Ever thought to yourself, how do I stop a push slice in golf? This is one of many million-dollar questions in golf that many beginners wished they had the answer to. The good news is that you are certainly in luck! Today we will be discussing what a push slice is (in case you are unsure), what causes a push slice (the most important part), and how to stop a push slice.
What causes the push slice is actually the most important part because there are many different ways to fix problems in golf, but first you need to fully understand what the problem is. Anyway, read ahead for some solid golfing info!
What is a Push Slice in Golf?
Let’s dive into the main piece first, the slice. Whether you are right-handed or left-handed a slice is caused by hitting the ball with a swing plane that cuts from outside of the ball to inside, towards your body. This creates a side spin effect on the ball, which is exactly what gives it that mean curve off the face instead of going dead straight like the pros on TV. Now the push is not as big of an issue when separated from a slice.
However, whenever the two are combined into a push slice, it is certainly a deadly combination. A push is simply when the ball comes off straight either to the left or right side of center. So it is not a big deal individually as you may only be off-target by twenty yards or so, but as mentioned the combination of a push slice is what kills golfers worldwide.
What Causes You To Slice The Golf ball To The Right?
Now we already gave you the secret to a slice above, swinging across your body instead of a straight swing. This tendency is much more common in first-time golfers, and especially ones who have had previous experience with baseball. In baseball or softball, you learn to swing across and around with your hands, which usually means coming outside to inside. So that natural tendency can certainly cause a large slice when first beginning golf.
Although understanding what causes a push is definitely not as easy as picking out the causes of a slice. Instead, the causes are so minute to the average eye, that it may take a golf professional or a slow-motion video recording to identify the causes. But nonetheless, we have simplified the most frequent causes into this bulleted list down below, in no particular order:
- Teeing the Ball Back Too Far in your Stance
- Too Much Forward Lean/Shifting Weight Backwards on Downswing
- Standing Too Far Away From the Ball
How Do I Stop a Push Slice in Golf?
It is time to answer the question you have all been waiting for. This section will be divided into three parts, however, no one part is necessarily more important than the other. They are just all things to think about next time you step up to hit a golf ball. It is also important to understand that these are very general fixes/advice, and are not tailored to any one individual. So unfortunately they may not be the best fixes for you. But here they are!
- Teeing the Ball Back Too Far in your Stance
Now, this is not a way to fix your swing plane, but is just something to think about whenever you are hitting. A general rule of thumb for all shots, BUT A DRIVER, is to have the ball in your stance about two and a half balls back from the middle of your front foot. However, for a driver, it is recommended to have the ball placed just on the inside of your front foot. This is due to the extra club length that comes with a driver.
Now, this is important to combatting a slice because having the ball too far back in your stance will most likely mean the clubface is open at impact. Like we discussed, having an open clubface is exactly how you put that ugly side spin on the ball and is not what you want. So next time just think about where you put the ball in your stance, but this might not be enough to fully fix the problem.
- Too Much Forward Lean/Shifting Weight Backwards on Downswing
Now, this issue is really what causes the push-piece of the push slice. It begins with too much forward lean and is counteracted by shifting all your weight back on the downswing. Not only does this take away from your power, but it causes you to really push the ball all with your arms. Similar to pushing a box, your legs are away from it for support while the power is really through your arms.
Now the fix for this will sound really simple but feel really weird whenever you are implementing it on the course. Just try to keep your lower body as still as possible. CAUTION- this is NOT something to do permanently, it is just a recommended quick fix until you can get your lower body back under control. Just keep it stable and let your arms do the work. Now the side effects may be a continued slice, but the push should be eliminated.
- Standing Too Far Away From the Ball
This may seem like the simplest problem and fix, but it is actually one of the more common ones. It causes and allows people to have that out to in swinging motion which directly causes the slice. Although it is common because people are used to swinging out and around, not up and down on a plane.
Therefore they stand further away to allow themselves to swing around instead of up, which is wrong of course. For a tip on how far to stand away from the ball, try this. Simply line up the clubhead behind the ball, lay the butt of the shaft on your mid-thigh, then pick up the club and maybe adjust a hair to make yourself comfortable. Overall this is another overlooked step that is actually quite common.
Overall this article discussed what a push slice was, what causes a push slice, and the possible steps to take to fix it. We just want to say again that we are not teaching professionals and this will not work for everyone, because everyone is different. As long as it can help someone out there, that is all that matters. We hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new today. See you again soon!
References & Citations
“Countering a Push-Slice.” Ruthless Golf, www.ruthlessgolf.com/2018/04/countering-push-slice.html.
Golf Info Guide, 18 Feb. 2020, golf-info-guide.com/golf-tips/playing-conditions/causes-and-cures-push-slice/.