pathpal Golf Drill Vault

The TrueStrike Precision Gate Drill

Achieve a Neutral Path, Neutral Face, and Perfect Center Contact

Focus Full Swing

Drill Objective

This is an advanced feedback drill that uses two TrueStrike blocks positioned on either side of the intended club path to create a narrow "gate." The golfer executes a slow, half-swing to practice a perfectly neutral club path, neutral club face, and centered impact, receiving immediate feedback for any swing deviation.

Practice Plan

Set it up. Run the drill. Know what to feel.

Use the steps below to build the same station every time, then make focused reps with clear feedback.

Set Up

  1. Place one TrueStrike on the inside of the target line and one TrueStrike on the outside of the target line.
  2. The obstacles should be positioned so the clubhead has only a couple of inches of space between the end of the shaft and the inside obstacle at the start of the swing.
  3. Adjust the width of the "gate" between the two TrueStrike blocks to control the difficulty (closer spacing makes it harder).

Run The Drill

  1. Begin by executing a slow-motion, half-swing (backswing stops at waist high).
  2. Backswing Check: Pause at waist height, checking for a neutral club face and a neutral hand/wrist position.
  3. Impact Execution: Swing down, aiming to miss both obstacles and make solid, center contact with the ball.
  4. Finish Check: Stop the follow-through at waist height, again checking for a neutral club face and maintaining your body's tilt and path.
  5. Feedback: If you hit the inside obstacle, your path is too far inside-out. If you hit the outside obstacle, your path is too outside-in ("over the top").
  6. Repeat the slow swing until you can consistently swing through the gate, then increase speed and swing length.

Proof From Practice

What golfers are saying

Real feedback from golfers and coaches using this drill in practice.

"Dude this device is absolutely amazing"
Efrim Moore Efrim MooreAssistant Coach, Moorehouse College
"This is my favorite tool of 2025"
Shawn Koch Shawn KochDirector of Instruction, Athalnta Athletic Club
"There's a million ways to use this"
Jacob Tilton Jacob TiltonDirector of Instruction, Ansley Golf Club

Drill FAQ

Questions About This Drill

Get clear answers on setup, swing feel, common mistakes, and how to get the most out of this pathpal drill.

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Prefer to read it? Full Video TranscriptOpen the transcript to review the complete drill walkthrough in text form.

The Setup

When I set this up, I want a couple of inches of space between the TrueStrike pad and the end of the shaft. That gives me a fighting chance — close enough for meaningful feedback, not so tight that it catches clean swings.

How to Start

Begin with slow-motion half swings — 9 to 3:

Take the club back to waist high

Double-check: neutral clubface, neutral hands and wrists

Look back at the ball

Come down through impact and hold the finish at waist high

Check again: neutral face, neutral plane, solid strike on the back of the ball

What You're Training

Neutral path. Neutral club face. Neutral plane. Solid strike. That's the whole drill.

Demonstrating the Faults

Over the top: Back to waist high — coming over — nicked the TrueStrike. You can see how the path went outside the gate.

Too far inside-out: Back to waist high — drops under — just barely nicked it on that one.

Both faults get caught. That's the point.

Scaling the Difficulty

The closer you set the TrueStrike pads, the harder the drill — and the better your center strike gets. It's up to you how challenging you want to make it. Start with clearance, earn your way tighter.

A lot of golfers see Tommy Fleetwood working on these exact concepts — solid strike, neutral path, neutral plane. This is another tool to build those same fundamentals.

Transcript lightly edited for clarity.