Divots...You hit em' or not?

[tm22721]

One thing I've noticed among less experienced players is that they assume you take a divot way before you hit the ball, which is why I see a lot of people chunk it and hit it 30 yards with a 6 iron.

Sounds like me in recent weeks. Turns out that arm tension caused me to hit behind the ball. Contraction of muscle fibers ?

[Shindig]

Sounds like me in recent weeks. Turns out that arm tension caused me to hit behind the ball. Contraction of muscle fibers ?

Stretch before you hit the ball. Stretch whenever downtime exists between shots - such as when you're on the tee after putting. It also serves as an outlet when delayed due to slow play (turn their slow play to your advantage by being looser for the next shot than you were for the previous one).

[SteelDriver]

+1 this is what helped me

hit down.. I hear that all the time. I cannot grasp that concept. I dont know why, just cant.

i feel like I would bury my club into the ground and chunk one of epic proportions. I just dont get that. I know the divot is taken after ball contact, but I thought this was due to just playing the ball further back in your stance. which i do not do. when my club hits the lowest part of my swing, its directly under the ball, so i simply sweep it i guess you could say.

[powerfade]

hit down.. I hear that all the time. I cannot grasp that concept. I dont know why, just cant.

If you're doing this in a fairway, chances are you're hitting on the very bottom of the sweetspot, or even a little thin - bottom of the face.

If your fairways are extremely lush where the ball sits up, then you can get underneath it without taking a divot. Another thing to consider is that by sweeping a mid to short iron, you run the risk of making contact while the club is ascending...not good. Also, by sweeping instead of hitting down, you're losing a ton of spin. Remember, the bottom of your swing arc is not the center of your stance. It's forward of center. If you're swinging properly, the club will strike the ball with a descending blow, then continue travelling down into the turf for a brief period then back up resulting in clean ball-first contact then a nice divot.

[Daddy Golfer]

I have an old video instruction on this very subject.
Those that brush the turf at impact tend to be good with woods and fairway shots, but have lots of trouble in rough and have a very high ball flight. Those that take divots may have some trouble on tight lies but do pretty well in rough and have penetrating ball flight.
To learn how to make a divot after impact, practice exaggerating at impact. Here is what may be happening: if your brushing the turf at impact, it means your hands and the club face are parallel at impact or club face is in front of your hands at impact - hitting up on the ball. Low handicappers and pro's have their hands ahead of the club face at impact.
How to exaggerate impact:
Take your 8 iron, place ball in the middle of your stance and take your back swing. In slow motion, on your downswing, PULL the butt end of the club toward the ball, on plain, so your hands pass the ball. Have the club face contact the ball when your hands are practically by your left thigh (right handers). Do this exercise several times, then hit a few balls. Let the club do the work, the only action on the downswing should be pulling the butt end of the shaft toward the ball.
What is happening:
The club face angle of descent is stepper so now the club face will most likely bottom out in-front of the ball because your hands are now in-front of the club face, consequently the club face bottoms out where your hands are.
Hope this helps. The video is from the PGA Tour Partners Club Game Improvement Series.

[FoosIason]

Of course I take divots. Not with the driver or 3-wood though. But I hit down on the ball, and if I don't take a divot it was probably a poor swing.

I don't take a divot with the 3-wood because it's more of a long sweeping swing. This is on purpose. This allows me to obtain maximum distance while having control. It's un-natural, but it works for me. I shouldn't have to explain why I don't take a divot with the driver.

[RichF]

hit down.. I hear that all the time. I cannot grasp that concept. I dont know why, just cant.

It is hard - until you actually start to do it.

I had always been a 'sweeper' until I started incorporating blade irons into my bag - the hitting down is exactly as Daddy Golfer has posted above - when shifting all your weight back onto your left-hand side (if you're a right-handed golder), pulling the club-handle down and towards the ball should automatically create the lag required for the club-face to remain behind the hands as the face hits the ball, thus causing the loft to do all the work when impact occurs.

[larlev]

I had issues with divots until about 2 mths ago...now I take one 95% of the time. The one tip I can suggest that worked for me is to look 3-6" in front of the ball...eyes usually go to where you are looking. This worked for me in this way....I was able to finally feel what it was supposed to feel like...which makes a huge difference for me. Now I just focus on the ball and can recreate the swing feel.

It's like riding a bike...once you feel how to do it..you will never forget...sorry if bad analogy....daughters currently learning.....

[Lefty39]

I do and I don't i tend to sweep the ball more and get an equal amount of back spin.

[mrobbie]

hit divots today - lots of them :D

[SteelDriver]

Got out to the driving range yesterday and they had the grass section open finally. I tried just about everything i could to take a divot with desirable ball flight....no dice.

my swing is too infested with flaws. I talked to my former instructor and he said that "some just dont have it in their swing". Then went on to hammer me about how you must take a divot to have a "fundamentaly sound swing" and that the divot can show you some wonderful keys to improving your swing further.

I asked him for all my money back from our previous lessons...haha

Seriously, he said my game was great without them and I could either improve on my swing as it is to gradually change it, or go more radical and completely strip it down.

I dont know....i like the gradual idea..im playing really good golf lately.

Shot an 87 last Friday and an 86 just a few days before.

[Dent]

Ive never taken a divot in my life. I sometimes want to because it seems like the proper technique, but I hit the ball just fine without one.

[Roody]

A good tip I read for people who have trouble taking divots is instead of looking at the ball, look about 6 inches past it, and make your swing. It will force you to bottom out your swing later and will help you take a good divot.

That is exactly what my pro told me. Aim for an imaginary ball in front of the real one when hitting 6-iron and above. Lower irons, fairway woods, and driver, it's as if you should aim for an imaginary ball behind the real one.

[Eore]

That is exactly what my pro told me. Aim for an imaginary ball in front of the real one when hitting 6-iron and above. Lower irons, fairway woods, and driver, it's as if you should aim for an imaginary ball behind the real one.

dude, if i don't look at the ball, i probably would miss the ground all together