Push-Draw
Also known as: push draw, stock draw (tour usage)
A push-draw sets off right of the flag and turns gently back toward it, finishing near the middle of the fairway. It is the shape most right-handers are chasing.
A push-draw is a ball flight that starts to the right of the target line and curves back left through the air. It comes from an in-to-out club path and a clubface that is closed relative to that path, which creates right-to-left spin. The face is still open relative to the target line, which is why the ball starts right rather than at the target. Unlike many misses in this group, a push-draw is not automatically a fault. Many tour players play a controlled push-draw on purpose as their stock shot. Starting the ball right gives them a buffer against an over-draw.
What separates a "stock" push-draw from a problematic one is degree and repeatability. A controlled push-draw starts a modest amount right (often just a few yards) and curves back to the target with a predictable amount of movement. An excessive or uneven push-draw starts well right, and the amount of draw varies from shot to shot. That points to either too much in-to-out path for the face to control reliably, or an uneven face-to-path relationship at impact.
Golfers working to get rid of a slice often pass through a push-draw phase along the way. That is a healthy sign: it means the path has changed from out-to-in to in-to-out. The remaining step is dialing in how much the face closes relative to the new path. The goal is a predictable amount of curve rather than a wide range of outcomes.
Example
A player's draws reliably start about 8 yards right of the flag and curve back to finish just left of it — a repeatable, intentional push-draw used as a stock shot shape.
Why it matters
Recognizing a push-draw as a legitimate, controllable shot shape keeps golfers from overcorrecting. Treating it as something to "fix" can turn a working pattern into a neutral swing that is harder to repeat. A launch monitor records both the starting direction and the amount of curve. Read across a few sessions, those numbers show whether a player's push-draw is consistent (a stock shape) or variable (a miss pattern still being sorted out).
How it shows up on video
From down-the-line, the path shows the club approaching from inside the target line through impact. From face-on, the clubface at impact is closed relative to the path but can still appear slightly open relative to the target line itself. The combination that starts the ball right of target before it curves back.
Common mistakes
- Trying to eliminate all rightward starting direction. A modest push start is often the mechanism that makes a draw repeatable. Removing it can flip the shot into a pull or an uneven straight-ball chase.
- Confusing an excessive push-draw (30+ yards of curve, hard-to-predict start line) with a controlled stock draw. The fix for the former is tightening face-to-path relationship, not abandoning the shot shape.
- Aiming at the target instead of the intended start line. A player who knows they hit a push-draw but keeps aiming directly at the pin will reliably miss right of where they intend.
Related terms
- DrawA draw is a controlled shot that curves gently right to left for a right-handed golfer. The face is slightly closed to the path but open to the target line.
- 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.
- Draw BiasA draw bias is a repeatable tendency to curve shots right to left (for a right-hander). It can come from a natural swing, a deliberate stock shot, or equipment setup.
- Face-to-PathFace-to-path is the difference between face angle and club path at impact. It is the single number that determines how much, and which way, the ball curves.
- Club PathClub path is the horizontal direction the clubhead is moving through impact, relative to the target line, in degrees. Positive is in-to-out (a draw bias); negative is out-to-in (a fade or slice bias).
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