When you have sliced the golf ball for years, a neutral swing path feels like you are swinging 30 yards to the right. To break an ingrained over-the-top pattern, motor-learning science shows you have to exaggerate the opposite movement until the new path feels natural.
GOLFTEC Easton Director of Instruction Pat Bernot splits the pathpal into its two halves (one behind the ball and one ahead of the ball) to create an 'under the rear rod, over the front rod' window that exaggerates an inside-to-out draw path.
See the full step-by-step station on the The Path Exaggeration Drill page, or watch Pat demonstrate the setup below.
The drill
Pat Bernot (Director of Instruction at GOLFTEC Easton; 2024: SOPGA Golf Professional of the Year, 2022-2025: Golf Digest "Best in State", 2022-2023: Southern Ohio PGA President) uses the pathpal training system to give golfers immediate physical and visual feedback on every repetition.
This drill utilizes the split-unit versatility of the pathpal to create a path-control station. By forcing the club to travel "under" the rear guide and "over" the front guide, you can effectively exaggerate an inside-to-out path to eliminate a slice and start hitting high-draws.
Setup
- Separate the pathpal into its two individual halves.
- Place one half behind the ball (rear side) and the other half in front of the ball (target side).
- Set the rear rod at an angle that forces the club to travel underneath it on the downswing.
- Set the front rod so that the club must exit above it to encourage a rightward, inside-out release.
How to run the drill
- Start by taking very slow practice swings to ensure you can clear both rods without contact.
- Focus on bringing the clubhead under the rear rod during the transition and downswing.
- Continue the swing so the clubhead finishes above the front rod on the follow-through.
- To make the drill more "aggressive" for greater exaggeration, move the rods closer to the ball or adjust the vertical angles.
- Once you can consistently hit the "window" between the rods, increase your swing speed while maintaining the same path.
Drop the clubhead underneath the rear rod on the downswing and finish above the front rod on the follow-through to physically force an inside-to-out release.
Watch the drill
View the full guided drill on pathpal →
Why it works
Slicers almost always swing 'high to low and left': the clubhead starts high outside the hands in transition and exits low and left across the body after impact. Reversing that geometry requires training the clubhead to travel 'low from the inside to high on the outside' through the hitting zone.
To fix a chronic slice fast, exaggerate the opposite window: under the back rod coming down, over the front rod going through.
By separating the pathpal into its two independent halves, Pat Bernot sets a rear rod behind the ball that you must swing underneath on the downswing, and a front rod on the target side that you must swing over on the follow-through. You can dial up the exaggeration by moving the rods closer or adjusting the 14 angle slots.
Who this is for
- ✓Golfers who want to break an ingrained over-the-top slice pattern through exaggeration
- ✓Players who pull-cut their irons left across the body after impact
- ✓Anyone learning how to release the clubhead high and out to the right for a high draw
- ✓Golfers who want to use both split halves of the pathpal in a full-swing path station
Try it
Split your pathpal into two halves, place one half behind the ball and the other half ahead of the ball, and angle the two rods to create an 'under-then-over' draw window.
- Separate the pathpal into two halves, placing one behind the ball (rear) and one ahead of the ball (front)
- Angle the rear rod so the club must drop underneath it coming down, and set the front rod so the club exits above it going through
- Make 10 slow practice swings navigating cleanly under the rear rod and over the front rod
- Hit 15 shots starting at 50 percent speed and building up as you consistently launch high draws through the window
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 pathpal Slice Correction Drill
Taught by Ed Doherty. Eliminate Your Over-the-Top Path and Cure Your Slice. View drill →
Anti-slice Arm Drop Drill
Taught by Brent Witcher. Force the Arms to Drop Underneath and Eliminate the Casting/Over-the-Top Move. View drill →
"Inside Path" Corrector Drill
Taught by Eric Barlow. Neutralize Your Club Path: Prevent Excessive Inside-Out Motion and Eliminate Raised Hands at Impact. View drill →
About Pat Bernot
Frequently asked questions
How does the 'under and over' rod setup work in Pat Bernot's Path Exaggeration Drill?
You split the pathpal into two halves: the rear rod behind the ball forces your downswing to drop underneath from the inside, while the front rod ahead of the ball forces your follow-through to exit high and above it to the right.
Why is exaggeration effective for fixing a golf slice?
Because an over-the-top pattern feels normal to a slicer, making small adjustments rarely changes the swing on camera. Exaggerating an inside-out path resets your proprioception much faster.
How can I make the drill more or less aggressive?
To create greater inside-out exaggeration, move the two pathpal halves closer to the golf ball or adjust the vertical rod angles across the 14 slots.
What speed should I start with when learning this station?
Always begin with very slow rehearsal swings and 50-percent speed shots to confirm your club clears under the rear rod and over the front rod before ramping up speed.
What ball flight will this drill produce?
Because it forces an inside-to-out club path and an upward release through impact, it produces a high-launching right-to-left draw.
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