Steep or Flat Golf Swing? Which One Is Best for Your Game?

Do you want to have a steep or flat golf swing? Or do you want some combination of the two? Steep vs Flat golf swing comparison.
Subscribe to our Newsletter Here ▶ bit.ly/33abas3
Shop 7Diamonds Here ▶ bit.ly/7Diamon...
Use Code: MRSHORTGAME
USE CODE: MRSHORTGAME
Free Practice Plan Here ▶ bit.ly/2RPcVWt
GAME IMPROVEMENT VIDEOS HERE ▶ www.mrshortgam...
V1 Golf ▶ v1-golf.onelin...
V1 Game ▶ v1game.onelink...
The PRGR Launch Monitor Check it out here ▶ bit.ly/2vgILUM
Swing Caddie SC300i Discount Link ▶ bit.ly/2HGGd8w
Swing Caddie SC200 Plus Discount Link ▶ bit.ly/34wo6Lu
LagShot Golf Link Here ▶ lagshotgolf.com?ref:matt--fisher
V 1 Golf App Here ▶ bit.ly/3kTpjly
V 1 Game App Here ▶ bit.ly/38Homb7
My Workout Program ▶ bit.ly/3fdDDUg
Promo Discount Code: shortgamefit
BLAST Motion Here ▶ bit.ly/36TXwLH
Super Speed Golf ▶ bit.ly/2S15xJ7
FlightScope MEVO+ ▶ mevo.golf/2ZTjIGd
FlightScope Mevo ▶ mevo.golf/37MBWYa
Code: MrShortGame
Athalonz Shoes Here ▶ www.athalonz.c...
Use Code: mrshortgame for discount!
Cart Tek Remote Golf Cart ▶ bit.ly/395yIjz
Use Code: MrShortGame
DivotAction Mat ▶ bit.ly/2YAy0YS
More Gear Here! ▶ www.amazon.com...
Please Subscribe ▶ bit.ly/2FaDvFG
Home Course - White Columns Country Club ▶ bit.ly/WhiteCo...
Best Private Clubs - Clubcorp ▶ bit.ly/ClubCor...
FOLLOW ME:
Podcast ▶ bit.ly/2krE0T0
Instagram ▶ / mrshortgame
Twitter ▶ / mrshortgame
Website ▶ www.mrshortgame...
⚠️ Disclaimer: Some of the links in this description are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links you'll help support the channel at no additional cost to you. Win/Win! Thanks!

[@dylans1782]

I'm so bad at golf that I barely see a difference in the two swings, even when you put them side by side.

[@tillsy23]

Honestly the flat swing was where everything started to flow and fly straight for me

[@shanedeel2]

Me 2 , exactly.

[@suryavaraman.4277]

Me three. Works well with a 3/4 swing. As i have a frozen left shoulder from a broken left humerus bone. But i can bomb my 1i and 2i 270 to 230 respectively.

[@marktate6844]

Yep. Just today I started to use a shallow 3/4 swing. Its almost like pinning my arms back for a low baseball pitch. If I concentrate on keeping arms in with a strong grip and don't try to kill the ball, I hit it longer and straighter than ever.

[@joehommes7364]

Love the baseball pitch analogy

[@ryanlaing7935]

Personally, I shallow out my driver and my hybrid/long irons... My fairway woods off the deck, I'm still not sure what is best. My wedges however, I know I come in a little steeper. It seems to work for me, but, I still struggle every now and then.

[@adamw9764]

I have been an upright swinger for my entire life. I was scratch through the end of high school and college, having an upright swing. After school I had to take some time off of golf due to injuries and when I came back for some reason I tried to go flatter and it caused me to toe everything and produce a hook on every shot (or a draw if I connected correctly). I recently started taking lessons again and the first change was to get me back to that upright and its like night and day for me. Higher, straighter ball flight with a slight fade at the end (my bread and butter shot). Working my way back to Scratch, this video was fantastic as usual!!!

[@rodrich1644]

I was never scratch, but have experienced the same results. Watching too many flat-swing videos I started incorperating it. Low weak snap hooks were my new fault. I lost a clublenth. It took a several rounds to realize what I was doing. One day I stepped up and stuck an 8i 4' from the the pin at 168 yards and it dawned on me that I had vired away from my natural upright swing.

[@thecringegolfer]

Good video, Matt! I have tried doing this blend and I tend to leave the club face open sometimes. I forget sometimes to turn the handle down as I came through the impact zone and will end up with a shank, but when I do it right, I get a nice little draw. Glad you didn't discount one of the other!

[@mattcristino9804]

My flexibility restricts my swing somewhat however after watching your video, I can see that my swing is on the steep side which might also explain the occasional slice. Stay well and have a great weekend Matt

[@my66k]

Hey Matt, a little off-topic... I noticed that your impact screen is quite large and without any seams. Do you mind sharing where you purchased that? Thanks

[@reuk]

I'm shallow hook and deep into the forest player 😂 Really surprised watching your ball went straight

[@Seanis415]

Great video. I have been struggling with some flexibility limitations and have been trying to figure this out on my own. The video really helped. Thanks!

[@jes_40]

I've been doing this with my irons for over a year and works very well, but trying this with my Driver tends to push right to much for my liking so I keep driver swing more flat all the way.

[@NicolasMogensen]

My 12-yo swears to a steep swing. Hits it straighter than I ever did. They're certainly more limber and flexible at that age so whatever he prefers. If it works well and there's nothing wrong with the swing,, do whatever you find works.

[@TaroZak]

Trying to get more steep. But I’m also only 5’7. Tigers like 6’2 so that’s why he can get more steep. Rory’s around my height and on the flatter side.

[@pleroma5924]

Idk i prefer a flat golf swing because an upright backswing will require you to shallow it anyway. Why not already be in a shallow position with the flat backswing. Like a ben hogan🤷

[@Ryan-ht2wm]

Just recently shifted to more of a flat swing, and I have never hit such straight wedges/irons/3wood in my life. Sometimes I get too flat and don’t get any wrist cock and end up with a lower flight than I’d like, but still dead straight. But, my driver will not work with a flat swing, I am coming through wide open and hitting a ton of strong fades/pushes/slices. When I try a more upright swing with the driver I am able to hit a straighter ball, but it’s tough to have 2 different swing thoughts. I abandoned the upright swing because I was coming through face closed so much and I could not stop it, so I just went flatter and it evened out. Any tips on why my driver fades with flatter swing?

[@GHOSTOFEIGHT]

I don't know what shot I have tbh because I go on feel, but I think I'm steep. I've been playing for a year now. I'm around a 10 -15 handicap. My best round is a +7. I used to play professional basketball and I'm accustomed to just feel it. I think I prefer the steep shot. I"m 6'6 and I find if I don't attack the ball with a steep attack I slice it. EDIT: Ok, I'm at the 430 mark, and that's why I like the steep attack. I'm very tall and subsequently not as flexible anymore due to lower back issues and repetitive injuries and just overall wear and tear from when I was younger. Right on. Interesting.

[@braga786]

The best and easiest swing ever to use is single plane swing..... The way you address is the way you get to impact..... Convitional swing is too much confusing....

[@hightide9513]

“Best” is a long shot. Without a compound movement and release you can’t generate nearly as much club head speed. Before you mention our guy Bryson, no. His swing isn’t close to being single plane, and neither was Moe Norman’s.

[@rickie2sticky66]

Oh man, i just had an AH HA moment in the range the other day and noticed i gained alot more club speed with the steeper swing. My lower back is not very flexible, and the way you explained this makes so much sense!!!

[@wrmhlmusic631]

I tend to have better results using the upright swing for my short game such as short pitching and better results with a flat swing for my longer game otherwise i slice it all the time with an upright swing but i am pretty new to golf so i'm sure it's a technique and habit issue, might change this in the future ^^

[@jacobr4558]

It dépends on tour physical make up. If your forearm is longer than your upper arm it is better to swing more upright, if your upper arm is longer= flatter etc. Our build dictates a lot of our dynamics

[@freddywayne]

They looked identical. 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@SteveGeiselgoogleplussteve]

The "combo" swing of the steep backswing then shallow downswing is the exact feeling that Martin Chuck's plane mate gives you. Helps if you REALLY over exaggerate the feeling of the two almost like Jim Furyk

[@banditbaker1675]

At the start of the year, my game and swing was a complete mess! My swing was way too flat and I was having to come way over the top and hitting so many shanks! It got so bad that I was seriously considering quitting the game! Luckily I managed to hook up with a new young Coach, who suggested that I "reverse the loop", instead of taking the club back on the inside and then coming over the top in the downswing, that I do a "Matt Wolff" outside to inside move. I'm glad to say that this worked almost instantly, I'm getting great compression with a high neutral Ball flight and no more shanks!👍👌

[@vtcrafter6626]

I use to be more over the top. Now I’ve found with a shallower swing and less body movement I can hit it more consistent and straighter. My slice is virtually gone as long as I don’t fall back into the wood chopping swing. I will be tryi both of these techniques

[@davidthomas4877]

Just been cut two shots doing this, no longer Mr upright...

[@jacobr4558]

This is biomechanical and not preference.

[@David-mu5rv]

The upright to shallow downswing changed my game significantly. I know a good pro who encourages this swing and gave me some lessons. Awesome vid! Go Ryan Moore!

[@JetskiMike]

I lost my swing a few months ago. Maybe about six months actually. I found your videos a few weeks ago, went to a hard ass links course in west palm beach, I shot an 86! All thanks to you 100%, even watched the driver video and it helped me hit more fairways.

[@wayneswisdom9181]

If one wanted to swing flat is it right to get fitted for more flatter clubs angle

[@realtalkinc123]

You remind me of Gene Borrello

[@Jacob-ed1bl]

I recently went to golf tech for lessons and I've been playing on and off for over twenty years. My lowest round is a 78 and many in the low 80s but recently my game started falling apart and I was scoring in the mid 90s. I couldn't believe how I thought I was swinging and what I was actually doing after seeing it on camera, coming over the top extremely flat and very open face. Now I'm much steeper, no more over the top and square face. The improvements on the course with one lesson is astonishing, I'm literally rebuilding my swing so it's going to take time but I see breaking 80 again in the future. So for me a much steeper takeaway.

[@shanedeel2]

Flat for me. I only dug up holes for the first 12 months until I made my swing extremely flat. Now I rarely chunk the ball. I hit it 10x straighter also but I lost 10-20 yards per club.

[@dennisdobin8640]

Shane take accuracy over distant everyday, I could out drive most players with a PUTTER, just to watch some old codger who hit half the distant hit his second shot to or close to the green,while I was still looking for my tee shot in the woods,waters or deep rough.Golf is a TARGET game,your first target off the tee is wide until your last target is a very small hole.

[@joehommes7364]

I have traditionally utilized a shallow swing. Of the past five years I’ve tried unsuccessfully to be more vertical, (shanks), I am transitioning back to more of a shallow swing. It just feels more comfortable for my body type or whatever.

[@ryanwalker9842]

Flat swing for the win

[@philipchan1856]

Ben Hogan was Low and flatter swing vs Bubba Watson, Tiger woods, Justin Thomas, Jack Nicklaus, etc.

[@TigerMarine62]

You're looking frail son, you need to eat a few Big Macs! LOL, Just kidding Matt, your transformation is very impressive. Great Job on the tip vids as well.

[@fluffkitteh123]

I've never thought to practice both. I've had a serious fade as a 20 hcp and went to a 15 by shallowing out my club. If i can mix up both on command here we go 10¡

[@chrisbonner5944]

I have an upright swing and really struggle to shallow at the wrists and by turning forearms (letting club head fall). This option is extremely helpful to me and allows me to shallow in a way that improves my contact (less toe shots). Really smart process, thanks!

[@washredskin887]

definitely prefer upright. i swung flat for years and fought a hook for a long time. i'm a much better driver of the ball now that i am more upright. my instructor had me feeling like i was pushing down on the grip on the takeaway to get a little more hinge to get the club going upwards.

[@dennisdobin8640]

This is a some good advice for golfer getting on a bit, I've always had a upright swing ,natural and I can say it will increase your chances of a slice,well it did in my case,I quit golf for over twenty years and come back with an education about ball striking.I always played a fade ,come slice,I taught myself to draw a ball,which in my case meant going Shallower and inside out. As SHORTY say the upright is less stressful,more arms and shoulders,less back twisting.

[@ZeebNinja]

I'm just working on hitting the ball.. :( I can't get consistency with hitting the ball without pounding the ground

[@ernestolupercio3168]

Steep is better for me. To shallow I start getting stuck inside and get floppy. Steep works better for me Especially from the rough.

[@girishhv9946]

Ashi singh jayanth

[@philipchan1856]

Both are okay so long one has tilted shoulder at the top of the swing. Coming down must get into the right slot. Most your pros may have different takeaway but almost the same coming plane thru impact …

[@timothymiller867]

This has the be the first time Mr Short Game has said to hit only 3 balls, I was expecting him to say like 50 or 100 lol

[@beimsteiner]

I go more upright for the short irons and a bit more flat for driver and long irons/hybrid. If my short irons are too flat I can shank em I guess the short irons are a little more upright anyway from a lie angle perspective so if one were to try to be more single plane the shallowness/flatness should vary a bit corresponding with the length/lie of the club.

[@lawrencebogar6136]

I have a natural upright swing. On your backswing your hands go to deep behind you. Bring the hands back to your toe line and then bring them up. Great video since many have no clue what type swing they have.

[@gigem08]

Is this applicable for both irons and driver?

[@wallstreetoneil]

the longer the club, the more a Matt Wolff type swing drill will help you - that said, applying twist to the grip immediately on the downswing (i.e. having your right palm facing backwards) as you do this from the top, is the key

[@GRIFF22]

What most people class as an upright swing, indeed your very first video, is actually the correct plane and not upright at all.

[@larrylutsky181]

Instead of trying to change swing planes in the middle of your swing, wouldn't it be easier to use one swing plane the whole time?

[@mostdeadlygeist]

when i was doing a shallow swing ala tom saguto golf i was hosel rocketing a lot of shots. i went back to steep which was my more natural swing and that has helped it a lot. now i just gotta work out a few of my fat shots. i'm just not flexible at the hips/back to do a shallow swing.

[@jonov1100]

my woods and hybrids I swing flat, my irons steeper. works for me.

[@bigboy9842]

Flat

[@spooner9797]

I try to be as shallow as I can. It's a big miss of mine when I start getting too upright and then I start chunking shots like crazy.

[@TransformerPackagingSystems]

Would be super cool to have a meet and greet tournament at a stay and play somewhere for charity 👍

[@BrandonHaynesGolf]

I have an upright swing but when I start falling apart it’s gets lower.

[@heydeereman1040]

My daughter naturally has an upright swing and I hesitate to mess with it

[@oliver_schlienger]

You’re like the Neil degrasse Tyson of golf

[@JDawg59fifty]

I’m a shallower picker Steve Stricker 👍

[@donsmith1165]

I am totally steep. I used to be shallow but no more. Thanks for all u do for us MSG. Have a fantastic weekend with your family and friends

[@ianolson802]

What software do you use to watch your swing?

[@robh316]

gonna give this a whirl at the range tomorrow see the results :)

[@sortaseen3319]

Thank you so much for your videos bud! You have helped my game oh so much. So keep up the amazing work.

[@MauGandolfi]

I'm old and fat, can't have a flat swing :-)

[@ST-xg3gy]

Seems like that would be easier in that case.

[@Frankietomatoes6189]

Flat for the win

[@ST-xg3gy]

This makes perfect sense. Great concept.

[@kylewilson9457]

I’ve started slicing my 3w through 5i. Normally with a good swing i have a neutral to slight draw ball flight. Any ideas?

[@wallstreetoneil]

This is very common - and not necessarily something you want to or need to change. Playing a high soft fade into greens with 5&4 irons is a good thing (aim left, swing left, play for the 7-yard soft landing fade) - it's usually far better for scoring into greens. That said, you can add progressively more upright angles to your long irons to offset this - so add 1-1.5 degrees up upright lie-angle to your 5 iron then 1.5-2 degrees to your 4. For your 3wood, a club that most Pros like to draw as a tee-club (they usually fade their driver), setting the face angle closed/toe-int/adding loft and also upright is what to do if you have an adjustable sleeve - if not, tee it up 1/2cm higher and look at a 1/64th undersized grip to increase the hand speed closing rate gearing effect on rotation - also, a slight toe-side hit will put a draw-gearing effect on the ball

[@kylewilson9457]

@@wallstreetoneil yea I don’t mind the little fade. But these are hard slices that go OB. I usually draw all my shots, but I go through phases when this happens and I don’t know why. Maybe too close to the ball causing a more vertical shaft or alligator arms? Strengthening my grip won’t even give me straight pulls. Don’t know…

[@terryholloway9930]

Thanks Matt

[@courvilleg1]

Great video Matt!

[@breckdehart1075]

If I go flat I have a terrible over the top move and also get too long of a swing. I've been switching to a steeper swing and I find the ability to control my backswing and clear my body to better shallow out the club.

[@wallstreetoneil]

Almost all amateurs, if they swing too flat, will have the first move in the downswing throw the club out and result in a massive slice - like 98% of them. Far better to practice this Matt Wolff type swing, where you take the club up steeper while your left shoulder goes down (creating a 40-degree shoulder angle - amateurs are way too flat compared to pros) and then have the Matt Wolff feeling of dropping the club flat, as you twist the grip shut (right hand facing backwards), and deliver a strong face angle into the ball. This Matt Wolff practice swing is a fantastic way, at the range, to fix 98% of everything bad that is happening in 98% of all golfers. It's like a magic cure. The key also is to twist the grip at the top (bow the left wrist/put the right wrist into extension/have the right palm face backwards) as you do this Matt Wolff lay-off drop.

[@jerrywebster3564]

@@wallstreetoneil right palm backwards?

[@wallstreetoneil]

@@jerrywebster3564 In the movie Terminator, Arnold says that classic line 90's line, 'Talk to the Hand' - it's a fantastic & funny way to help turn a slice into a draw. Take your golf stance and without a club, move your right arm only through an imaginary golf swing. The KEY to hitting a draw is to have the Right Palm face down to the ground in the 1st part of the backswing and then directly backwards both as it nears the top and then again as it begins the downswing - i.e. you would be pointing to someone down-the-line behind and watching you swing to 'talk to the hand'. This palm position in the downswing is associated with twisting the grip, which Pros do a tremendous amount of and amateurs do basically zero of. If you only work on this 1 position for the rest of your golf life, getting the right palm pointing down and then back and then back and then down on the downswing, your ball striking will improve tremendously - this is what Pros do and bad golfers don't.

[@jerrywebster3564]

@@wallstreetoneil love it!

[@TeddyCavachon]

One of the more interesting aspects of cause and effect I’ve discovered in the golf swing duplicating the swing styles of different golfers is how the angle of the toe at the point the club force is allowed to pull the lead arm straight affects path up to the ball. To understand this one must realize that the attachment of the club head mass at the heel causes the toe to want to tip over and twist the hands in the direction the club is swinging. A swing fault I had as a beginner back in the 1980s was allowing the club force to pull the toe back until face was point to the sky, pronating my left hand (palm down) which results in a very low swing plane around the back of the body bending my elbow before the club force had a chance to pull the left arm and club shaft straight forcing the wrists to cock ahead. The solution to prevent that is rotational pressure with the right hand against the left to prevent the club force from doing that. Gripping the club with what became known as the “Vardon” grip makes it easier for the right hand to do that because of the way that grip causes the pad of the right thumb to press against the left thumb on the club’s grip when applied correctly (most don’t putting their right thumb pad too low, not overlapping the left). When the correctly applied Vardon grip corrects the beginner’s swing fault of letting the club force pronate the left hand the toe of the club head swings on a much wider arc staying outside the hands winds up angled towards the target line at extension with face pointing down at the ground at about a 45° angle. If you watch the face as the club swings inside the target line as it comes back the grip should be keeping the face looking back at the ball so as it comes back the toe tilts forward. At the point of extension when the club force cocks the wrist with toe angled forward the fact the toe mass is oriented that way will automatically cause the club head mass to swing upwards, not level around back as when a poor grip allows the toe to turn over. What you will realize, as I did experimenting, is that the toe angle at the point the CLUB FORCE cocks the wrist in the takeaway extension automatically influences the path the club swings up. If toe is tipped forward \ to target when the wrists cock the path is steep. If the toe is tipped back / when the wrists cock the path will the shallow. If the toe is pointing straight up | the path will be somewhere in between. BUT ONLY IF THE CLUB FORCE IS ALLOWED TO PULL THE LEFT ARM STRAIGHT AND IT IS HE CLUB FORCE COMPELLING THE WRISTS TO COCK. One needs to start the club on the ideal balanced path starting back from the ball but then allow the club force to steer the mass if the clubhead in the backswing, high or low or in-between depending on where the toe is pointing when resistance from swinging back causes it to change direction. Once that cause and effect of the physics is understood toe direction during the backswing is easily controlled via input from the right hand, which is much easier to do when the Vardon grip is applied correctly with the pad of the right thumb pressing on the left. The left hand controls the grip on the club, the right hand controls how much the left hand is allowed to pronate while swinging back. Keep the toe tilted forward in the backswing and you will wind up with a steeper backswing plane with hands and club pulled by the club force above the right shoulder similar to Nicklaus. Allow the left hand to pronate while swinging back by varying degrees and you will find that the difference in the toe direction will cause the club head to pull the hands up lower relative to the shoulder to the point your right arm will stay tucked in with hands winding up lower like Hogan. The goal that of course is to put hands and club head mass in the desired position for the downswing. Low hands at the top produce a tighter shallower downswing like Hogan’s which make it easier to keep the club head on an inside path when hitting straight shots and draws. Higher hands will make it easier to hit fades but and also increase the tendency to hit unintentional pull slices if any loss of balance onto the toes occurs in the downswing or the club force simply pulls the right arm out away from the body. With the shallower, more inside swing path there is a greater margin of error for loss of balance, helping to minimize the amount of slice spin inadvertently put on the ball.

[@Real28]

Ultimately - and this is what's great about the game - the backswing doesn't really matter as much. Each person can do what works best for their body. On the downswing, we all still need to shallow the swing out towards impact. For the upright, it means we have to get the elbow in and shallow it. For the flat swing, they are probably already there. There are plenty of examples on Tour of both.

[@alanwaterworth6464]

I guess the real secret here is being able to vary your swing plane as required, depending on the shot required and the lie of the ball.. steep for shots out of the rough, flatter for tight lies, or where a draw or fade is needed. I´ve always been fairly steep, resulting in some fat shots, but have been working on better hip rotation and a slightly flatter swing all season. I feel that the strike has improved, though I tend to miss left now if anything.

[@crashserge1]

Hey are you all right budy ? I hope that it's just the interior light that makes you look, well , very pale. Again, hope you are well.

[@claymould8700]

Great video - this is a similar idea to the Leadbetter ‘A’ swing and can be easy to learn 🏌️⛳️