The number-one cause of chunked and bladed chip shots is trying to help the ball into the air. When you take the wedge back too low and shallow, your club bottoms out behind the ball and forces an upward scoop through impact.
Five-time Golf Digest Best Young Teacher in America Grayson Zacker places the pathpal block directly behind the golf ball to enforce an early wrist hinge and a crisp, ball-first downward strike around the green.
See the full step-by-step station on the Downward Strike Drill page, or watch Grayson demonstrate the setup below.
The drill
Grayson Zacker (Director of Instruction, Lead Master Instructor at Jim McLean Golf School; 2015, 2024: SFPGA Southern Chapter Teacher of the Year, 5: Times recognized as Golf Digest Best Young Teachers in America, Top 40: Top 40 Instructor under the age of 40) uses the pathpal training system to give golfers immediate physical and visual feedback on every repetition.
This drill uses the pathpal to encourage a more vertical takeaway and a steeper angle of attack, forcing you to hit down on the golf ball first for more consistent chips and pitches
Setup
- Place the pathpal training aid on the ground behind the golf ball. The distance can be adjusted based on the golfer's comfort and skill level
How to run the drill
- Take a few practice swings, focusing on a more vertical takeaway with an early wrist hinge to avoid hitting the pathpal
- On the downswing, maintain a steeper angle of attack to ensure you strike the ball before the ground
- If you come in too shallow or from too far inside, you will hit the pathpal, providing immediate feedback
- Once you are consistently missing the pathpal on your practice swings, proceed to hit the ball, focusing on the same downward strike
With the pathpal sitting behind the golf ball, any shallow takeaway or early bottom-out catches the block. To clear it, you must hinge vertically going back and strike down on the ball first.
Watch the drill
View the full guided drill on pathpal →
Why it works
Around the green, loft is your friend only when you deliver the club with a descending blow. Golfers who sweep the club low to the ground behind the ball shift the low point of their arc behind the ball, turning every tight lie into a guessing game.
Place an obstacle behind the ball and your body naturally steepens the attack angle to hit ball first, turf second.
Grayson Zacker's setup requires zero alignment rods: simply set the pathpal block behind the golf ball at a comfortable distance and narrow the gap as your strike improves. It immediately trains an upright takeaway and a descending, ball-first contact point.
Who this is for
- ✓Golfers who scoop or try to lift chip shots into the air with their wrists
- ✓Players who struggle with fat and thin contact off tight greenside lies
- ✓Anyone whose wedge takeaway drags low and inside along the turf
- ✓Golfers who want a 5-second short-game setup with progressive difficulty
Try it
Place the pathpal block on the ground directly behind your golf ball and grab your favorite chipping wedge.
- Set the pathpal block behind your golf ball with roughly 6 to 8 inches of clearance to start
- Make 10 practice swings hinging the club upward on the takeaway and brushing the turf in front of the ball
- Hit 15 chip shots focusing on striking the ball before the ground while missing the pathpal cleanly
- Move the ball 1 to 2 inches closer to the pathpal to increase the challenge and hit 5 more crisp chips
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:
Vertical Backswing Drill
Taught by Shawn Koch. Develop a Steeper Takeaway and Prevent a Flat Swing. View drill →
Steepen your Angle of Attack
Taught by Pat Bernot. Improve Your Short Game by Steepening Your Attack Angle. View drill →
Vertical Swing Plane
Taught by Cody Carter. Optimize Attack Angle and Spin for Crisp Wedge Shots. View drill →
About Grayson Zacker
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up Grayson Zacker's Downward Strike Drill?
Simply place the pathpal block on the ground directly behind the golf ball along your target line. No alignment sticks are required for the basic setup.
How far behind the golf ball should the pathpal sit?
Start with the pathpal 6 to 8 inches behind the ball so you can swing comfortably, then move the ball closer to the block as your downward strike becomes more consistent.
Why does this drill fix both fat and thin chip shots?
Fat and thin chips come from the same root fault: the swing arc bottoming out behind the ball. Forcing the club to clear over the pathpal shifts the low point forward so you hit ball first every time.
What should I feel on the takeaway in this drill?
Focus on a slightly more vertical takeaway with an early wrist hinge so the clubhead rises cleanly above the pathpal block.
Does this drill work on indoor chipping mats?
Yes. Because indoor mats often hide fat shots by letting the club bounce into the ball, placing the pathpal behind the ball on a mat gives you honest ball-first feedback.
Ready to stop guessing and build a repeatable swing?
pathpal sets up drills like Downward Strike Drill in seconds: one integrated training system that fits in any golf bag and delivers real feedback on every swing.
Shop pathpal
