pathpal Golf Drill Vault

The Vertical Swing Plane Drill

Q: What does it mean to feel "stuck" on the downswing in golf?

Feeling "stuck" on the downswing typically means the club is approaching the ball on a very flat, shallow angle — the sweet spot feels trapped too low and too far behind you, making it difficult to square the face at impact. It is common in athletic, high-speed swingers who have too much depth on the backswing or who over-rotate the hips early in the downswing without the hands and club keeping pace.

Q: What is a vertical swing plane and how does it affect ball striking?

A vertical swing plane describes the angle at which the clubhead travels through the hitting zone. A perfectly vertical plane would be 90° to the ground; a perfectly flat plane would be 0°, with the sweet spot traveling parallel to the ground. For most iron shots, an ideal plane angle is around 60° — matching the club's lie angle. When the plane is too flat, the sweet spot approaches the ball from too far inside and below, causing pushes, blocks, and inconsistent contact.

Q: How do I set up the pathpal for a vertical swing plane drill?

Set the pathpal's aim rod at approximately 60° — roughly the lie angle of a seven iron. Place a noodle on top of the aim rod as a soft safety buffer. Position the golf ball just at the near end of the alignment stick, where the rod angles away at 60°. This setup creates a physical guide for your sweet spot to travel up and over, giving you real-time feedback on whether your downswing plane is steep enough to flush the ball.

Q: Should I hit full shots right away when using the pathpal swing plane drill?

No — Tim Cooke specifically recommends starting with slow practice swings, gradually developing a feel for how the sweet spot moves in space relative to the aim rod. Once that spatial awareness is established, you progress to slow, partial shots before building up to fuller swings. Rushing to full speed before ingraining the new movement pattern reduces the drill's effectiveness and can reinforce the old flat-plane habit.

Q: Who is Tim Cooke and why should I trust his swing instruction?

Tim Cooke is the Director of Instruction at The Sea Pines Resort. He is recognized as a Top 100 Teacher, a designation awarded to the most respected and results-proven instructors in the United States. His teaching focuses on using training aids and data-driven feedback to help students build repeatable swing mechanics.

Cure the "Stuck" Downswing and Flush Your Irons

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Drill Objective

Designed by Top 100 Teacher Tim Cooke, this drill uses the pathpal to correct a downswing that is too flat, deep, and "stuck" under the plane. By setting the alignment rod and safety noodle to a 60-degree angle, it creates a precise visual and physical boundary that forces the club's sweet spot to travel down a proper vertical swing plane for crisp, center-face contact.

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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

Set the pathpal base on the ground and set the primary alignment rod to a 60-degree angle (matching the rough lie angle of a 7-iron).
Place the protective foam noodle over the alignment rod for a safe practicing boundary (or use the arrow).
Position the golf ball directly at the end of the base alignment stick that runs away from the 60-degree angled rod.

Run The Drill

Start by taking slow, deliberate practice swings without a ball.
On the downswing, visualize and feel the sweet spot of the club traveling on top of and down the angle of the noodle, rather than dropping low and deep underneath it.
Once the feeling is comfortable, introduce a ball and hit slow, controlled shots, matching the club's path to the 60-degree angle.
Gradually increase swing speed as you get the sweet spot consistently lining up with the back of the ball.

Proof From Practice

What golfers are saying

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

"I find myself using it daily which is uncommon for most aids"

"Million different ways to use this to help your golf game. I'm really enjoying using it with my students and I hope you grab one and use it as well."

"The reason I like [the pathpal] is because it's super versatile"

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.

DiagnosisWhat does it mean to feel "stuck" on the downswing in golf?

MechanicsWhat is a vertical swing plane and how does it affect ball striking?

SetupHow do I set up the pathpal for a vertical swing plane drill?

ApplicationShould I hit full shots right away when using the pathpal swing plane drill?

CredibilityWho is Tim Cooke and why should I trust his swing instruction?

Ready to train it the right way?

Use the pathpal to make the feel visible, repeatable, and easier to practice on the range or at home.

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

Hey folks, Tim Cooke here, Director of Instruction at The Sea Pines Resort. Today we're going to check out the pathpal — a really good training aid — and I'm going to show you specifically how I use it for vertical swing plane improvement.

A number of my students have a swing plane that's coming in too low to the golf ball. I find this a lot when players tell me they feel stuck on the way down. What that means is that as they swing down, the sweet spot feels too low and behind them, coming into the ball at a very flat angle.

To understand the concept: a vertical swing plane at 90° to the ground would look like this — straight up and down. A 0° swing plane means the sweet spot is traveling parallel to the ground. I have the pathpal set here at 60°, which is roughly the lie angle of my seven iron.

Here's the drill:

Set the pathpal's aim rod at approximately 60°.
Place a noodle on top of the aim rod — it's there for a reason. It makes the drill feel a little safer.
Position the golf ball just at the near end of the alignment stick, where it runs away from that 60° angle.
Start with slow practice swings, allowing the sweet spot to travel up the aim rod and then down right on top of it — rather than swinging overly under and low through the hitting zone.
Gradually, very slowly, begin hitting slow shots. Develop a sense of how that sweet spot is moving in space relative to the noodle.
The goal is to get the sweet spot traveling on top of the vertical swing plane — not deep and underneath it. When you do that, the sweet spot lines up with the back of the golf ball and you flush it.

So if you feel stuck on the downswing, using the pathpal in this manner can really give you a great feel for how the sweet spot needs to move as you enter the hitting zone.

Transcript lightly edited for clarity.

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Make this drill repeatable. Build the station once, then trust your reps.

The pathpal locks your setup into the same positions every session so your practice feels clear, consistent, and easier to repeat.

Stop getting stuck on the downswing!

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The Vertical Swing Plane Drill

Drill Objective