A push slice is a golf shot that begins on the right of the target and then curves further right finishing even more off target to the right.

The reason that you hit a push slice is that you are swinging your golf club on an in to out swing path. Swing path simply means the direction of travel of your golf club head as you are striking the golf ball. If you put an alignment pole, or golf club on the floor to represent the target line from the golf ball to the flag, an in to out swing path sees the club head swinging down towards the ball from the inside, or the side that you are standing on, to the ball and then across the line to the outside, or far side.

If you hit a push slice, as you are swinging the club head on this in to out swing path, the club face is open, or aiming right of this.

Club face aim at impact is 85% responsible for the golf ball’s direction of travel. Because the club face is aiming to the right of the target, the ball starts its flight right of target. However, there is a difference between how right the club face is aiming and how right the club head is travelling. Because of this difference, tilted axis spin is imparted on the golf ball and as a result of this the golf ball curves to the right in the air.

If you are hitting a push slice, try the following drill the next time you are at the range or practice ground. Place an alignment pole, or golf club, on the floor to represent the target line. Now take six golf balls and place them in pairs, one on either side of the target line. Place one pair where the golf ball that you are going to hit will be, so that one ball is two inches on the outside of the target line and one ball is two inches on the inside. Now place another pair of golf balls one foot further down the target line with one ball on the outside and one on the inside. Finally place the final pair of golf balls one foot the other way, again one on the outside and one on the inside. You have created a channel with the six golf balls to swing your golf club through. Make a few golf swings through the channel, without striking any of the balls. Do this slowly at first and then gradually build your swing speed up.

Once you are feeling confident with this, place a golf ball in the middle of the channel and play your shot, swinging the club head along the channel and without hitting any of the other golf balls. If you keep your club face aiming directly at the target and swing along the target line, through the channel you will be hitting straight golf shots.