Watching your golf ball start right of the target and fly dead-straight into the water, bunker, or trees is one of the most maddening experiences in golf. Unlike a slice that curves, a push feels like you hit it squarely - it just went in the wrong direction. This guide is all about understanding what causes this push shot, identifying the specific setup and swing flaws behind it, and giving you the practical drills you need to finally get that ball starting on target.
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Is It a Push or a Slice? (Knowing the Difference is Half the Battle)
Before we can fix your miss, we need to be crystal clear about what we’re trying to fix. Many golfers use the words "push" and "slice" interchangeably, but they describe two very different shots with very different causes.
A push is a shot that starts right of your target line and continues to fly straight on that line, never curving back.
A slice is a shot that starts on (or even left of) your target line and then curves significantly to the right in the air.
Why does this matter? Because they point to different clubface and swing path combinations. A slice indicates an "out-to-in" path with a clubface that's open to that path. A push, the nemesis we're tackling today, is caused by your club path moving too far from inside-to-out with a clubface that is square to that inside-out path, but not square to your target. In short, your swing's compass is telling the ball to go right, and the clubface agrees. Understanding this is the first step toward the fix.
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Imagine two sets of train tracks. One set runs from the ball straight to your target. The other set runs from behind you (inside the target line), crosses the "target" tracks at the ball, and continues out to the right (outside the target line).
A push shot happens when your golf club travels on that second set of tracks. Your swing path is coming from the inside and moving out to the right through impact. This is what's called an “in-to-out” swing path.
Now, if your clubface was wide open during this, you’d hit a dreaded push-slice - the ball starts right and curves even more right. But with a pure push, your clubface is actually pretty well-positioned! It’s square to the path you’re swinging on. The result? A solid strike... just one that starts and sails directly right of where you want it to go. The ultimate fix for the push lies in neutralizing that excessively in-to-out swing path.
Common Setup Flaws That Promote a Push
Often, the push is programmed into your shot before you even start the backswing. A problematic setup can make an in-to-out path almost unavoidable. Let’s look at the most common culprits at address.
1. Ball Position Too Far Back in Your Stance
This is a big one. When the ball is positioned too far back toward your trail foot, you naturally catch it earlier in your swing arc. At this premature point in the arc, the club is still rightfully traveling from inside-to-out. You are effectively hitting the ball before the club has had a chance to work back around toward the target line. The ball has no choice but to start right.
The Fix: For your mid-irons (like a 7, 8, or 9-iron), the ball should be positioned in the very center of your stance. As the clubs get longer, the ball moves progressively forward, with the driver being lined up with your lead heel. A simple check is to set up and then bring your feet together. The ball should be right in the middle. Spreading your feet to shoulder-width from there will put it in the required spot.
2. Body Aiming to the Right of the Target
It sounds almost too simple, but many golfers do a poor job of aiming. So many players think they are aimed straight, but their feet, hips, and shoulders are actually pointing well to the right of the target. Your body is smart, if it's lined up to the right, your swing will naturally follow that alignment, producing a path that travels… you guessed it, out to the right.
The Fix: Use an alignment stick or a spare golf club. Place it on the ground parallel to your target line, just outside your golf ball. Then, place another stick just inside your feet, making sure it’s parallel to the first stick. Now, when you take your stance, your toes, hips, and shoulders should all be lined up parallel to those sticks. It will probably feel like you're aiming left at first, which tells you just how far right you were aiming before.
3. A Grip That's Too "Strong"
A "strong" grip (where your lead hand is turned too far over the top of the club) is usually associated with hooking the ball. Because of this, players with a strong grip can subconsciously fight against shutting the clubface down at impact. How do they do this? By holding onto the club and "blocking" the release, which sends the club out to the right. While they often prevent the hook they fear, the result is this compensated block push.
The Fix: Check your lead hand (your left hand for a righty). You should comfortably see two knuckles when you look down. The "V" formed by your thumb and index finger should point roughly toward your trail shoulder (your right shoulder). This more "neutral" grip position allows your hands and wrists to release the club naturally through impact instead of having to fight it.
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If your setup checks out, the push is being created during the swing itself. There are two major moments - one in the backswing and one in the downswing - that produce that in-to-out path.
Backswing Culprit: Getting the Club "Stuck" Behind You
This happens when you take the club away from the ball not with your body, but by pulling it sharply inside with your hands and arms. From the top, the club is now "stuck" deep behind your body. The only way to get it back to the ball from this position is to throw it out from the inside, often creating that severe in-to-out path you're trying to avoid.
The Fix: On your takeaway, feel like your hands, arms, and chest move together as one unit for the first few feet of the backswing. The clubhead should feel like it's staying in front of your chest and moving straight back from the ball - not getting whipped inward immediately. A helpful thought is to keep the butt end of your club pointing at your belly button as you start back.
Downswing Culprit: The Dreaded "Early Extension"
This is probably the number one cause of the push among amateur golfers. Early extension is when your hips and lower body thrust forward - toward the golf ball - to start the downswing. Think of it as losing your posture, your hips move closer to the ball, and your spine angle straightens up too soon.
When this happens, your body effectively blocks the proper path for your arms to swing down. They have no room. As a reaction, your arms are forced to swing out and around your body from the inside, producing the push-manufacturing path.
The Fix: The feeling you want is for your trail hip (right hip for a righty) to rotate back and around to start the downswing, not thrust forward toward the ball. Imagine you're standing with your backside just touching a wall at address. As you swing, your goal is to keep both butt cheeks on that wall for as long as possible through impact by rotating properly.
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Understanding the causes is great, but fixing them happens on the range. Here are three highly effective drills to help neutralize your swing path and see the ball starting on a better line.
Drill 1: The Headcover-Gateway Drill
This drill provides immediate feedback if you come at the ball too much from the inside.
Place an empty sleeve of balls or a headcover on the ground shifted about a foot behind your golf ball and slightly to the outside of it (on the "inside" of your target line).
Place another object, like a second headcover, about a foot in front of the ball and just inside the target line.
Your goal is to swing the club between these two objects without hitting either one. If you're coming too much from the inside, you will hit the back object. This forces you to shallow the club correctly while swinging more toward the target.
Drill 2: The Feet-Together Swing
This simple drill trains balance and encourages better body rotation, which helps fight early extension.
Set up to the ball, but bring your feet together so they are touching.
Take smooth, 75% swings. You are not trying for maximum power.
Because your base is so narrow, you cannot lunge at the ball or thrust your hips without losing your balance. This drill forces you to rotate your body smoothly around your spine, naturally syncing up your arms and torso.
Drill 3: Feel Your Chest "Cover" the Ball
A push often results from your body rotation stalling at impact, letting the arms slingshot past on an inside-out path. This drill encourages you to keep turning through the shot.
As you swing down, your main thought should be to get your chest to rotate all the way through so it's facing the target at the finish.
A great feeling to strive for is having your chest “cover” the ball through impact. Many pushers leave their chest pointing behind the ball at the moment of truth.
Hit shots concentrating solely on making a full body rotation and finishing with your belt buckle and chest facing directly at your target. This keeps the club on a better path for a longer period of time.
Final Thoughts
Fixing a push comes down to one thing: neutralizing a swing path that's coming too far from inside-to-out. By checking your initial setup for common flaws like a bad ball position or misalignment, and then working on keeping your club on-plane and your body rotating correctly, you'll replace that frustrating right-sided miss with a ball that starts right at your target.
I know diagnosing your own swing faults can be a puzzle, which is why having an expert sounding board is so helpful. That is the philosophy behind my creation of Caddie AI. A stubborn push can lead you to some tough spots on the course, but with the app, you can snap a photo of your tricky lie in the trees or rough and get instant, smart advice on the best way to recover. It's about taking the guesswork out of recovery shots so you can prevent one mistake from wrecking your scorecard.
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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