For better players and chronic hookers alike, there is no worse feeling on the tee than seeing a left-side hazard and knowing your under-the-plane swing can turn over at any moment. Rebuilding a reliable baby fade starts with eliminating the inside roll.
Director of Instruction Mark Heartfield uses both pathpal blocks and matched plane rods to rebuild an under-the-plane swing from the ground up, keeping the clubhead up the plane going back and exiting cleanly left through impact.
See the full step-by-step station on the The Anti-Hook Plane Drill page, or watch Mark demonstrate the setup below.
The drill
Mark Heartfield (Director of Instruction at The Ridge Club; 5x: Golf Digest Best Teachers in State, 2021: New England PGA Massachusetts Chapter Professional of the Year, 2017: Cape Cod PGA Professional of the Year) uses the pathpal training system to give golfers immediate physical and visual feedback on every repetition.
Developed by Mark Heartfield, Director of Instruction at The Ridge Club, this drill uses the pathpal Golf training system to completely rebuild an overly inside, under-the-plane swing. By utilizing the dual blocks and alignment sticks, the drill creates strict physical and visual boundaries that prevent you from rolling the club inside on the takeaway and flipping it stuck from in-to-out on the downswing. It's the ultimate setup for chronic hookers who want to work the club up the plane, swing left through impact, and lock in a reliable baby fade.
Setup
- Place the two pathpal blocks down to establish your swing plane boundary, inserting your alignment sticks into the designated slots.
- Position the rear block/stick behind the ball to catch you if your takeaway rolls too far inside.
- Position the front block/stick ahead of the ball along the target line to act as a gate, ensuring you don't track too far from inside-to-out on the follow-through.
- Note: Ensure the alignment sticks match your desired plane angle, leaving just enough room for a correct, neutral-to-left swing path to pass through cleanly.
How to run the drill
- Address the ball normally, keeping a sharp focus on the path boundary created by the two sticks.
- Take the club back deliberately, feeling the club head work up the plane while ensuring you don't nick the rear alignment stick.
- On the downswing, transition smoothly and focus on swinging the club down and through to the left.
- Complete your follow-through without wiping out or making contact with the front alignment stick.
- Repeat until your launch monitor or ball flight shows a neutral or slightly negative club path with a controlled, tight fade.
When the rear stick blocks an inside roll and the front stick guards against an in-to-out flip, your hands and body learn to rotate through together for a tight, predictable baby fade.
Watch the drill
View the full guided drill on pathpal →
Why it works
When a golfer rolls the clubhead inside on the takeaway, the shaft gets trapped flat behind the trail forearm. From there, the club approaches the ball too shallow and too far from the inside, requiring violent hand rotation that turns a intended draw into a snap hook.
Keep the clubhead working up the rear plane stick and release left inside the front gate to take the left side of the course out of play.
Mark Heartfield sets the two pathpal blocks with alignment sticks matched to your desired shaft plane: one behind the ball to catch an inside takeaway roll, and one ahead of the ball along the target line to prevent the clubhead from tracking out to the right after impact.
Who this is for
- ✓Golfers who fight a two-way miss of pushes to the right and snap hooks to the left
- ✓Players whose backswing rolls flat and under the plane in the first three feet
- ✓Anyone who wants to take the left side of the golf course out of play with a baby fade
- ✓Simulator and range golfers working to bring an extreme positive club path back to neutral
Try it
Place both pathpal blocks with alignment sticks along your plane line: one behind the ball to guard the takeaway and one ahead of the ball to police the follow-through.
- Position the rear pathpal block and stick behind the ball to block an inside takeaway roll
- Position the front pathpal block and stick ahead of the ball along the target line to block a rightward exit
- Make 10 deliberate rehearsal swings working the clubhead up the plane going back and left through impact
- Hit 15 shots focusing on clearing both sticks cleanly until your ball flight settles into a tight baby fade
This drill uses the pathpal magnetic 14-angle training station and alignment sticks. Shop pathpal, pair it with The Arrow padded alignment sticks, or explore the Complete Training System with Free U.S. Shipping.
Related drills
If this drill matches what you are working on, these three guided drills build on the exact same movement pattern:
The "Hook-to-Fade" Dual-Segment Drill
Taught by Mark Heartfield. Master the Out-to-In Swing Path: Eliminate the Hook by Curing Both the Inside Takeaway and Excessive Rightward Path. View drill →
The Swing Path Redirector
Taught by Chris Foley. Master Your Swing Direction for a Draw or a Fade. View drill →
The Path Exaggeration Drill
Taught by Pat Bernot. Master the Inside-to-Out Swing Path. View drill →
About Mark Heartfield
Frequently asked questions
What causes a chronic hook in the golf swing?
Most chronic hooks start when the golfer rolls the clubhead too far inside and under the plane on the takeaway, trapping the club behind the body and forcing an extreme inside-out path with a flipping release.
How does the Anti-Hook Plane Drill use both halves of the pathpal?
The rear half holds an angled stick behind the ball to stop an inside takeaway roll, while the front half holds a stick ahead of the ball to stop the club from swinging too far right on the follow-through.
What club path numbers should I look for on a launch monitor with this drill?
Aim to move an overly positive (+4 to +7 degree) club path back toward neutral (0 degrees) or slightly negative (-1 to -2 degrees) for a controlled baby fade.
What happens if my follow-through contacts the front stick?
Contacting the front stick means your clubhead tracked too far from inside-to-out toward right field instead of releasing left around your rotating body.
How is this drill related to Mark Heartfield's Hook-to-Fade Dual-Segment Drill?
Both drills use a two-barrier pathpal station to eliminate hooks; the Anti-Hook Plane Drill emphasizes matching your club's shaft plane angle to build a repeatable, subtle baby fade.
Ready to stop guessing and build a repeatable swing?
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