"X" Plane Drill for chipping

Split your pathpal into both halves and set one at 50 degrees and the other at 45 degrees, positioning them so the rods cross in an X pattern around the impact zone. The back rod prevents the club from getting too far inside on the takeaway, while the front rod stops the club from releasing too far around the body after impact. Together they create a corridor that keeps the clubhead in front of the body and on a vertical, efficient plane through the shot.

With wedges and short game shots, many golfers instinctively treat the takeaway like a full swing — rotating the club around the body rather than keeping it more vertical and in front of the chest. A too-inside takeaway flattens the swing plane, forces a shallower angle of attack, and almost always leads to fat or thin contact. Cody Carter specifically addresses this with the back rod of the X-Station, which acts as a physical barrier that keeps the clubhead from rolling inside too early.

In short game and wedge play, "in front of the body" means the clubhead stays visible and connected to the chest throughout the swing rather than wrapping around behind the hips or torso. When the club gets too far underneath or behind the body, the swing plane flattens excessively, creating a shallow angle of attack that produces fat shots and limits spin. Cody's X-Station front rod provides immediate feedback when the club starts to release around the body too much — keeping the motion vertical and on plane.

Yes — directly. When the club goes too far inside on the takeaway, it gets underneath the correct plane, which forces a shallow angle of attack on the downswing. From that shallow position, the club bottoms out before the ball, catches the turf first, and produces a fat shot. In some cases, the golfer instinctively compensates by lifting through impact, producing a thin strike instead. The X-Station drill eliminates both outcomes by keeping the swing plane steep and vertical from the start.

Cody demonstrates it primarily for wedge and short game shots, but the vertical plane principle applies to any wedge shot where you want a steeper angle of attack and more spin. The 50/45 degree angle configuration is specifically suited for the more upright swing plane of wedge play. For full iron shots, you'd adjust the angles to match a flatter swing plane, but as a short game station the X-Station is purpose-built for the vertical, controlled motion that chips and pitch shots demand.