I have an enemy with a ragdoll, to which I apply an impulse when it is killed (based on the forward vector of the player, who at the moment can not look up or down). However, the enemy’s ragdoll is always blown into the air - it is not imparted much horizontal momentum, but mainly vertical. This is the same if I use a radial force on impact too - no matter where the radial force is located, whether above or blow the ragdoll, the enemy is always blown upwards.
Here is the blueprint for the force application step. The ragdoll is the default physics asset for TPP_hero.
