Why Do I Block Golf Shots?

That feeling of a pure strike, only to look up and see the ball sailing straight right of your target, has to be one of golf's biggest frustrations. You didn't slice it - it just went stubbornly, helplessly right. This pesky shot is called a block, and it's a swing flaw that can sideline a great round fast. In this guide, we'll break down exactly what causes a blocked golf shot in simple terms, identify the most common mistakes that lead to it, and give you practical drills you can take straight to the range to get your ball flying at the pin again.

First, What Exactly Defines a Block?

Understanding the problem is the first step to fixing it. A blocked shot, often called a "push," is a shot that starts right of the target line and flies relatively straight on that path. It’s different from a slice, which typically starts on target (or even left) and then curves dramatically to the right.

Think of it like this:

• A Block (or Push): The ball’s entire flight path is to the right of your intended target.
• A Push-Slice: The ball starts right of the target and then curves even further right.
• A Slice: The ball starts relatively straight or even left, then curves to the right.

Diagnosing which of these you suffer from is important. The block indicates a specific mix-up between your club's path and its face angle at impact, and that's exactly what we're here to fix.

The Technical Cause: The Inside-Out Path-and-Face Problem

At its core, every blocked shot is caused by a simple (but disastrous) combination at impact: an in-to-out swing path combined with a clubface that is “open” to that path.

That sounds technical, so let’s make it easier. Imagine your target line is a set of railroad tracks heading toward the pin.

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• Swing Path: This is the direction your clubhead is traveling as it strikes the ball. For a block, your club is swinging "from the inside" of the railroad tracks and heading "to the outside" of the tracks after impact. Basically, you're swinging out toward right field (for a right-handed golfer).
• Clubface Angle: This is where the clubface is pointing at the moment it hits the ball. During a block, the clubface is aiming where the ball goes - to the right of the target.

The reason it doesn't slice is that even though your face is open to the target, it might be square to your very in-to-out swing path. The relative alignment of your path and face sends it on a straight line, just in the wrong direction. The fundamental question isn't what is happening, but why your swing is producing this flawed path and face combination.

The Three Big Reasons You’re Blocking Shots

Your body is an amazing machine, but a golf swing requires its parts to move in a precise sequence. A block is almost always a sign that this sequence is out of order. Here are the three most common reasons why golfers get their swing path and face angle out of whack.

1. Your Lower Body Fires Too Fast (You Get "Stuck")

This is, by a landslide, the number one cause of blocked golf shots. You might have heard commentators talk about a pro getting "their arms stuck." This is what they mean. Here’s the sequence of events:

1. You take the club to the top of your swing.
2. To start the downswing, your hips spin aggressively toward the target. This isn't a bad thing on its own - that rotation is where power comes from.
3. Here's the problem: The hips spin open so quickly that your arms and the club get left behind, trapped behind your turning torso.
4. With the club now lagging far behind, your only option is to swing it way out to the right (in-to-out) to catch up, often with a clubface that hasn't had time to rotate square to the target.

This out-of-sync motion feels powerful because your lower body is working hard, but it kills your consistency. The arms never get a chance to drop down in front of your body and swing toward the target. Instead, they are slung outwards an an angle, producing that dead-right block.

2. You Sway Instead of Rotate

A proper golf swing is a turn - a rotation around your spine. Many amateur golfers, however, make a different move: a sway.

On the backswing, instead of turning their right hip back and away from the ball, they slide their entire lower body to the right, away from the target. From this "swayed" position, it becomes incredibly difficult to get your weight back to your front foot in time. Your body is playing catch-up throughout the entire downswing. Often, this leads to the lower body spinning out frantically to try and compensate, leaving the arms behind and leading directly to culprit #1. A great swing feels like you're loading into your trail glute by rotating, not by shifting your entire body outside your back foot.

3. Your Setup Is Pre-Setting the Block

Sometimes, the block is almost destined to happen before you even start your swing. A couple of small setup flaws can make a block nearly unavoidable.

• Ball Position Too Far Back: Playing the ball too far back in your stance (closer to your back foot) is a common error. This effectively forces you to make contact with the ball while the club is still traveling on its in-to-out arc. It simply hasn't had time to get back to "square" and start moving down the target line. For mid-irons, the ball should be in the center of your stance. For longer irons and woods, it should move progressively forward, with the driver off your lead heel.
• Weak Grip: Your grip is the steering wheel for the clubface. A "weak" grip (where your hands are rotated too much to the left on the club for a right-handed player) makes it very hard to get the face square at impact. In an effort to stop the ball from slicing with this kind of grip, the golfer often develops other compensations, but the block is a common outcome when the timing is slightly off.
• Closed Stance: Some golfers who fight a slice will aim their shoulders and feet well to the right of the target. While it may feel like a quick fix, this setup encourages swinging from the "inside" along your body line, making a push or a hook the most likely shot outcome.

Action Plan: Three Drills to Cure Your Block for Good

Reading about the block is one thing, feeling the fix is another. Here are three practical drills you can use at the driving range to sync up your swing and get that club back on the right path.

Drill #1: The Pump Drill for Sequencing

This drill is exceptional for retraining the proper sequence of motion between your arms and your body.

1. Take your normal setup.
2. Make a full backswing, stopping at the top.
3. Now, start your downswing very slowly, but only bring the club down until your lead arm is parallel to the ground. Your hands should feel like they are directly in front of your chest. Feel that connection and position. This is "Position A".
4. From Position A, take the club back up to the top of your swing.
5. Repeat this "pump" motion three times: back to Position A, back to the top.
6. On the third pump, continue the motion and swing all the way through, hitting the ball while focusing on maintaining that relationship you've rehearsed where your arms are in front of a turning body.

This drill helps you feel what it’s like for the arms to drop into position with the body, not get stuck behind it.

Drill #2: The Headcover Gate

This drill gives you instant, physical feedback on your swing path. If you’re pushing the ball, this will force you to correct course.

1. Set a ball down as you normally would.
2. Take an empty headcover (or a similar soft object) and place it on the ground about 6-8 inches outside of your ball and slightly behind it. This creates an inside "gate".
3. Now, try to hit a shot without hitting the headcover.
4. If you are blocking shots, your severely in-to-out swing path means you'll probably hit the headcover at first. To miss it, you're forced to let your club drop more vertically and swing more down the target line or even slightly "out-to-in", which can feel like an over-correction at first but is often what's needed.

Start with half-swings and focus purely on missing the headcover before progressing to full swings.

Drill #3: The Step-Through Finish

A classic issue with a blocked shot is the "stall." The body stops rotating, and the hands and arms flip at the ball. This drill forces you to keep rotating through impact to a complete finish.

1. Take an easy setup with a 7-iron or 8-iron.
2. Make a smooth, three-quarter swing.
3. As you swing through impact, let your back foot come off the ground and step forward, toward the target, finishing like a baseball pitcher. You should end up standing on your front foot with your back foot now beside it, your body facing the target completely.

You cannot perform this drill correctly if your body stalls. The step-through motion obligates your hips and chest to keep turning, pulling the arms and club through on a much better path and preventing them from getting stuck and disconnected.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, beating the blocked shot gets down to fixing the relationship between your swing path and your clubface. For most golfers, this means correcting a fundamental sequencing error where the lower body outraces the arms, leading to a club that gets stuck and swings too far from the inside out. By focusing on your setup and using drills to re-sync your upper and lower body, you can train a swing that delivers the club squarely to the ball every time.

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