3 Simple Drills To Shallow Your Attack Angle

There are far more golfers who hit down on the ball too much than there are golfers who don’t hit hard enough.

The vast majority of amateur players struggle with an overly steep, downward angle of attack.

Instead of making an ascending, slightly sweeping strike on the ball, they come crashing down on it, often with disastrous results.

This steep, excessive downward strike can lead to a host of ball–striking issues, including:

• Topped or thin shots that fly low and short

• Chunked or heavily scooped contact that digs into the turf

• Inconsistent distance control and trajectory

• Increased risk of injury from the excessive club head deceleration

If this sounds like your typical ball striking woes, don’t worry – you’re certainly not alone.

The good news is, there’s a simple drill sequence you can use to start shallowing out your attack angle and making much crisper, more consistent contact.

Drill 1: Drag the Club Over the Ball

To get started, grab your 7–iron (or driver if you’re working on your woods) and set up to the ball, which should be teed up.

Rather than taking a full swing, simply take 5 slow “drag” swings where you lightly sweep the club head across the top of the ball without striking it.

The key feel here is to keep the club head low to the ground throughout the entire swing – don’t let it climb up or get steep.

Maintain a shallow, sweeping motion as you drag the club over the top of the ball.

This drill helps groove the proper shallow swing path and gets your body accustomed to making a less–aggressive, more ascending strike.

Drill 2: Low to High Pitch Shots

Next, transition into hitting some short pitch shots, again keeping the club low to the ground in the backswing.

This time, you’ll actually strike the ball, but still focus on a shallow, sweeping delivery.

Set up with the ball slightly forward in your stance and swing back keeping the club head low.

As you transition down, feel like you’re brushing the grass underneath the ball, then let the club work up through impact in a low–to–high motion.

Concentrate on making clean, crisp contact with a penetrating trajectory.

Avoid the urge to scoop or dig at the ball – let the club glide up into it.

Drill 3: Half–Speed, Half–Swings

For the final part of this drill sequence, you’ll graduate to taking some half–speed, half–size full swings, maintaining that shallow attack angle.

Again, set up with the ball slightly forward and take a more compact, abbreviated swing.

Focus on the sensation of an ascending strike, even with your irons.

Feel like you’re “sweeping” the ball off the turf rather than crashing down on it.

Start slowly, taking it easy on the throttle.

As you groove the proper shallow angle, gradually build up the speed and size of your swings, while keeping that club head low and brushing the grass.

Putting It All Together

By working through this 3–part drill sequence, you’ll start to rewire your body and swing mechanics to deliver the club on a much shallower, more efficient attack path.

The low, sweeping club drags, pitch shots and half–speed swings all reinforce the proper shallow delivery of the club head.

This cultivates a more ascending strike that makes crisp, consistent ball contact possible.

Remember, the key is to keep the club head low to the ground throughout your backswing and delivery.

Avoid the temptation to lift or steepen the club and focus on that smooth, brushing contact with the turf.

Commit to spending some regular practice time with these drills and you’ll start to see dramatic improvements in your ball–striking consistency.  

No more topped shots, chunked divots or wild, uncontrolled trajectories – just solid, confident swings that produce high–quality, penetrating ball flight.

Take these shallow attack angle fundamentals to the course and watch your iron and wood play transform.