As a golfer, you know the importance of a push shot. In the final stages of the game, a push shot is all that will help you win the match with the perfect aim. Here are a few important reasons why a push shot can go wrong.
The Right Grip
Before you start your game, make sure that you have a proper grip on the club. Sometimes people tend to over-tighten their grip while playing. This could result in loss of control and pressure on the wrist resulting in a push shot that goes off course. A common mistake is not keeping the left thumb under the fingers or holding the club too tightly with all four fingers. Both of these habits could lead to losing control of your swing resulting in a pushed shot to one side without any control. Make sure that when you are at the address position, you are able to hold the club comfortably without any extra tension in your hands.
Follow-through
Another important thing while making a push shot is to make sure that you have a proper follow-through. During the course of the swing, there are two types of pushes one from the top or outside and another from the bottom or inside which is called a "scoop". Scooping has a very normal habit of leading towards a push shot. Make sure that you avoid scooping your swing by writing down instead of writing through impact going into your follow-through position.
Address Position
There are many different techniques used to improve a push shot but it all comes down to experienced players who can put their best foot forward in order to deliver success. So if you too want to deliver success on the green, make sure that whenever you address your ball, you are able to make a smooth swing keeping the ball in the center of your stance. This will give you a better chance for a perfect swing into the green and hitting it closer to your target.
Ball Position
A push shot requires a lot of practice but none of these will help you properly if you have not hit the right position on your ball with respect to its lie. Make sure that when you address the ball, it is sitting correctly so that there is no strain on your body while making a full swing. If this happens, then there are high chances of missing the target resulting in an extra push from one side without any control over it.
Grip Pressure
While playing, sometimes people tend to sway towards a grip pressure that is too tight or too loose for them. Make sure that you don't exert more strength on the club with your hands and relax fully before starting your swing to make a push shot. This will also prevent any strain on your wrist resulting in a push shot that goes off course.
Rules of Distance
As we know, golf is very similar to cricket when it comes to rules and regulations set by the governing body. So if you want to play like professionals in any tournament, make sure that you follow all the rules and proper guidelines laid down by different classifications of players and their respective handicaps. This is important because when there are loopholes in the system, it creates problems for both experienced and inexperienced players who are playing in the professional circuit.
A Perfect Push Shot
If you want to know how to make a perfect push shot, then you have to understand the dynamics of the game. Instead of taking this for granted, it is recommended that you get yourself trained under some experienced player so that they can guide you on how to get better at making push shots. Just remember, if there is no need for a push shot in your game, then don't use it unless required because without having control over it could lead to many problems on the green which might not only cost your match points but also ruin your overall game during tournament play. So always practice with extra caution and concentration when trying out any new shots that you have not done before.
Aligning right with the target
Aligning the club and the ball with the target is the fundamental requirement of executing a push shot. The push shot needs to be executed with precision with the golf hole. Any miscalculation can result in the ball moving away from the hole or missing the club altogether.
Also, another essential point most golfers forget is the positioning of the legs. The legs will determine the range and direction of the ball once the club hits the ball. Keeping the legs in a straight line is a better option to go with.
Checking the Stance
Checking the stance means taking a look at the overall posture of the body, not the position of the legs alone. Technically, maintaining a perfect stance while executing any shot is critical to ensure that the shot's reverse impact will be in a bearable state.
No matter what shot you are executing, the pressure toll after each shot is enough to cause some real issue physically. According to experts, the best to avoid such fate is to maintain a straighter body pose that can act as back support when needed.
Inside out the Swing
Let’s talk about the swing dynamic of the club now. The swing determines the direction and the overall direction of the ball trajectory. The inside-out swing means that the club will be swung so that it covers a complete 360 degrees turn before finally hitting the ball.
The inside-out swing also gives you a definite advantage for long-distance shots. But the vital thing you need to note is the amount of force you need to put in your swing. A force larger than required will land the ball far away from the golf hole or the target.
Attaining a stronger grip
We all laugh at the videos of golfers that lose their clubs while hitting a shot. It is all fun and games until we acknowledge that it is a significant issue with the golfers, especially the ones at the initial stages of the game.
But attaining a firmer grip for the shot doesn’t mean that holding your club so firmly will leave permanent marks. Golfers out there have faced this kind of issue just because their grip was too firm or they were not aware of the damage done.
Aiming the target at left
Here’s an insider’s trick. You always aim at the target with a left eye orientation. In other words, the best way to aim for the hole is to keep the ball at the left eye end and the ball's position. This will give you a definite advantage over the shot execution and range build-up.
Sport studies have shown that the left eye is also more precise when accessing the range of the target and its potential location. For push shots, that’s all you will need in the long run.
Blocking your shots
You can accidentally block your shot with the wrong posture or club placement. This is an amateur mistake, but professional players are known for committing it in professional tournaments. The key is to keep a to-do list in your mind before attempting a push shot in particular.
Blocking your shots is also possible if you aren’t considering the target and the surrounding between the club and the target. Once the swing is in action, the ball will move towards the target with the applied force.
Knee placement
Knee placement is like the very basic of attaining a perfect posture to execute a push shot. Placing the knee in the proper stance also determines whether the ball's direction will be straight or curved.
According to experts, the knees must be bent slightly to get that extra edge in terms of balance when attempting a push shot. The bent somewhat orientation also acts as an additional shock absorber.
When deciding the ball's direction, straighter knee placement means that the ball will follow a more linear trajectory and vice versa.
Holding the club too widely.
We already know the consequences of holding the club too tightly, but holding the club too widely can also affect the possible trajectory of a push shot.
Holding the club widely means that the distance between your hands while holding the club is too wide to get a firm grip.
Some players feel comfortable playing golf using this club-holding approach. But in the long run, the wider the space between your hands will, the lesser the force impact in your shot. Try to keep your hands closer to one another, especially in the case of a push shot.
Ball stance backing
The ball stance backing refers to the fact that sometimes, the ball is placed too far away from the club. Due to this, the club's impact and the ball are not strong enough to create a solid push for the shot.
As the club will be impacting the ball before it was supposed to, the ball will be positioned back in the stance. As a result, the clubface will come in the open, impacting the ball with an open face. This will reduce the push of the ball, disturbing its direction.
Final note
You might be thinking that golf is an easy sport. After all, so many elderly gentlemen are playing it! All you need to do is swing a few clubs, and the ball will magically somehow land in a hole, and you will get a score.
But that’s not as easy as it seems. The first and foremost rule is the right ball placement and the club's movement that determines in what direction the ball will eventually move.
While executing push shots, these two factors determine the ‘push’ you will get with each shot. Experts love to say that you need perfect timing more than an ideal swing to play golf like a champ. In golf, it is all about hitting the target right so you can perfect your game.