Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is an advanced technique for producing medium-to-large-sized components, offering high deposition rates and low equipment costs. Path planning strategies are critical in determining grain growth direction and achieving isotropic properties in the components. This study introduces a novel path planning strategy, the switchback mode, to mitigate unidirectional grain growth and enhance the mechanical properties of WAAM-deposited components. ER-4043 aluminium alloy walls were deposited using the switchback mode and compared with the conventional bi-directional path planning strategy. The findings reveal that different path planning strategies result in variations in layer size, surface morphology, microstructure, residual stress, microhardness, wear resistance, and tensile properties. Notably, the switchback mode demonstrated superior mechanical strength compared to the bi-directional mode, with yield strength (YS) increasing from 90.2 MPa to 113.9 MPa, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) from 148.8 MPa to 178.7 MPa, and elongation percentages from 18.4 % to 21.3 %. Furthermore, the residual stress changed from tensile to compressive when switching from bi-directional to switchback mode.