Written by Sergio Coyle Diez

Shallow Isn’t the Goal

Shallowing the club has become one of the most talked-about topics in modern golf instruction. Scroll through social media for a few minutes and you’ll see countless swings labeled as “shallow,” often presented as something every golfer should be chasing. A shallow shaft has turned into a visual checkpoint. You’ll see lines drawn from the butt of the club at the top of the swing down to the ball, with the goal being for the club to stay behind that line. Short clips and freeze frames are often used as proof of “good mechanics.”

In many cases, a shallow look has become almost a badge of honor, regardless of the player, the strike, or the result.

The problem is that a position on video doesn’t tell the whole story.

The reality is both simpler and more nuanced. A club can appear shallow for many different reasons, and two swings that look nearly identical on camera can be produced by completely different body motions. In some cases, the club is shallow because the movement pattern is functional and well-matched to the player. In other cases, it’s shallow because the player is compensating for something that happened earlier in the swing.

There are multiple ways to shallow the club, and in many situations, shallow shaft position isn’t even the main issue holding a player back. Strike quality, low point control, and face delivery often matter far more than how the shaft looks halfway down. When those pieces aren’t working, chasing a shallow look can introduce new problems instead of solving existing ones.

This post is meant to be educational, not prescriptive. It’s not about saying one method is right or wrong, or that every golfer should be working toward the same solution. The goal is to understand how shallowing can happen, why it works for some players, and what it can affect when it’s overdone or poorly matched to the individual golfer.

What Does “Shallowing the Club” Actually Mean?

At its simplest, shallowing the club refers to reducing the steepness of the shaft during the transition and early downswing. A shallower shaft generally allows the club to approach the ball from a more neutral or inside path, which can make it easier to control contact and face delivery.

However, how a player gets there matters.

Shallowing is not a move. It’s an outcome created by a series of body and club interactions. The same shaft position can be produced by very different movement patterns, and those patterns come with different consequences for strike, low point, and ball flight.

Downward Movement of the Center of Mass

One common way golfers shallow the club is through a downward movement of the body’s center of mass during the transition. This usually involves both the upper and lower body lowering slightly as the downswing begins.

This vertical movement can create space for the arms to work down, helping the club approach the ball on a shallower pitch.

Why this can work

Encourages better sequencing from the ground up
Can help the arms drop instead of being thrown out
Often seen in strong ball strikers and elite players

The trade-offs
When the downward movement is excessive or poorly timed, it can:

Negatively affect strike quality
Disrupt vertical low point control
Lead to heavy or inconsistent contact

For some golfers, the issue isn’t the lack of a shallow shaft, but too much vertical movement that makes low point unpredictable.

Trail-Side Bend Through the Right Shoulder

Another common way to shallow the club is by adding more trail-side bend through the right shoulder during the transition and early downswing.

As the trail side bends, the arms and club can work down and around the body instead of being pushed out and over the plane. This can create a shallower shaft without a large vertical shift of the body.

Why this can work

Allows the club to shallow without dropping the body excessively
Helps reduce steep transitions
Can improve shaft pitch for players who tend to throw the club out

The trade-offs
When trail-side bend is overdone, it can:

Push the low point too far back
Lead to thin strikes
Create blocks, stalls, or timing issues

In these cases, the club may look shallow on video, but the strike and ball flight tell a different story.

Understanding the Trade-Offs

Both of these methods can produce a shallow club.
Both come with costs. This is where many golfers and coaches get stuck. The focus shifts to making the swing look right instead of making the swing work better. A shallow shaft becomes the goal, rather than a byproduct of a functional motion.

Shallowing the club should always be evaluated alongside:

Strike quality
Low point control
Face delivery
Ball flight

If those pieces improve, the method likely fits. If they don’t, the shallow look may be masking a deeper issue.

Shallowing as a Tool, Not a Trend

There is no single way to shallow the club.

Some players benefit from more vertical movement.
Some benefit from trail-side bend.
Some don’t need either.

The key is understanding what problem you’re actually trying to solve. A steep look isn’t always bad, and a shallow look isn’t always good. What matters is whether the movement pattern supports consistent contact and predictable ball flight.