Shifting pressure into your lead side is essential at the start of the downswing, but when that shift turns into a continuous lateral hip slide past the ball, your rotation stalls out. Your spine tilts backward, your hands have to flip to save the face, and power leaks away.
Brent Witcher sets an alignment stick in the pathpal four to five fingers outside the lead hip to teach the exact sequence great ball-strikers use: a slight initial shift followed immediately by deep lead-hip rotation.
See the full step-by-step station on the The pathpal Hip Rotation 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 utilizes the pathpal and an alignment stick to provide instant, physical feedback to golfers who exhibit excessive lateral hip slide (or sway) through impact. The stick is positioned just outside the lead hip, forcing the golfer to transition from a slight lateral shift into a rotational movement, preventing the hips from aggressively sliding into the ball.
Setup
- Set up the pathpal base near the outside of your lead leg (for a right-handed golfer, the left leg).
- Insert an alignment stick into the pathpal base.
- Position the stick so that it is roughly four to five fingers distance from the outside of your lead hip, just above the knee. The stick should be directly in the path of where the hip would slide laterally.
How to run the drill
- Take practice swings or hit short shots (a pitching wedge is recommended initially).
- Focus on executing your downswing with a slight lateral shift, followed immediately by the rotation of the lead hip and leg moving back and clear of the alignment stick.
- If you slide your hips too far laterally, you will feel the hip or leg aggressively hit the alignment stick, giving you instant feedback.
- Continue practicing the movement, slight shift, then quick rotation, until you can clear the stick consistently, ensuring the hip stays connected and rotates correctly.
A great downswing isn't pure turn and it isn't pure slide. It is a small lateral pressure shift into the lead foot followed immediately by the lead hip clearing back and away from the stick.
Watch the drill
View the full guided drill on pathpal →
Why it works
Golfers who hear 'get to your left side' often push their pelvis laterally toward the target all the way through impact. When the hips slide past the lead ankle, the pelvis cannot rotate open, forcing the arms and wrists to decelerate and flip.
Shift just enough to close the gap, then rotate the lead hip back and clear of the barrier.
By placing the stick four to five finger-widths outside the lead hip (just above the knee), Brent Witcher gives you the exact allowance needed for a healthy transition shift while physically blocking a destructive lateral slide. Once your hip senses the boundary, it learns to post up and turn.
Who this is for
- ✓Golfers whose hips slide laterally toward the target instead of rotating through impact
- ✓Players who struggle with blocks to the right and snap hooks from a stalled pivot
- ✓Anyone who loses posture or tilts their upper body excessively backward at impact
- ✓Golfers who want to convert lower-body movement into rotational clubhead speed
Try it
Start with a pitching wedge or 9-iron and set the pathpal outside your lead foot with an upright alignment stick positioned four to five fingers from your lead hip.
- Position the pathpal base outside your lead leg with the alignment stick 4 to 5 fingers from your outer lead hip
- Make 10 slow downswing rehearsals: feel a small initial shift toward the stick, then clear your lead pocket backward
- Hit 15 half-to-three-quarter wedge shots without letting your lead thigh or hip bump the alignment stick
- Step away from the stick and hit 5 full shots focusing on the same shift-then-clear hip sequence
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:
The Hip Slide Stopper Drill
Taught by David Potts. Master Lower Body Rotation and Eliminate Excessive Lateral Slide. View drill →
"Sway Stopper" Trail Leg Barrier Drill
Taught by Eric Barlow. Master Backswing Stability: Eliminate Lateral Movement and Convert Motion into Powerful, Centered Rotation. View drill →
"Stop the Slide" Lead Leg Rotation
Taught by Eric Barlow. Master Stable Impact: Eliminate Downswing Lateral Slide and Convert Motion into Powerful Rotation. View drill →
About Brent Witcher
Frequently asked questions
How far from my lead hip should I set the alignment stick?
Brent Witcher recommends setting the stick roughly four to five fingers' width outside your lead hip, just above knee height, at address.
Should my hips touch the stick at all during the downswing?
No. You want a slight lateral shift toward the stick at the start of transition, followed immediately by rotating your lead hip backward so you clear the stick cleanly.
What happens to ball flight when you slide your hips too far?
Excessive lateral hip slide tips the upper body backward, drops the club too far underneath, and forces either a blocked push to the right or a flipped snap hook.
Which club is best for learning the Hip Rotation Drill?
Start with a pitching wedge or 8-iron at controlled speeds so you can feel the lower-body transition sequence before moving to longer clubs.
Can left-handed golfers use this exact setup?
Yes. Simply place the pathpal base and alignment stick four to five fingers outside your right hip (your lead side) and rotate clear through impact.
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