Trouble taking divots

[barrycuda]

Greenkeepers love me, i just cant seem to take divots with my irons. i guess it saves me fixing holes all the time :)
if i try to take a chunk out of the ground id probably shank the ball.

what can i try to take a divot?

thx

[Cizzle]

Weird question to ask a 8.4, but are you afraid of taking divots? For most beginners, they literally are "afraid" of hitting the ground and taking a divot. It could be a mental thing for you. Also, it could be you're just a sweeper, which is fine. Are you not taking a divot even with your wedges though?

Divots are natural and recommeded. My advice would be to make sure your left arm is completely extended throughout the swing until after contact, to make sure you are not getting more upright during your swing and to make sure you are hitting down through the ball.

-This also came into mind. You could be coming too much in-to-out. Is your normal miss a push? You could also be standing too far from the ball.

[barrycuda]

im a sweeper yes. even with wedges i only scrape the top of the turf.

yes my normal miss is a push or hook and my divots point right of the target.

and also lately i'm hitting my shots near the toe area of the club, is that a sign of standing too far from the ball?

thx

[Cizzle]

If your divots point a tad to the right it should be fine, but if its like more like 25 degrees you are probably coming to much in-to-out. I think you should try standing a tad bit more closer to the ball and see what happens. It seems like it would force a little bit more out-to-in (still in-to-out) which would create a steeper swing. This is important when it comes to your wedges because you'll create more of a pinch on the ball, creating more backspin, which is always good for your approach shots.

Hopefully someone that knows better can verify my suggestions, or correct them if I'm wrong and steer you in the right direction. But standing closer does sound like it could work for you, your arms should be about 5 maybe 6 inches away from your body.

I know changing stance can be extremely hard, especially at your level. A much more sound approach would be to just try not coming so much in-to-out, and making sure right elbow stayed tucked toward to your body and see if that produces a a slightly bigger divot for you.

Lastly, even though divots generally are recommended, especially for the wedges, if it aint broke don't fix it. But if you feel that tweaking your swing will help you get to that next level, I think this is where you should start.

Best of Luck!

[Socrates]

Is handicap calcualted differently in New Zeland?

[barrycuda]

dont think so. im just trying to find consistency. 6 times i have played under 80, the lowest was 76. but lately in the high 80's. ive only been playing this game for 1.5 years. lessons ive probably had like 5 during that whole time.

[sc golfer]

you say that your missed are either blocks or hooks. that means you are coming to far from the inside and you're swinging the club very flat, having to time it perfectly in order to hit it straight. it's also the reason why you're not taking divots, you're swinging to flat. try taking the club back on the target line, more width, which will get you more vertical, which will in turn allow you take divots more often. hope that helps

[jeffhale08]

As you stand over the ball, keep your head over the ball during the entire swing. This will get you more on top of the ball as your downswing starts. Pick out either a spot on the back of the ball or a blade of grass at the bottom of the ball to fix your eyes on. Hit that spot. Not only will you take a divot, but probably hit a higher, softer iron shot that should sit even on Augusta National greens...

[Avid Golfer]

Greenkeepers love me, i just cant seem to take divots with my irons. i guess it saves me fixing holes all the time :)

Its not necessarily a bad thing that your not taking divots. It could mean that you are doing a good job of shallowing out on the downswing (which is a good thing). Greg Norman rarely took divots when he was #1 in the world.

im a sweeper yes. even with wedges i only scrape the top of the turf.

Its difficult to diagonse without seeing your setup or swing. Faulty posture or balance are among possible causes of the the problems you are discribing.

dont think so. im just trying to find consistency. 6 times i have played under 80, the lowest was 76. but lately in the high 80's. ive only been playing this game for 1.5 years. lessons ive probably had like 5 during that whole time.

I recommend focusing on your setup fundamentals. If they are good then you'll have a better chance of making a good swing. If you have a large mirror or can look at a reflection of your setup try to compare it with pictures of the pros. If you have access to a camera and can record your setup (and/or swing) then someone may be able to offer a more accurate opinion of what may be causing your problem(s).

[blurry]

maybe it's your ball position that is the problem ,if it to far forward you cant hit a decending blow which is why you sweep the ball, try moving the ball back slightly in your stance to encourage a decendingblow on the back of the ball

[barrycuda]

maybe it's your ball position that is the problem ,if it to far forward you cant hit a decending blow which is why you sweep the ball, try moving the ball back slightly in your stance to encourage a decendingblow on the back of the ball

yes i have a tendency to have the ball too far left in my stance.

thx for all the replies. i focused today on taking the club straight back, keeping my head focused on the ball through impact(i often turn my head left too soon at impact), and getting my weight shifted onto left foot at impact. and i ended up with a decent round 83 gross, 82 adjusted. 39 putts :) greens where just cut and sanded though. i didint divot more than usual though. just cut the grass off the top or maybe a shallow divot now and then.

[marpr]

dont think so. im just trying to find consistency. 6 times i have played under 80, the lowest was 76. but lately in the high 80's. ive only been playing this game for 1.5 years. lessons ive probably had like 5 during that whole time.

you've only played the game for 18months and your at THAT handicap? i think i'll be getting lessons from you soon. haha

re-divot > automatically, i would look at your ball position at address. ideally, you want your swing to max out in the turf after hitting the ball. i have a friend who plays off 1 and he rarely takes a divot from anything long that an 7 iron.