There are few things in golf more frustrating than a great swing that produces a bad result. You feel you’ve struck the ball squarely, flushing it right out of the center of the clubface, only to watch it start right of your target and fly straight on that line, never once trying to come back. That unwelcome shot is called a push, and it can leave you shaking your head in confusion. This guide will walk you through exactly what causes a push in golf and provide you with clear, actionable steps and drills to get your ball flying at the pin again.
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First, What Exactly is a Push?
Before we can fix the problem, it helps to understand what’s actually happening at impact. Golf ball flight is governed by two primary factors: the path of your club swing and the angle of your clubface at the moment of impact. A push occurs when your club path is traveling from “in-to-out” and your clubface is square to that path.
Think of it like this: Imagine a set of train tracks. Your target is a station straight ahead. For a push shot, you’ve essentially aimed the entire set of tracks to the right of the station. When the train (your ball) leaves the station (the clubface), it travels perfectly straight down the tracks, but because the tracks are pointed right, it ends up in the wrong place.
Push vs. Slice vs. Push-Slice
It’s important to distinguish the push from its more common cousin, the slice. They are not the same thing!
Push: The ball starts right of the target and flies straight. The club path is in-to-out, and the face is square to the path.
Slice: The ball starts straight or left of the target and then curves aggressively to the right. The club path is typically out-to-in, with an open clubface relative to that path.
Push-Slice: The ball starts right of the target and continues to curve even more to the right. This is the result of an in-to-out path combined with a clubface that is open to that path. This is often the most destructive shot of the three.
For this article, we’re focusing on the pure push - the straight ball that starts offline. More often than not, the culprit is hiding in your setup or your swing sequence, forcing that in-to-out path.
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Countless swing flaws are born before the club even moves. A poor setup forces you to make compensations during your swing, and the push is a frequent result. Before you overhaul your entire swing motion, let’s run a quick diagnostic on your address position. You might find the fix right here.
1. Your Alignment Could Be Deceiving You
This is the most common cause of a pushed shot. Many golfers feel like they are aiming at the target, but their body - feet, hips, and shoulders - is actually aimed considerably to the right. When you align your body to the right, your natural swing path will follow that alignment. Your arms will want to swing along the line your shoulders are pointing, sending the ball dead right of the target.
The Fix: The Alignment Stick Check
This is a non-negotiable tool for sound practice. Grab two alignment sticks (or two golf clubs).
Place the first stick on the ground, pointing directly at your target. This is your target line.
Place the second stick parallel to the first one, just inside the ball, along the line where your toes will be. This is your body line.
Step up to the ball so that your toes are aligned with the second stick. From here, check to make sure your hips and shoulders are also parallel to the sticks.
Many golfers are shocked to find how far right their body was aiming. Consistently practicing with alignment sticks will retrain your eyes and body to understand what "square" actually looks and feels like.
2. Your Ball Position is Too Far Back
Playing the ball too far back in your stance is another sneaky cause of the push. The bottom of your swing arc doesn't occur directly below your center, but slightly forward of it. If your ball position is too far back, you make contact with the ball while the club is still traveling on an 'in-to-out' trajectory. Before the club has had a chance to reach the bottom of its arc and start moving back to the left, the ball has already been struck and sent on its way… to the right.
The Fix: Establish Consistent Ball Positions
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all position for every club, but here’s a reliable guide to start from:
Wedges and Short Irons (9, 8): Ball in the absolute center of your stance, directly below your shirt buttons or sternum.
Mid-Irons (7, 6, 5): One or two balls-widths forward of center.
Hybrid/Fairway Woods: About three balls-widths forward of center, or just inside your lead heel.
Driver: Lined up with the heel or armpit of your lead arm.
To check this, take your setup and then place a club on the ground from the ball, perpendicular to your feet. Check where it lines up. This simple habit can erase a lot of problems.
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If your setup is solid but the push persists, it’s time to look at the moving parts of your swing. The in-to-out path is often the result of an improper sequence where the body and arms don't work together properly.
1. Your Body Stalls Through Impact
This is arguably the number one swing-related cause of a push. The player initiates the downswing, but as they approach the ball, their lower body and torso stop rotating. This is often an unconscious instinct to "hit" at the ball instead of swinging through it. When your body rotation stalls, there’s no room for your arms to swing on the correct arc. With their path blocked, the arms have nowhere to go but out and away from your body, creating a severe in-to-out path. The hands flip to try and square the face, and push.
The Fix: Rotate Your Core to the Finish
Good golf shots aren’t hit at the ball, they are hit through the ball. Your thought process shouldn't be about impact, but about achieving a full, balanced finish. Focus on rotating your belt buckle to face the target at the end of the swing. Power comes from your body's rotation, not your arms' force. By focusing on turning your torso through the shot, you keep your body moving, which clears a path for your arms to swing down on a more neutral or "in-to-square-to-in" path.
Drill: The Step-Through Swing
This drill is fantastic for feeling continuous rotation.
Take a 7-iron and set up normally.
Make your normal backswing.
As you begin your downswing, just before impact, take a step forward with your back foot, walking toward the target.
Finish your swing standing on your new front foot, fully rotated towards the target.
It's impossible to perform this drill if your body stalls. It forces your hips and core to keep turning through the hitting area, creating the correct sequencing and eliminating the push.
2. You Are "Early Extending"
Early extension is closely related to a stalled body. It’s when your hips and pelvis move toward the golf ball on the downswing instead of rotating away from it. When your lower body thrusts forward, it robs your arms of space. Your brain knows you can't swing into your own body, so it forces the hands and club out onto a steep, in-to-out path to make contact. Your posture will break down, your chest will lift up, and your hands will be sent out to right field - the perfect recipe for a push.
The Fix: Keep Your Rear End Back
At address, you create a spinal angle by bending from your hips. The goal is to maintain that angle throughout the swing. Imagine a wall just behind you at setup, with your backside touching it. Your swing thought should be to keep your backside touching that wall all the way through impact. This prevents your hips from shooting forward and keeps you in your posture, allowing your arms to drop into the proper slot.
Drill: Chair Drill
Set up a few inches from a chair or your golf bag, such that your backside is just touching it. Make slow practice swings, focusing on keeping your backside in contact with the chair for as long as possible through the downswing. If your hips thrust forward, you will immediately feel them leave the chair. This auditory and tactile biofeedback is excellent for retraining your lower body action.
Final Thoughts
Dealing with a push can be annoying because it often feels like you've made a good, powerful swing. Remember, the push is primarily a path problem. Start by checking your fundamentals, using alignment sticks to ensure your setup isn’t betraying you, and then progress to ensuring your body is rotating fully through the shot without stalling or moving toward the ball.
Understanding the root of your miss is the most critical part of improving, but if you're not sure whether your push is due to alignment or early extension, it can feel like you're just guessing. Our vision for Caddie AI is to take that guesswork out of the equation. It's built to help you diagnose on-course problems by giving you a second opinion on things like strategy for tricky shots, so you feel confident over the ball and avoid big mistakes. Instead of being stuck and frustrated, you can get instant, expert advice right when you need it most, allowing you to focus on simply making your best swing.
Spencer has been playing golf since he was a kid and has spent a lifetime chasing improvement. With over a decade of experience building successful tech products, he combined his love for golf and startups to create Caddie AI - the world's best AI golf app. Giving everyone an expert level coach in your pocket, available 24/7. Caddie's mission is simple: make world-class golf advice accessible to everyone, anytime.
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