How to Stop Pushing the Golf Ball to the Right

Seeing your golf ball sail straight-right of your target, completely missing the green or fairway, is one of the most frustrating shots in golf. The push feels surprisingly solid off the clubface, but the result is always a trip to the beach, a blocked-out approach, or worse, OB stakes. Unlike a slice, there's no curve to correct it - it just starts right and stays right. The good news is that the push has a few very common causes, and with a bit of understanding and practice, you can get your ball flight straightened out and aimed where you want it to go. This guide will walk you through exactly why you're pushing the ball and give you simple, actionable drills to start hitting laser-straight shots.

First, Are You Hitting a Push or a Slice?

Before we go any further, it's important to know the difference between a "push" and a "slice," because they have different root causes. Think about where your ball starts and how it curves.

• A push is a ball that starts to the right of your target line and continues flying straight on that line, with very little sidespin or curvature.
• A slice in a ball that (for a right handed golfer) might start straight or even a little left of the target, but then curves dramatically to the right during its flight.

In golf, your club path at impact primarily determines the ball's starting direction, while the club face angle relative to that path dictates the curve. A push happens when your swing path is traveling from "in-to-out" but your clubface is square to that path. A slice happens when your clubface is open relative to your swing path. This article is all about fixing the straight push.

The #1 Reason You're Pushing the Ball: An "In-to-Out" Swing Path

If you take away one thing from this article, let it be this: you are pushing the ball because your club is swinging too much from inside the target line to outside the target line at the moment of impact. Imagine a horizontal line pointing straight at your target. Your clubhead is approaching the ball from inside that line and swinging outside that line as it moves through the hitting area.

Many golfers develop this path by trying to generate more power. They feel like they are swinging "from the inside" which is often taught as a good thing. And it is, to a degree. But when it's overdone, the club travels so far out to the right that the ball has no choice but to start in that direction. Your body's instinct is correct - a swing that is powered by rotation feels strong - but the path itself is leaking right.

What Does an "In-to-Out" Path Feel Like?

Oftentimes, a player who pushes the ball feels like their arms get "stuck" or trapped behind their body on the downswing. From that stuck position, the only way to get the club to the ball is to throw the arms and clubhead away from the body and out toward the right. It's a compensation that leads directly to that straight-right ball flight.

Drills to Correct Your Swing Path and Hit it Straight

Training a new swing path isn't complicated, but it does require focused practice to retrain your muscle memory. The goal is to get the club traveling straight down the target line through impact, not cutting across it. Here are a couple of my favorite drills to help you do just that.

The Gateway Drill

This is a fantastic visual aid to help you feel what a neutral, on-target swing path is like.

1. Place your ball on the ground as you normally would.
2. Take two alignment sticks, headcovers, or even water bottles. Place one about a foot in front of the ball, just outside your target line. Place the other a foot in front of the ball, just inside your target line.
3. You have now created a "gate" you need to swing your club through after you've struck the ball.
4. Take slow, half-swings at first. Your whole focus should be on swinging the clubhead straight through the middle of the gate. If you are pushing the ball, your natural tendency will be to hit the outside object (the one furthest from you).
5. Once you can consistently swing through the gate on these little swings, you can build up to fuller, more powerful swings. The visual feedback makes it incredibly clear when your path is correct versus when it's veering out to the right.

The Obstacle Drill

This drill helps correct a path that's coming too far from the inside.

1. Set up to a ball on the driving range.
2. Take a soft object - like an extra headcover, a rolled-up towel, or an empty plastic water bottle - and place it on the ground about two feet behind your ball and about six inches outside your target line.
3. The goal is simple: miss the obstacle on your downswing.
4. If your swing path is excessively in-to-out, an "over the top" move, you'll likely clip the object as you start down. By consciously attempting to miss it and bring the club down on a slightly steeper, more neutral angle, you'll retrain your path away from that big push miss.

Is Your Setup Pre-Programming a Push?

Sometimes, the push isn't a swing fault at all - it's a problem before you even start moving. Your setup dictates the path your club wants to follow. If your body is aimed incorrectly, you're fighting an uphill battle from the start.

Check Your Alignment

This is the most common setup flaw I see with amateurs who push the ball. They align their clubface squarely at the target but align their feet, hips, and shoulders to the right of the target. When you swing along your body line (which is the natural thing to do), the path is automatically directed out to the right, and voilà - a push. You might feel like you're aiming straight, but your body isn't helping.

The Fix: Use alignment sticks, or simply lay a couple of golf clubs on the ground. Place one club just outside your ball, pointing directly at your target. Place the second club parallel to the first, a few inches inside it, where your feet should go. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should all be set up parallel to the target line, not pointing at the target itself. This "parallel left" setup is fundamental to hitting straight shots.

Ball Position is Critical

Where you place the ball in your stance has a huge effect on your swing path. A common mistake is playing the ball too far back in the stance for the club you're using. The golf swing moves on an arc. If the ball is too far back, you will make contact while the club is still traveling on its in-to-out path. Moving the ball slightly forward allows you to make contact at the bottom of the arc, where the club is traveling straight down the target line.

The Fix: Here's a simple guide:

• Wedges and short irons (9, 8): Play the ball in the absolute center of your stance. Your sternum should be directly over the ball.
• Mid-irons (7, 6, 5): Play the ball about one to two inches forward of center.
• Fairway woods and Driver: Play the ball well forward, just off the inside of your lead heel.

A simple check on ball position can instantly straighten out a push you've been fighting for months.

Are You Getting "Stuck" on the Downswing?

This is a slightly more advanced concept, but it's hugely important. The feeling of being "stuck" happens when a player's body sequence is out of order. Often, the hips will slide laterally toward the target instead of rotating. This move drops the right shoulder down and traps the arms behind the torso. From this handcuffed position, the only way to hit the ball is to throw the arms out and away from the body - directly out to the right.

This fault often comes from a player's misguided attempt to "help" or "lift" the ball into the air. Remember, the loft on your club is designed to get the ball airborne. Your job is to rotate and deliver the club to the ball, the club will do the rest.

The Fix: Focus on Rotation. A great feeling to have is that your belt buckle finishes facing the target. This ensures you've rotated your lower body completely, which clears space for your arms to swing down the line instead of getting jammed behind you.

The Step-Through Drill

This drill is excellent for promoting a full, committed rotation through the ball.

1. Take your normal setup with a 7-iron.
2. Make a smooth swing through the ball.
3. As you swing through the impact zone, allow your trail foot (your right foot for a right-handed player) to release and take a full step forward, so you finish "walking" toward the target.
4. You should end up balanced with your chest and hips fully facing your target. It's almost impossible to get stuck and push the ball if you full commit to this follow-through motion.

Final Thoughts

Fixing a push comes down to neutralizing your swing path, validating your setup and alignment, and feeling how your body should rotate through the shot. The push is not a mystery, it's a direct result of the club moving too far from in-to-out at impact. By working on the drills in this guide, you can train a much more neutral path that sends the ball right where your clubface is pointing: at the target.

Diagnosing your own swing on the course can be tough, and that's where modern tools can give you a major advantage. With an app like Caddie AI, you can get instant feedback and personalized advice directly on the course. If you find yourself in a tricky spot after a push, you can even take a photo of your lie, and the AI will suggest the smartest way to recover. It's like having a 24/7 coach in your pocket, ready to answer questions about any swing fault and help you manage your game, so you can turn those frustrating right misses into confident swings.