Nina Caldwell
In golf, a push or pushed shot is when the ball starts to the right of the target and continues on that line, missing the target. This is a common error in golf and can be caused by a variety of factors. The good news is that it is fixable and golfers can improve their accuracy with some adjustments. This guide will explore the causes of a push shot and provide tips and drills to help golfers hit straight shots.
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What You'll Learn
Check your aim and alignment
Aim and alignment are crucial to improving your golf game. The clubface has the greatest influence on where your golf ball goes, so it’s important to be good at aiming the face.
Firstly, you need to identify the starting line. Then, you must square your clubface 90 degrees to this line. A small change in clubface alignment will affect the direction of the shot. To aim well, you first need to have a predominant ball flight, even if it goes right-to-left or left-to-right. Having a sense of certainty will make you more confident as you learn how to aim.
When you watch good players start their routine, you will often see them setting the club behind the ball first while looking back and forth at the target. Aiming the face should be done with the leading edge of the club. Lofted clubs will tend to look more crooked, but practice aiming the clubface at your target first before stepping into the shot.
Once you’ve aimed the face, you need to align your body so your feet, knees, hips and shoulders are all running parallel to your target line. Ask yourself: "Where does my lead shoulder look relative to my target?" For example, when I aim properly, I know my lead shoulder looks about 10 yards left of the target.
To check your aim and alignment, you can use an alignment stick (or some other aid) laid along your foot line. You can also use your club as an aid by picking it up and holding it by the clubhead and the grip and placing it along your belt buckle.
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Modify your grip
Modifying your grip is a great way to fix weak push golf. A weak grip will cause the clubface to stay open, no matter what you do. A weak grip will also cause a lazy release of the club, which will translate into an open clubface at impact.
To fix this, you can try a few different things. Firstly, check your aim. If you are aiming right, this could be forcing you into the bad habit of pushing. Get your playing partner to square up your shoulders and feet. You can also try turning both hands half an inch to your rear side (away from the target).
If you are used to seeing only one knuckle on your left hand at address, which is typical of a weak grip, try a few shots with a grip where you now see two. If you were already seeing two knuckles, typical of a neutral grip, try strengthening it further by rotating your hands on the club until you see three knuckles, which is a strong grip.
When working to strengthen your grip, turn your left hand a little more over the top of the grip. Your lower hand, your right, will be more under the club. This gives your hands more control over the club and allows them to release.
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Improve your swing
A weak grip can cause a push shot, where the ball starts to the right of the target and continues in that direction. This is because a weak grip means the clubface is open at impact, with the face aiming to the right of the target. To fix this, you need to modify your grip strength. If you can see one knuckle on your left hand, try rotating your hands on the club until you can see two or three knuckles. This will give you a stronger grip and more control over the club.
Another common issue is the ball position in your stance. If the ball is too far back, it will be hard to square the clubface before it makes contact with the ball. To prevent a push shot, the ball needs to be further forward, so the clubface will be square to the target at the top of the swing arc.
You can also try the headcover path drill to correct club path issues. Place a headcover just inside and behind the ball, then swing without hitting it. This will force you to shallow your path and avoid an inside-out swing.
Finally, work on your timing. A push can occur when your lower body rotates too quickly, meaning your arms can't rotate in time to make contact with the ball. Slow down your lower body and let your arms drop into place at the top of your swing. This will help the upper and lower body work together during the swing.
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Adjust your wrist angles
The wrists play a vital role in golf and have the largest influence on clubface control and presentation. The angle of the clubface controls where the ball goes, so it's important to understand the role of the wrists and how wrist action impacts your game.
The wrists are capable of three sets of distinct movements: flexion and extension, supination and pronation, and ulnar and radial deviation. At impact, the lead wrist is largely in flexion (slightly bowed with the wrist bone raised) and in supination (palm facing up). This is the position that will give you the best opportunity to hit the ball farther and more solidly, and it will also give you better clubface and loft control.
To get to this position, you need to focus on your wrist angles at impact. You can do this by hitting punch shots during your practice routine and focusing on maintaining your wrist angle through impact. Once you can consistently hit these low-flighted shots with bowed wrists, take it up to a full swing and keep the feeling of those proper wrist angles.
The grip is also important to get right at the setup. Grip the club in the fingers of your hand rather than the palm, as this will make it easier to feel the wrist action and get the wrist angles that generate the most power. A neutral or flat lead wrist position will give you the easiest route back to the ball, but you can also experiment with more flexion in your lead wrist to see if it helps you hit more consistent shots.
To prevent rolling the wrists, make sure you have a firm grip on the club, don’t let the clubhead pass the handle, and maintain some of that forward shaft lean through the ball. You can also try the Alignment Stick Extension or Headcover Path Drill to help you get the right feel.
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Slow down your lower body
To fix a weak push in golf, it is important to understand the causes behind it. A push shot is when the ball starts to the right of the target and continues in that direction without any lateral spin. This is caused by a swing path that is too far inside-out in relation to the target line, combined with an open club face.
To address this issue, one key piece of advice is to slow down your lower body. Here are some tips to achieve this:
During the backswing, focus on turning your upper body against a stable lower body. This means that your hips should feel like they are barely moving and are resisting the turn. As a right-handed golfer, the common fault is to pull the club back with your dominant right hand, causing the club to move quickly to the inside. Instead, focus on the pushing back movement of your left hand, which will create a straight start to the swing and get your upper body coiling against a stable lower body.
Another benefit of this left-hand push-back is the wide takeaway it creates, helping to shift your weight to your right side. With your weight back and upper body fully coiled, you can then initiate the downswing with a pulling motion from your left leg. This pulling action will start your lower body's forward rotation, while also ensuring that the clubface is squared for impact.
If you are a right-handed golfer, it is important to be mindful of your tendency to aim right, which can lead to a push shot. Get your playing partner to square up your shoulders and feet, ensuring that you are on the balls of your feet for better balance and looser shoulders.
While it is important to have hip movement in your swing, too much lower body movement can compromise your form and consistency. Focus on generating power with your upper body, especially your arms, as this will lead to more consistent shots.
In summary, to fix a weak push in golf, slow down your lower body movement by stabilising your hips and initiating the swing with your left hand and upper body. This will help you achieve a squared clubface at impact, reducing the likelihood of a push shot.
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Frequently asked questions
A push is a golf shot that starts to the right of the target and continues in that direction without any lateral spin. It is often caused by a swing path that is too far inside-out in relation to the target line, combined with an open clubface.
To fix a weak push, you need to work on your golf swing and the club path it produces. Take your club back square instead of taking it back inside. Modify the strength of your grip and ensure your shoulders are aligned properly.
A common cause of a weak push is a weak grip. A weak grip can cause a lazy release of the club, resulting in an open clubface at impact.
An easy fix for a weak push is to simply aim left of the target when setting up for a shot. While this won't get rid of your push shot issues, it will help you get the ball on target.
The headcover path drill is a great visual aid to correct club path issues. Place a headcover just inside and behind the ball and swing without hitting it. This forces you to shallow your path and avoid pushing the ball from an inside-out path.
