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. The clubface matches an in-to-out path, but the whole delivery is aimed too far right.
A blocked push differs from other misses in this group because there is often very little curve at all. The ball starts right of target and simply holds that line. It does not curve further right (a push-slice) or curve back (a push-draw). The face is roughly square to the path. But the whole path-and-face package is aimed well right of the intended line. It produces what feels to the golfer like a "never had a chance" shot.
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. The low point of the swing arrives with the club still working from well inside. That sends the ball on a path aimed at the right side of the fairway or green rather than the target. This is common in golfers who recently added lower-body speed or rotation to gain distance, without adjusting their arm and hand timing to match.
A blocked push is often confused with a simple alignment error, and it is worth ruling that out first. But a chronic block that persists with verified square alignment is different. It points to a sequencing or "stuck" pattern rather than a setup issue. The fix usually takes one of two forms. One is slowing the body's rotation relative to the arms. The other is training the arms and hands to keep pace with a faster lower body. Either way, the club can then 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 often mistaken for a face problem, since the ball flies right. The actual cause is a sequencing mismatch between body speed and arm/hand timing. Launch-monitor numbers with a near-zero face-to-path and a rightward path help confirm a genuine block. That points away from an open-face push-slice in disguise. On video, Motion Lab's sequencing read shows whether your hips, shoulders and hands reach peak speed in order.
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. This 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. As a result, 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, so the ball flies straight right (for a right-hander) with no draw.
- PushA push flies dead straight and finishes right of where you aimed, for a right-hander. Nothing curves — the head was simply traveling rightward through impact with the face pointing the same way.
- Early ExtensionEarly extension is when the hips thrust toward the ball during the downswing. The golfer stands up out of posture and has to compensate 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-OutIn-to-out describes a clubhead travelling rightward across the target line as it meets the ball, for a right-hander. It is the delivery direction underneath draws, hooks and pushes.
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