When an approach shot starts dead left of the flag and never comes back, upper-body lunge is almost always to blame. If your head and sternum slide forward ahead of the ball on the downswing, your swing arc shifts forward, your path shifts left, and the clubface closes down.
LPGA Global Teacher of the Year Janean Murphy sets the pathpal as a clear visual boundary aligned right off your lead ear to keep your head and sternum behind the golf ball through impact.
See the full step-by-step station on the The Left Ear Drill page, or watch Janean demonstrate the setup below.
The drill
Janean Murphy (Director of Instruction at Meadowbrook Country Club; 2024: LPGA Global Teacher of the Year, 2026: Golf Digest Best Teachers in State, 2022-2027: LPGA Top 50 Best Teacher) uses the pathpal training system to give golfers immediate physical and visual feedback on every repetition.
Designed by LPGA Global Teacher of the Year Janean Murphy, this drill utilizes the pathpal to eliminate upper body sway and stop pulled approach shots. By positioning the training aid near your lead ear, it creates a crucial visual reference point that forces you to keep your head and sternum behind the ball through impact and into your follow-through
Setup
- Set up your normal stance for an approach shot.
- Position the pathpal training aid so that it aligns directly off your left ear (for a right-handed golfer).
- Ensure the training aid is close enough to serve as a clear visual boundary for your head position without interfering with your physical swing.
How to run the drill
- Take your setup and focus on the visual boundary created by the pathpal off your left ear.
- Initiate your downswing, focusing on keeping your head and sternum firmly behind that visual reference point.
- Swing through impact and into your follow-through without letting your upper body slide forward past the pathpal.
- If you feel or see your upper body cross that line, reset and focus on maintaining your center. Repeat until you consistently stay behind the ball.
Your lower body should shift and turn toward the target, but your head and sternum must stay behind the visual line off your left ear until the ball is gone.
Watch the drill
View the full guided drill on pathpal →
Why it works
Many golfers confuse lower-body weight transfer with moving their entire upper body toward the target. When the head lunges ahead of the ball in transition, the upper spine tilts toward the target, steepening the angle of attack and swinging the club across the line to the left.
Keep your left ear behind the boundary line at impact so your lower body can clear while your club releases down the target line.
By placing the pathpal on the ground aligned directly off your lead ear (left ear for a right-handed golfer), Janean Murphy gives your peripheral vision a fixed spatial anchor. You immediately see if your head drifts past the line during the downswing.
Who this is for
- ✓Golfers who pull their iron and wedge approach shots left of the target
- ✓Players whose head and upper body lunge forward toward the target on the downswing
- ✓Anyone who struggles to stay behind the golf ball to launch irons high and straight
- ✓Golfers who want a non-intrusive visual setup they can use at full speed
Try it
Take your normal mid-iron stance and place the pathpal on the ground out in front of you so it lines up directly off your lead ear.
- Take your address stance with a 7-iron or 8-iron and align the pathpal on the ground directly off your left ear
- Make 10 slow downswing rehearsals keeping your head and sternum behind the pathpal line through impact
- Hit 15 approach shots focusing on letting your hips clear while your lead ear stays behind the visual boundary
- Step away from the visual marker and hit 5 normal approach shots to verify a straighter start line
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:
"Sway Stopper" Trail Leg Barrier Drill
Taught by Eric Barlow. Master Backswing Stability: Eliminate Lateral Movement and Convert Motion into Powerful, Centered Rotation. View drill →
Anti-Sway Drill
Taught by Matt Tindale. Improve Your Swing and Prevent Leaning into Your Front Leg. View drill →
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 →
About Janean Murphy
Frequently asked questions
Why does moving my head forward cause pulled iron shots?
When your head and upper torso slide ahead of the ball on the downswing, the bottom of your swing arc moves forward and your club path shifts left (out-to-in) with a delofted, closed face.
Where do I place the pathpal for the Left Ear Drill?
Place the pathpal on the ground out in front of your stance so that when you look down at the ball, the unit aligns directly off your lead ear (left ear for right-handed golfers) without interfering with your swing arc.
Should my head stay frozen after the ball is gone?
Focus on keeping your head and sternum behind the left-ear line through impact; once the ball is struck, your trail shoulder and momentum can naturally pull your head up into a full finish.
Does this drill restrict my lower-body weight shift?
No. Keeping your head behind the ball while your pelvis shifts and rotates toward the target actually creates healthy secondary spine tilt and stronger ball compression.
Can left-handed golfers use this drill?
Yes. Left-handed golfers align the pathpal directly off their right ear (their lead ear) and keep their head behind that line through impact.
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