Why I push the ball ?

I've been off work this week and I have been practising for hours.

Friday was a 9 hour day.
Saturday 6 hours.

I've tried everything; posture, allignment, grip, downswing.

Nothing works !

My problem is I twist the club open early in the takeaway. If you can imagine you can see 2 knuckles on address; within a few moments of the swing you can see all 4 !

I don't like this, if I open the clubface then it is only chance and timing that I hit the ball straight. I want a straight clubface throughout the swing.

I'm working on a smooth takeaway with no wrist break but it's hard because I have swung the same way for 27 years.

I got a gross 80 today so it's not a total disaster but I have always had good timing. Trouble is I hit the ball great in the wrong direction. Right !

So you hit it right of left, right! You would prefer to hit it left of right which would be better than just right, or did you wright it right.

Alright?

Thanks for that !

Very usefull !

Sorry! Only joking.

Your allright, I was pulling your leg !

What I did today was put an headcover under my right armpit. I hit a few balls and they all went straight. I need to practise this. I think it's a good way of keeping my swing flatter.

All the idea's in other posts didn't work.

But I think I've found out the reason why I push the ball.

I aim to the right !

It sounds daft but people have made comments over the years that I aim right, even with my putting. When I think I'm aiming straight for the target, I am actually aiming right with my shoulders and my feet.

I've found out the reason as well. I normally wear glasses. My left eye is okay but my right eye is very poor. I can't see a thing out of it. I don't play golf with my glasses on. For some reason this effects my aiming. When I set up I have my shoulders aiming way right. The trouble is I think I'm set up straight. So I swing and the ball goes right (where I'm aiming) and I never knew why.

I have now started wearing glasses. My aiming is now spot on. When I setup my shoulders are square and so are my feet. My long game as improved. I can feel that I'm aiming better. My putting as improved massively. Played on Monday and scored a 72. I drew the ball well and also faded a few irons when I wanted to. Didn't push the ball at all !

I think I've sorted out a 15 year old problem !

Well geez! You didn't need golf tips, you needed an optometrist.

I started wearing glasses in 1994. When I had my eyes examined the guy said my left eye was dominant and my right eye focused incorrectly or something.

I don't know why but this must be the reason why I aim right with my shoulders.

Just thought you might like to know, the term you want to use here is extension of the wrist. Dorsiflexion is a term that is specifically used to describe the movement of the forefoot closer to the shin(opposite of pointing your toes). Unless, of course, I am totally off base here because you have some very strange anatomy.

Christopher

Have you tried twisting in the other direction (Not fanning the face open) on the backswing?

Do you ever hit hooks or is it just pushes????? If you are too far inside you need to work on swinging more up in the backswing and more left after impact.

The wearing glasses idea didn't work.

I've played 4 rounds, very inconsistant play, loads of huge blocks to the right even with clubs like a wedge.

After a bad shot to the right, I placed down a club next to my feet and it proved I was aiming with my feet miles to the right. Even though I think I'm aiming at the target.

I then started taking my stance first, making sure my feet were square to the target. I then gripped the club and got into my set up position. This worked a few times but my Dad informed me that my shoulders were aiming right.

I aim right with putting as well.

It's all very frustrating !

It happens to lots of people so don't feel isolated. The problem is mainly caused by the swing path being in to out and due to the misconception that the arms and club need to be extended down the line towards the target through impact. Make sure the club moves quickly back inside as it is coming into the ball, you will feel like you are hitting the ball out left but it will take off straight, think of swinging the club around a big inclined hoop. I think you will then find your pushes will push off

I would check to make sure you are not playing your ball too far back in your stance (since that can encourage you to get aligned out to the right). You might also benefit from modifying your preshot routine to walking up to ball and putting your club down behind the ball with your body still open to the target (see how Greg Norman walks up to the ball during his preshot routine in the video clip linked below).

I've just been practising.

I agree with avidgolfer, I need to work on my setup.

What I'm doing now is squaring my feet with the target first. Then I grip the club and get setup. Now for some unknown reason when I do this my shoulders are aiming miles to the right. But to compensate this I open my shoulders and make sure they are aiming where my feet are. Believe me, this feels very strange and different.

I hit a few shots and I noticed my wrist action seems different. Everything on the practise area went well. I hit some good shots. I then played a few holes. Driving was great. Wedges however, pulled to the left. This is very different because all my shots used to go right. I wonder if the pull shots are the result of a out to in swing ?

Right, I've played 10 rounds and hit the ball great in every one. Average score 73.5, so I've took 3 shots off my average !

I think I've sorted it.

To say it's took me 15 years to sort it out, it turned out to be something really stupid.

I've always gripped the club at the very top. Sometimes the butt of the club is in my palm. This for some unknown reason caused me to aim my shoulders and upper body to the right. Hence the resulting shot was a push. Every club; driver to a chip with a wedge !

Now I choke down on every club and bingo ! ,my shoulders are aiming for the target !

The rest is easy because I've always had a good tempo. If I hit a bad shot now it's a hook. And that's not a bad shot to have !

All the things I've tried, it's incredible ! Lessons, video lessons, golf training aids - I've tried everything !

The future is bright for my golf game and my aim his to get my handicap down !