If you love to practice, you probably know how important swing drills can be to working on your game. Many of these exercises focus entirely on full range of motion.
That’s why this “X Station” workout caught my eye.
He uses PathPal Training Helpa tool I’ve had for a few months and experimented with quite a bit during practice sessions. One of the things I love most about it is how you can build several different practice stations depending on what you’re trying to train.
For wedge shots, the X Station setup creates simple visual barriers that keep the club moving in the correct plane and prevent some of the common mistakes that lead to thick or inconsistent contact.
Station X Wedge Drill
The X Station workout is built using PathPal and two extension rods arranged in an “X” pattern.
What makes this setup so useful is that you don’t have to guess the angles or build the station from scratch. of PathPal it already has the right angles built in, so all you have to do is insert the extension rods and the structure is ready to go.
This makes it easy to create a station that helps train the correct plane and club swing without spending time arrangement of sticks on the ground.
The “X” pattern gives you clear visual barriers that help guide the club both back and forward.
How to set up the X Station workout
- DECIDE PathPal on the ground in front of your strike zone. If you don’t have one, you can place extension sticks on the ground to create the X pattern.
- Insert two extension sticks in PathPal so they intersect and form one Model X.
- Position the station so that the clubs sit slightly outside of your wedge swing path.
- Take your setup as you normally would for a wedge shot.
- Swing by holding the club head in front of the sticks both during backward and downward movement.
- Focus on keeping the club from dropping too far in or getting shallow under the swing plane.
The goal is not to hit clubs. The goal is to use them as visual and physical barriers that keep the club on a cleaner path.
Why this workout works
This drill is a great example of obstacle training, which is one of the most effective ways to change swing patterns.
Instead of thinking about complicated swing positions, barriers simply give your brain feedback. If the club goes too far in or moves around your body too much, you’ll see right away that you’re about to hit the club.
For wedge shots, this is especially helpful because many golfers:
- Take the club too far inside
- Get very shallow during the drop
- Release the stick around their body
These movements can easily lead to thick wedge shots or unstable contact. Try it and see if it helps you hit better shots around the green.
