step 3: Drive with the lower body

image of shallow the golf club - AEC Info

Once that club has dropped into the slot, you will need to lead the rest of your swing with the lower body. The lower body is extremely strong, and because of that, there is quite a bit of consistency involved. The more you learn to incorporate your larger muscles in the swing, the better your chance of staying consistent.

The lower body needs to turn and pull through the shot, and your arms will follow. If you have allowed gravity to do its thing and those arms are in the perfect spot, your club will be shallow. Driving with the lower body will not hurt you as long as you time it properly with the rest of your swing.

 

Step 4: Focus on the slot

If you can focus on this concept of getting the club into the slot and then pulling through with your legs, you will be amazed at what you can do to flatten out your swing plane. It takes many golfers a long time to get the feeling of swinging with the club more tucked in. The natural tendency for many players is to swing with their arms and hands and take the club over the top.

The golfer that can shallow out their swing using this method will see an increase in distance and consistency in their shots. If you can’t see what you are doing when you practice, try using golf alignment sticks or video to ensure that you are practicing with the proper lines.

Why is it important to shallow a golf swing?

A shallow golf swing allows you to hit the ball from the proper angle to promote distance, forgiveness, and better ball flight. Golfers that learn to repeat the swing from a shallow position will notice that their handicap gets considerably better in a short period of time. If you want the professionals, swinging over the top or casting is a very rare mistake.

Shallow the golf swing faq’s

Shallowing out the golf swing is something that even the best players work on from time to time. Here are some of the most asked questions about shallowing the golf swing and how you can get started in the process.

Why can’t I shallow the golf club?

Most of the time, golfers that can’t shallow the golf club are too active and involved with their hands and arms. If you want to get your swing plane correct, you need to focus on the larger muscles that can consistently repeat a golf shot.

What do I mean to shallow the club?

When you make a golf swing, you swing on a plane. The closer your golf club can stay to this plane, the better the result of your golf shot. Unfortunately, most amateur golfers have a very steep swing plane that causes poor results in both ball flight and direction.

Those that want to get better at the game need to shallow the swing and get it just below the recommended plane. This helps to promote a draw ball flight and more consistency.

Is a flatter golf swing better?

It only takes a few rounds of golf for you to quickly realize how many different ways there are to hit a ball. If you watch the professionals on tour, they all swing a different way. Flatter golf swings aren’t better, but they are more consistent. The closer you can get to having a flatter golf swing, the easier it will be to repeat golf shots. Players that can repeat something consistently start to score quite low.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now feel as though you know how to shallow the club. Although different teaching professionals will approach this concept in various ways, this seems to be the best overall choice for most golfers. You will not shallow your golf swing out in one afternoon on the range; it takes a bit of time to learn this process and really get it down.

That is why there have been several golf sing plane trainers Over time you will understand what it takes and the benefits of hitting the ball from a more shallow swing plane. For more information check out the rest of AECInfo.org.