Blocked Push
Also known as: the block, stuck-and-blocked, block right
A blocked push is a straight shot that starts and stays right of target with almost no curve, caused by a clubface that matches an in-to-out path but the whole delivery is aimed too far right.
A blocked push differs from other misses in this list because there is often very little curve at all — the ball starts right of target and simply holds that line, rather than starting right and curving further (a push-slice) or starting right and curving back (a push-draw). The face is roughly square to the path, but the whole path-and-face package is oriented well right of the intended line, producing what feels to the golfer like a shot that "never had a chance."
The classic cause is the body outracing the arms in the downswing — the hips and torso rotate open aggressively while the arms and club get left behind, "stuck" behind the body. When the club is trapped in this position, the golfer often cannot square the face back to the target in time, and the low point of the swing arrives with the club still working from well inside, delivering the ball on a path that is aimed at the right side of the fairway or green rather than the target. This is common in golfers who have recently added lower-body speed or rotation as part of a distance-gain effort without a matching adjustment in arm and hand timing.
A blocked push is often confused with a simple alignment error, and it is worth ruling that out first — but a chronic block that shows up even with verified square alignment points to a sequencing or "stuck" pattern rather than a setup issue. The fix usually involves either slowing the body's rotation relative to the arms, or training the arms and hands to keep pace with a faster lower body so the club can square up through the ball rather than being left behind it.
Example
A player who recently added hip speed to gain distance starts blocking iron shots well right of the pin with almost no curve — the body has outrun the arms and the club is arriving "stuck" and open.
Why it matters
A blocked push is frequently mistaken for a face problem (since the ball flies right) when the actual cause is a sequencing mismatch between body speed and arm/hand timing. SwingVantage reporting a near-zero face-to-path number alongside a rightward path helps confirm the shot is a genuine block rather than an open-face push-slice in disguise.
How it shows up on video
From down-the-line, the trail arm and club appear trapped close to the body in the downswing, arriving late relative to the hips, which have already rotated well open by impact. From face-on, the arms look "jammed" against the torso rather than extending freely through the strike.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a rightward miss with little curve is a face problem and working only on grip or release — if face-to-path is near zero, the fix is timing/sequencing, not face control.
- Slowing the whole swing down to try to fix it — this can help temporarily but does not address the underlying mismatch between body rotation speed and arm/hand speed, so the pattern often returns once tempo increases again.
- Adding more hip speed as a blanket power strategy without training the arms and release to keep pace — this is the most common way golfers develop a blocked-push pattern in the first place.
Related terms
- BlockingBlocking is when the arms and club fail to fully release through impact — the face is held open and the ball flies straight right (for a right-hander) with no draw curve.
- PushA push is a shot that starts and flies straight to the right (for a right-hander) with no significant curve — caused by an in-to-out path with a face matching the path direction.
- Early ExtensionEarly extension is thrusting the hips toward the ball during the downswing, which causes the golfer to stand up out of posture and forces compensations at impact.
- Kinematic SequenceThe kinematic sequence is the order in which body segments accelerate and decelerate during the downswing: pelvis → torso → lead arm → clubhead. Each segment slingshots the next for maximum speed.
- In-to-OutAn in-to-out club path means the clubhead is moving to the right of the target line through impact (for a right-hander). It is the draw and hook path — the opposite of over the top.
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