If your putts hop, skid, or start left of your aim — or all three — you're dealing with two separate but related problems: a descending stroke that punches the ball into the turf, and a clubface that isn't square at impact. Most drills fix one or the other. David Potts' pathpal setup fixes both simultaneously, in about ten square inches of putting green.
See the full drill setup at the Start Line & Rise Angle Putting Drill page, or watch David walk through it here:
Watch the Start Line & Rise Angle Drill on YouTube →
The drill
David Potts — Golf Digest Best Teacher in Every State, Best Teachers in Georgia (2007, 2008), Director of Player Development at Country Club of the South, SAM Putt Lab Certified Instructor (Level I & II), and Assistant Golf Coach at Oglethorpe University — uses the pathpal as a dual feedback station for start line and rise angle.
The setup
- Place the pathpal on the green with a gap just wide enough for the ball to pass through
- Position it approximately 6–7 inches in front of the ball
- Stroke the ball through the gap — face feedback
- Finish with the putter just above the rod — rise angle feedback
If the ball clips either side of the gap, your face was open or closed. If your putter catches the rod on the follow-through, you're punching down rather than stroking through and up. Both pieces of information on every single rep.
David Potts demonstrates the full drill on the putting green. View on YouTube →
Why it works
As a SAM Putt Lab Certified Instructor, David understands that face angle controls roughly 75–85% of a putt's starting direction. The gap drill makes face control the primary feedback mechanism — you either start the ball on line or you don't, and the gap tells you which.
If the ball clips either side of the gap, your face was open or closed. If your putter catches the rod on the follow-through, you're punching down. Both pieces of information on every single rep.
The rise angle component addresses the second most damaging putting fault most amateurs don't even know they have. A descending stroke — what David describes as "punching" the ball — compresses it into the turf and creates a hop that disrupts roll quality and distance control before the ball has traveled a single inch. The pathpal rod placed in the follow-through zone catches that descending finish and trains the slight upward strike that produces true, immediate forward roll.
Two faults. One setup.
Face angle
The gap acts as a pass/fail test on every rep. A ball that clips either edge reveals exactly whether your face was open or closed at impact.
Rise angle
A putter that catches the rod on the follow-through is descending at impact. Clearing the rod trains the upward strike that produces immediate forward roll.
Finish position
The putter should finish just above the rod — not clip it, not fly far over it. That finish confirms both the path and the rise angle were correct.
Who this is for
- ✓ Golfers whose putts hop or skid before settling into a roll
- ✓ Players who start putts consistently off their intended line
- ✓ Anyone working with SAM Putt Lab data who wants a complementary on-green drill
- ✓ Golfers looking for a single setup that addresses multiple putting variables at once
Try it
Set up the drill on a flat section of the practice green and hit 20 short putts — 4 to 6 feet — focusing on clearing the gap cleanly and finishing above the rod. Once both feel automatic, move to a slightly breaking putt and let the face feedback tell you whether your read or your stroke was responsible for the miss.
- Place pathpal on a flat green section, gap just wide enough for the ball, 6–7 inches in front
- Hit 20 putts from 4–6 feet — focus on clearing the gap cleanly (face) and finishing above the rod (rise angle)
- Note which fault shows up: clipping the gap edge = face issue; catching the rod on follow-through = descending blow
- Once both feel automatic, move to a slight breaker and let the gap reveal whether your read or your stroke caused the miss
Related drills
This drill sits at the execution end of the putting practice spectrum. These three drills connect directly — covering path mechanics, stroke shape, and on-course pace and line judgment:
Jason Kuiper uses the pathpal at 70° to train path, face angle, and stroke length in one SAM Putt Lab-verified setup — the natural companion drill for golfers addressing the full stroke picture.
Cody Carter's gate drill isolates centered contact — heel and toe misses that rob distance and direction even when the face and rise angle are correct. A direct complement to this drill.
Mike Barge uses the pathpal as a gate positioned on the intended apex line — testing whether start line and pace are matched correctly for a given break. The on-course execution layer.
About David Potts
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up the pathpal for the Start Line and Rise Angle Drill?
Place the pathpal on the putting green with a gap just wide enough for the ball to pass through, positioned approximately 6–7 inches in front of the ball. The gap trains your start line — if your face is open or closed at impact, the ball clips the edge instead of rolling cleanly through. The rod height trains your rise angle — the putter should finish just above the rod on the follow-through. If you clip the rod coming through, you're punching down on the ball rather than stroking through and up.
What causes putts to hop or skid instead of rolling smoothly?
Hops and skids almost always come from a descending blow at impact — the putter striking slightly downward into the ball rather than catching it on a slight upward stroke. A downward hit compresses the ball into the turf, creating a brief bounce before forward roll begins. David's rise angle drill trains the putter to finish just above the pathpal rod, enforcing the upward strike that produces immediate, true forward roll from the first inch of the putt.
How much does clubface angle affect putting start line?
Clubface angle at impact is the dominant factor controlling where a putt starts — SAM Putt Lab data consistently shows that roughly 75–85% of a putt's starting direction is determined by face angle, with path playing a secondary role. David builds his putting instruction around this principle: get the face square and the ball starts where you aimed. The pathpal gap makes face control a pass/fail test on every single rep.
How far in front of the ball should I place the pathpal?
David places the pathpal approximately 6–7 inches in front of the ball — close enough to give meaningful rise angle feedback but far enough that it only catches a genuinely descending stroke rather than penalizing a flat one. The gap should be just wide enough for the ball to pass cleanly through on a square-face stroke. A ball that clips either edge tells you your face was open or closed at impact.
Can I use this drill on a breaking putt?
Yes — and David specifically recommends progressing to a breaking putt once the flat-green version feels automatic. On a breaking putt, the gap reveals something a straight-line drill can't: whether a missed putt was caused by a poor start line or a mismatch between your line and your pace. If the ball clears the gap but still misses the hole, your stroke is sound — your read or your speed may need adjusting instead.
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