A golf push shot is one that goes to the right and stays to the right.
It is a bit different than a slice because it does not turn the way that a slice does.
A push is a golf shot which is not nearly as difficult to fix as a slice.
We have gathered together some great ways to fix a push.
Some of these can have your push fixed in a matter of minutes.
How to Fix a Push in Golf
1. Slow Down the Lower Body
One of the reasons golfers tend to push the ball is that their lower body rotates too quickly.
When your lower body turns towards the target faster than your arms can rotate and get to impact, this can result in a push.
The best thing a golfer can do is learn to work on their timing.
The timing is what helps the upper body and the lower body work together during the swing.
As you reach the top of your swing, there should be a sequence of events that happens.
This sequence leads to the best position for the golf club at impact.
As the club comes into the impact position, the hips should be closer to square and rotating towards being opened.
If the hips have already completely cleared through the shot, the club will be left behind, and the clubface will be open.
When you are hitting these types of pushed shots, you may feel as though the club is getting stuck behind you.
That is essentially what is happening: your body has cleared, but the club is stuck behind you.
The best way to fix this push is to slow down your lower body.
Golfers who try to speed up their arms will likely end up getting a bit handsy and will have a hard time getting as much power on their shots.
Let your arms drop into place at the top of your swing and slow your hips down.
This is going to be a much clearer path to fixing your push.
2. Check Ball Position
The position of the ball within your stance is a common cause for a push.
If you are not being careful as to where you place the golf ball, you could be naturally setting yourself up to push the ball.
The golfer who places a ball too far back in their stance will likely push the ball.
The golf ball is usually played from the middle to the front of the golf stance.
If the ball is placed anywhere behind this area, it is going to be difficult for the golfer to get the ball to go straight down the target line.
You will see this issue cause a push mainly in the shorter irons.
Some golfers are under the false impression that a golf ball should be placed in the back of your stance when hitting with a short iron.
This is not the case.
When you hit with a short iron, you can absolutely have the ball in the center of your stance.
When you hit a chip around the green, you may want the ball closer to the back of your stance.
When this happens, your body will also be more open to the target, allowing you to turn through and rotate and hit the ball straight.
Check that your golf ball is middle or forward of middle, and it could help eliminate some of your pushed shots.
3. Alignment Check
Are you sure you are hitting a push, or are you aimed directly to the right?
When you are checking your alignment, you need to check your feet, the club face angle, your hips, and your shoulders.
You cannot merely aim a golf shot with the club face.
If one part of your stance is aimed one way, and another part is aimed another way, your alignment is going to be off.
Sometimes golfers will have their entire body aiming towards the right and not even realize it.
It is challenging to work on alignment and get yourself set up properly, but it is something that you will need to work on to improve your golf game.
Spend some time on the driving range getting your alignment right.
Develop a routine you can repeat every time, and you will struggle with the alignment check much less often.
When you set up, check your feet, your club face, your shoulders, and your hip.
If you need to purchase some golf alignment sticks, they can really help you make sure that you are set up the proper way to hit your target.
Aligning too far to the right is a great problem with your golf game because the fix only takes a few minutes.
4. Strengthen Golf Grip
You may be hitting a push because your golf grip is too week.
The golf grip that is too weak will leave your club face wide open when you get to the impact position.
With your hand in a weak position, you won’t be able to turn the club over and release the golf shot.
When you are working to strengthen your golf grip, you will turn your left hand a little more over the top of the grip.
Your lower hand, your right, is going to be more under the club.
This gives your hands more control over the club and allows them to release.
Grip changes are difficult because they will make you think quite a bit about your swing.
The grip is the only connection we have with the club, and when it is not right, your game is going to suffer.
Spend time working on a strong grip while you are on the driving range.
If the grip starts to get too strong, you may notice that you are starting to hit more hooks.
You can always just dial it back a bit and get your hands to a more neutral position.
5. Impact Is Not the End of Your Swing
When players are new to the game, they may get to the impact position, and the clubface will be open.
This happens when golfers think that hitting the ball is the end of the golf swing.
This is just not the case.
The impact is one of the positions in the golf swing, but it is certainly not the end.
Many people think this is a unique characteristic of the game of golf, but this concept exists in many sports.
Let’s take, for instance, tennis.
When you make impact with the tennis ball, you do not stop.
The racket continues to travel through the ball towards your target.
The same goes for soccer and baseball, and it is a consideration for golf as well.
When you hit your shot, make sure you are swinging through the ball towards the target and finishing your swing.
Thinking about finishing and moving towards a balanced finish will help you to rotate the club properly.
We know that the ball can be very distracting in a golf swing, and it seems as though it should be the focus of the swing, but you need to move past it to square the clubface.
6. Unlock Right Knee
If you have a friend you play golf with, ask them to take a picture of your golf swing when you are at the top.
Some golfers have a bad habit of locking their right knee when they get to the top of their backswing.
When the right knee is locked, the club tends to get off the plane.
The swing plane will then be a bit over the top.
With the right knee locked in place, it is nearly impossible for a golfer to drop the club into the proper location and get the club on the proper path.
The best thing to do is to loosen the right knee, let it bend, and you can then open your backswing up to allow the club to fall into place.
When you set up, your knee should have a certain amount of flex.
As you swing back, allow that flex to remain the same.
Don’t straighten out your leg, and you will feel much better about the positions you can get your club on.
Getting the club on the proper path will undoubtedly help you to eliminate the push shot.
7. Loosen Grip Pressure
Sometimes golfers are going to push the ball simply because they are holding the golf club too tightly.
When you hold the golf club too tightly, your forearms and hands cannot swing through the ball properly.
The hands and forearms take all of this added built-up pressure, and they use it to try and control golf shots as opposed to swinging the club.
With all of this tension in your hands and arms, you will tend to push the ball.
The grip pressure can be a difficult adjustment.
There are a few key tips you can try to help you decrease the grip pressure in your hands.
For starters, don’t allow yourself too much time with your hands on the club.
If you stand over the ball for a while, your tension will naturally build.
Instead, grip the club, look at your target, and take your swing.
In addition, you should pay attention to whether or not you need some new grips on your clubs.
Chances are, if the grips are a bit worn down, you may be subconsciously gripping the club harder than you should.
Always make sure you keep your grips clean and purchase new ones when your old grips start to wear out.
8. Stance Too Upright
With all of the different variables in a golf setup and stance, it can be hard to tell if you are standing too upright or bent over.
You will want to make sure you are standing upright enough to have great posture and control, but you won’t want to be too upright as it can change how your club comes into the impact position.
Stand so that your arms can naturally hang down.
Don’t reach for the ball, and don’t feel as though the club is too close to you.
When you get into the proper golf stance, you will look as though you are about to sit down on a higher stool.
The stool concept allows golfers to feel taller in their stance but not so upright that it leaves the club open.
When you stand too upright, your club is almost always going to be open to the target when you get to the impact position.
This upright stance with an open clubface is going to cause the push.
A great way to check your posture is to take a video or a picture of yourself and then compare it to that of a professional golfer.
You should be able to see if your stance is a bit too upright.
9. Check Golf Club Grips
Last but certainly not least on our list of how to fix a push in golf are the golf club grips.
If your grips are not the right size for your hands, you are going to struggle with hitting shots as straight as you would like.
Your hands need to fit on the club in such a way that they have control over the golf club.
When your hands are too small for a large or midsize grip, you could end up pushing the golf ball.
Go to a local golf shop and ask them to see which grip size would be best for your hand.
Some golfers think they need a midsize grip when in reality, they do not.
If your hands are not in a larger glove, then you do not need a midsize grip.
For seniors with arthritis, the midsize or jumbo grips can undoubtedly help with pain and discomfort, but they could cause a push as well.
Keep this in mind, as some seniors may have to aim a bit to the left to hit a straight shot.
Hopefully, these nine fixes for a push have helped you narrow down your issues so you can get your game back on track.
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