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Taking a divot in front of the ball?

clg82

By clg82,
in Instruction and Playing Tips

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clg82 Well Established Member

clg82

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?!?
Driver: DIABLO EDGE
Hybrid: 5DX
Irons: X-22 Irons 4-PW
Wedge: X-22 51* AW, CG15 54*/58*
Putter: Method 001Ball: Penta TP
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Gioguy21 Great Member

Gioguy21

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

In my Titleist 2014 9.5" Staff bag:

Cobra Bio+ 9* Matrix White Tie X  - Taylormade SLDR 15* ATTAS 80X - Titleist 910H 19* ATTAS 100X - Taylormade '13 TP MC 4-PW PX 6.5 - Vokey TVD M 50* DG TI X100 - Vokey SM4 55 / Vokey SM5 60* DG TI S400 - Piretti Potenza II 365g

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clg82 Well Established Member

clg82

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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?

Driver: DIABLO EDGE
Hybrid: 5DX
Irons: X-22 Irons 4-PW
Wedge: X-22 51* AW, CG15 54*/58*
Putter: Method 001Ball: Penta TP
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upah Well Established Member

upah

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.
Driver: Taylormade Tour Burner 9.5° | Fairway Wood: Adams Speedline Fast 10 15° | Irons: Mizuno MP-57 3-PW | Wedges: Cleveland CG11 52° 56° 60° | Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG Rossie
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Gioguy21 Great Member

Gioguy21

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...

In my Titleist 2014 9.5" Staff bag:

Cobra Bio+ 9* Matrix White Tie X  - Taylormade SLDR 15* ATTAS 80X - Titleist 910H 19* ATTAS 100X - Taylormade '13 TP MC 4-PW PX 6.5 - Vokey TVD M 50* DG TI X100 - Vokey SM4 55 / Vokey SM5 60* DG TI S400 - Piretti Potenza II 365g

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Teklabz Established Member

Teklabz

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.

|Callaway X460 draw-biased Driver|Taylormade Burner 3W|Adams Golf Idea A7 19° Hybrid|Adams Golf Idea Pro Gold 23° hybrid|King Cobra Baffler 29° hybrid|Taylormade Burner 6i|Adams Idea Tech A4OS 7i|Mizuno MP32 8i|Pro Select Blaze II 9i|Callaway Golf Forged Chrome 48° PW|Oncourse Target Series...

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kennay92 Great Member

kennay92

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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WUTiger Incredible Member

WUTiger

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

Focus, connect and follow through!

  • Completed KBS Education Seminar (online, 2015)
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Driver:  :touredge: EXS 10.5°, weights neutral   ||  FWs:  :callaway: Rogue 4W + 7W
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clg82 Well Established Member

clg82

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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.

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!

Driver: DIABLO EDGE
Hybrid: 5DX
Irons: X-22 Irons 4-PW
Wedge: X-22 51* AW, CG15 54*/58*
Putter: Method 001Ball: Penta TP
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jamo Incredible Member

jamo

You really want your divot in front of the ball on all shots.

In my bag:

Driver: Titleist TSi3 | 15º 3-Wood: Ping G410 | 17º 2-Hybrid: Ping G410 | 19º 3-Iron: TaylorMade GAPR Lo |4-PW Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo | 54º SW, 60º LW: Titleist Vokey SM8 | Putter: Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas H7

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clg82 Well Established Member

clg82

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You really want your divot in front of the ball on all shots.

Damn I must be doing it all wrong then lol.....

Driver: DIABLO EDGE
Hybrid: 5DX
Irons: X-22 Irons 4-PW
Wedge: X-22 51* AW, CG15 54*/58*
Putter: Method 001Ball: Penta TP
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bunkerputt Great Member

bunkerputt

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.

[ Equipment ]
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Zeph Incredible Member

Zeph

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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jamo Incredible Member

jamo

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.

In my bag:

Driver: Titleist TSi3 | 15º 3-Wood: Ping G410 | 17º 2-Hybrid: Ping G410 | 19º 3-Iron: TaylorMade GAPR Lo |4-PW Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo | 54º SW, 60º LW: Titleist Vokey SM8 | Putter: Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas H7

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clg82 Well Established Member

clg82

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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?

Driver: DIABLO EDGE
Hybrid: 5DX
Irons: X-22 Irons 4-PW
Wedge: X-22 51* AW, CG15 54*/58*
Putter: Method 001Ball: Penta TP
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sean_miller Incredible Member

sean_miller

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.

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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shortstop20 Great Member

shortstop20

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.

 - Joel

TM M3 10.5 | TM M3 17 | Adams A12 3-4 hybrid | Mizuno JPX 919 Tour 5-PW

Vokey 50/54/60 | Odyssey Stroke Lab 7s | Bridgestone Tour B XS

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soloredd Dedicated Member

soloredd

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.

Callaway Org14 Sport w/ Clicgear Cart:

Callaway X 460 9* - Callaway X 15* - TaylorMade 19*/21* Hybrid - Callaway Diablo Forged 4-PW - Titleist 50/56/60 - Rife Cayman Brac - Bridgestone xFIXx/B330-RX - TRUE Linkswear Supporter!

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