Pushing the ball. I need HELP !!

Can anybody help me with this ?

From Driver to Sand wedge, I push the ball to the right. It is driving me mad !
Even when I'm playing well my shots still drift to the right. I'm forever fighting this. I've tried everything to stop this; different grips, stances, swings but nothing seems to work. My wedges drift about 5 to 10 yards right so I do hit the occasional green but I don't ever seem to hit a straight shot. If I aim left I tend to still push it or sometimes I pull the ball.

I've been for a few lessons but nobody can tell me why I do this. I have a normal grip and I don't aim right. Can anybody suggest why I am doing this ?

Thanks

Hi PuttKing

Are you fading right or pushing right? If you are pushing right, it's possible that you aren't bringing your upper body around fast enough.
If you are slicing, that is usually caused by an outside-in swing.

Here's something that may take care of each. Make sure during your take away that your club head is coming inside the target line as soon as you start your backswing. On your backswing, make sure that your weight is on your right side, but not outside your hip. At the start of your downswing, as you transfer your weight to your right side, bring your elbows down (right elbow to right hip) and extend through the ball.

Keep us updated!!!

__________________
Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

Thanks for your reply.

I was reading something from this site last night. It was about the right hand hinge. I realized my right hand hinged side to side rather than up and down. This happened at the start of the takeaway so I've tried to change it and the results are positive so far.

Hi there,

Have you tried going to the range and practising with your clubs.If not i have the answer go to the range with your driver and start off with a half swing nice and slow. Then start to progress up to the full swing if this dosent work try aiming left or holding your club more firmly than you wpuld normally.

This normally works for me.

jamie.

Hi there,

Have you checked your alignment? You may think you are parallel but really aligned to the right. Put a clubshaft down parallel to your target line and hit a few to be sure this is not your problem. Good luck.

shooter

I've been struggling with losing balls right lately. My instructor has pointed out that I finish in a forward, upright position (picture standing over my left leg [I'm a RH Golfer]), as opposed to having my back arched (a reverse C).

This brings my shoulders forward, leaving the clubface square to an inside out swing, but 'open' at impact - causing a 10* push.

When I hang back, and finish in a reverse C, my shots are either straight, or pulled.

Keep working on your forward position. You do NOT want to finish in a recerse C. It takes a long time to impliment a change such as moving from a reverse C to a proper weight transfer. One thing that may be causing a push is that the ball is too far back in your stance. I've found that moving the ball 1/2 to 1" forward can make the difference between a push and a straight shot.

Keep us updated on your success!

I thought a reverse C at finish did indicate proper weight transfer.

I tend to slide through impact, getting my head and shoulders ahead of the ball. By finishing with a reverse C, I keep my head and shoulders on line through impact (making a straight, well, ok, now I'm pulling/drawing shots - with a neutral grip).

A reverse C has your upperbody leaning/falling away from your target which results in your weight being on your back foot at impact. If someone was standing across from the front of you, your body positioning would look like a backwards C or reverse C.

Ideally you want to keep your head behind the ball while your hands are ahead of the ball at impact. At the point of impact your upper body should release bringing your body to a straight line from your left leg up to your shoulder. Try Greg Willis' impact drill to get you into the proper impact position. You want to think of your left leg as a gate post. Your left leg stays stable while your body rotates around it. If you are swaying on the backswing, there are a few drills you can try.

With a thera-band (or similar product) around your left hip, have a friend pull on the band from your right side (away from the target). With him pulling your hips outside, your muscles will concentrate on keeping your weight/hips inside your knees while you are swinging.

Another drill is to set up with your right side beside a table. Do not have the table touchnig your hip, you will want about an inch of space between your body and the table. During your swing, you need to keep yourself from coming back and hitting the table with your hip.

Keep us updated on your progress!

__________________
Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall