If your shots are coming out flat, your swing feels like it "stalls" through the ball, and no amount of arm speed seems to fix it, your lower body is probably the culprit. Specifically, a collapsing lead leg.
It's one of the most overlooked power leaks in amateur golf. Golfers obsess over their backswing and takeaway, but the real explosion happens on the way down, when the lead leg straightens, the hips drive, and vertical ground force sends energy up through the entire kinetic chain. Miss that move, and you're leaving serious yards on the table.
See the full drill here: Vertical Push and Speed Drill, pathpal drill page
The drill
Cody Carter, Golf Digest Best Young Teacher in America (multiple times, 2024, 2025), Golf Magazine Top Teacher, Callaway National Fitters Board member, and Director of Player Development at Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, uses the pathpal to train this exact move with his students.
The setup is simple: place the pathpal at a 30-degree angle just outside the lead leg. As you swing through impact, the goal is to straighten the lead leg and push the front hip back and around, driving away from the rod. If the knee collapses into it, you've lost your vertical push. The pathpal gives you instant, physical feedback without the need to film every swing.
The setup
- Set the pathpal to 30 degrees, a shallow angle placing the rod near knee height
- Position it just outside the lead leg at address
- Take a couple of practice swings to build the feel first
- Through impact: lead leg straightens, front hip pushes back and around, rod is cleared
- If the knee collapses into the rod, vertical push was lost
Watch Cody Carter demonstrate the drill
Watch the full drill on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21tbw34IIno
Why it works
Most amateur golfers are "sliders", their lower body moves laterally toward the target rather than rotating and pushing up. The result is early extension, a stalling torso, and low, weak ball flight. By training the lead leg to straighten and brace, you're teaching your body the same ground force pattern that tour players use to generate speed that looks effortless.
The real explosion happens when the lead leg straightens, the hips drive, and vertical ground force sends energy up through the entire kinetic chain. Miss that move and you're leaving serious yards on the table.
This isn't a complicated drill. That's the point. A clear physical cue, one piece of equipment, and a feel you can repeat on the range or in your living room.
Who this is for
- ✓Golfers consistently hitting low, weak shots
- ✓Players who feel like their swing "stalls" through the ball
- ✓Anyone trying to add distance without swinging harder
- ✓Golfers working on early extension or hip slide
Try it
- Set the pathpal at 30 degrees, positioned just outside the lead leg.
- Take 2, 3 practice swings focused on keeping the knee from collapsing into the rod and feeling the lead leg straighten.
- Hit 10, 15 shots, staying away from the rod through impact each time. You'll feel the difference in your lead leg almost immediately.
Related drills
The vertical push is one piece of a larger lower body power and stability system. These three drills address the same fault family from complementary angles, two from Cody Carter himself, and one from Eric Barlow targeting the slide that often replaces the push.
Lead Knee Extension Drill
Cody's companion drill, addresses the backswing side of the same fault. When the lead side collapses in the takeaway, pressure never loads correctly, and the vertical push through impact becomes impossible. Pair this with the Vertical Push drill for both ends of the sequence.
"Stop the Slide" Lead Leg Rotation Drill
Golfers who can't push vertically often slide laterally instead. Eric Barlow's 90-degree barrier enforces lead-leg rotation rather than the slide that dissipates power, directly addressing the fault that prevents the vertical push from firing.
The Hip Slide Stopper Drill
David Potts identifies the same fault as one of his own bad habits. His 45-degree barrier at hip height trains the braking move, stopping the lateral slide and converting it to rotation. Complements the vertical push by addressing the lead-hip component from a different angle.
Browse the full drill library: pathpalgolf.com/pages/all-drills
About Cody Carter
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up the pathpal for the Vertical Push Drill?
Set the pathpal to a 30-degree angle and place it just outside your lead leg. The rod acts as a feedback tool, if your lead knee collapses inward toward it, you know you've lost your brace through impact. The goal is to straighten the lead leg and push the front hip back and around while staying away from the rod, generating the vertical drive Cody demonstrates in the video.
What does "vertical push" mean in the golf swing?
Vertical push refers to the upward force a golfer generates by pushing against the ground, particularly with the lead leg, through the impact zone. Tour players use this move to create what's often called "ground force," which translates directly into more rotational speed and distance. If your shots are consistently low and lacking pop, you're likely missing this vertical component.
Why does my lead leg collapse during the swing?
The lead leg collapses when the lower body fails to brace and push against the ground through impact. This is often caused by a lack of hip rotation awareness or poor sequencing, the hips slide laterally rather than rotate and drive upward. The result is a stalling torso, early extension, and low, weak ball flight. Cody Carter's Vertical Push Drill uses the pathpal as a physical cue to keep the lead knee from buckling, building the habit of bracing and straightening through the shot.
Why am I hitting the ball low even with a full swing?
Low ball flight from a full swing usually points to a flat swing plane, a closed face, or, very commonly, a soft lead side that prevents you from getting through the ball with proper body rotation. When the lead leg doesn't straighten and push, the body stalls, the club bottoms out early, and the ball launches low. The Vertical Push Drill directly addresses this by training the lead leg to drive through impact rather than fold.
Can I do this drill indoors?
Yes, and it's one of the drill's biggest advantages. The setup requires only the pathpal unit at 30 degrees placed outside the lead leg. Practice swings indoors on carpet or a mat give you the full movement pattern and proprioceptive feedback without needing range space or ball flight. Cody specifically mentions practice swings as a valid and effective way to train this feel before taking it to live shots.
One setup. A power source most golfers have never trained.
pathpal is an integrated training system used by top-ranked PGA instructors across the country. Train the ground force pattern that tour players use, on the range or in your living room.
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