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Taking a divot in front of the ball?

post #1 of 25
4/8/10 at 4:55pm
Thread Starter 
I read somewhere online that when using your wedges you need to take a divot in front of the ball ?! I'm pretty consistent on getting the ball up and down with my 56* niblick as well as my 58* cg15.....more consistant then my driver anyways....my question is when I hit my wedges there barely is a divot and it usually results in a great shot.....but when I do try and leave a divot my wedge gets stuck in the ground.....am i not following through properly? and should there be a divot after every wedge shot and how do you make a divot in front of the ball?!?
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post #2 of 25
4/8/10 at 4:57pm

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

a divot infront of the ball is a result of a downward strike, hitting the ball first, putting some good back spin on the ball...you can still hit a good wedge without taking a divot, don't get me wrong. I've always found my ball checks/spins back whenever my divot is evident and infront of the ball...and a nice little click too from the shot
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post #3 of 25
4/8/10 at 5:11pm
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Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

Originally Posted by Gioguy21 View Post
a divot infront of the ball is a result of a downward strike, hitting the ball first, putting some good back spin on the ball...you can still hit a good wedge without taking a divot, don't get me wrong. I've always found my ball checks/spins back whenever my divot is evident and infront of the ball...and a nice little click too from the shot
Am I not following thru correctly and is that why my wedge is getting stuck then when i try and take a divot?
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post #4 of 25
4/8/10 at 5:42pm

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

Could be many reasons. You could be decelerating into impact. Could be taking too much divot. For me, my divots (and resulting shots) were horrible when I focused on trying to take a divot. Rather, a divot is a byprodct of a quality swing. Find the bottom of your swing arc and position the ball just before that point and you should be good to go.
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post #5 of 25
4/8/10 at 5:59pm

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

As upah said, it could be a few things. Could be your swing and hitting down at it and not swinging all the way through the shot, or could be the bounce on your wedge is causing it to dig more than normal, dipping of the back shoulder, etc. if you have a little divot (little meaning not deep but relatively shallow of varying lengths) odds are is you're putting a clean strike on the ball which will impart good spin if you hit the ball first, thus putting the divot infront of your ball...
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post #6 of 25
4/8/10 at 6:06pm

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

I think too that the forward divot is from having a steeper angle of attack. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

This is something I plan to work on at the range over the next few weeks as well. Adjusting the position of the ball so my swing arc doesn't bottom out behind it, having a slightly steeperr angle rather than feeling like I'm "scooping" the ball etc.
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post #7 of 25
4/8/10 at 6:14pm

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

Heres a little drill to help with the divot in front of the ball, and swinging down..(do on a hitting mat) Place the ball where you regulary would, then 4-5 inches in front of it place a tee. Then in yourr swing hit both the golf ball and the tee. It helps.
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post #8 of 25
4/8/10 at 7:03pm

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

Originally Posted by clg82 View Post
I read somewhere online that when using your wedges you need to take a divot in front of the ball ?! //...my question is when I hit my wedges there barely is a divot and it usually results in a great shot.... and should there be a divot after every wedge shot and how do you make a divot in front of the ball?!?
For your swing, possibly you are more of a sweeper (shallow impact angle) than a digger (steep impact angle). If the ball has good spin and bites when it hits, I wouldn't worry about it.

Vokey wedge web site talks about this:
http://www.vokey.com/tech_central/page.aspx?id=6

Also, do you tend to cut the grass with your other iron shots, or take a divot? Do you get good action from your other irons?

To check: Put two tees ( x ) into the ground, and put a ball ( 0 ) between them. Hit your shot, and see if your divot come from in front of, on, or behind the ball.

..x......0.......x ^direction of shot
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post #9 of 25
4/8/10 at 8:16pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

Originally Posted by WUTiger View Post
For your swing, possibly you are more of a sweeper (shallow impact angle) than a digger (steep impact angle). If the ball has good spin and bites when it hits, I wouldn't worry about it.

Vokey wedge web site talks about this:
http://www.vokey.com/tech_central/page.aspx?id=6

Also, do you tend to cut the grass with your other iron shots, or take a divot? Do you get good action from your other irons?

To check: Put two tees ( x ) into the ground, and put a ball ( 0 ) between them. Hit your shot, and see if your divot come from in front of, on, or behind the ball.

..x......0.......x ^direction of shot
I am more of a sweeper, and when using the irons long and short, I barely ever leave a divot and I do it's from a chunk! Thanks for the drill I will definetly try that today at the range!
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post #10 of 25
4/8/10 at 8:39pm

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

You really want your divot in front of the ball on all shots.
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post #11 of 25
4/8/10 at 8:43pm
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Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

Originally Posted by jamo View Post
You really want your divot in front of the ball on all shots.
Damn I must be doing it all wrong then lol.....
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post #12 of 25
4/8/10 at 9:01pm

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

If you are finding that anytime you hit the ground, it is a deep, short divot, then the bottom of your swing arc is V-shaped instead of U-shaped. With a good swing (U-shaped), you are somewhat forgiven for hitting behind the ball just a bit. That's why pros talk about a clean shot, hitting it "heavy", and "chunking it". With a V-shaped swing bottom, you must be extremely precise down at the bottom so that you catch the ball right at the bottom of the V. No one is that precise, and that's why it's extremely rare to find someone with poor swing dynamics at the bottom that hits the ball very consistently. If you only ever experience "picks" and "chunks", you don't have the kind of forgiving, U-shaped flat spot at the bottom that better players have.
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post #13 of 25
4/8/10 at 9:37pm

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

Is it possible to swing like a V? The path is dictated by the hands and clubhead. There is no way you can hit a V, you'd have to yank up the club after it struck the ball.
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post #14 of 25
4/8/10 at 9:49pm

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

Originally Posted by Zeph View Post
Is it possible to swing like a V? The path is dictated by the hands and clubhead. There is no way you can hit a V, you'd have to yank up the club after it struck the ball.
I think he just means a steeper swing.
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post #15 of 25
4/8/10 at 9:55pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

Originally Posted by jamo View Post
I think he just means a steeper swing.
If I don't sweep with the wedges they get stuck in the ground, does the turf being wet provoke this? Or is it my swing?
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post #16 of 25
4/8/10 at 10:38pm

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

Originally Posted by clg82 View Post
Damn I must be doing it all wrong then lol.....
I'm not so sure you are. Perhaps it's the terminology.

"In front of the ball" means relative to the target, not relative to your body or where you are when you're looking at the target. When looking at the targetline, you're standing behind the ball. A proper divot will be on the target side ot the ball - in front of the ball.

You could also think of the divot being beyond the ball on the target line.
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post #17 of 25
4/8/10 at 10:58pm

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

Originally Posted by Zeph View Post
Is it possible to swing like a V? The path is dictated by the hands and clubhead. There is no way you can hit a V, you'd have to yank up the club after it struck the ball.
And if you come down really steep into the ball, you will do that. It's pretty hard to make a swing with a constant radius through impact if you bury the club very far into the ground. You'd either have to pull up after impact or have no follow through.
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post #18 of 25
4/9/10 at 4:19am

Re: Taking a divot in front of the ball?

I take great looking divots with my wedges, always in front of the ball, high ball flight and good distance, yet I cannot spin or bite my ball on the green. I'm at the point now where I play short of the pin distance (judging by whether it is front middle or back of green). This way the roll doesn't kill me.

My good friend who scores a lot better than I doesn't take many divots and if he does they are small yet he can get the ball to check up and bite. I wouldn't worry about it if you are happy with the results you are getting now.
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