Stop Pushing the Golf Ball: 8 Actionable Tips & Drills for Straighter Shots
A pushed golf shot is one of the most frustrating misses in the game. You didn’t slice it, you didn’t hook it, it just started right and stayed right. No curve. No spin. Just off target.
The good news?
A push is usually a sign that you’re close to getting things right. Most golfers who push the ball are just a few tweaks away from hitting consistently straight shots.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the real causes behind a push, how to fix it, and the specific drills (including HackMotion training) that will help you straighten things out for good.
How to Stop Pushing the Golf Ball – Key Takeaways
If you don’t have time to read all of our advice on how to stop pushing the golf ball, here are some of the most important things to keep in mind:
- A pushed shot occurs when the clubface is square to the path, but the path is too far inside to out.
- Ball too far back, open clubface, or lack of upper body rotation are common culprits.
- Most players push the ball due to lead wrist extension before impact, causing an open face.
- Easy fixes like neutral grip, ball position, and shoulder rotation can quickly eliminate the push.
If you want to learn some of these tips and drills through watching a video, check out this complete guide on how to stop pushing the golf ball.
Contents
Why Am I Pushing the Golf Ball?
There are several reasons why the ball might consistently head right of the target without curving back:
- Your lower body opens too early in the downswing, while your shoulders lag behind.
- The clubface is open at impact, often due to poor wrist angles (too much extension).
- The club path is excessively inside-out, and the face doesn’t close in time.
- Your shoulders don’t rotate through impact, stalling face rotation.
- The ball position is too far back, making it hard to square the face before contact.
- Your alignment is off, pointing everything too far right without realizing it.
Let’s walk through how to correct these issues one step at a time.
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
8 Fixes to Stop Pushing the Ball Right in Golf
1. Fix Your Grip First
A weak grip, where the “V” shape between your thumb and forefinger points toward your lead shoulder, can keep the clubface open.
The fix: Move to a neutral grip where both “V” shapes point toward your nose.
This helps square the clubface more naturally during the swing. If your miss tends to be a push or a slice, even then, you may want to try a grip that is slightly stronger and see if that helps you square the clubface.
2. Move the Ball Forward in Your Stance
Ball position plays a huge role in directional control. When the ball is too far back in your stance, the clubface hasn’t had time to square up, it’s still open.
Players often think that,the ball should be in the back of the stance for shorter irons when in reality, having it centered works just fine.
Mid to long irons can be slightly forward of center and play the driver off the lead heel.
Just a small adjustment forward can give your wrists enough time to release and square the club.
3. Get Properly Aligned
Misalignment is a silent killer.
If your feet or shoulders are aimed too far right, your push shot might be flying directly where you’re aiming. Amateur golfers struggle with alignment because they aren’t looking at the target when they hit shots.
Use alignment sticks or lay down a club on the ground to confirm that your feet, hips, and shoulders are all aligned parallel left of your target line (for right-handed players).
4. Add a Little Forward Shaft Lean
Setting up with the hands slightly ahead of the clubhead (known as forward shaft lean) encourages:
- Better compression
- A slightly delofted club
- A face that’s more likely to be square or even slightly closed at impact
Just be careful not to overdo it. Too much shaft lean can lead to low shots or even pulls.
Think of it as a slight “forward press” to help initiate the swing and keep your hands leading.
5. Flex the Lead Wrist Before Impact
Many amateur golfers push the ball because their lead wrist is in extension (cupped) before impact. This position of the wrists keeps the face open.
Professional players, on the other hand, move their lead wrist into flexion (bowed) as they approach impact. This closes the face and straightens the ball flight.
Use the HackMotion sensor to measure and train this move. Real-time data shows whether you’re adding flexion into the downswing and keeping the clubface square.
If you find it difficult to square the lead wrist, try the HackMotion Motorcycle Drill to help square the clubface sooner in the downswing.
Motorcycle Drill – Master Wrist Flexion in the Downswing
Focus on continuously adding flexion until the club reaches parallel, then smoothly complete your swing.
HackMotion Motorcycle Drill – Step by Step:
- Set Up: Address the ball as usual.
- Downswing Flexion: As you begin your downswing, gradually add wrist flexion so that by the time the club is parallel to the ground (P6), you’ve achieved your desired wrist bend.
- Continue to Impact: Maintain that flexion into impact, then release naturally through the finish.
- Experiment with Speed: Start slowly, then increase speed while retaining proper angles.
- Practice while hitting golf balls, but also work on this drill by completing the motion and not hitting shots.
- Find your “just right” amount of flexion; too little or too much can cause mishits.
6. Pull the Club Down and Through with Body Rotation
Many push shots happen when players “push” the club with their hands instead of pulling it with their body.
When you rotate your hips and shoulders, you allow the club to stay on plane, keep lag, and square the face naturally.
Key reminder: It’s not about forcing the hands to square the face; it’s about giving your body time and space to do it with rotation. Your first move down from the top should be a natural lower body rotation.
7. Turn Your Upper Body Through the Shot
If you watch the professionals, they can rotate back and then through the ball. Amateur players often think they are rotating, but instead they are sliding.
Sliding forward instead of rotating will leave the clubface hanging open.
Try this instead:
- Shift your weight to the lead foot and rotate your chest through the ball.
- This helps square the clubface and keeps the arms from flipping or blocking the shot.
Your finish should show your chest facing the target and your lead shoulder fully cleared.
8. Check Your Lie Angles
If your setup and mechanics are dialed in but you’re still pushing shots, your lie angle might be too flat. A custom fitting can help.
A flatter lie angle causes the toe to dig, leaving the face slightly open at impact.
The fix: Get a professional club fitting. An upright adjustment (bending the lie angle more vertical) will help square the face at impact if needed.
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
Additional Drills to Stop Pushing the Golf Ball
Drag the Alignment Stick Drill
This drill promotes better shaft lean and wrist positioning through impact. It’s simple to do on the driving range with just an alignment stick.
- Video timestamp – 2:29
Drag the Alignment Stick Drill – Step by Step:
- Place an alignment stick along your swing path, trailing behind you.
- Grip it like a club and drag it across the ground.
- Focus on keeping your lead wrist flat or flexed, not cupped.
- Finish with your chest up and arms extended.
Alignment Stick Extension Drill
This is another drill you can do with an alignment stick. It helps train body rotation and prevent club flipping.
- Video timestamp – 7:29
Alignment Stick Extension Drill – Step by Step:
- Insert a stick into the butt end of your club so it extends out behind you.
- At setup, it should rest just outside your lead hip.
- Hit punch shots, making sure the stick doesn’t hit your body.
- Rotate your body through the shot for clean, square contact.
Headcover Path Drill
The headcover path drill is a great visual aid to correct club path issues. It can be used with outside-in or inside-out golf swings.
- Video timestamp – 7:37
Headcover Path Drill – Step by Step:
- Place a headcover just inside and behind the ball.
- Swing without hitting it.
- Forces you to shallow your path and avoid pushing the ball from an inside-out path that’s too extreme.
Final Thoughts
A pushed shot might not look as wild as a slice, but it still costs you strokes. Thankfully, it’s one of the most fixable misses in golf.
Make sure your grip is a little stronger, align your shoulders properly, and check your wrist flexion before impact to ensure you can square the clubface.
Use drills like the Alignment Stick Extension or Headcover Path Drill to ingrain the feel. Most importantly, track your wrist angles and path with HackMotion to eliminate the guesswork.
HackMotion gives you real-time feedback so you can stop pushing the ball and start hitting it straight down the middle.
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