Inconsistent Wedge Shots? Try This Simple “X Station” Short-Game Drill

If you like to practice, you likely know how important swing drills can be for working on your game. Many of these drills focus entirely on the full swing.

That’s why this “X Station” drill stood out to me.

It uses the PathPal training aid, a tool I’ve had for a few months and have been experimenting with quite a bit during practice sessions. One of the things I like 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 on the proper plane and prevent some of the common mistakes that lead to fat or inconsistent contact.

X Station wedge drill

The X Station drill is built using the PathPal and two alignment sticks arranged in an “X” pattern.

What makes this setup so helpful is that you don’t have to guess the angles or build the station from scratch. The PathPal already has the correct angles built in so all you have to do is insert the alignment sticks and the structure is ready to go.

This makes it easy to create a station that helps train proper swing plane and club movement without spending time adjusting sticks on the ground.

The “X” pattern gives you clear visual barriers that help guide the club both going back and through.

How to set up the X Station drill

1. Place the PathPal on the ground in front of your hitting area. If you don’t have one, you can place alignment sticks in the ground to create the X pattern.
2. Insert two alignment sticks into the PathPal so they cross and form an X pattern.
3. Position the station so the sticks sit slightly outside your wedge swing path.
4. Take your setup as you normally would for a wedge shot.
5. Make swings while keeping the clubhead in front of the sticks during both the backswing and downswing.
6. Focus on keeping the club from dropping too far inside or getting shallow underneath the swing plane.

The goal isn’t to hit the sticks. The goal is to use them as visual and physical barriers that keep the club moving on a cleaner path.

Why this drill works

This drill is a great example of barrier training which is one of the most effective ways to change swing patterns.

Instead of thinking about complicated swing positions, the barriers simply give your brain feedback. If the club gets too far inside or moves around your body too much, you’ll immediately see that you’re about to run into the alignment stick.

For wedge shots, this is especially helpful because many golfers:

• Take the club too far inside
• Get too shallow during the downswing
• Release the club around their body

Those movements can easily lead to fat wedge shots or inconsistent contact. Give it a try and see if it helps you hit better shots around the green.