Nick Dimengo
November 22, 2024
There is a lot of debate about being steep versus shallow in the short game. I looked up tips from two short game experts to help determine the score.
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I’m very proud of my self-proclaimed title as “the face and voice of the average golfer,” as I tend to identify with the player who just tries to grind to get better – and I’m not afraid to do that to be. the guinea pig to show how tough that can actually be.
I’m the guy who stays on the court until sunset, not the guy who hits a few balls and then analyzes every shot. That may be how some golfers improve, but for the current state of my game I need more reps feeling the changes I need to make.
After all, just because you notice a problem with your golf swing doesn’t mean you know how to fix it immediately.
Should you be steep or shallow on your pitch shots? The Short Game Chef explains
Parker McLachlin, GOLF teacher to watch
Sure, I have access to the best golf teachers under the sun, but it’s not like they’re some secret elixir that will instantly make me shoot lower. With so many voices and philosophies, I have to try to choose the tips I feel most comfortable with.
That’s not a knock on them as teachers, but more of an acknowledgment that there are a lot of golf lessons available – so filtering them to suit your game can sometimes be tricky.
One debate that seemingly confuses many intermediate golfers is the idea of being steep versus shallow in the short game. Like, which one is proposed?
As someone who’s more of a shallow player, I’ve heard the argument from the other side about why being steep is best – but what do the experts say?
Steep vs. Shallow: Which is Better for the Average Golfer?
When it comes to learning the short game, two names really stand out: Parker McLachlin and Joe Mayo – with the former being more of a shallow guy and the latter more of a steep guy.
Both work with professional players and have accolades that prove how their methods work for the best types of golfers. But what about the average golfer who still struggles with chunks or skull shots? Which is better: steep or shallow?
The argument that it is steep
Many people point to it Viktor Hovland’s viral video from a few years ago as the coming out party because they were steep in the short game.
In the clip, Hovland hits a soft flop shot and then immediately responds by saying, “I’ve never been able to do that before. That was sick.”
But when you dig into the stats, Hovland’s short game hasn’t necessarily been much better than it was before he made the change.
In 2024, Hovland arranged 179th on Tour in strokes gained: Around-the-green, 165th in Scrambling and 130th in Scrambling from the Rough. For comparison, in 2021 he was 124th in strokes gained: Around-the-green, 59th in Scrambling and 35th in Scrambling from the Rough.
Viktor Hovland says he is having a hard time. And sometimes golf ‘just isn’t that much fun’
Nick Piastowski
Why are those two seasons important to reference? Because Hovland famously said he’s “just bad at chipping” in 2020 after winning the Puerto Rico Open. So how much has changing his angle of attack really helped him in the three years since?
I’m not saying being steep is a bad thing, but it is certainly riskier – even for a professional of Hovland’s caliber.
To make things a little more confusing, here’s an old clip from a lesson between Mayo and pro Pat Perezwhere Mayo instructs him to be more superficial in the golf swing, emphasizing the reasons for doing so – with the overarching theme that it is simpler.
Sure, being steep is an option, but if you’re an average golfer like me, it’s a much riskier play – because you have to be perfect to get that crisp feeling of ball-first contact.
The argument for being superficial
In my opinion, being shallow makes it easier to play as an amateur golfer. In fact, the whole premise is to protect the player from a bad hit, with the shallower angle of attack intended to boost the bounce of the club, giving you a greater margin for error on mishits.
Because being shallower means you have better control of both the clubhead and the trajectory, so even a mishit can still be okay.
That said, there are still risks – such as cutting up if you lean your weight back, as the club can hit far in front of the ball and dig into the ground. But if you maintain the right fundamentals, a shallower angle of attack is easier to execute for the mid-handicapper.
‘Sweep, not steep’: Short game guru says it’s key to grooving wedge shots
Parker McLachlin, GOLF teacher to watch
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Nick Dimengo
McLachlin often preaches this, prescribing the mantra: “sweep, not steep.”
“On the greens, bounce is a smart player’s insurance policy, so the trick to taking advantage of this is to avoid coming into the ball too steeply,” he said. “It has been proven that following a wider swing arc increases your chances of success on a pitch shot.”
He then provided a visual to help understand why the bottom of the club should ‘slide’ across the grass.
“Think of the bounce on your wedges as the bottom of a surfboard: if you come in at the right angle, it helps the club skim the grass. As it skims, you can make contact with the ball on grooves two through five, where, because of the way wedges are designed, you generate the most spin.
While steep versus shallow in the short game is a personal preference, like me, you prefer to play safer near the greens to limit the number of shots. Being shallow helps me with that.
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