Learn How to Stop Pushing the Golf Ball for Increased Accuracy (Complete Guide)

Matt Stevens

Apr 19, 2024 . 12 mins read

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A pushed shot comes off the clubface strong but ends up well right of the target. Whether it’s the driver or the approach shot, pushing the ball won’t leave you in an optimal spot when it comes to scoring.

If you want to bet closer to the pin, you have to learn to stop pushing the golf ball.

The good news here is that golfers who push are relatively close to being able to hit a straight shot. A few adjustments of your stance and wrist angles and you can be just a few minutes away from hitting straight shots.

We will show you everything you need to know about why you are pushing the ball, how to fix it, and the best ways to practice and improve.

How to Stop Pushing the Golf Ball – Key Takeaways

Sometimes, it’s easier to dive into the specifics of how to stop pushing the ball when you have time to work on it at the driving range. However, if you want some of the basics right now, here are the most important things to know about eliminating the pushed golf shot.

• When setting up to hit an iron shot, have a slightly forward shaft lean to promote a square or even slightly closed clubface.
• The grip at setup should be neutral to encourage the ability to rotate the wrists through impact.
• At the top of the backswing, the lead wrist position should be flat or even slightly flexed; most amateur players are in a position of extension, making it hard to square the clubface at impact.
• Check alignment and ensure that your feet, shoulders, and hips are all on the same line, parallel to the target.
• When taking the club back and away from the ball, be sure your shoulder is turning along with the lower body; getting the club to square at the top is easier if the shoulder has turned.
• Check the ball position to ensure that it is not too far back in the stance; if the club is making impact before you have had a chance to rotate it to square, the shot will push right.

Why Am I Pushing the Golf Ball?

Lower Body Spinning Out

Legendary coach Butch Harmon explains that the most significant cause of pushed or blocked shots stems from the lower body opening excessively on the downswing. He refers to the action of your knees and hips turning too aggressively at the top, resulting in a jerk motion during the transition.

Instead of swiftly shifting your weight from the trail leg to the front and generating momentum to carry the club head, you clear your hips too early.

This causes your body to tilt back on the downswing, leaving you open to the target and unable to turn your left shoulder and send the clubface down to the ball.

You generate a correct club path by remaining open to the target and striking the ball with a square clubface on your swing path.

In other words, your clubface aims directly right, along with your shoulders and feet, sending your ball to the right of the target.

Club Moving Right at Impact

The direct impact of your lower body spinning out is that it promotes a right traveling club path when the clubface strikes the ball. Since your clubface connects the ball while journeying on an outside swing path, you’ll inevitably send your ball directly to the right of your intended target.

Ultimately, you want your clubface square to the target line at impact to promote a straight launching shot.

Not Clearing the Left Shoulder Through Impact

Besides an uncontrollable lower body causing you to open yourself to the target, clearing your left shoulder is vital for accuracy.

To exhibit how this works, I want you to grab a 7-iron and line up to hit a shot without striking the ball.

Swing the club, preventing your left shoulder from turning through impact, and freeze in that position. Look at where your body and clubface are aiming. It is likely to the right of your intended target.

As a right-hander, it is essential to turn your left shoulder on the downswing and through impact to pull the clubface down to the golf ball. Using the momentum of your shoulder turn helps you maintain lag and gives you the time to square your clubface as the ball makes contact.

How to Stop Pushing Golf Shots Right

1. Neutral Grip

My grip is the first factor I assess when I am pushing shots out to the right is my grip. A weak grip, where the “V-shape” aims to the left of your head, can cause reduce clubface control.

Players with an outwards swing path risk leaving the clubface square to your path at impact, sending the ball directly right.

I find the best solution is a neutral grip position where the “V shape” aligns with your nose. If you start out from a weak grip, you rotate your left hand anti-clockwise until the “V: aims at your nose.

Golfers operating with a neutral grip who continue to push golf shots right should consider slightly strengthening their grip. I mean marginally rotating your hands for a firmer hold. Don’t strangle the club.

2. Ball Position Forward of Center

My ball position is often to blame for my blocked golf shots. Usually, I’ve gotten into the habit of placing the ball excessively back in my stance, leaving me no room to square the clubface at contact.

I need sufficient room on each swing to optimize clubhead lag, rotational force and promote a square clubface. When the ball sits too far back, my club path travels outside when the clubface makes contact with the ball.

As a result, I’ve left myself no time to turn my left shoulder and guide the clubface to impact.

The solution is to place the ball in the center of your stance for mid and long irons, back of center for wedges, and towards your front heel for wood shots. After placing your ball slightly further forward, you’ll notice that you begin to follow through consistently instead of stabbing at the ball and blocking it out to the right.

3. Place Clubface Square to the Target

On the topic of the setup, the next step is to align the clubface with your intended target. Although this does not guarantee a straight golf shot, you set yourself up to execute the intended club path and square the clubface at impact.

If your clubface aims to the right of your target, it could set you up to strike the golf ball while the club moves outward. This starts your ball to the right of the intended target and continues to fly in that direction.

4. Feet and Shoulders Parallel to Target Line

Compliment your square clubface to the target by positioning your feet and shoulders parallel to your intended landing zone. If your feet aim at the flagstick or your landing zone, the clubface points to the right of the target.

Failing to adjust this position at impact will see your ball flying directly to the right, which is more of a straight miss than a push. Instead of striking the ball with an angled clubface, your incorrect alignment caused the ball to fly right of the target.

When your clubface is square to your desired target line at address, your feet and shoulders are slightly left of your target as a right-hander.

5. Set Up with Forward Shaft Lean

Forward shaft doesn’t guarantee you’ll hit the ball straight, but it starts you off on the correct path. A forward press swing promotes enhanced compression at impact leading to optimal rebound off the clubface and explosive ball speed.

Naturally, these factors promote a powerful launch to boost your carry and total distance. However, as far as how to fix a push in golf goes, the forward shaft lean delofts the club, prompting it to marginally close at impact and induce a desirable right-to-left shape.

For context, reduced shaft lean causes weaker clubface at address and impact, pushing the clubface open and setting you up for a blocked shot.

This was a massive challenge until I learned the importance of wrist flex before contact, which I’ll discuss in detail in the next section.

6. Flex Wrists Prior to Impact

Optimized wrist angles are pivotal in your quest to control the clubface from address to impact. The HackMotion guides you through generating sufficient flex and extension at critical points in the swing. It trains your wrists to boost wrist speed and control, leading to optimal clubhead velocity, a powerful strike, and a square clubface.

Another potential cause of your pushed shots is the cupping of the wrists prior to impact. This action steepens the shaft and your attack angle. Then, it props open the clubface, promoting an outwards path as you strike the golf ball.

Since your wrist angles account for approximately 80% of your clubface angle at impact, the HackMotion helps you overcome pushed shots.

The training aid will teach you to induce stable wrist extension from your address position to the top before flexing your wrists before impact to generate power into contact.

Flexing before impact closes the clubface marginally and shallows the shaft, readying it for contact. From this position, it’s easier to maintain a square clubface to the target at impact for a straighter golf shot.

7. Pull the Club Down and Through

Pulling the club down and through can be achieved using the momentum of your hip and shoulder turn.

Generating optimal shift from the top of your swing and shoulder turn before contact causes you to pull the club down to the ball and generate increased lag. Plus, it leaves you ample time to square the face as it strikes the ball.

Many amateur golfers have a tendency to push the club down to the ball, which results in casting the club. Casting the club leads to a steep angle of attack, which prompts players to stand up out of the shot to correct the club path.

However, it often leads to striking the ball with our body and clubface open to the intended target line.

Clay Ballard suggests a simple drill to promote consistent pulling and enhanced rotation and turn.

Grab a mid or short iron with your right hand, with your palm facing you. Next, pull the club away from you and up, hold it there, rotate forward, and let the golf club whip into impact.

The momentum gained from pulling rather than casting will help the club reach its peak on the upswing. Failure to follow through reduces your ability to square the clubface at contact and produce straighter ball flight.

8. Turn Your Left Shoulder Early

As a right-hander, your left shoulder turn is integral to your success in squaring up your clubface at contact and following through. Failure to turn your left shoulder early enough on the downswing leaves your upper body open to the target at impact. This causes your club to hit the ball on an outwards path.

While you’re shifting weight from your trail side to your lead leg, start turning your left shoulder. This enables you to generate momentum on the downswing and get your body parallel to the target on your upswing.

Increased momentum and shoulder turn combine to help you accelerate clubhead speed through impact. Plus, it leaves ample time to get the clubface square for a straight golf shot.

9. Shorten Your Swing

Shortening my swing was one of the ways I learned to stop pushing the golf ball right, simply because it afforded me club path and plane control.

Overswinging would induce all kinds of complications for me at the top, and more often than not, I cast and strike the ball with an open face on an outwards path.

After much analysis, my coach suggested I shorten my swing to a ¾ length, which lowers the risk of casting from the top down. Instead, I enjoy superior control of my golf club and manage to keep my club on path and produce consistent strikes.

Obviously, shortening my swing has cost me clubhead speed, which is why many amateurs are afraid to take the leap of faith.

However, my ball striking has improved dramatically, my smash factor is more consistent than before, and my fairways and greens in regulation record are better than ever.

10. Upright Lie Angle

Correcting your grip, ball position, and wrist angles is the most effective way to fix a push in golf.

However, should you still struggle, you may consider decreasing the lie angle of the clubface for a more upright position.

An upright lie angle marginally closes the clubface compared to its original setting, promoting a more draw bias flight. Altering the lie angle of your clubface requires the work of a club fitter who will determine the best setup for your swing.

In addition, drivers and some fairway woods afford you the luxury of an adjustable hosel, enabling you to strengthen or weaken the loft and lie angle.

FAQs

How do you stop pushing in golf?

You stop pushing your shots in golf by applying a neutral grip, forward of center ball position, and a square clubface at contact. In addition, you flex your wrists before impact and enhance your left shoulder turn to give you room to get the ball square to the target.

Why do I keep pushing the ball to the right?

You keep pushing the ball right because your clubface is open to the target at impact but square to your swing path.

This positioning causes your ball to fly directly right of your intended target without curving.

Summary

The biggest takeaways from our guide on how to stop pushing the golf ball relate to grip, ball position, alignment, wrist flex, and left shoulder turn. A neutral grip enhances your club control, improved alignment keeps you on target, and a left shoulder turn boosts momentum.

Finally, flexing your wrists before impact shallows the shaft and slightly close the clubface, prompting a straighter shot. The HackMotion wrist sensor is equipped to guide you to superior clubface control, velocity, accuracy, and distance.