Solid greenside wedge play requires two things happening at once: a straight, neutral club path through impact and a downward angle of attack around 10 degrees so the club strikes the ball before taking a small divot in front of it.
Southern Ohio PGA Golf Professional of the Year and GOLFTEC Easton Director of Instruction Pat Bernot uses both halves of the pathpal with two ground-tunnel alignment sticks to form a precision wedge gate that demands both a neutral path and a steep, ball-first strike.
See the full step-by-step station on the Steepen your Angle of Attack page, or watch Pat demonstrate the setup below.
The drill
Pat Bernot (Director of Instruction at GOLFTEC Easton; 2024: SOPGA Golf Professional of the Year, 2022-2025: Golf Digest "Best in State", 2022-2023: Southern Ohio PGA President) uses the pathpal training system to give golfers immediate physical and visual feedback on every repetition.
This drill uses the pathpal and two alignment sticks to create a narrow gate, forcing golfers to control their swing path and steepen their angle of attack, which is crucial for crisp contact and spin on short game shots. The difficulty can be adjusted by changing the ball's proximity to the pathpal.
Setup
- Position the device: Set one pathpal half down so the long side is facing the target.
- Create the Gate: Place the two pathpal halves with their alignment sticks on the ground, creating a narrow "gate" that your club must swing through. The sticks should be positioned to guide a relatively straight path. Pat demonstrates with an alignment stick in the tunnel under the 45-degree slot. and the other alignment stick in the ground tunnel below either the 50 or 60-degree slot (Pat mentions using either depending on level of difficulty you're trying to use).
- Position the Ball: Place your golf ball reasonably close to the pathpal setup. To increase difficulty, move the ball closer to the pathpal. To decrease difficulty, move it further away.
How to run the drill
- Swing Through the Gate: Your primary goal is to swing your club between the two alignment sticks without hitting either one. This forces precise club path control.
- Focus on Downward Angle: As you swing, concentrate on getting your angle of attack significantly downward. The setup implicitly encourages this, as an overly shallow or fat swing will likely hit the pathpal. The instructor aims for a 10-degree downward angle for small chip shots.
- Hit Down and Through: Emphasize hitting down on the ball, taking a divot after the ball, to achieve solid contact and generate spin.
- Adjust Difficulty: If you're consistently hitting the sticks, move the ball slightly further away. If you're easily clearing them, move the ball closer to challenge yourself more.
- Practice your swings: Do not swing at full speed, the goal is to work on establishing new swing patterns and habits. Take care not to hit the device as hitting any device with speed can potentially damage the device, your club, or cause injury.
Set the golf ball close to the front of the pathpal gate: a shallow, scooping swing will catch the pathpal base behind the ball, while an off-plane swing will catch the parallel gate rods.
Watch the drill
View the full guided drill on pathpal →
Why it works
Many golfers practice chipping with two parallel sticks on the ground for path, but they still scoop the ball off the turf because nothing penalizes a shallow approach behind the ball. By using the pathpal halves to hold the ground sticks and placing the ball close to the unit, you train path and attack angle together.
Move the ball closer to the pathpal gate to dial up the challenge and lock in a 10-degree downward wedge strike.
Pat Bernot places one alignment stick through the ground tunnel under the 45-degree slot and the second stick through the ground tunnel below the 50-degree or 60-degree slot. Positioning the ball close to the pathpal forces you to hinge up, swing straight through the narrow channel, and take your divot after the ball.
Who this is for
- ✓Golfers who hit fat or thin chip shots from a shallow, scooping angle of attack
- ✓Players whose wedge path wanders inside-out or outside-in through the hitting zone
- ✓Anyone who wants adjustable difficulty by simply moving the ball closer to the gate
- ✓Golfers looking to generate more greenside spin and consistent launch control
Try it
Place your two pathpal halves on the ground with two alignment sticks inserted through the lower ground tunnels (under the 45-degree and 50/60-degree slots) to form a narrow wedge gate.
- Slide two alignment sticks through the pathpal ground tunnels (under the 45-degree and 50- or 60-degree slots) to form a parallel gate
- Place your golf ball just ahead of the pathpal base between the two sticks
- Make 10 controlled practice swings striking the turf after the ball without touching the base or either stick
- Hit 15 chip shots aiming for a crisp 10-degree downward strike, moving the ball slightly closer as you improve
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 →
Vertical Swing Plane
Taught by Cody Carter. Optimize Attack Angle and Spin for Crisp Wedge Shots. View drill →
"X" Plane Drill for chipping
Taught by Cody Carter. Master Your Wedge Swing Plane and Path. View drill →
About Pat Bernot
Frequently asked questions
How does Pat Bernot set up the alignment sticks in this drill?
He slides one alignment stick through the ground tunnel under the 45-degree slot and the second stick through the ground tunnel under either the 50-degree or 60-degree slot to create a parallel clubhead gate.
How do I adjust the difficulty of the Steepen Your Angle of Attack Drill?
To make the drill easier, place the golf ball slightly further ahead of the pathpal base. To make it more challenging and demand a steeper downward strike, move the ball closer to the pathpal.
What angle of attack does Pat Bernot target on small chip shots?
Pat targets roughly a 10-degree downward angle of attack on short chip shots to ensure ball-first contact and crisp spin.
Why shouldn't I make full-speed swings in this setup?
This is a controlled short-game pattern drill designed for chips and pitches; swinging at controlled short-game speeds protects your club and training aid while building clean motor habits.
Where should my divot start when I execute this drill properly?
Your clubhead should strike the back of the golf ball first and brush the turf (or take a shallow divot) on the target side of the ball.
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