Nothing ruins a 40-to-70-yard wedge shot faster than shifting your weight onto your back foot and whipping the clubhead low and inside. From that flat, trailing position, the club bottoms out behind the ball and launches high, floaty shots with zero spin.
Cody Carter sets the pathpal to a steep 75-degree angle just outside the lead foot to pair a 'start left, stay left' pressure system with a vertical backswing plane that produces low, high-spin wedge shots.
See the full step-by-step station on the Vertical Swing Plane page, or watch Cody demonstrate the setup below.
The drill
Cody Carter (Director of Player Development at Druid Hills Golf Club; 2018-2026: Golf Digest Best Young Teachers in America, 2022, 2024-2025: Golf Magazine Top Teachers to Watch, 2024-2025: Golf Digest Best Teachers in State) uses the pathpal training system to give golfers immediate physical and visual feedback on every repetition.
This drill utilizes the pathpal at a steep angle to guide your club on a more vertical swing plane, promoting lead-side pressure retention and a steeper angle of attack for improved ball-first contact, increased spin loft, and more consistent, high-spin wedge shots.
Setup
- Prepare Your pathpal: Take one piece of your pathpal.
- Set the Angle: Adjust the pathpal to a 75-degree angle. This steep angle is crucial for guiding the vertical swing plane.
- Position the pathpal: Place the pathpal on the ground directly in line with your target, and positioned just outside your lead foot/ball. The pathpal should be standing upright and angled towards your target.
- Ball Position: Place your golf ball relatively close to the pathpal, so that your club can swing just outside it on the backswing.
- Initial Pressure: Before you start your swing, ensure you have initial pressure on your lead side (left side for right-handed golfers).
How to run the drill
- Maintain Lead Pressure: Throughout your backswing, consciously maintain pressure on your lead side. Avoid shifting your weight excessively to your trail side.
- Vertical Backswing: As you take the club back, focus on getting the clubhead to move just outside the pathpal. This reinforces the desired vertical swing plane. Do not let the club come inside.
- Stay "Left": Think about starting your swing with pressure on your lead side ("start left") and keeping that pressure ("stay left") through impact and into your finish ("finish left").
- Hit Down on the Ball: This drill encourages a steeper angle of attack, promoting ball-first contact.
- Feel the Spin: Observe the flight of the ball; you should be hitting medium, low, high-spin wedge shots due to the increased spin loft.
Great wedge players don't shift right and try to recover. They set pressure on their lead side at address, keep the clubhead outside the 75-degree rod going back, and compress the ball with a downward strike.
Watch the drill
View the full guided drill on pathpal →
Why it works
Full-swing weight transfer ruins finesse wedge play. When you load onto your trail foot on a partial wedge shot, your low point moves behind the golf ball, forcing you to either chunk the turf or flip your hands to save the contact.
Start left, stay left, and keep the clubhead working up the 75-degree plane for effortless spin loft.
By setting the pathpal to its 75-degree slot in line with the target just outside the lead foot, Cody Carter gives you an unmistakable visual and physical guide. Keeping the clubhead outside the upright stick on the takeaway pairs with lead-side pressure to create ball-first compression and clean groove friction.
Who this is for
- ✓Golfers who hit fat or floaty wedge shots with very little greenside check or spin
- ✓Players who shift too much weight to their trail foot on partial wedge swings
- ✓Anyone whose wedge takeaway rolls flat and inside behind their hands
- ✓Golfers who want to learn the tour-proven 'start left, stay left, finish left' wedge system
Try it
Set one half of your pathpal at a 75-degree angle along your target line just outside your lead foot and grab your sand or lob wedge.
- Set the pathpal to the 75-degree slot and place it along the target line just outside your lead foot
- Preset 60 to 65 percent of your weight on your lead foot at address ('start left')
- Make 10 rehearsal takeaways keeping the clubhead outside the 75-degree rod while holding lead-side pressure
- Hit 15 wedge shots of 30 to 60 yards, staying on your lead side through impact and watching the lower, higher-spin flight
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 →
Prevent inside takeaway - "wall" drill
Taught by Shawn Koch. Prevent a Flat, Rolled Takeaway for a More Upright Swing. View drill →
About Cody Carter
Frequently asked questions
What angle slot does Cody Carter use for the Vertical Swing Plane Wedge Drill?
He uses the steep 75-degree slot on the pathpal, positioned upright along the target line just outside the lead foot and golf ball.
What does 'start left, stay left, finish left' mean on wedge shots?
It means setting the majority of your pressure on your lead foot at address, maintaining that lead-side pressure throughout the backswing without shifting right, and rotating through onto your lead side at the finish.
How does a vertical backswing create more spin on wedge shots?
Keeping the clubhead outside the 75-degree rod prevents an inside, shallow approach and promotes a steeper downward angle of attack that traps the ball against clean grooves before touching the turf.
What flight should I look for when executing this drill properly?
You should see a penetrating, medium-low wedge flight that checks up quickly on the green due to cleaner ball-first contact and optimized spin loft.
What happens if my club touches the pathpal rod on the takeaway?
Touching the rod means your hands or forearms rolled the clubhead too far inside on the backswing rather than hinging it vertically in front of your chest.
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