Pushes and Pulls: How to Stop Wasting Strokes on the Green

If the ball starts offline from short range, it's not a problem with your read or your speed. It's a simple mechanical flaw. The ball is either being "pushed" or "pulled."

What is a 'push' or 'pull' in putting

• A "push" is a putt that starts to the right of your intended line. This is caused by the putter face being open to your swing path at impact.
• A "pull" is a putt that starts to the left of your intended line. This is caused by the putter face being closed to your swing path at impact.

For a putt from 10 feet, a putter face that is off by just one single degree it is the difference between a make and a miss. It's a game of tiny margins, and the key to consistency is a stable putter face.

Why Your Putter Face is Inconsistent

An unstable putter face is almost always a result of using the small, twitchy muscles in your hands and wrists instead of the big, reliable muscles in your shoulders and back.

• Wrist "Breakdown": This is the number one cause. The player tries to "hit" the ball with their hands, which causes the wrists to break down through impact. If the lead wrist cups or extends, the face opens, causing a push. If the lead wrist bows or flexes, the face closes, causing a pull.
• Too Much Body Movement: A good putting stroke is built on a stable lower body and a quiet head. If you sway your hips, dip your shoulders, or lift your head to peek at the hole, your entire swing arc will change. This forces your hands to make a last-second manipulation to try and square the face, leading to massive inconsistency.
• Poor Setup: A bad setup makes a good stroke nearly impossible. If your eyes aren't over the ball, your perception of the line will be distorted. If the ball is too far forward or back in your stance, you'll catch it at a point where the putter is naturally opening or closing, making a square face difficult to achieve.
• Changing Grip Pressure: Many golfers start with a nice, soft grip and then tense up during the stroke, especially under pressure. This last-second "squeeze" can easily twist the putter face open or closed.

How to Build a Stable, Repeatable Stroke

The goal is to remove the small, unreliable muscles from the stroke and build a simple, repeatable pendulum motion.

• Let Your Shoulders Rock: The putting stroke should be driven by your big muscles. The best feeling is a simple "rocking" of the shoulders back and through. Your arms, hands, and shoulders should move together as a single, stable unit. Imagine a triangle formed by your shoulders and arms—your goal is to simply rock that triangle.
• Keep Your Hands and Wrists Quiet: The hands and wrists are just passengers. They should feel passive, like they are just going along for the ride. If you struggle with being "wristy," try a different grip like the claw, the pencil, or left-hand-low. These grips are specifically designed to take the hands out of the stroke.
• Stay Perfectly Still: From the moment you take your final look at the hole until the ball is well on its way, your head should not move an inch. Keep your eyes focused on the spot where the ball used to be. Your lower body should feel like it's anchored in concrete. This stability is the foundation of a consistent stroke.
• The Gate Drill: This is a classic for a reason. Place two tees on the ground just wide enough for your putter head to swing through. This gives you instant feedback on your path. To check your face angle, place a second gate of two tees about a foot in front of your ball on your intended start line. Your only goal is to roll the ball through that second gate. It’s a simple drill that demands a square putter face.

Stop letting your hands and wrists steer the ship. Build a stable stroke powered by your shoulders, and you'll find that those frustrating pushes and pulls will turn into makes.

Putting Pulls and Pushes Recap

Missing putts left or right despite good reads is maddening. These are pulls and pushes.

• What's Happening?
  Face angle at impact isn’t matching your intended start line. A degree open or closed sends the ball off line.

• Typical Causes

• Ball too far forward or back.
• Eyes not over the ball, poor alignment.

• Inconsistent stance width.

• Setup Fundamentals
  For putting, keep stance comfortable and consistent – usually narrower than full shots. Ball should be slightly forward of center, under lead eye. That promotes square contact and better roll.

• Big Picture
  Pulls and pushes aren’t always stroke issues. Often the setup is at fault. Standardise ball position and width, and the putter face behaves more predictably.