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possible to have good swing but not make a divot?


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When improving on a 10-15 handicap I think a divot is important and I'd be surprised if good players say otherwise.

I disagree. A lot has to do with a shallow or steep descent into the strike. There are many ways to strike a golf ball solidly. Divots tend to be deeper with wedges and shallower as you move up in the bag. Most good drivers of the golf ball have shallow paths and this can also translate into effective iron ball-striking. I've seen good players effectively compress and spin the golf ball without taking a pronounced divot.

The sole of the golf club can make a difference. Game improvement irons tend to have wider soles, rounded leading edges while shot-making clubs like blades tend to have narrower soles and a sharp leading edge that dig.

Driver= Titleist 909D3 9.5 deg
3 Wood= Titleist 909F3 15 deg
Hybrid= Adams Idea Pro Black 19 deg
Irons 3-P= Titleist 695 CB
Wedges= Titleist Vokey Spin Mill 54/10, 60/4Putter= Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 1.5Ball= Titleist ProV1x, NXT Tour

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Absolutely. For example when caught in a fairway bunker about 200 yards from the green yesterday, I had to make good clean contact in the bunker with a 3 iron. Hit it pure without taking any sand and the strike was equivalent to a nice clean 3 iron with a divot from the fairway. I take bigger divots then anyone, but to strike it well you don't have to take a divot.
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Let's take an example from the professional game. Is there a well known player who does not take divots with mid iron shots? That would be food for thought.

My view to this point is that whilst it may be possible to play a low scoring round not taking divots, if you were to do so you would only stand to improve further still.

Even if a player can effectively compress a ball without taking a divot, he would stand to be more assured of that compression if he took one. Tiger woods always seems to take a divot to me.
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Tom Watson and Greg Norman are fairly good players. Oh yeah, Raymond Floyd, a great wedge player, also did not take obnoxious divots. I'd imagine a few players in your country don't take divots, as wind and course conditions dictate players to keep the flight lower with less spin. Golf is game that cannot be summed up in generalizations. Cheers!

Let's take an example from the professional game. Is there a well known player who does not take divots with mid iron shots? That would be food for thought.

Driver= Titleist 909D3 9.5 deg
3 Wood= Titleist 909F3 15 deg
Hybrid= Adams Idea Pro Black 19 deg
Irons 3-P= Titleist 695 CB
Wedges= Titleist Vokey Spin Mill 54/10, 60/4Putter= Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 1.5Ball= Titleist ProV1x, NXT Tour

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Tom Watson and Greg Norman are fairly good players. Oh yeah, Raymond Floyd, a great wedge player, also did not take obnoxious divots. I'd imagine a few players in your country don't take divots, as wind and course conditions dictate players to keep the flight lower with less spin. Golf is game that cannot be summed up in generalizations. Cheers!

Well I've found this topic very interesting, thanks for going to the trouble of listing the pros. Next time I get to take a look at them in action I know what I'm looking for, especially Tom Watson who is a great links player.

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Let's take an example from the professional game. Is there a well known player who does not take divots with mid iron shots? That would be food for thought.

Maybe Rocco Mediate?

Your reference to Tiger Woods is telling. He swings like he's about to explode - I'm probably in the minority, but I find very little subtlety in that swing. It's not one the "average" golfer should emulate. Unless you like looking for lost balls.

Mizuno MP600 driver, Cleveland '09 Launcher 3-wood, Callaway FTiz 18 degree hybrid, Cleveland TA1 3-9, Scratch SS8620 47, 53, 58, Cleveland Classic 2 mid-mallet, Bridgestone B330S, Sun Mountain four5.

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For the past several years, I have been taking little to no divot at all pretty much all the way down to my pitching wedge. I would call my swing, controlled agression. I have a slow one piece take away with a late wrist cock and a fairly explosive down swing and follow through. I am fairly consistent but I find that I am not hitting the ball quite high enough. This is the reason I am looking at lighter shafts in my new set of irons.

I remember in high school that I used to take small to medium sized divots and that I possibly played better by a 1 or 2 handicap. I am now trying to take a larger divot but I cannot for the life of me do so without hitting it fat.

I just recently hit the range and tried out the set of Macs I picked up. I was hitting them with little to no divot just like my MP-14s. However, I was getting a lot more spin - perhaps due to the club's deeper square groves - as I could see even 6 and 7 irons hitting the ground, with no hop and spinning considerably like a top.

In a staff blue  Aerolite III

Razr Hawk 10.5* (BB 63 S)
Orig Steelhead 4W 16.8* (F)
Orig Steelhead 7W 20* (M-10)

 JPX-800 Pro 4-pw (XP S300)

 MP-T Blk Ni 51.06, MP-T Blk Ni 56.14, MP-T Blk Ni 58.10

  Bettinardi BC-1 (34")

TM TP Black

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I finally feel like I have a consistent swing and I have settled on a one-plane swing. It is shallower so it sweeps more with much less or no divot. I actually hit the ball very high with a lot of spin as it stops when it hits the ground. When I lose my consistency I hit shots fat and that concerns me about big divots.

Someone did say something that makes sense. I don't play blades, but it is possible I might take larger divots with a blade.
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I finally feel like I have a consistent swing and I have settled on a one-plane swing. It is shallower so it sweeps more with much less or no divot. I actually hit the ball very high with a lot of spin as it stops when it hits the ground. When I lose my consistency I hit shots fat and that concerns me about big divots.

I have several sets of blades - 3 sets I play regularly (1987 Titleist Tour Models, 1984 Hogan Apex PCs and 1992 Mizuno MP-11s) - I don't take much of a divot with any of them.

Mizuno MP600 driver, Cleveland '09 Launcher 3-wood, Callaway FTiz 18 degree hybrid, Cleveland TA1 3-9, Scratch SS8620 47, 53, 58, Cleveland Classic 2 mid-mallet, Bridgestone B330S, Sun Mountain four5.

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Switching from Big Bertha 08 irons to Mizuno MP 57's (more of a blade) I found my divot size went up signifigantly. My miss hits went from fat with the Game improvement Bertha's to thin with my Mizuno's. I have found that thin miss hits are much more likely to end up where I wanted vs fat which is always short of my target. This would be my #1 reason to rework a swing in favor of a divot.

Also I dropped almost 20 strokes from my handicap this season going from shallow to larger divots.

Tour Burner 10.5 R
mp 57's
Vokey Spin Milled 56.10
Pal 4
Pro-V1X

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I only have one comment: Sweepers and diggers are not equal. People who hit down on it are much better off. It doesn't have to be this huge divot but there must be a downward strike to be a truely great ball striker.

Brian

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I only have one comment: Sweepers and diggers are not equal. People who hit down on it are much better off. It doesn't have to be this huge divot but there must be a downward strike to be a truely great ball striker.

I agree. I think it gives more consistent contact and ball flight. As Lefty knows from past conversations, I have been more of a sweeper. I would brush the grass enough to see where it hit, but a divot I did not take. My new swing changes are changing this and I like it MUCH better!!

Bryan A
"Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same"

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Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I also believe in taking a divot. In spite of listening to the views of people who encourage a sweeping strike, I still don't think it's best.

Having read over the topic again people seem to be hinging on the word 'possible'. Just because something is possible does not make it a good piece of advice for 99% of players. Is it possible to drive to work steering with your feet? Maybe but you would not advise it.

And even for those who play acceptably by sweeping, a fair amount of that small group aren't playing as well as they would striking the ball with a divot in mind.

The thing is, I was respectively told in this topic it is unhelpful to generalise about talking a divot being best but when someone asks for advice don't predominantly go on about the more difficult technique that is sweeping. Generalities are more relevant that the exception to the rule.
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I am definitely more of a sweeper and i dont think it has done me much harm thus far. However there are always improvements to be made in ones swing and i wouldnt say that taking a divot wouldnt mean i am striking the ball more truely
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I am definitely more of a sweeper and i dont think it has done me much harm thus far. However there are always improvements to be made in ones swing and i wouldnt say that taking a divot wouldnt mean i am striking the ball more truely

Well said. I'm also fairly certain that taking a divot won't necessarily inhibit your efforts to decrease the effects of not making solid contact, while at the same time it could increase your chances of not unsuccessfully striking the ball more truly.

Mizuno MP600 driver, Cleveland '09 Launcher 3-wood, Callaway FTiz 18 degree hybrid, Cleveland TA1 3-9, Scratch SS8620 47, 53, 58, Cleveland Classic 2 mid-mallet, Bridgestone B330S, Sun Mountain four5.

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ive been a picker in the past and have since gone thru a few swing changes to increase my distance... distance has recently become a problem the past few seasons...
ive noticed in my game that when i tend to pick a ball clean it doesnt go as far and it feels like im thinning it(it also pulls pretty good)... im not one to take massive divots(unless i hit a fat one) but since the swing changes have taken i get a pretty decent divot/ball flight
RUSS's avg drive - 230yrds and climbing
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You put more stock in your divot than ball flight and how the club feels during contact? Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

I've found the divot is 40% of the feel I get in the shot. Sometimes I'll hit this low-checking pitch shot with a lot of lag and an abbreviated finish. If I catch some of the runners in the bermuda on the way through the turf, it hangs the club up and screws up my finish. The ball flight is still the same, but the feel is crappy.

[ Equipment ]
R11 9° (Lowered to 8.5°) UST Proforce VTS 7x tipped 1" | 906F2 15° and 18° | 585H 21° | Mizuno MP-67 +1 length TT DG X100 | Vokey 52° Oil Can, Cleveland CG10 2-dot 56° and 60° | TM Rossa Corza Ghost 35.5" | Srixon Z Star XV | Size 14 Footjoy Green Joys | Tour Striker Pro 5, 7, 56 | Swingwing

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