Almost every chronic slice starts in the first two feet of the downswing. When your hands and shoulders lunge outward from the top, the shaft steepens, the path cuts across the ball from outside to in, and the face has no choice but to glancingly spin the ball right.
Director of Instruction Brent Witcher uses an elevated, forward-angled alignment rod in the pathpal to block the over-the-top move and train your arms to drop underneath the plane in transition.
See the full step-by-step station on the Anti-slice Arm Drop Drill page, or watch Brent demonstrate the setup below.
The drill
Brent Witcher (Director of Instruction at The Back Nine West Midtown; 2009: Jack Nicklaus Award Winner, Nations Top NCAA Division II men's golfer, 2008-2009: All-American Golfer at Valdosta State, 2015: Valdosta State University Hall of Fame) uses the pathpal training system to give golfers immediate physical and visual feedback on every repetition.
This drill uses the pathpal (or an alignment stick) positioned in a high, forward-angled position above the ball. It acts as a physical barrier that immediately penalizes the golfer if they come "over the top" with their hands and arms. The goal is to force the golfer to shallow the club in the transition by letting the arms "fall" down and underneath the stick while simultaneously shifting weight to the lead side
Setup
- Place the pathpal (or a single alignment stick) into the ground or a base.
- Angle the stick so it is positioned above and outside the golf ball.
- Adjust the height so that when your hands return to parallel with the ground on the downswing, your hands and arms must pass underneath the stick. If you come over the top, your hand or club will strike the stick.
- Self-Check: Ensure the stick is positioned correctly so a proper shallowing motion will clear it easily.
How to run the drill
- Take the club to the top of the backswing.
- Initiate the downswing by shifting weight to the lead side.
- Consciously let the arms fall/drop from the top, guiding them underneath the stick.
- Hit the ball, ensuring your hands and club never strike the stick on the way down.
- A successful swing will produce a straighter ball flight or a slight draw (inside-out path).
- Hitting the stick confirms an "over-the-top" or overly steep swing path.
Shallowing happens when you shift pressure to your lead side while letting your hands and arms fall underneath the angled rod. If you throw the club outward from the top, the rod catches it immediately.
Watch the drill
View the full guided drill on pathpal →
Why it works
Telling a slicer to swing to right field rarely works if their hands have already cast outward at the start of the downswing. Once the clubhead gets outside the hands at shaft-parallel, the golfer is forced to pull left across the target line just to make contact.
You cannot swing from the inside if your arms never drop into the slot during transition.
By positioning the alignment stick above and outside the golf ball, Brent Witcher places the physical constraint right where the transition fault occurs. To clear underneath the stick, your body naturally sequences from the ground up: weight shifts left while the arms lower onto an inside approach.
Who this is for
- ✓Golfers who fight a chronic slice or pull-slice with irons and driver
- ✓Players who cast or throw the clubhead outward from the top of the backswing
- ✓Anyone struggling to feel what shallowing the club in transition actually means
- ✓Golfers who want a clear physical boundary that rewards an inside-out delivery
Try it
Set the pathpal with an alignment stick angled above and outside the ball so your hands must pass underneath it at waist height on the way down.
- Position the angled rod above and outside the ball and verify a shallow rehearsal swing clears underneath cleanly
- Make 10 slow pause-at-the-top rehearsals: shift weight left while letting the arms drop below the rod
- Hit 15 balls at 60 to 75 percent speed, focusing on clearing underneath the rod and starting the ball slightly right
- Step back, remove the rod, and hit 5 full swings carrying the same arm-drop transition feel
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 Drill (Wedding China Drill)
Taught by Jacob Tilton. Cure Your Slice and Hit a Controlled Draw. View drill →
"Inside Path" Corrector Drill
Taught by Eric Barlow. Neutralize Your Club Path: Prevent Excessive Inside-Out Motion and Eliminate Raised Hands at Impact. View drill →
The "Over The Top" Elimination Barrier Drill
Taught by Eric Barlow. Cure Pulls and Slices: Force an Inside-Out Swing Path by Anchoring Your Lead Side Through Impact. View drill →
About Brent Witcher
Frequently asked questions
How does the Anti-Slice Arm Drop Drill stop an over-the-top swing?
It places a physical alignment rod directly in the space where an over-the-top transition travels, forcing your hands and arms to drop underneath the barrier into an inside slot.
Where should the alignment stick be positioned relative to the ball?
Angle the stick in the pathpal base so it sits above and slightly outside the golf ball, set at a height where your hands and club pass underneath it when reaching shaft-parallel on the downswing.
What should starts my downswing in this drill?
Initiate the transition by shifting pressure into your lead foot while simultaneously allowing your arms to lower down behind you rather than spinning your upper body open.
What ball flight should I expect when I execute the drill properly?
Clearing underneath the rod produces an inside-to-out club path that launches the ball straighter or with a controlled right-to-left draw.
What club is best to start with for the Arm Drop Drill?
Start with a mid-iron like a 7-iron or 8-iron on a low tee at half to three-quarter speed before working up to longer clubs.
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