Can a Golf Swing Be Too Shallow?

Thinking you need to get your golf swing as shallow as possible might feel like chasing the secret sauce of the pros, but it’s a path that can lead you right into a frustrating two-way miss. Yes, a golf swing absolutely can be too shallow. This article will break down what a shallow swing plane actually is, the benefits of getting it right, the warning signs that you’ve gone too far, and - most importantly - how to dial it back to that just right spot.

What Do We Mean By a “Shallow” Swing, Anyway?

Let's keep this simple. Imagine two amusement park rides. A steep swing is like a Ferris wheel - it goes up and down pretty vertically. A shallow swing is more like a merry-go-round - it moves more horizontally, or around. In golf terms, the "swing plane" is the imaginary tilted circle the clubhead traces around your body during the swing.

When coaches and pros talk about "shallowing the club," they're talking about a specific move in the transition from the backswing to the downswing. It’s where the club drops slightly, moving from a more upright position at the top to a flatter, more rounded path as it approaches the ball. This is generally a fantastic move because it encourages the club to approach the ball from the inside, which is a key component for creating power and hitting a controlled draw.

The goal isn't to be as flat or "around" as humanly possible. The goal is to move the club on a path that works in harmony with your body’s rotation, not against it. When you get that right, the results are fantastic. When you overdo it, the problems begin to stack up.

When Shallow is Sweet: The Benefits of a Goldilocks Swing Plane

Before we look at the dangers, it's important to understand why a properly shallowed swing is so sought after. When your swing plane is in that "Goldilocks" zone - not too steep, not too shallow - you unlock some wonderful benefits:

• Effortless Power: A good shallowing move allows the body to be the engine of the swing. Instead of using your arms to "chop" down at the ball, you can simply unwind your torso and let the club whip through the impact zone. This is how smaller players can generate so much clubhead speed - they are using their rotation, not just their arm strength.
• Consistent Contact: A Ferris wheel swing has a very narrow "bottom" of its arc. If your timing is slightly off, you’ll either dig a deep trench (fat) or catch the ball on the upswing (thin). The merry-go-round, shallow swing creates a much wider and more forgiving bottom to the swing arc. This gives you a greater margin for error, helping you consistently strike the ball first and then take a shallow, crisp divot after.
• Desired Shot Shape: For many golfers, the holy grail is curing a slice. An inside-to-out swing path, which a properly shallowed club promotes, is the DNA of a solid shot and the foundation for hitting a high, flighted draw. It helps eliminate that dreaded left-to-right ball flight for right-handed players.

Warning Signs: My Swing Might Be Too Shallow

This is where the dream of a perfect draw can turn into a nightmare of unpredictable shots. If you feel like you are doing everything you've seen online to "get the club in the slot" but your game is getting worse, you might be overdoing it. Here are the clear signs that your swing has crossed the line from shallow to too shallow.

The Dreaded Blocks and Hooks

This is the most common symptom. When your club gets too far behind you on the downswing, it gets "stuck." Think of it this way: your body is rotating toward the target, but your arms and club are lagging way too far behind your right hip (for a righty). Your body’s rotation opens up, but since your arms haven't had time to catch up, the clubface is still wide open at impact. The result? A push-shot, or "block," that shoots straight-right of your target.

Your brain, sensing this blocked shot, will try to compensate. It tells your hands, "Close that face, and close it NOW!" In a last-ditch effort, your hands will flip over aggressively just before impact, slamming the clubface shut. Now that blocked shot has turned into a violent hook that dives left. A swing that's too shallow creates an awful two-way miss, and playing a round of golf with no idea if the ball is going dead right or snap-hooking left is just no fun.

Thin Shots and Topped Balls

Another classic sign of an overly shallow swing is inconsistent contact, specifically hitting the ball thin or topping it completely. When the club gets too stuck behind you, the bottom of your swing arc actually moves *behind* the golf ball. You’re coming into the ball on too much of an upswing.

Instead of compressing the ball with a slightly downward strike, you catch it purely on the equator (a thin shot that flies low and hot) or even on the top half (a topped shot that dribbles a few feet in front of you). If you feel like your club is "bottoming out" too early, there's a good chance your path has gotten excessively flat and behind you.

Fat Shots From "Getting Stuck"

Wait, how can the same flaw cause both thin and fat shots? It's all about the body's compensation. When your arms and club are hopelessly stuck behind your turning hips, sometimes the only way you can physically get the clubhead back to the ball is to "dump" it early. This means casting the club and throwing away all your wrist angles too soon in the downswing.

This early release of the club causes it to hit the ground well before it reaches the ball. You take a massive divot behind the ball, the club loses all its energy, and the ball goes nowhere. This is a fat shot, or "chunk," and it’s a direct result of the poor sequence caused by having the club trapped too far behind you.

Actionable Drills to Fix an Overly Shallow Swing

Alright, enough with the problems. Let's talk solutions. The good news is that you don't need to rebuild your swing. You just need to re-calibrate your feel for the proper downswing path. These simple drills will help you get your club working in sync with your body again.

Drill 1: The Headcover Checkpoint

This drill gives you instant feedback on your club path.

1. Take your setup as normal.
2. Place a headcover on the ground about one foot outside your ball and about one foot behind it. The headcover will be diagonally behind the ball.
3. Take a few swings. Your goal is to swing the club back to the inside of the headcover (which you should naturally do) and then, crucially, swing down into the ball without hitting the headcover.

If your swing is too shallow and stuck, you will hit the headcover from the inside as you swing down. This drill forces you to feel a path that is still from the inside, but not so far from the inside that it gets you into trouble.

Drill 2: Tame the Trail Elbow

A major cause of getting stuck is the trail elbow (right elbow for a right-handed golfer) getting pinned behind the right hip on the downswing. This drill helps fix that feeling.

1. Take your normal setup without a ball.
2. Make a few slow, deliberate practice swings focused solely on the feeling of your trail elbow in the downswing.
3. The feeling you want is for your right elbow to move down *in front* of your right hip as you rotate toward the target. It should feel like your elbow is "beating your hip to the ball."

When you do this correctly, you will feel your arms and body are more connected and synchronized. It prevents that dreaded "lagging behind" sensation that causes the blocks and hooks.

Drill 3: Synchronize Your Turn

Many golfers over-shallow their swing because they are trying to "drop the club" into the slot as a separate, independent move. They get to the top, drop their arms, and then try to rotate. This kills the sequence.

The correct feeling is that everything starts down together.

1. Go to the top of your backswing.
2. Feel that your chest, arms, and hips all start the downswing together in a smooth, rotational sequence. It’s not "arms first," "hips first," or "drop first" - it's an initiated turn.

The club will shallow naturally and beautifully, but because your body is turning with it, it won't get stuck. You'll keep the rhythm and maintain the connection between your arms and body, allowing you to deliver the club powerfully and on the correct plane.

Final Thoughts

A shallow swing path is an excellent goal, but like many things in golf, too much of a good thing can lead to trouble. The key is finding that perfect balance where your club is on a rounded, inside path that works in harmony with your body’s rotation, not one that gets left behind and stuck struggling to catch up.

Nailing your swing plane can feel tricky, but understanding the cause and effect is half the battle. If you ever find yourself struggling on the course with a block or hook and suspect your path is the culprit, our app, Caddie AI, can offer immediate support right on the links. You can grab a quick photo of a problematic lie in the rough - a common result of getting stuck - and we can give you a smart, simple strategy to recover from it and save your hole.