Correcting a Push-Fade

[whattaguy]

I've just been hitting my woods since my irons are being altered. I'm usually decent with my driver, but I was having a push-fade problem yesterday. I'm guessing a push-fade problem is better than a pull-hook (out to in swing).

Anyway, I noticed with only 2 balls left (no pun intended), that my shoulders were slightly open in my setup. Could this be the issue? My grip is pretty neutral.

I noticed, however, that I shifted forward during my swing, so I probably struck the ball with an open face. Any good drills to keep the head behind the ball without doing the reverse-pivot?

There are a lot of issues with my swing...but it's only the beginning of the season.

Thanks for any advice.

[Lead Tape]

I've just been hitting my woods since my irons are being altered. I'm usually decent with my driver, but I was having a push-fade problem yesterday. I'm guessing a push-fade problem is better than a pull-hook (out to in swing).

What is your weight distribution in % at address with the driver? 50/50? (L/R) Get it over to 30/70 with the driver. Why? Because that is the desired athletic position to fire hard in ALL sports. Pretend you're a NFL quarterback trying to throw a 70 yd. Hail Mary pass. When your arm is cocked behind your head and ready to fire...where is your weight and how much is on that leg? Pretend you're a MLB pitcher going into a full windup on the mound for a 98 mph fastball. Where is your weight and how much is on the back leg? Pretend you're a javelin thrower in the Olympics throwing for the gold medal. Where is your weight at the last second before releasing? NOTHING changes in golf with those sports as far as the same athletic position to be able to fire as hard as you can. The other thing you might not be doing is releasing properly at impact and through the ball. Place your left hand on the grip as you normally do. (assuming that you're a right handed golfer). Now SPLIT your right hand away from your left and place it at the metal. You can do this right now inside a room...swing in slow and I mean VERY SLOW motion to get the feel and sensation of what your hands and arms do at and through impact. Do you notice how the right hand and forearm ROTATE much differently than what you're probably doing? THAT is the correct release and it's captured in every stop action photo of all the pros in golf magazines. Just in case you're wondering...NO, I'm not a hack like the blind leading the blind helping a friend at some driving range. I've been a pro for over 40 years.

[whattaguy]

What is your weight distribution in % at address with the driver? 50/50? (L/R)

Never doubted your expertise. I'll try that today.

Thanks.

[tembolo381]

a push is a good thing...means you are swinging in to out....just the fade means you have the face open. Release that club a bit more and square up the face...and you'll be hitting a nice draw there. Obviously if you are pushing it massively (a block), then you got yourself too severe an in to out swing.


a pull hook is bad yes...but the hook just means you are releasing and closing the face too much. If the face was square and you had a slight out to in swing (which causes the pull)...you'd have a sexy little fade. Again, if you were pulling it waaaaaaay too much....just means your swing path is too sever out to in.

So as you can see the swing path....while yes it's important, you can play with either a slight in to out or slight out to in path as long as that clubface is square.

check that grip, posture, alignment, and ball position..make sure they are how you want them to get the ball flight you want.

[lamebums]

I've just been hitting my woods since my irons are being altered. I'm usually decent with my driver, but I was having a push-fade problem yesterday. I'm guessing a push-fade problem is better than a pull-hook (out to in swing).

Back up half an inch and reach for the ball a bit. Make it a point of leaning the clubface back a few degrees. It fixed 90 percent of my push-slices (although overcompensating will give you a pull-hook).

[whattaguy]

I think my problem was that I didn't have a stable base. I was losing my coil on the back swing. Instead of having that feeling of firing forward in my back swing, I shifted my weight so I felt it on the outer edge of my right foot which caused my hip to rotate without feeling any tension at all. As a result, I was late in making contact with the ball which caused my push-fade.

I made sure that I felt the "firing forward" tension throughout my swing by putting pressure on the inner part of my right foot and turning my torso instead of my hips to cause the tension and coil. I can't say that it solved all my problems, but my next shots on the course were straight. I still have to go to the range to make little adjustments.

I just have to make sure I don't do the reverse pivot.