If your worst miss under pressure is a low, diving snap hook that never stops turning left, trying to hold the clubface open at impact is a band-aid. A chronic hook comes from a club path that gets yanked too far inside going back and tracks too far right coming through.
Five-time Golf Digest Best in State instructor Mark Heartfield splits the pathpal into its two segments (set at 65 and 60 degrees) to build a staggered chute that cures both the inside takeaway and the excessive in-to-out downswing.
See the full step-by-step station on the The "Hook-to-Fade" Dual-Segment Drill page, or watch Mark demonstrate the setup below.
The drill
Mark Heartfield (Director of Instruction at The Ridge Club; 5x: Golf Digest Best Teachers in State, 2021: New England PGA Massachusetts Chapter Professional of the Year, 2017: Cape Cod PGA Professional of the Year) uses the pathpal training system to give golfers immediate physical and visual feedback on every repetition.
The first barrier prevents the club from being yanked too far inside on the backswing, forcing an "up and out" takeaway. The second barrier prevents the club from swinging too far right on the downswing, forcing the club path to swing left of the target (out-to-in). This dual correction is essential for neutralizing your path and hitting a controlled fade.
Setup
- Set Angles: Adjust one pathpal Golf segment to 65 degrees and the other to 60 degrees.
- Position Barrier 1 (Backswing/Inside Fix): Place the first pathpal segment on the ground inside the target line, directly behind the ball and slightly closer to you. This stick acts as the obstacle that prevents the club from being pulled too far inside on the takeaway.
- Position Barrier 2 (Downswing/Path Fix): Place the second pathpal segment on the ground outside the target line and further down the line (closer to the target). This stick acts as the obstacle that forces you to swing left (out-to-in) during the downswing.
- Establish Chute: Ensure the barriers are positioned so your club will clear them during a properly neutral/out-to-in swing, but will strike them if you swing too far inside (Barrier 1) or too far right (Barrier 2).
How to run the drill
- Practice Swings - Takeaway Focus: Take slow practice swings without a ball. Focus on starting the backswing by bringing the club up and slightly "out," ensuring you cleanly miss Barrier 1.
- Transition & Downswing Focus: Initiate the downswing by focusing on the path. The goal is to bring the club down and through the ball, aiming to exit left of the target line (creating the out-to-in path).
- Avoid the Downswing Barrier: Ensure the clubhead and shaft miss Barrier 2 (the obstacle positioned further down the line). To miss it, you are forced to swing left of the stick.
- Execute the Swing: Once you feel confident you can navigate the corridor, hit balls with the same feeling of missing both sticks.
- Analyze Feedback: Hitting Barrier 1 means you yanked the club too far inside. Hitting Barrier 2 means your downswing path was too far inside-out (rightward). Success means a clean swing and a slight fade ball flight.
Barrier 1 (65 degrees behind and inside the ball) forces your takeaway up and out; Barrier 2 (60 degrees ahead and outside the line) forces your downswing to exit left for a controlled fade.
Watch the drill
View the full guided drill on pathpal →
Why it works
Golfers who fight a hook are usually trapped in an extreme inside-to-out loop. They yank the club behind their hips on the takeaway, drop it even deeper underneath on the downswing, and swing 6 to 8 degrees to the right, forcing the hands to flip the face shut.
Fix the hook at both ends of the arc: take the club up and out going back, then exit left through impact.
Mark Heartfield takes advantage of the pathpal's magnetic split-unit design. By placing the 65-degree rear segment inside the target line behind the ball and the 60-degree front segment outside the target line ahead of the ball, he creates an diagonal out-to-in chute that neutralizes a hook path in minutes.
Who this is for
- ✓Golfers who battle snap hooks, blocks to the right, and an overly inside-out path
- ✓Players who yank the clubhead deep inside behind their body on the takeaway
- ✓Anyone who wants to learn how to swing left through impact and hit a repeatable fade
- ✓Golfers looking to put both magnetic halves of their pathpal to work in one station
Try it
Split your pathpal into two segments, set one rod at 65 degrees and the other at 60 degrees, and arrange them in a staggered hook-to-fade chute.
- Set Barrier 1 at 65 degrees inside the target line behind the ball to block an inside takeaway
- Set Barrier 2 at 60 degrees outside the target line ahead of the ball to block an excessive rightward exit
- Make 10 slow rehearsal swings taking the club up and out past Barrier 1 and exiting left inside Barrier 2
- Hit 15 mid-iron shots through the chute at 70 percent speed, watching the ball flight shift from a hook to a controlled fade
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:
Tommy Fleetwood's Club in Front drill
Taught by David Potts. Prevent Getting Stuck and Maintain Clubhead Position. View drill →
The TrueStrike Outside-In Fade Drill
Taught by Jacob Tilton. Correct an Excessive Inside-Out Path and Hit a Controlled Fade. 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 →
About Mark Heartfield
Frequently asked questions
How are the two pathpal segments angled in the Hook-to-Fade Drill?
Mark Heartfield sets the rear backswing segment to 65 degrees and the front downswing exit segment to 60 degrees.
Where do I place each of the two barriers?
Place Barrier 1 inside the target line directly behind the ball to block an inside takeaway. Place Barrier 2 outside the target line ahead of the ball to block the club from swinging too far out to the right.
What does hitting Barrier 1 vs. Barrier 2 tell me?
Hitting Barrier 1 means you yanked the takeaway too far inside. Hitting Barrier 2 means your downswing path stayed too far inside-out to the right.
Why do I need to swing left through impact to stop hooking the ball?
A hook happens when the club path travels too far to the right (in-to-out) relative to a closed face. Swinging left across the line neutralizes the path and produces a stable fade.
Can I adjust the width of the chute as I improve?
Yes. Start with a slightly wider corridor while making slow rehearsals, then move the two pathpal halves closer to the target line to tighten the path window.
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