Here's the thing most golfers get wrong about chipping: they think the fix is in the hands. Stop scooping. Firm up the lead wrist. Keep the shaft leaning forward. All good advice — but none of it sticks without feeling what a proper descending strike actually is.
That's exactly what this drill delivers.
The drill
Brad Pluth — PGA Master Professional, Golf Digest Best in State (MN), US Kids Master Coach, and Director of Instruction at Dick's House of Sport — uses the pathpal to build a simple, no-guesswork short game station for his students.
See the full drill at pathpalgolf.com/pages/pathpal-golf-hit-down-and-through-chip-shot-golf-drill.
The setup takes about ten seconds:
- Set your pathpal to 70–75 degrees (75 for chip shots, 70 for basic pitch shots)
- Place the rod 1–2 inches directly behind the ball
- Your only job: hit down and through without touching the stick
The rod behind the ball creates an immediate consequence for a shallow or scooping angle of attack. You either strike the ball first with a descending blow, or you hit the stick. There's no hiding from it, and there's no ambiguity about whether the rep was good or bad.
Watch the drill
Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=6EIWhblwNPo
Why it works
Feedback beats instruction every time.
Most amateur golfers instinctively try to "lift" the ball into the air on chip and pitch shots. The result is a shallow or even ascending angle of attack — the club hits the ground before the ball, or catches the equator on the way up. Neither produces consistent contact or spin.
A steeper angle of approach fixes both problems at once. Hitting down into the ball compresses it against the turf, generates spin, and creates predictable, repeatable trajectory. The pathpal rod makes that abstract concept physical and immediate — with over 50,000 lessons taught, Brad knows that feedback beats instruction every time.
75 degrees — standard chip shot (standing closer in)
70 degrees — basic pitch shot (slightly wider stance, standing farther out)
Who this is for
- ✓ Golfers who consistently chunk or thin chip shots
- ✓ Players who struggle with inconsistent short game contact
- ✓ Anyone who's been told to "hit down on it" but can't feel what that means
- ✓ Golfers looking to add spin and control to their wedge game
Try it
Set up the station before your next range session and run 20–30 chips focusing purely on missing the rod. You'll be surprised how quickly the feel of a proper descending strike becomes natural.
Full drill breakdown: pathpalgolf.com/pages/pathpal-golf-hit-down-and-through-chip-shot-golf-drill
- Set the pathpal to 75° for chipping, 70° for pitching
- Place the rod 1–2 inches directly behind the ball
- Take a few rehearsal swings without a ball — feel the descending path
- Add the ball and hit 20–30 shots focusing purely on missing the rod
- If you catch the stick, your angle of attack was too shallow — reset and go again
- Move the ball closer to the rod progressively to increase the challenge
Related drills
Angle of attack is the central variable in short game ball-striking. These drills from the pathpal library approach the same problem from complementary angles:
Downward Strike Drill — Grayson Zacker
Jim McLean Golf Schools Director of Instruction Grayson Zacker places the pathpal approximately six inches behind the ball — catching three fault causes simultaneously: low inside takeaway, hanging back, and scooping at impact.
Steepen Your Angle of Attack — Pat Bernot
GOLFTEC National Coach of the Year Pat Bernot uses a two-rod path tunnel alongside TrackMan to verify a 10° descending angle of attack on chip and pitch shots — the data-backed companion to Brad's feel-first approach.
"Ball-First" Impact Control Drill — Eric Barlow
PGA Master Professional Eric Barlow uses a ground rod perpendicular behind the ball as a low point marker for full iron shots — the same behind-the-ball feedback principle applied to full swing contact quality.
Browse the full drill library: pathpalgolf.com/pages/all-drills
About Brad Pluth
Brad Pluth is a PGA Master Professional and Director of Instruction at Dick's House of Sport. He is a Golf Digest Best in State (MN), US Kids Golf Top 50 Master Coach (3×), and has coached over 50,000 lessons throughout his career. He holds TPI Level I and II, Trackman, FlightScope, Swing Catalyst, and Boditrak certifications.
Instagram · bradpluthgolf.com · pathpal on Instagram
Frequently asked questions
What angle should I set the pathpal for chip shots versus pitch shots?
For a standard chip shot — where you're standing closer to the ball — set the pathpal to 75 degrees. For a basic pitch shot with a slightly wider, more open stance, 70 degrees works well. The steeper angle reflects the more upright club position needed for short game shots compared to full-swing drills.
How far behind the ball should I place the pathpal rod?
Brad places the rod approximately 1–2 inches directly behind the ball. That gap is intentional — it gives you just enough room to make a proper descending strike without penalizing a marginally steep swing. It's a forgiving but effective feedback window. As the correct angle of attack becomes more consistent, you can move the rod closer to the ball to increase the challenge.
Why do I scoop the ball on chip shots?
Scooping happens when the trail hand overpowers the lead hand through impact in an attempt to "help" the ball into the air. The fix is learning to trust a descending blow — hitting down and through, not under the ball. Brad's drill trains this directly: you physically cannot scoop and miss the rod at the same time, so the correct movement pattern gets encoded quickly through simple cause and consequence.
What does "angle of approach" mean in chipping and why does it matter?
Angle of approach (AoA) refers to whether the clubhead is traveling downward or upward at the moment of impact. For chip and pitch shots, a slightly downward (negative) AoA is essential for ball-first contact and spin generation. A shallow or upward AoA causes the club to catch the turf first (fat) or catch the ball on the way up (thin). This drill trains the descending angle directly — by making any shallow approach catch the rod behind the ball.
Can this drill be used for pitch shots as well as chips?
Yes. Brad specifically demonstrates both applications: 75 degrees for chip shots hit from a closer stance, and 70 degrees for basic pitch shots from a slightly wider position. The principle is the same across both — a descending angle of attack produces better contact and more predictable spin — and the setup adjustment takes only a few seconds between club types.
Ready to stop scooping and start striking?
pathpal gives you immediate, unambiguous feedback on every short game rep — so the feel of a proper descending strike becomes second nature.
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