It can be so frustrating. You make solid contact with the golf ball and are excited to watch your shot, only to see the ball flying to the right.
It’s not a slice – the ball doesn’t curve. It is simply a push. You need to learn how to stop pushing golf shots right.
A push is different from a slice, so it requires a different type of fix. The good news is that we have some ideas for you to try.
Before we start to learn how to stop pushing golf shots right, we will focus on the typical causes of this type of miss.
You must understand the problem before you try to solve it!
Let’s get started!
How To Stop Pushing Golf Shots Right – The Causes
Just like most poor golf shots, the push can be caused for various reasons.
That being said, we have identified the three primary reasons.
The first step in learning how to stop pushing golf shots right is to identify which reason is impacting your shots.
#1: Lack Of Aggression – Fear Of Impact
It may sound strange, but you can develop a fear of impact. If you lose confidence in your golf swing you can subconsciously be scared of hitting the golf ball.
This fear can cause truly terrible shots. The dreaded shank, yips on the greens, and yes, the push to the right.
Professional golfer Ian Baker-Finch developed this type of fear and went from winning the Open Championship to not being able to break 80.
This can be hard to overcome. Physical issues are almost always easier to address than mental.
If this sounds like you, learning how to stop pushing golf shots right will be more about regaining confidence than a swing change.
#2: Stuck & Slide
The “stuck & slide” sounds like a bad wedding dance, but it is actually a fairly common golf move that can cause you to push the ball to the right.
You may have heard golfers say they are “stuck”, but not understand what they mean. It is when the golf club goes too far inside during the backswing.
At this point, the club is “behind you” and your body is preventing you from returning it to the impact position.
You are forced to slide forward to create space for your golf swing. Unfortunately, this will cause you to hit the ball with an open face.
What do you think an open clubface causes? You guessed it – a push to the right.
You can see this move on a video of your swing. If you want to learn how to stop pushing golf shots right, ask a buddy to film your next shot.
Pay close attention to your spine. Does it slide forward at the beginning of your downswing? Is it in front of the ball at impact?
The “stuck & slide” is a common mistake for amateur golfers and it can be fixed.
#3: Decelerating At Impact – Speed In the Wrong Place
Yes, you want swing speed. More speed in your golf swing is how you get more distance, but the timing is important.
Speed in the wrong part of your swing can cause the clubface to be open at impact and you will push the ball to the right.
The most common mistake made by high handicappers is getting quick during their swing transition.
If your swing speed is fast at the top of your swing, the club will be decelerating by the time you reach the ball.
To learn how to stop pushing golf shots right try to determine which of these swing errors are impacting your game.
How To Stop Pushing Golf Shots Right – 3 Swing Thoughts For You To Try
Above we talked about the causes of the “push shot”. We hope you can identify which one is forcing you to hit shots to the right.
Now we will provide you with a swing thought to fix each one. If you aren’t sure which “cause” you have, try all of these swing thoughts the next time you practice.
#1: Take A Breath, Relax, and Rip It!
If you are playing golf scared, you need to find a way to relax and trust your swing. You need to find a way to embrace the nerves instead of fighting them.
Learning how to stop pushing golf shots right will involve you believing in your ability to play the game.
Keep it simple. Be aggressive. Once you pick a club, commit to the shot, and make a confident swing.
You may not hit every shot perfectly, but nothing is worse than playing scared. Being scared isn’t fun and we want you to enjoy the game.
My favorite piece of golf advice to players that struggle with confidence. It is ok to make a bad golf swing, but never make a scared one!
#2: Take The Club Outside To Get “Unstuck”
If you are a victim of the “stuck & slide” golf swing, you need to fix the “stuck” part. The slide will be easy to fix once you are “unstuck”.
In this case, to learn how to stop pushing golf shots right you need to figure out how to avoid the golf club getting behind your body during your backswing.
To achieve this result, focus on taking the golf club outside on the way back. At first, you will need to exaggerate that feeling.
This may be a quick fix or it may take you several practice sessions to get comfortable. Once you figure it out, you will notice you don’t slide anymore.
It will be much easier for you to square the clubface at impact.
#3: Slow At The Top – Speed At The Bottom
It is time to focus on where your swing speed should be located in your swing. The golf swing is a sequence of movements.
To learn how to stop hitting golf shots right you need to ensure your speed is located at impact and not earlier.
Here is the swing thought for you. Slow and smooth during your transition (top of the swing) and turn on the power at the bottom.
Do you know you can test your swing? Try this drill.
Hold a golf alignment stick just like a club. Make your normal golf swing and listen to where you hear the “whoosh” sound.
You want to hear it in front of where the golf ball would be. If you hear it behind the ball, you are applying your power too early in your swing.
Repeat this drill until you hear the “whoosh” in front of the golf ball location. Now grab your driver and make the same swing.
We hope you have learned how to stop pushing golf shots right, but what about putts?
How To Stop Pushing Golf Shots Right – Putting
Most golfers don’t hook or slice putts, but one pushing and pulling them is quite common.
Do you do a good job reading the greens, but miss putts because you push them to the right?
Putting is very different from hitting full shots, but the reason you push a putt is similar. No one gets “stuck” during their stroke, but the other causes are the same.
If you want to learn how to stop pushing golf shots right on the greens, focus on making a confident stroke and accelerating through the ball.
A push on the green is almost always caused by the putter’s face being open at impact. To roll the ball on your line you need to strike it with a square face.
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