Impact Conditions That Cause a Push Shot in Golf
A push shot is a golf shot that starts to the right of the target for a right-handed golfer and continues flying relatively straight, without curving back.
Understanding the impact conditions that create a push makes it much easier to correct. The key is knowing how the club path and clubface angle work together at impact.
What Is a Push Shot?
A push shot occurs when the ball:
- Starts right of the target line
- Flies mostly straight
- Does not curve significantly left or right
Unlike a slice, a push does not have much sidespin. The ball simply begins right and stays on that line.
The Impact Conditions That Cause a Push
A push shot is caused by two main impact conditions:
- The club path travels too much from the inside
- The clubface is open to the target but square to the path
In other words, the club is swinging out to the right of the target line, and the clubface is also pointing right of the target at impact.
However, because the face is square to the path, the ball does not curve. It starts in the direction the face is pointing and flies straight.
Why the Ball Starts Right
At impact, the clubface has the biggest influence on the ball’s starting direction.
For a push shot, the clubface is open to the target, meaning it is pointing to the right of where you want the ball to go.
Because the face is pointing right at impact, the ball starts right.
Why the Ball Does Not Curve
The reason a push shot flies straight is that the clubface is square to the swing path.
When the face is square to the path, there is very little side spin created. Without side spin, the ball does not curve back toward the target or farther away from it.
So the result is a straight shot that simply starts right of the intended target.
Push Shot Summary
A push shot happens when:
- The swing path is too far from the inside
- The clubface is open to the target
- The clubface is square to the path
- The ball starts right and stays straight
How to Correct a Push Shot
To fix a push, you need to improve both the club path and the clubface position at impact.
The goal is to create:
- A more neutral swing path through impact
- A clubface that is square to the target at impact
Instead of swinging too much from the inside, work on delivering the club on a more neutral path. At the same time, make sure the clubface is not left open to the target.
Key Takeaway
A push shot is not caused by excessive sidespin. It is caused by a club path that is too far from the inside and a clubface that is open to the target but square to that path.
To correct it, focus on producing a more neutral path and a clubface that is square to the target at impact.
