Inconsistent Bench Press Bar Path: How to Groove It

The bar touches a different spot each rep and wanders toward your face or your belly on the way up.

Why it happens

How to fix it

Pick one touch point and hit it every single rep

Lower chest or sternum. Consistency matters more than the exact inch.

Check your grip using the knurling marks every set

Uneven hands cause an uneven bar path and eventually an uneven press.

Set your shoulder blades back and down before you unrack

Then hold that position for the entire set, not just the first rep.

Film from the side occasionally

Bar path should be a slight J - back over the shoulders at lockout, forward at the chest.

Worth knowing: A wandering bar path is usually the reason a bench stalls well before the pressing muscles are actually the limit.

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