The number-one mistake amateur golfers make around the green happens in the first foot of the backswing: sucking the wedge head low and inside behind their hands. Once the wedge gets trapped inside, the arc bottoms out early behind the ball.
GOLFTEC Director of Instruction Joe Stago locks the pathpal into its steep 70-degree slot just behind the golf ball to block an inside takeaway and produce a crisp, 10-degree downward wedge strike.
See the full step-by-step station on the The Steep Attack Short Game Drill page, or watch Joe demonstrate the setup below.
The drill
Joe Stago (Center Manager, Director of Instruction at GOLFTEC Dublin; 2019-2020, 2024-2027: Golf Digest Best Teachers in State, 2019: National Center Manager of the Year at GOLFTEC) uses the pathpal training system to give golfers immediate physical and visual feedback on every repetition.
Brought to you by Joe Stago, this short game drill targets the number one mistake golfers make when chipping and pitching: sucking the club too far inside on the takeaway. When the club gets trapped inside, it causes the swing to bottom out too early, forcing erratic wrist and elbow adjustments to compensate. By locking the pathpal into a steep 70-degree angle, you create a physical barrier that forces a more vertical, on-plane takeaway, allowing you to attack the ball with a crisp, downward strike.
Setup
- Position the pathpal training aid just behind your ball on the target line.
- Adjust the pathpal slot settings to a steep 70-degree angle, matching it closely to the natural shaft plane of your wedge.
- Insert your alignment stick into the 70-degree slot to establish the takeaway boundary.
How to run the drill
- Set up to your chipping or pitching shot normally.
- On the takeaway, focus on keeping the club head outside and moving up along the steep angle of the alignment stick, ensuring you don't track underneath or inside it.
- From the top of this more vertical backswing, let the club track naturally downward through the ball.
- Aim to feel a sharp, compressed, downward strike. If using a launch monitor, target a downward angle of attack of 10 degrees or more.
When the 70-degree rod sits right behind your ball on the target line, your wedge cannot whip inside on the takeaway. It must work up the steep shaft plane and track cleanly down into the back of the ball.
Watch the drill
View the full guided drill on pathpal →
Why it works
When a golfer pulls the clubhead inside on a short chip or pitch, the club gets trapped behind the trail hip. To get the clubhead back to the ball, the golfer has to dump the wrist angles early, dropping the leading edge into the grass inches behind the ball.
Keep the wedge head outside the 70-degree rod going back so it can track steeply downward through the ball.
By matching the pathpal's 70-degree slot to the natural upright shaft plane of a sand or lob wedge, Joe Stago gives you an immediate physical boundary. You feel the clubhead rise along the steep stick on the takeaway and descend at roughly 10 degrees down into the ball for crisp compression.
Who this is for
- ✓Golfers who chunk or blade greenside chip and pitch shots
- ✓Players who whip the clubhead low and inside on the short-game takeaway
- ✓Anyone who flips their wrists at impact to compensate for a trapped backswing
- ✓Golfers using a launch monitor who want to train a 10-degree downward wedge attack
Try it
Place your pathpal just behind the golf ball along the target line and insert an alignment stick into the steep 70-degree slot.
- Position the pathpal just behind your ball on the target line with an alignment stick in the 70-degree slot
- Make 10 slow takeaway rehearsals keeping the wedge head outside and moving up along the 70-degree rod
- Hit 15 chip and pitch shots letting the club track naturally downward from that vertical top position
- Move the ball clear of the station and hit 5 chips, maintaining the crisp downward strike
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:
Ball position and low point drill
Taught by Shawn Koch. Optimize Ball Position and Improve Downward Strike for Consistent Contact. View drill →
Prevent inside takeaway - "wall" drill
Taught by Shawn Koch. Prevent a Flat, Rolled Takeaway for a More Upright Swing. View drill →
The Brick Wall Impact Drill
Taught by Janean Murphy. Optimize Your Sway Gap for Straighter Shots. View drill →
About Joe Stago
Frequently asked questions
Why does sucking the club inside cause chunked chip shots?
Pulling the wedge inside flattens the swing arc and shifts the low point behind the golf ball, forcing errant wrist and elbow compensations that dig into the turf early.
What pathpal angle does Joe Stago use for the Steep Attack Drill?
He uses the steep 70-degree slot, which closely matches the natural upright shaft plane of a wedge at address.
What angle of attack should I aim for on short chip shots?
Joe Stago recommends aiming for a crisp downward angle of attack of roughly 10 degrees or steeper on greenside chips and pitches.
Where do I place the pathpal for this drill?
Place the pathpal base just behind your golf ball along the target line so the 70-degree alignment stick blocks the clubhead from rolling underneath or inside on the takeaway.
Can I use this drill indoors on a simulator mat?
Yes. It sets up on any turf mat in seconds and pairs well with launch monitor feedback on attack angle and launch height.
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