Common causes of the push shot?

[umpiremark]

If you don't want it or want to lessen it, move the ball very slightly forward at address, or strengthen your grip slightly, or try to exaggerate your release more--or all three.

Please don't do any of these three. Good ball flight is a direct result of a good swing that puts a square clubface in the same exact position as it was at address. Pure, yes ... but not simple. Strengthening your grip? over rotate your forearms? Please no.

I am a 14-15 handicap and fight a push (straight right) and push fade (starts right but goes even farther right) all the time. Here's what corrects it for me, when I go back to basics . The back swing is initiated by starting to rotate the upper body. If you move your arms, hands or anything else, you're already off plane. There is a triangle formed from shoulder to shoulder to the hands - try and maintain that triangle on the back swing for as long as possible. Do not rotate, turn, pull (whatever) the arms and hands anywhere but where the triangle leads them. The crucial point in the back swing is halfway up - the arms are parallel to the ground AND point down the target line, the hands cock the club exactly 90-degrees to the forearms. You can practice this in slow motion with any club in any room. Start the swing by rotating your upper body - maintain that triangle. Get your forearms to parrallel to the ground and pointing down the target line. Repeat this in slow motion until this is where you end up every time you begin, with a rotation. Full swing - continue to rotate the upper torso through the backswing, your left hand should feel like you're pushing the grip away from you ( the club should "cock" now). The instant your left arm bends, your backswing is done. Beyond a straight left arm is "over the top" time - fade, slice- ville. The final rotation of your backswing is rotation of the hips, not swinging of the arms. If you can't get on this plane back or your left arm breaks, there's no way your downswing will be on plane, nor will the clubface be where it was when you started at address. Review - start with rotation of the upper body - lower body quiet; forearms parallel = down the target line; push the grip away with the left hand; rotate hips through the top; left arm breaks = slice or push fade, always. If I remember to do these things on the way back, I have a better chance of hitting the ball straight. That's what I work on.

[Mosko12]

Statistically speaking, a push is when your club face is open at impact (with an in to out swing path).

Although your club face can be open at impact of 2 degrees, you can hit a draw by ensuring your swing path comes from the inside at 4 degrees allowing the spin on the ball to come back to the target line.

So if you have a slightly open face at address, you would most likely have it again and maybe even more (depending on lower body rotation) at impact. If your club path from the inside is not enough from the inside you will have a push fade, or a straight push right. (for a right handed golfer)

My recommendation is to square up the club face. (Do not close the face) Square it up.

When it comes to hitting a straight shot it is about the club face at impact. You may not have a pretty swing, you may have a difficult time being consistent.

The goal is:

Step 1: Do not come over the top. An in to 'out' swing. Although technically speaking an in to square club path.

Step 1: Square the club face at impact.

Notice both of them are step 1 because they are both vitally important.

[rehmwa]

I'll chime in.

to the OP:

- If you have decent swing and can repeat more often than not.  Get thee to a Trackman and learn to read the numbers and what they mean.  Find your target metrics that give you an optimal flight (down on the ball at impact (except driver), club path/face angle combo that you like).  and work it.  (path/angle that I like to work near is +3/+1, I have a buddy that's trying to train in 0/0 - I don't know what works 'in general' but we both like how our balls fly at these numbers.  AND, since we understand the physics, it's making it easier to shape the shot when we want to - for small bending, I keep my path where it is (and stance, and swing, and etc) and just set up angle different.....etc changing only one thing is better than a bunch of other stuff.  For big bends,,,,well, I'm still learning)

(As noted up thread - It's nice if you have a swing where the face angle returns at impact to the same as you set up....near enough.  for example - for that +3/+1, I set up to a very/barely visible "slightly" open face, and then swing my normal in to out swing.  I try to keep my right hand slightly weak in grip so I don't flip my face closed because that's my normal mishit when it happens - straight to baby draw when I catch it clean....I've seen some wacky setups from some really good hitters, but it really bothers me to think about what they have to do to get it to work...a guy at the range yesterday very nearly was addressing his shots with the toe almost pointed straight down range (completely closed face at address) - then he'd hit it just fine bu pushing his right hand underneath on the swing which opened the face back up at contact.....freaky.  But he could really hit it though.)

- If your swing is still very inconsistent, go take a lesson or three on the basics and do the drills your trusted coach gives.  then go to number 1

or both

or neither

either way, good luck.  it's a frustrating game

[Dave H]

Originally Posted by rehmwa

I'll chime in.

to the OP:

- If you have decent swing and can repeat more often than not.  Get thee to a Trackman and learn to read the numbers and what they mean.  Find your target metrics that give you an optimal flight (down on the ball at impact (except driver), club path/face angle combo that you like).  and work it.  (path/angle that I like to work near is +3/+1, I have a buddy that's trying to train in 0/0 - I don't know what works 'in general' but we both like how our balls fly at these numbers.  AND, since we understand the physics, it's making it easier to shape the shot when we want to - for small bending, I keep my path where it is (and stance, and swing, and etc) and just set up angle different.....etc changing only one thing is better than a bunch of other stuff.  For big bends,,,,well, I'm still learning)

(As noted up thread - It's nice if you have a swing where the face angle returns at impact to the same as you set up....near enough.  for example - for that +3/+1, I set up to a very/barely visible "slightly" open face, and then swing my normal in to out swing.  I try to keep my right hand slightly weak in grip so I don't flip my face closed because that's my normal mishit when it happens - straight to baby draw when I catch it clean....I've seen some wacky setups from some really good hitters, but it really bothers me to think about what they have to do to get it to work...a guy at the range yesterday very nearly was addressing his shots with the toe almost pointed straight down range (completely closed face at address) - then he'd hit it just fine bu pushing his right hand underneath on the swing which opened the face back up at contact.....freaky.  But he could really hit it though.)

- If your swing is still very inconsistent, go take a lesson or three on the basics and do the drills your trusted coach gives.  then go to number 1

or both

or neither

either way, good luck.  it's a frustrating game

Wow, I forgot all about this thread, lol. I occasionally struggle with a push still, but it almost always happens when I "stand up" in my shot. Usually only takes one or two and I get it back under control.

[David in FL]

Wow, I forgot all about this thread, lol. I occasionally struggle with a push still, but it almost always happens when I "stand up" in my shot. Usually only takes one or two and I get it back under control.

What's 3 years among friends?! ;-)

[Sacman]

dorsi flexion of the ankle is what pulls your foot straight up. If you were to do a squat without dorsi flexing your ankle you would fall backward.

[rkim291968]

My hip opens up prematurely and the swing never catches up with it.   I always had this issue before but recently, the problem was amplified and led to the current slump (severe push, shank ---> OB ---> Triples).   Slow motion swing practice (per 5S thread, thanks) made me realize how bad it has gotten.   Yesterday's range practice session was encouraging.

[dchoye]

I will push it and miss the target left(I'm lefty) when my hips get to far in front of my arms When I'm in synch I can produce a fade-push that cutspin toward the target. It's when my face gets to open usually because of my hips that I get get a straight push to the left I tried "push draw" but I find that my hips are too restrictive to do it as a standard shot for me

[MS256]

When I push the ball (which is a fairly common miss for me) I just don't let my hands rotate naturally back to square by impact.

My natural inclination is to have the back palm up and front palm down at impact. I can cheat a little at address and close the face a little extra and usually that works...until I do rotate my hands to palm square to the path and then I'm going to hook the ball.

So far this year I haven't even had enough problem with it to cheat at address (knock on wood).

[Strandly]

At first I was slicing the ball (drives) to the right and figured out it was because my left wrist wasn't flat.  Once I flattened my wrist the big curving slice went away but I still had an annoying push if I swung really hard.  I think I figured that out now as well.  On the downswing my head would drift forward (to generate tons and tons of momentum to smash the ball, duh!) which I assume was leaving the clubface open at impact and pushing the ball right.  When I make a conscious effort to keep my head back I hit much, much straighter drives-- like laser straight really, it's amazes me.  haha

This is one of the things that has me really excited to play this summer because I've been able to swing hard and not have the ball squirt off some direction I didn't intend.  Anyway, if you're pushing the ball I'd maybe try to pay attention to your upper body and head in particular.