How to Stop Pushing the Golf Ball
What It Means When You Push the Golf Ball
A push is one of the most common directional misses in golf, especially for players who are working on swinging more from the inside. It’s the shot that starts right of your target line and stays there with no curve back — clean contact, solid feel, but the ball simply refuses to start online.
The key distinction between a push and a slice is curvature. A slice curves right in the air, while a push flies straight but starts right. That difference matters because it tells you exactly what your clubface and swing path are doing.
In a push, your clubface is square to your swing path but open to your target line, meaning the path itself is moving too far to the right at impact.
Many golfers hit pushes after trying to fix a slice, since the swing path often shifts from over-the-top (left) to too far inside-out (right).
The result? A straight miss that feels pure but misses the fairway just as effectively. Understanding this ball-flight relationship is the first step to fixing it for good.
The Main Causes of Push Shots
There are three main causes behind a push: ball position, swing path, and clubface alignment. Each one plays a role in starting the ball right of target, and often two or three happen together.
- Ball Too Far Back in the Stance
When the ball sits too far back, the clubface meets it before it has time to square up. The club is still moving slightly from the inside, causing a start line to the right. For most players, moving the ball just an inch forward in the stance instantly straightens their starting direction. - Swing Path Too Far Inside-Out
An exaggerated inside takeaway causes the club to travel too far from the inside of the target line on the downswing. If your clubface matches that direction, you’ll send the ball right every time. A neutral swing path (slightly from the inside but not extreme) is the sweet spot. - Open Clubface at Impact
Even a one- or two-degree open face can push the start line several yards right. This is often caused by weak grip pressure, late release, or hanging back on the trail foot through impact. Closing the face a fraction sooner can correct the direction immediately.
The best way to diagnose your push is by paying attention to your divot.
If your divot points well right of target, your path is the issue. If the divot points straight but the ball still starts right, your clubface is open. Recognizing which pattern you have will tell you exactly what to fix next.
Cause #1: Ball Too Far Back in the Stance
When your ball position creeps too far back, the clubface meets the ball too early in its arc—before it’s had time to rotate square.
The club is still traveling slightly from the inside, sending the ball out to the right. Many golfers do this without realizing it, especially when trying to “trap” their irons or keep the flight down.
The Fix?
The fix is simple: move the ball slightly forward in your stance. For irons, the ball should sit roughly under your lead ear or just ahead of center.
For the driver, position it off the lead heel. That forward position gives the club time to square naturally through impact.
You can also check your shoulder alignment—if your right shoulder drops too much at setup, it effectively moves the ball back in your swing geometry, increasing the risk of a push.
Cause #2: Club Getting Stuck Inside
When golfers talk about the club getting “stuck behind them” or “stuck inside,” they’re describing a common sequencing issue.
The club trails too far behind the body on the downswing, and the chest and hips rotate toward the target while the arms lag behind. The club now has to play catch-up to square in time.
If it does catch up too early, you’ll flip the club and hook it left. But if it doesn’t catch up fast enough, you’ll hit that familiar push that sails straight right.
It’s all about timing — and when the club gets trapped behind the body, timing becomes inconsistent.
The Fix:
Try to feel like you’re swinging slightly over the top of your current plane. This will feel exaggerated but helps the club move more out in front of your chest through impact.
At setup, you can steepen your takeaway by starting the club back a bit more outside instead of snatching it inside your hands.
A great visual cue is to place a headcover just inside the target line behind the ball. Your goal is to miss it on both the backswing and downswing.
This gives your brain a spatial reminder to keep the club from getting stuck inside. Over time, you’ll learn to deliver the club on a neutral path where solid, straight strikes live.
Cause #3: Open Clubface at Impact
Even with a good path, an open clubface can send the ball right of your target. This happens when your hands lead too far ahead through impact, your grip is too weak, or your body outraces your arms through the swing.
If the clubface points right when it meets the ball, it doesn’t matter how good your contact feels — the start line will follow that face direction.
The Fix
To fix it, first check your grip. Make sure both hands can see two to three knuckles on the lead hand at address, and that your trail hand sits more under the handle rather than on top.
During the swing, focus on letting the clubface rotate naturally through impact instead of holding it open.
A good feel is to let the back of your lead hand “point at the target” after contact — this ensures the face has squared.
If you tend to block or push drives in particular, rehearse some half-swings while releasing your forearms earlier through impact. This adds the right amount of face rotation and helps you feel the club closing instead of hanging open.
How Setup Position Creates the Push
Your setup has a direct impact on your start line, and for many golfers, the push begins before the club ever moves. Alignment, ball position, and posture all work together to shape your swing path and determine whether the face returns square or open at impact.
Shoulder Alignment
One of the biggest culprits is shoulder alignment. When your shoulders aim right of the target at address, your entire swing path follows that direction.
The club naturally moves inside on the backswing and returns on a shallower, more inside-out path—sending the ball right. A simple fix is to lay an alignment stick on the ground parallel to your target line and another across your shoulders to check they’re square.
Ball Position
Ball position plays a role too. If the ball sits too far back, the club meets it earlier in the arc, before the face has had time to rotate square.
You’ll feel solid contact but watch the ball start right. Move the ball slightly forward—just ahead of center for irons, off the lead heel for driver—to help the clubface square up naturally.
Posture
Posture also matters. Standing too far from the ball can cause the arms to swing too far inside, while crowding the ball can make you lift the club up instead of turning it around your body.
Find balance where your arms hang naturally under your shoulders and your weight feels centered in your feet.
A good checkpoint: after setting up, pause and look down your target line. Your feet, knees, hips, and shoulders should all run parallel left of target (for right-handed golfers).
Small setup tweaks like this create neutral swing geometry—so your club travels straight, not excessively inside or out.
⭐ Let’s pause here, if you have found this content valuable, then you’re going to want to check out our 3 Level Practice System which takes you from beginner drills to advanced skill building as you progress from Level 1 to Level 2 to Level 3. Trust me, you want to try this 3 Level Training System to lower your golf score quicker.
Fixing Swing Path: Too Much Inside-Out
A push almost always comes from a swing path that’s traveling too far from the inside — what’s called an inside-out path.
This motion isn’t always bad; in fact, many players purposely swing slightly from the inside to promote a soft draw. But when that angle gets too extreme, the club travels out to the right of the target line at impact, sending the ball straight in that direction.
The tricky part is that inside-out swings feel powerful. The ball launches high, the contact feels flush, and it looks solid off the face.
Yet the start line tells the truth: it’s aimed right of your target because the club’s path is pointing there. Most golfers create this pattern with an overly inside takeaway, shallow transition, or stalled body rotation through impact.
To fix it, start with a neutral takeaway. Keep the clubhead outside your hands during the first two feet of the backswing so it tracks along the target line rather than disappearing behind you.
At the top, feel like your lead arm stays across your chest instead of dropping behind it — this helps you come down on plane rather than under it.
Next, focus on rotating your chest through impact. If your body stalls and your arms whip past, the path will shift farther right. A simple feel is to turn your shirt buttons toward the target as the club meets the ball. This keeps the club in front of you and reduces the push pattern.
Finally, try the alignment stick drill: stick one in the ground about 10 feet ahead of you, angled slightly right of target. Your goal is to start the ball just left of the stick.
If the ball consistently flies to the right of it, your path is still too far inside-out. Practice in slow motion until your swing produces a neutral start line.
Clubface Control: Square It at Impact
Even if your swing path is perfect, an open clubface can make the ball start and stay right.
That’s because the clubface controls the start direction, accounting for nearly 85% of where the ball initially launches. When your face is open at impact — even by a few degrees — it points right of your target and sends the shot on a push line.
The most common causes of an open face are a weak grip, late hand rotation, or body outracing the arms through the swing.
When your lower body clears too early, your hands lag behind, and the face never catches up in time. To identify this, film your swing and pause it just after impact — if the clubface is still pointing right of the target, your release is late.
To fix it, start by checking your grip. You should see two to three knuckles on your lead hand at address, and your trail hand should rest slightly under the club, not on top of it.
A grip that’s too weak leaves the face open through impact. Strengthening it just a touch can help the clubface return square naturally.
Next, focus on lead hand rotation through the hitting zone. Imagine the back of your lead hand turning toward the target after contact — that’s how a square face looks and feels. You don’t need to roll your forearms dramatically; it’s a subtle, natural rotation that matches the body’s turn.
One of the best drills for this is the Tee Gate Drill. Stick two tees in the ground just wide enough for your putter head to pass through, and make half-swings with your iron or wedge through the gate.
Focus on brushing the ground and finishing with the clubface pointing at the target. This teaches you to square the face through impact and build better timing with your release.
When your face and path match up square to the target, your ball will finally start online — no more perfect-feeling pushes that miss fairways and greens to the right.
Understanding Push vs Push Slice
Many golfers confuse a push with a push-slice, but the difference between them is crucial if you want to fix the problem. Both shots start right of the target, but how they behave in the air—and why they happen—are not the same.
A push starts right and flies straight. That means your clubface and swing path are working together—they’re both pointing right of your target at impact. The face is square to the path, so the ball doesn’t curve. It simply travels on that rightward start line and never comes back.
A push-slice, on the other hand, starts right and then curves even farther right. This happens when your clubface is open to your swing path, not just the target. The path is already moving to the right, and an open face adds sidespin that peels the ball off even more. It’s a double miss: direction and curvature.
To diagnose your miss, pay attention to what the ball does after it leaves the clubface. If it goes straight right and stays there, you’re dealing with a push. If it starts right and keeps bending away, it’s a push-slice. The difference determines your fix—if it’s a push, your path is too far inside-out. If it’s a push-slice, your face is open and your path is off line.
When you understand this distinction, every range session becomes more productive. You stop guessing, start observing, and make the right adjustment for the shot pattern you actually have.
Drills to Train Straight Start Lines
To eliminate pushes completely, you’ll need to train your start direction — the relationship between your clubface, swing path, and alignment. The following drills will help you find and repeat a square impact position that starts the ball on target every time.
1. Alignment Stick Gate Drill
Set two alignment sticks or clubs on the ground — one along your target line, and another just outside the ball parallel to it. This setup creates a “lane” that helps you visualize and feel a neutral swing path. Hit half-swings while keeping your club traveling through the gate. If your club moves too far inside-out, you’ll instantly see it because it’ll bump the outer stick. This builds awareness of start direction and encourages square impact.
2. Impact Bag Drill for Clubface Awareness
Place an impact bag (or a folded towel) where the ball would be. Take short swings and stop your motion at impact, making sure the clubface is square to the target line at the moment of strike. If the face points right, that’s a push pattern. The bag gives you tactile feedback so you can feel when the clubface returns square. This is one of the fastest ways to retrain your hand and body coordination.
3. Half-Swing Path Control Drill
Grab a mid-iron and make half-swings, focusing on your finish position. Your arms should finish extended toward the target, not excessively right of it. This ensures your swing direction is more neutral instead of too far from the inside. Once you can consistently start the ball straight with half-swings, gradually lengthen your motion while keeping the same directional control.
4. Ball Start Line Tee Drill
Stick two tees in the ground about two feet in front of your ball — just wider than the ball’s width. Your goal is to start the ball between the tees. If it hits the right tee, your clubface or path is still open; if it hits the left, you’ve over-corrected. This simple visual drill instantly teaches your brain how to square the face to the target line at impact.
5. Down-the-Line Gate Drill (Advanced)
Place a second pair of tees about 10 feet downrange, aligned perfectly with your start line. Try to hit the ball through both gates — the near gate at address and the far gate downrange. When you can do this consistently, your clubface and swing path are synced perfectly, producing straight, on-line shots with every club.
These start-line drills help you develop better awareness of face control and path relationship. Practicing them slowly at first — then at full tempo — will reprogram your directional control and eliminate pushes for good.
Final Takeaway: How to Eliminate Pushes for Good
Pushing the golf ball right might feel like a mystery at first, but once you understand the simple relationship between your swing path and clubface, it becomes easy to fix.
A push is just feedback — it’s your swing telling you the club is traveling too far from the inside, or the face is too open at impact. Once you balance those two factors, your ball starts on line and stays there.
The key is to diagnose correctly before changing anything.
If your ball starts right and stays straight, focus on your path. If it starts right and curves more right, work on closing the face sooner. Then, reinforce those corrections with alignment drills that train your start line until it becomes automatic.
Remember that even small setup errors can cause directional misses. Keep your shoulders square, your ball position forward enough, and your grip neutral to slightly strong. These small details set the foundation for consistent direction before the club even moves.
Finally, don’t rush the fix. Changing your path or face angle takes a few sessions of slow, deliberate practice before it shows up on the course. Start with half-swings, focus on solid contact, and reward yourself when the ball launches straight toward your target.
The push is one of the easiest swing errors to eliminate once you stop guessing and start working with purpose. Combine technical awareness with targeted drills, and you’ll see your ball flight straighten out — and your confidence climb with it.
Golf Practice Plan – What to Do & Not To Do
Wonder why you’re not getting better as fast as you want to be? Here’s your proven system to follow step by step that hundreds of golfers like you are following each month. Our students send us emails frequently praising these practice plans and how much they’ve improved at golf.
Get access to our Break 90, Break 80, Break 70 plan built for all 3 skill levels (Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced Golfers).
You’ll learn what to do at the golf course to improve your score and skills and what not to do. Just follow these plans step by step. It’s made easy for you.
Thanks for reading today’s article!
Nick Foy – Golf Instructor
