The Steep & Shallow Concept – Explained in 4 Swing Styles


Most golfers hear “steep” and “shallow” and immediately think correction.

Fix this. Avoid that. But that’s not the point.

A Better Way to Look at It

Steep and shallow are not instructions.

They are descriptions.

They help you understand:

  • what the club is doing
  • what the body is doing
  • how power is being delivered

Not what you should do — but what is actually happening.

This perspective is valuable.

Because it lets you look at different swings without getting lost in positions and technique.

Different Swings — Different Matches

There isn’t one way to balance steepness and shallowness.

There are different systems.

Different match-ups.

And they all solve the same problem:

👉 How to deliver speed in a controlled way

Modern Variation — Steep Power, Shallow Body

In the modern swing, the clubface tends to be more closed.

That changes everything.

Because now:
👉 you need to push the motion forward

So the power package becomes a steepening element.

To balance that, the body adapts.

You’ll often see:

  • right tilt
  • maintained hip flex
  • space through the motion
  • a steeper shoulder plane

So the match-up becomes:

👉 Steep power + shallow body

It works. It’s effective. But demands very solid body control (to avoid injuries).

Old-School Variation — Shallow Power, Steeper Body

Now move into more traditional styles.

What I call a front-side release.

Here:

  • the blade opens more in the backswing
  • the release happens earlier
  • centrifugal force organizes the motion

The result?

👉 The power package becomes shallow

The way speed is delivered actually helps the club fall into position.

Because of that, the body doesn’t need to shallow.

So now you often see:

  • higher hands
  • more upright motion
  • less forward bend
  • a steeper overall look

The match-up flips:

👉 Shallow power + steeper body

Different system. Same goal.

Hogan — A Shallow System

Now take it further.

Look at Ben Hogan.

Hogan builds something different.

  • Heavy club rotation in the backswing
  • A very shallow body motion
  • A power system that is fundamentally shallow

So instead of balancing steep and shallow…

He builds a system that is:

👉 Shallow club + shallow body

But here’s the key:

He can still access steepness when needed.

And that gives him something unique:

👉 Exceptional rotational control

The result is a swing that is:

  • efficient
  • controlled
  • highly repeatable

Why This Matters

When you start looking at swings like this… Something changes. You stop trying to fix everything.

And instead, you start to:

👉 understand what you’re looking at

You begin to organize things into:

  • power
  • body
  • club
  • steep
  • shallow

And from there… The swing starts to make sense.

Final Thought

This isn’t about choosing the “right” swing. It’s about recognizing:

👉 Different systems require different match-ups

Personally, I’m not that drawn to the modern version. But the other variations… They’re incredibly interesting.

And they form the foundation of what I teach.

If you’re serious about swing development, the best question you can ask yourself is this:

Which pattern fits you?

Take the quiz below. It only takes two minutes.

START THE JOURney – FIND YOUR OLD SChool PATTERN

Your inspirations and your subconscious view of the golf swing matter more than anything when it comes to making a lasting swing change. The goal is to find the pattern that fits you best. Take the quiz and check out the best choice for you below:

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