How To Fix A Push in Golf? (5 Steps)

Understand the ball flight laws relative to the push in golf

Diagnose your swing issue causing the push in golf
Work on a drill to align your club face and swing path

Take it to the course and focus on a target
Read your ball flight during the round

There are some devastating shots in golf.

Many golfers fight the slice or the hook shot in golf, while others might battle the push or the pull.

The one thing in common between all 4 of these shots is that it has to deal with the swing path and the club face. Some simple steps can get you back on track or help you avoid this shot on the golf course.

One of the battles that many quality golfers face is the push or block to the right at a key time in the round, more specifically with the driver.

How To Fix A Push in Golf

My Journey: The golf shot many golfers fear is the block way to the right with the driver. Sometimes this shot can from nowhere. What really happens here is the golfer has been getting away with a swing path too far to the right, but timing it up with his or her hands at impact. On that specific hole, they don’t time it up right and lose the ball way to the right. The big picture fix is to get a more neutral swing path 2-4 degrees in to out and use rotation to square up the face instead of timing or flipping the hands.

The push or block in the golf can pop up at the worst times!

Step #1: Understand the ball flight laws relative to the push in golf

The first step in this journey is to understand the ball flight laws and what is causing the push. The puish occurs when the clubface is open relative to the swing path is a similar amount inside out or to the right.

Here are some of the basics of the ball flight laws:

The golf ball will start relative to the direction of the club face at impact.

The golf ball will curve away from the swing path.
So if your clubface is left of the swing path at impact, the ball will curve left. If your clubface is right of the swing path at impact, the ball will curve right.

Obviously, with the push shot in golf, the club face and the swing path are both too far right. They are actually aligned, similar to a straight shot, but both shifted too far right. This causes the ball to start to the right and stay right. If the club face was more square the ball would draw or hook.

Hook vs Slice: What is the difference?

Here are some examples of a push shot in golf and the ball flight laws:

Shot: Ball starts slightly right and stays right. If the club face is 3 degrees right with a swing path that is 3 degrees right, the ball will start slightly right and stay out to the right. Most golfers can live with this shot as it is just a slight miss to the right.
Shot: Ball starts extremely right and stays right. If the club face is 10 degrees right with a swing path that is 10 degrees right, the ball will start extremely right and stay out to the right. This shot is often referred to as a block.

Some key items to point out:

If the curve is extreme, there is a large gap between your clubface and your swing path.
If the curve is soft, there is a small gap between your clubface and your swing path.
If the shot starts right or left and stays there, the swing path and club face are actually aligned, just too far in one direction.

Arguably the most difficult shot to hit in golf is the straight shot. This requires a perfectly square clubface with a 0 degree path.

We actually promote a slight draw or fade to help you eliminate one side of the golf course and give yourself a greater margin for error. The most difficult shot to hit in golf is the perfectly straight shot, whether it starts left, right or center, it is difficult to have the swing path and club face perfectly square at impact.

Step #2: Diagnose your swing issue causing the push in golf

There are several issues that could be causing the push shot in golf. These include:

Issue #1: Excessive hip slide. When the hips slide too much, the golf swing path will often increase on its path from inside to out, causing the swing path to operate in that 5-12 degrees in to out path or to the right. At some point, the hips need to start to turn to bring the path back to more neutral. Most golfers will have a slide of the hips or transfer of pressure from back to to front leg, but too much shift or slide can cause the path to drop inside.

Issue #2: Sequencing issues. This often happens when the lower body fires too far ahead of the upper body. While it is pretty clear that the lower body will fire first in the golf swing, the actual time gap between the lower body and upper body firing is so small. If the golfer is intentionally firing the lower body prior to the upper body, the gap can be too large. As a result, the hips fire, the upper body and arms get stuck behind, causing the path to be too far from the inside. If the golfer doesn’t time it up perfectly with the hands, the shot could be an extreme push or block to the right.
Issue #3: Upper body gets stuck. Many golfers when they start the game of golf will battle with the over the top move. The better golfers eventually learn to counter this movement and swing from the inside. Eventually, the golfer can get too extreme and have a move where they keep the back to the target for a long time, which can cause the path to move too far inside to out. An intention of getting the upper body through the shot can be helpful in this situation.

I would highly recommend taking a video of your swing from down the line and from the side view and see if there is a visual clue to what is taking place. There are some free apps available that help you draw lines on your swing. For example, draw a line down the front hip and see how far forward your hips might be sliding.

What is the best swing path for a driver?

Head to the range or your indoor simulator space and work on swing path and club face control.

Step #3: Work on a drill to align your club face and swing path

Here are some possible solutions to each of the 3 swing issues above. There are some options to help you try to find your fix to this issue you are struggling with.

Excessive hip slide: There are several different swing feels or through you can use to try to fix this issue. One option is to feel your front hip moving away from the ball vs towards the target. This can help increase the amount of turn and reduce the amount of slide. His some half shots with the feeling of pushing your front hip away from the ball. Too often golfers move the hip closer to the ball or too far towards the target.

Sequencing issues: With this swing fault the issue is the lower body firing too far in advance of the upper body. One option is to feel that you start the swing with your upper body or your arms without going over the top. Once again hit half or 3 quarter shots and get the feel that you are firing with your arms. While the lower body will still fire, there is a good chance the sequencing will improve.
Upper body gets stuck: With this swing fault the issue is the lower body or back shoulder dropping and dumping your swing under. My favorite move for his motion is the Tom Waston secret that he learned later in his career. It is the feeling of the back shoulder moving more level and through the shot vs dropping and dumping under in the swing. It is explained around the spine angle, but can work for the golfer can is getting suck.

If you want a drill to give you quality feedback on the relationship between your club face ans wing path, make sure you check out this dril below!

Stock Shot Drill

At the driving range, set up an alignment stick about 6-8 yards in front of you, straight down your target line.
If you have a second alignment stick, set the stick 3-4 feet right of the first stick (for a draw) or left of the first stick (for a fade).
Complete your initial assessment see how many times out of 10 you can start the ball to the right or left of your target. Pick one side and measure your game at this point.

The goal is to eventually get 7 out of 10 shots to start to the correct side and draw back towards the target.

We believe the swing path is only 2nd in importance to the clubface in the golf swing.

Check out this post: What is the most important part of the golf swing?

Step #4: Take it to the course and focus on a target

Oftentimes when we are trying to fix a swing fault, we can get stuck thinking of movements or positions when we get to the course. Spend the time to work out the issues at the range or during practice sessions. When it comes time to play the game, make sure you are focusing on a target and swinging towards that target.

The push shot in golf can also be a result of being hesitant through the swing. When you are releasing towards the target it will take the pause or hesitation out of the swing. You want the speed out front and to swing towards the target. The push can occur when we slow down and the path that is 5 degrees to the right also has a club face that is 5 degrees to the right, when normally if you swing through the shot you might have a path that is 4 degrees to the right with a club face that is only 2 degree right, resulting in a nice push draw.

On this shot the golfer might use the cell phone tower in the back or a specific portion of a tree.

Step #5: Read your ball flight during the round

The best golfers can take feedback after every shot through reading their ball flight. Keep in mind the ball flight laws the general basics about where a ball will start and what direction it will curve. The more you can become an expert at reading the ball flight, the better adjustments you can make.

Understand what the push shot feels like and what a quality swing feels like. Read that ball flight and have your go to feel to fight the push mid round. When in doubt, turn back to the target focused golf and make a more natural and athletic motion back and through the shot. Make sure you keep your body rotating and keep the sequencing in place.

Lack of Rotation in the golf swing (3 Causes)

Final Thoughts

I would highly recommend using a golf launch monitor to help measure your clubface and your swing path. Once again, as these two numbers get too large of a gap, the golfer is going to fight the hook shot in golf. I purchased a Skytrak Launch Monitor several years ago and the feedback is rather impressive. After every shot, you can receive the following:

Carry and Total Distance
Spin Axis
Spin Rate

Swing Path
Launch Angle
Ball Speed

Club Speed

In addition, the shot tracer is rather helpful in getting feedback. If you understand the ball flight laws, the shot tracer gives you the immediate feedback about where your clubface was at impact as well as your swing path based on the curve of the ball.

Check Current Price of Skytrak Launch Monitor, Here!

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Rain or Shine Golf Packages

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions: