How to Fix the Club Path in Golf

A stubborn slice or a quick hook is one of golf's great frustrations, and it often boils down to a single element: the path your club takes into the ball. Getting that path right is fundamental to hitting consistently straight and powerful shots. This guide will walk you through exactly what club path is, how to figure out your tendency, and give you practical, easy-to-follow drills to get your swing traveling in the right direction.

What is Club Path and Why Does It Matter?

In simple terms, your club path is the direction the clubhead is moving horizontally through the impact zone. Imagine a line pointing directly at your target. Is your clubhead swinging from outside that line to inside it, or from inside to outside? Or is it moving squarely down the line? This direction is the biggest influence on the spin that makes your golf ball curve.

There are three primary club paths:

• Out-to-In: The club approaches the ball from outside the target line and cuts across to the inside after impact. This is the classic path that, when combined with an open clubface (relative to the path), produces a left-to-right slice for a right-handed golfer.
• In-to-Out: The club approaches from inside the target line and swings out to the right after impact. A path that is too far in-to-out can cause big pushes or, if the hands get too active, a severe right-to-left hook.
• Neutral or "Square": The club moves directly down the target line through impact. This is the gold standard for a straight shot.

You can't fix your ball flight without fixing the path. While face angle at impact is also important for the ball's starting direction, the path is the engine that creates unwanted curvature. When you fix the path, controlling the ball becomes much easier.

Diagnosing Your Club Path Problem

Before you can fix the problem, you need to know what your tendencies are. You don't need a high-tech launch monitor to get a good idea of what’s happening. Your ball flight and your divots are excellent detectives.

The Ball Flight Test

This is the simplest way to diagnose your path. For a right-handed golfer:

• If your ball starts left of the target and curves farther right (a "pull-slice"), you have an out-to-in path.
• If your ball starts relatively straight and then veers to the right (a standard "slice"), you have an out-to-in path.
• If your ball starts to the right of the target and curves farther right (a "push"), you have an in-to-out path with an open face.
• If your ball starts right of the target and curves hard to the left (a "push-hook"), your path is significantly in-to-out.

The Divot Test

Your divot tells the truth. After hitting a few iron shots off the turf, take a look at the direction of the divots you’ve made. Stand behind them and look towards your target.

• If your divot points left of the target, your path was out-to-in.
• If your divot points right of the target, your path was in-to-out.
• A perfectly straight divot means you have a neutral path. Great job!

Common Root Causes: Set Up and Takeaway

Often, a bad club path is just a symptom of another problem, and it usually starts before you even reach the top of your swing. Drilling a new path is important, but if you don't address the root cause, the old habit will eventually creep back in.

1. Check Your Alignment

Poor alignment forces compensations. A very common issue for slicers is aiming their feet and shoulders left of the target at address. To get the ball back to the target from this open setup, the only option is to swing "over the top" with an out-to-in path. Always lay an alignment stick on the ground for your feet and another for your ball-to-target line to ensure your body is perfectly parallel to your target line.

2. Perfect Your Takeaway

How you start your backswing sets the stage for everything that follows. The two biggest takeaway faults that hurt club path are:

• Sucking the club inside: The player uses their hands to pull the clubhead far behind them immediately. From this "stuck" position, the natural compensation is to throw the club out and over the top on the way down.
• Lifting the club outside: The player lifts the club with their arms, moving the clubhead well outside the hands. This makes it difficult to drop the club into the correct slot on the downswing.

The solution is a "one-piece takeaway." Feel like your arms, shoulders, and chest all turn away from the ball together, keeping the triangle formed by your arms and shoulders intact. For the first few feet, the clubhead should stay out in front of your hands, not behind or above them. This puts you on the right plane from the start, making a good downswing path a whole lot easier.

Drills to Fix an Out-to-In ("Over-the-Top") Path

This is the most common path fault for amateurs. All these drills are designed to help you feel the club approaching the ball from the inside.

Drill 1: The Headcover Gate

This is a classic for a reason - it gives you instant, undeniable feedback.

1. Address the ball as you normally would.
2. Place a spare headcover or a small basket a few inches outside and slightly ahead of your golf ball.
3. The goal is simple: Swing the club to hit the ball without hitting the headcover.
4. If you swing over the top, you'll clip the headcover. In order to miss it, you must shallow the club and have it approach the ball from the inside. Start with half-swings and build up to full motion.

Drill 2: The Right-Foot-Back Drill

This simple setup adjustment physically blocks your body from making an over-the-top move.

1. Set up to the ball with your normal stance.
2. Now, pull your right foot back about 6-8 inches, so your stance is very "closed."
3. From this position, go ahead and hit shots.

This closed stance pre-sets your hips for a bigger turn in the backswing and makes it far more natural to drop your hands and club "into the slot" behind you. It almost forces you to create an in-to-out path. The feeling you get from this drill is the feeling you want to replicate in your normal swing.

Drills to Fix a "Too In-to-Out" Path

While less common, an excessively in-to-out path causes its own problems. These drills focus on feeling the club release down the line and exit more to the left post-impact.

Drill 1: The Left-Foot-Back Drill

This is the exact opposite of the previous drill and helps you clear your body out of the way.

1. Set up to the ball with your normal stance.
2. Pull your left foot back a few inches so your stance is now slightly "open" to the target.
3. Hit some shots from this position.

This open stance encourages your hips to clear faster and gives your arms more room to swing through without getting "stuck" behind you. It promotes a path that either comes back to square or slightly out-to-in, neutralizing your excessive in-to-out motion.

Drill 2: Post-Impact Gate Drill

This drill trains what happens right after impact, which is a great way to influence the entire path.

1. Place your golf ball on the ground as normal.
2. About 12-18 inches in front of the ball, place two tees in the ground creating a "gate" that is centered on your target line and about the width of your clubhead.
3. Your goal is to have your club swing through this forward gate after you've hit the ball.

If your path is too much in-to-out, your club will veer to the right of the gate. Focusing on a centered exit path helps to straighten out your entire swing arc through the hitting zone.

Final Thoughts

Improving your club path is about retraining your swing's movement pattern. It won't happen overnight, but by diagnosing your tendency and committing to a few key drills, you can transform your slicing or hooking habit into a confident, repeatable swing that sends the ball right where you're looking.

Learning the cause and effect of your shots is a big part of getting better. When you are on the range working on new habits, Caddie AI acts like your 24/7 golf coach right in your pocket. You can ask what certain ball flights mean, get personalized drill suggestions to fix a specific issue like your path, or get an on-the-spot strategy for your next hole. We take wondering out of the equation so you can play with more confidence and clarity.