Fast Fixes For Every Fault: Push

The big push comes from spinning the lower body open too quickly on the downswing. When the hips and knees turn aggressively like this (above, left), the club drops behind the body and approaches the ball too much from the inside. The club never catches up and never has a chance to release, so the face stays open and the ball shoots to the right.

The best way to fix a push is to make the opposite move: Don't use your lower body as much, and swing your arms past your chest through impact (above, right). First, set up in a closed stance, which makes it harder for your lower body to rotate open. Then, focus on letting your arms extend and release past you.

Some players think a push comes from shifting too far toward the target, but this spin-out move is the real cause. When you spin open, your right shoulder tilts down and the club gets stuck to the inside. From there, the ball can only go right. So close your stance, and feel your arms swing past you.

BUTCH HARMON, ranked No. 1 on Golf Digest's 50 Greatest Teachers, runs the Butch Harmon School of Golf in Henderson, Nev.