Why an inside approach does not automatically cure a slice
In the Under-the-Stick Path Drill, updated on 24 October 2026, professional coach Stef Ferguson demonstrates an angled alignment guide intended for golfers whose downswing travels excessively from outside to inside across the target line. Ferguson received the 2024 LPGA Professionals Coach of the Year award, independently documented by MSU Denver.
The purpose is not to make every player copy a single ideal swing plane. A visible external reference may help a golfer sense where the club is travelling. It cannot, on its own, establish why a particular ball curves or whether a player should change their technique.
How the drill is arranged
The demonstration positions an angled alignment stick behind the ball and outside the target line, with its angle loosely related to the mid-iron shaft at address. The golfer then rehearses an approach that passes underneath this visual ceiling rather than throwing the club outward at the start of the downswing.
That makes the guide a movement cue, not an objective measurement of club delivery. The shaft's angle at address is not identical to the clubhead's dynamic path through impact. Overcorrecting towards an extremely in-to-out path can introduce a different miss.
Safety comes first. A rigid stick placed within reach of a moving club can recoil if struck. Without a properly padded, controlled setup and appropriate supervision, restrict this concept to slow, ball-free rehearsals and remove the guide before hitting. Never make a full-speed swing towards a hard barrier.
Ball flight depends on both path and face
TrackMan defines club path as the horizontal direction of clubhead movement at maximum ball compression. Face-to-path is the clubface angle minus the club path. Assuming reasonably centred contact, this relationship is a major contributor to the ball's curvature.
For a right-handed golfer, a face open relative to the path tends to produce fade or slice curvature; a face closed to the path tends towards a draw or hook. For left-handers the visual directions reverse. Starting direction, strike location and other delivery conditions also matter.
Suppose the guide helps shift a strongly out-to-in swing towards neutral, but the face remains open relative to the new path. The ball can still curve right. Equally, changing path dramatically while leaving face control unresolved can create a hook. A product claim that one drill will always eliminate a slice is therefore too strong.
An original 18-shot observation session
The following is a GOLFTWITT observation plan, not a tested Ferguson treatment protocol. Use a safe practice range where you can observe the entire flight.
Baseline: three shots. With one mid-iron, a fixed target and a comfortable tempo, record the ball's starting direction, amount of curve, approximate landing area and quality of contact.
Ten slow rehearsals without a ball. Explore the sensation of giving the arms more room in transition. If using a guide, it must be soft, distant from the club's striking arc and overseen appropriately. When uncertain, rehearse without a physical object.
Six controlled shots. Remove any guide. Make six shots at roughly 60–70% of your normal perceived effort. Do not try to manufacture a draw; focus on contact and the starting line.
Nine follow-up shots. Return to natural tempo, choosing a slightly different small target within your safe practice area for each shot. Compare the results with your baseline: are severe slices less frequent, is contact preserved, or have misses shifted left?
Three baseline, six controlled and nine follow-up shots equal 18 balls; the ball-free rehearsals are additional. This small sample cannot prove lasting improvement. Recheck on another day and seek qualified coaching if the pattern persists.
The useful takeaway
An angled guide can be a temporary cue, but it does not replace an assessment of face angle, impact location and actual ball flight. A controlled fade is a valid stock shot; the goal is predictable direction, curvature and dispersion, not compulsory draw spin.
Sources: Stef Ferguson drill, PathPal; TrackMan: Club Path; TrackMan: Face-to-Path; MSU Denver confirmation of the coaching award.
