What Is a Push Slice in Golf?
A push slice is a golf shot that starts to the right of the target for a right-handed golfer and then curves even farther to the right in the air.
For a left-handed golfer, the pattern is reversed: the ball starts left of the target and curves farther left.
What the Ball Flight Looks Like
A push slice has two key traits:
- The ball starts right of the target line.
- The ball curves excessively to the right.
Because the shot both starts offline and curves farther offline, it often finishes well away from the fairway or green.
What Happens When You Hit a Push Slice?
A push slice usually creates a few common problems:
- Loss of accuracy: The ball misses the target to the right.
- Loss of distance: The slicing spin reduces forward momentum.
- Higher ball flight: The shot may climb more than normal and fall shorter.
- Missed fairways or greens: Since the ball starts right and curves right, it can quickly move out of play.
Why a Push Slice Happens
A push slice is typically caused by a combination of:
- A clubface that is open relative to the swing path at impact
- A swing path that travels too far from inside to out relative to the target
- Poor clubface control through impact
- Grip, setup, or alignment issues that leave the face open
In simple terms: the ball starts right because of where the clubface is pointing, and it curves farther right because the face is open compared to the path.
Quick Check
If your shot starts right of the target and then curves more to the right, you are not just hitting a standard slice. You are hitting a push slice.
Understanding the difference is important because the starting direction and curve tell you what the clubface and swing path were doing at impact.
