Common causes of the push shot?

[Dave H]

Two days ago at the range and today while playing I noticed I was having trouble with pushing shots to the right. I was actually making the most consistent contact I've made in a range session and subsequent round but today I was pushing shots with all clubs anywhere from 10 yards to 30 yards. Some had a slight fade ball flight to them, but most went pretty straight, just to the right. I also didn't notice it so much at the range because of a strong left to right wind that day but in hindsight I think I was pushing most of my shots at the range. Unfortunately I don't have any video at the moment but I was wondering what the common causes of a push are? thanks.

[GaijinGolfer]

A push is caused by an in to out swingpath. Usually what happens is your arms get behind your legs/hips in your swing, which causes the in to out plane.
I suffer from the same problem and what I found works for me is keeping my legs/hips quiter. A drill that worked for me is taking practice swings with my feet together. That limits how much you can use your legs and give you the feeling of keeping your legs/hips quieter.

[Dave H]

Ah very interesting because I've been working on getting more hip slide and trying to get the hips to lead the swing more. Perhaps I've gone a little too aggressive with the hips.

[iacas]

Ah very interesting because I've been working on getting more hip slide and trying to get the hips to lead the swing more. Perhaps I've gone a little too aggressive with the hips.

I'd call that highly unlikely. Odds are you're simply not doing something else properly, and I doubt you're as aggressive with the hips as you think you are.

But hey, yet another example of "it's all guesswork without video."

[atrapasuenos]

Check out this article from the site: http://thesandtrap.com/playing_tips/ball_flight_laws you'll get an idea of what causes some ball flights.

If I'm not wrong, the clubface is open and your swing path is in-to-out, the problem in there is that the club face angle is matching the in-to-out swing path, causing the push. If you close a bit the clubface with that same swing path, you will create a difference between the and you will get a nice push-draw.

Greetings!

[Dave H]

I'd call that highly unlikely. Odds are you're simply not doing something else properly, and I doubt you're as aggressive with the hips as you think you are.

Yeah, absolutely on the guessing part. I really didn't ask the question with the intention of getting a finite answer to my specific problem, I guess (no pun intended) I was just looking more for some things to think about since I don't have video at the moment.

If there was like a "Top 5 reasons golfers hit a push" or something like that

[shortstop20]

Click the link. You'll have to sign up to see it(it's free and easy). Then check out, "Early Extension".

http://www.mytpi.com/mytpi05/swing/swingfault.asp

Here's a thread on it.

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/...on-hip-thrust/

[CalBoomer]

A straight fade is hit with an in-out swing and a slightly open club face. If done consistently and not exaggerated, this can be a good thing--and is usually referred to as a power fade. 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.

[shortstop20]

If the face is open relative to the swing path, which is in-out in your example, the ball will start right and keep fading right.

A fade that starts straight would be hit with an outside-in path and a open clubface(relative to path).

[iacas]

Click the link. You'll have to sign up to see it(it's free and easy). Then check out, "Early Extension".

The TPI guys mean well, but they're full of crap a lot of the time. There's a great story about Brad Faxon going out there where they kept telling Brad Faxon - who was sporting a six pack and had perhaps one of the most finely tuned torso of PGA Tour golfers - that he wasn't strong enough in his core to fix a certain problem... he fixed it in two minutes with the right information and it had nothing to do with fitness or core strength.

Literally yesterday they said "poor dorsiflexion of the ankles" can cause early extension. Huh? Okay... The TPI guys mean well, but frankly I think a LOT of teachers could teach Phillips under the rug. I think being in better shape can't hurt, but it doesn't help as much as they seem to believe and it certainly doesn't cause the problems on the scale they seem to think they cause.

A straight fade is hit with an in-out swing and a slightly open club face.

If anything, a straight fade is a ball that starts straight at the target and then fades, and to the OP, please don't try to "exaggerate your release more."

Perhaps you mean a straight push, in which case yes, something is causing the clubface to be slightly more open than it should be... but "releasing more" is a bad recipe. Check the grip, check the alignment - if it's consistent check the non-moving stuff first.

[sean_miller]

Ah very interesting because I've been working on getting more hip slide and trying to get the hips to lead the swing more. Perhaps I've gone a little too aggressive with the hips.

I sometimes get overactive with my hips on purpose - pushing the envelope so to speak - so I know where m limit is. Usually the result is a banana slice or a shank - not a push.

[ks8829]

I push when my hands are too far from my body or when my timming is off and my arms and hips are not in sync at impact caused by taking a longer backswing for me.

[Where's the Cart Girl?]

Not sure if you were fitted for you clubs, or if you know how fast you swing, but another potential cause for a push could just be that your shaft is too stiff ( that's what she said ) for your swing speed.

Especially if you feel the contact is pure, the shaft may still just be slightly flexed at impact as opposed to it doing the "crack of the whip" action at impact.

Just something else to consider before you blame your swing for the trouble.

[anthony]

I tend to push the ball when I don't rotate my hips completely to finish.

[Dave H]

You guys have given me some great info to think about when I next hit the range - hopefully tonight if it's not raining.

I tend to push the ball when I don't rotate my hips completely to finish.

After reading the article about ball flight laws, I'm thinking there's a good chance that I'm just not swinging around my body enough. That may be bad terminology but I remember something my instructor told me a couple years ago (back when I could afford one, lol) I would occasionally push one right and he would say "you're not swinging around your body enough" or something like that. The result with making an effort to feel like I'm swinging around my body was a straight shot. Again, this is probably bad terminology, but I think I know the feeling and will take a look for that.

Not sure if you were fitted for you clubs, or if you know how fast you swing, but another potential cause for a push could just be that your shaft is too stiff (

I'm not a fast swinger by any means, but my shafts are only regular flex so that's probably not an issue. I think I swing in the 85 - 90 mph range.

I push when my hands are too far from my body or when my timming is off and my arms and hips are not in sync at impact caused by taking a longer backswing for me.

This I find interesting because I have recently been standing a couple/few inches further from the ball. I started experimenting with that as I was struggling with ball contact and backing off seemed to improve contact. I'll be experimenting with this for sure.

I sometimes get overactive with my hips on purpose - pushing the envelope so to speak - so I know where m limit is. Usually the result is a banana slice or a shank - not a push.

Cool. After reading through the advice so far, it sounds like I have a number of more likely things to look at other than my hips.

Hopefully next time I get to the range, I can take some good video and get it on here.

[shortstop20]

The TPI guys mean well, but they're full of crap a lot of the time. There's a great story about Brad Faxon going out there where they kept telling Brad Faxon - who was sporting a six pack and had perhaps one of the most finely tuned torso of PGA Tour golfers - that he wasn't strong enough in his core to fix a certain problem... he fixed it in two minutes with the right information and it had nothing to do with fitness or core strength.

I totally agree, I just thought I'd post the info in case the OP was interested.

[Dave H]

I got to the range last night for a few minutes, unfortunately I didn't bring my camera with me but I did come to the following conclusions:

1. I think I was setting up too far from the ball. Upon analyzing my setup it seemed I was reaching a bit rather than letting my arms hang naturally down.

2. I don't think I was finishing my swing around my body creating the in to out path.

Once I worked on the above I hit 90% of the shots pretty straight. I actually didn't push any irons (I had a slight pull to a few of them) but I did push the driver a bit.

Sound like I might be headed in the right direction? I know, I know, without video it's a bit of a guessing game...

[GaijinGolfer]

Definetly sounds like youre headed in the right direction. Perhaps you could try strengthening your grip. That way the clubface is a little more closed at impact and even though the ball may start right, the closed clubface will cause it to come back and it will come back where you want it.