What Causes a Steep Golf Swing?

If you’re tired of hitting weak slices, pulling shots left of your target, or taking divots that look like deep bomb craters, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a steep golf swing. It’s one of the most common issues plaguing amateur golfers, but the good news is that it’s completely fixable once you understand what's really happening. This article will break down exactly what causes a steep swing and give you actionable, step-by-step advice to transform your swing plane and start hitting powerful, consistent shots.

So, What Exactly Is a Steep Golf Swing?

Before we dive into the causes, let's get on the same page about what a steep swing actually is. Imagine an airplane coming in for a landing. A perfect landing is a shallow approach, where the plane glides down at a low angle and skims the runway. A steep approach would be the plane nose-diving towards the runway at a sharp angle. Your golf swing works the same way.

In a golf context, a "steep" swing means the club is moving down towards the ball at a very sharp, almost vertical angle. This usually happens because your arms and club have moved "over the top" of the correct swing plane during the downswing. Instead of the club approaching the ball from the inside, it comes from outside the target line and cuts across the ball.

Signs You Have a Steep Swing:

• Pull Shots: The ball starts left of the target and stays there (for a right-handed golfer). This happens when the clubface is square to the steep path.
• Big Slices: The ball starts left of the target and then curves dramatically to the right. This is the classic "over-the-top" slice, where the clubface is open to that very steep swing path.
• Deep Divots: Your divots look more like trenches than gentle bacon strips, and they often point to the left of your target.
• Shots Hit Off the Heel and Toe: A steep approach often leads to hitting the ball more on the "edges" of the face, because a steep downswing is much harder to time for "centerface shots" on the "middle part" of your club.

It's important to understand that the "over-the-top" move you see is a symptom, not the root cause. Yelling at yourself to "stop coming over the top" is like treating a cough without figuring out why you're sick. To really fix it, we have to address the things that force you into that position in the first place.

Cause #1: Your Setup is Sabotaging Your Swing

Your golf swing is heavily influenced by what you do before you even start moving the club. If you set up in a way that restricts your ability to make room for your body, a steep downswing is almost inevitable. The body is smart, it will find a way to get the club back to the ball, and if you don't give it space, it will reroute the club over the top.

The Main Setup Faults:

• Standing Too Close: When you're jammed up to the ball, your arms have no room to swing from the inside on the downswing. The only path available is to lift them up and throw them over the top.
• Too Upright Posture: Standing too tall with very little bend from the hips limits your body's ability to rotate deeply. This often leads to an "armsy," lifting action in the backswing, setting the stage for a steep descent.

The Simple Fix: The "Arms Hang" Check

This is your new pre-shot fundamental. It will ingrain the feeling of a proper, athletic setup and naturally establish the correct distance from the ball.

1. Stand up straight, holding the club out in front of you.
2. Now, keeping your back relatively straight, bend forward from your hips - not your waist. Let your bottom go back, like you're about to sit in a high bar stool.
3. Bend until the clubhead touches the ground. Your arms should be hanging down naturally and relaxed from your shoulder sockets. They shouldn't be reaching out or crammed in close to your body.
4. Slightly flex your knees to get into a comfortable, athletic position. This is your setup.

From this position, you've created the essential space between your body and the ball that allows for a rotational, inside-out swing rather than a steep, up-and-down chop.

Cause #2: Your First Move is an 'Arm Lift,' Not a Body Turn

How you start your backswing determines the path the club will take for the rest of the swing. Many amateur golfers initiate their takeaway by snatching the club away with just their hands and arms. They lift the club almost straight up, immediately putting it on a very vertical path outside the proper plane. When you lift the club up like this, the most natural way to bring it back around is in an equal and opposite "over the top" motion.

A good swing is a rotational action. The core, chest, and shoulders should control the first few feet of the backswing, moving together in a "one-piece" motion. The goal is depth - getting the club to move around your body, not just up.

The Fix for Your Arms: the "Headcover Tuck" Drill

This is a classic drill for a reason - it works. It teaches you to feel the connection between your arms and your torso, forcing you to rotate with your big muscles instead of lifting with your small muscles.

1. Take your normal setup.
2. Tuck a headcover (or a golf glove) under your lead armpit (your left armpit for right-handed golfers).
3. Your goal is to make practice swings without dropping that headcover until your hands move past about your waist-high in your follow through.
4. In the backswing, to keep the headcover in place, you’ll be forced to turn your chest and shoulders together, keeping your left arm connected to your torso. You cannot simply lift your arms. You must turn your body.

Practice this feeling with half-swings first. It will feel different and much more "connected." You're finally training your body how to use itself to initiate the turn and create a shallower swing path from the start!

Cause #3: An "Arms-First" Lunge from the Top

This is ground zero for the steep "over the top" move. The moment between the top of your backswing and the start of your downswing - called the transition - is where most steep swings are born.

The incorrect sequence is all in an enthusiastic motion. The average weekend warrior is so eager to smack the ball with every ounce of energy they have that they throw their right shoulder, arm, and hand at the ball. This lunge immediately pushes the club "over the top" and onto that dreaded steep path.

The correct sequence is different. The start of the downswing should be a more gentle, smoother flow involving your legs and hips making room around your body for your arms. Think of it as your lower body clearing room for the upper body. This action of letting your body move first allows your arms and the club to drop slightly onto the proper shallow "inside" hitting path, from which you can then aggressively fire through the ball towards the target.

The Simple Fix for a Rushed Downswing: The "Pump" Drill

The Pump Drill may look kind of goofy, but it retrains your movements at the top and teaches you the proper swing sequencing of your body. The goal here is feeling versus thinking.

1. Take a club and make a full backswing, stopping at the top.
2. From the top, initiate a slight downswing motion by shifting your weight and feeling your arms "drop" slightly down and behind you. Only come down until the club shaft is back to being parallel with the ground. This is "Pump 1."
3. Return to the top of your backswing. Now, do it again a bit faster: feel that lower body shift and let the club shallow. "Pump 2."
4. Return to the top a final time. Do it a third time, but on this pump, just keep going and fire all the way through hitting the ball towards the target from that shallower position.

This drill ingrains the feeling of the club dropping onto the right path before you begin rotating aggressively. You're replacing the "lunge from the top" with a "drop and turn" sequence.

Cause #4: Your Swing Path Got Stuck in a Slice Cycle

For decades golfers have feared the slice, that ugly right curve to a shot (for right-handed players). For a right-handed player, the intuitive way to fix this on your own is often going “the opposite way” by pulling the bar far left, which actually makes you even MORE "over the top." And so is birthed THE SLICE CYCLE that dooms amateur golfers for their careers unless it's corrected.

The Not-so-secret Secret Fix: The Famous "Gating" Drill:

There are literally multi-million swing plane gadgets and companies for this exact drill and for this reason... it works by simplifying exactly where to put the club in the swing.

1. Place two headcovers on the ground making a 45-degree angle "gate" in your hitting bay. Put them right behind your ball and just a bit inside your swing plane.
2. Then stick your favorite foam noodle on the inside of the headcover gate you just built - giving your swing an "upper wall barrier" not to hit.

This gating makes it almost impossible for you to keep practicing your "over-the-top" slice. Instead, you've created your own "swing plane course" you have to navigate perfectly. The beauty of the drill is that in a few short attempts, your body will naturally learn how to swing from the inside "like a pro" to avoid hitting the barriers.

Final Thoughts

A frustratingly steep golf swing is never caused by just one single thing. It’s usually a chain reaction of several issues - a faulty setup that leads to an "armsy" backswing which then forces you into an "arms-first" lunge from the top in the downswing. By methodically working on your posture, teaching your body to rotate instead of lift, and re-sequencing your transition, you can finally break the cycle and build a powerful, shallow, from-the-inside swing. Remember, the goal isn't just to chop wood with an over-the-top downswing. The game's fun with smooth shots from a powerful inside-out swing.

The journey to a better swing often leaves you with a lot of questions. As you work through these drills, imagine getting instant, personalized feedback. At Caddie AI, we built just that - a personal golf coach available 24/7 in your pocket. If you're having trouble on the course because your steep swing left you in a difficult lie, just snap a discreet photo. We'll help you with the proper strategy to save your score. Whether you're at home or curious about another useful drill, just ask, and you'll receive instant expert advice on your journey to improving your game!