If your divots point left of the target and your ball curves right, your clubhead is approaching impact from outside the target line. Fixing that slice requires a low, visual ceiling that forces the clubhead to approach the ball from the inside quadrant.
Coach Ed Doherty uses the shallow 25-degree slot on the pathpal with the golf ball placed right at the tip of the angled alignment stick to eliminate over-the-top swings indoors or on the range.
See the full step-by-step station on the The pathpal Slice Correction Drill page, or watch Ed demonstrate the setup below.
The drill
Ed Doherty (Assistant Golf Professional at Black Rock Country Club; 2025: US Kids Top 50 Kids Coach, 2021: Assistant Golf Professional of the Year, New England PGA, 2025: Volunteer Assistant Coach, Boston College Golf Program) uses the pathpal training system to give golfers immediate physical and visual feedback on every repetition.
This indoor-friendly drill uses the pathpal training aid and a single alignment stick positioned at a 25-degree angle to provide immediate, physical feedback. The setup creates a barrier that forces the golfer to swing from the inside, correcting the common "over-the-top" path that causes a slice.
Setup
- Set up the pathpal on your practice surface.
- Insert one alignment stick into the pathpal base at the designated 25-degree angle.
- Place a golf ball directly at the tip of the alignment stick, lining up the ball for your swing.
How to run the drill
- Address the ball with the alignment stick angled toward your target side (25 degrees).
- Take practice swings, focusing on missing the alignment stick entirely.
- If your club comes "over the top" (outside-in path), you will immediately hit the stick, giving you instant feedback.
- Continue practicing until you can swing through the ball without touching the stick, establishing a better, more inside-to-out swing path.
Placing the golf ball directly beneath the tip of a 25-degree angled rod makes an over-the-top chop impossible without touching the stick.
Watch the drill
View the full guided drill on pathpal →
Why it works
High-angle barriers set near the shoulders help with early transition, but many slicers still steepen the shaft in the final two feet before impact. A shallow 25-degree barrier right at the ball polices the actual delivery zone.
A 25-degree barrier at the ball gives your brain a crystal-clear window to swing from inside to out.
When you line up the golf ball at the tip of the 25-degree rod angled toward your target side, your eyes immediately see the inside-out corridor. To strike the ball cleanly without touching the stick, your clubhead must shallow behind your hands and approach from the inside.
Who this is for
- ✓Golfers who slice their irons and hybrids due to an outside-in approach at the ball
- ✓Players who get steep in the bottom half of the downswing and cut across the target line
- ✓Anyone looking for a compact, single-stick indoor or range slice fix
- ✓Golfers who want to turn a weak left-to-right slice into a solid, compressed draw
Try it
Insert one alignment stick into the 25-degree slot on your pathpal and position the golf ball just off the tip of the angled stick.
- Insert an alignment stick into the 25-degree slot on the pathpal base angled toward the target side
- Place a golf ball directly beneath the tip of the angled stick with just enough clearance for an inside approach
- Take 10 slow practice swings missing the stick cleanly by approaching from the inside
- Hit 15 shots at 70 percent speed, then hit 5 shots without the stick to feel the shallower path transfer
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:
Inside-Out Draw Path
Taught by Jason Kuiper. Shallow Your Swing and Promote an Inside-Out Path for a Draw. View drill →
Swing Path Fixer
Taught by Jason Gandy. Correcting Your Swing Path: Takeaway and Downswing Plane Control. View drill →
"Up It, Under It" Swing Plane Drill
Taught by Eric Barlow. Eliminate Over the Top and Shallow from the Inside-Out. View drill →
About Ed Doherty
Frequently asked questions
Which slot on the pathpal does the 25-Degree Slice Correction Drill use?
It uses the shallow 25-degree angle slot on the pathpal base with a single alignment stick angled toward the target side.
Where do I place the golf ball in this setup?
Place the golf ball directly at the tip of the 25-degree angled alignment stick so the stick guards the outside-in approach lane above the ball.
What happens if I swing over the top during this drill?
An outside-in or overly steep downswing will immediately contact the 25-degree alignment stick before reaching the ball.
Is the 25-Degree Slice Drill safe to use indoors?
Yes. Because the pathpal base sits flat on any mat or carpet without needing to be staked into grass, it is ideal for indoor garage, simulator, or living-room practice.
Can I use The Arrow padded alignment stick for this drill?
Yes. Using The Arrow padded collapsible stick in the 25-degree slot gives you a soft, club-safe foam barrier right above the ball.
Ready to stop guessing and build a repeatable swing?
pathpal sets up drills like The pathpal Slice Correction Drill in seconds: one integrated training system that fits in any golf bag and delivers real feedback on every swing.
Shop pathpal
