As an average player, is it steeper or shallower? I took a deep dive to find out

I take great pride in my self-described title as “the face and voice for the average golfer,” as I tend to identify with the golfer who’s just trying to scramble to get better—and I’m not afraid to be the guinea pig for him. show how hard it can really be.

I’m the guy who hangs out on the range until the sun goes down, not the guy who hits a few balls and then analyzes every shot. This may be how some golfers improve, but for the current state of my game, I need more repetitions. smelt the changes I need to make.

After all, just because you identify a problem with your golf swing doesn’t mean you know how to fix it right away.

Sure, I have access to the best golf teachers under the sun, but it’s not like they’re some secret elixir that instantly makes me shoot lower. With so many voices and philosophies out there, I have to try to pick and choose the advice I’m most comfortable with.

This is not a knock on them as teachers, but more of an acknowledgment that there is a boatload of golf instruction out there – so filtering it to match your game can sometimes be tricky.

One debate that seems to have confused many average golfers is the idea of ​​steep versus shallow in the short game. How, which one is suggested?

As someone who is more of a shallow player, I’ve heard the argument from the other side as to why being steep is best – but what do the experts say?

Steep vs. Shallow: Which is better for the average player?

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 being more of a slant guy.

Both work with professional players and have reviews that prove how their methods work for the best types of players. But what about the average golfer who still struggles with chip or chip shots? Which is better: steep or shallow?

The case for being slanted

Many people tell about Viktor Hovland’s viral video from a couple of years ago as the next party to be slanted in the short game.

In the clip, Hovland takes a soft jab and then immediately reacts by saying, “I’ve never been able to do that before. He was sick.”

But when you dive into the stats, Hovland’s short game hasn’t necessarily been much better than before he made the switch.

In the year 2024, Hovland RANKING 179th on tour in strokes gained: Around the green, 165th in Scrambling and 130th in Scrambling from the rough. By comparison, in 2021 he was 124th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, 59th in Scrambling and 35th in Scrambling from Approx.

Why are these two seasons important to refer to? BECAUSE Hovland famously said that he’s “just in pieces” in 2020 after a win at the Puerto Rico Open. So how much did changing his angle of attack really help him in the three years that followed?

I’m not saying being steep is a bad thing, but it’s certainly more dangerous—even for a pro of Hovland’s caliber.

Making things a little more confusing is this: An old clip from a lesson between Mayo and professional Pat Perezwhere Mayo guides him to be shallower in the golf swing, highlighting the reasons for doing so – with the main theme being simpler.

Of course, being slanted is an option, but if you’re an average golfer like me, it’s a much more dangerous game – because you have to be perfect in order to get that clear feel of contact with the ball.

The case for being shallow

In my opinion, being shallow is the easiest game as an amateur golfer. In fact, the whole premise is to protect the player from a bad shot, with the shallower angle of attack intended to incorporate club bounce – giving you more margin for error on misses.

Since being shallower means you have better control of both the clubhead and the fairway, even an error can still be okay.

Now, we said, there are still risks – like chipping it if you swing the weight back, because the club can hit too far ahead of the ball and dig into the ground. But if you keep the basics right, a shallower angle of attack is easier for medium handicappers to execute.

McLachlin often preaches this and attributes it to the “sweep, not slant” mantra.

“Around the greens, bounce is a smart player’s insurance policy, so the trick to taking advantage of it is to avoid hitting the ball too steep,” he said. “It’s proven that if you trace a wider swing arc, your probability of hitting a pitch increases.”

He then provided a visual to help understand why the bottom of the club should “slide” across the grass.

“Imagine the bounce on your wedges as the bottom of a surfboard: If you come in at the right angle, it helps the club go through the terrain. As it slides, it allows you to contact the ball in grooves two through five, which, because of the way the wedges are designed, is where you’re going to generate the most spin.”

While being steep vs. shallow in the short game is personal preference, if you’re like me, you prefer to play it safer near the greens in order to limit putts. Being shallow helps me with that.