Trouble Hitting The Ball Then Taking A Divot

[drmeh]

Yesterday I finally played on a course with grass. I noticed when my clubface came into the ball that I hardly ever took a divot on the target of the ball. I usually just catch the ball and have very little grass to be displaced afterwards. I am not looking to dig up the earth, but I understand that this is where the pros get their distance with their irons--when coming into the ball their irons are delofted--they contact the ball first, then the ground next.

How do you swing in such a way that coming into the ball your hands are in front of the ball? I even have difficulty with this when I place my irons in the middle of my stance. I just do not find myself hitting ball first then ground second. It is always just the ball--a very shallow swing. Any ideas, swing thoughts, drills, etc.?

[JimmyDoesGolf]

It could be one of a few things. You might have a swing path which is too shallow and so you only sweeps the ball. It could also be that you're not maintaining you wrist cock during the downswing.

[rubbery]

I just started thinking about this the other day, too. I dropped a bunch of balls on the course from about 100 out on every hole and really tried to concentrate on taking a divot with my sand wedge, but everytime I tried I just chunked it (mission accomplished I guess).

[kehanra99]

Put a ball marker about 2 inches in front of the ball. Line up normally, then try sweeping the marker off the ground after making contact with the ball. You'll find after 50 swings or so you're hitting the ball with a solid sound and your swing will bottom out in front of the ball. This drill took me from hitting my Hybrid 200 yards to hitting my 4 iron 200 yards. I have rolled my hybrid 240 since doing this...

People tend to take less stock in the advice of someone with a 20 handicap, but when you consider I started playing last June and hit a 124 on my first round, you can imagine the kind of work I've put in. I got addicted...my scores are higher because of consistency and putting, not because I can't make the shots.

[Dent]

Yesterday I finally played on a course with grass.

??? What are your other courses usually like?

[srjorion]

How do you swing in such a way that coming into the ball your hands are in front of the ball?

And you are a 4.7 handicap? Something is not right here, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and answer.

A great drill my pro showed me is the impact fix. Set up to the ball like you normally do, then swing back about halfway, and then return to the ball, stopping in the "impact" position. Basically your hips should be turned more towards the target than in the setup position, and your hands will be ahead of the ball. Don't forget to maintain your posture, or "spine angle" at the impact position. From that position, go halfway back and then swing through the ball. You will take half a swing and hit the ball a decent distance. Concentrate on your hands being ahead of the ball at impact. You basically use your body to turn back and then through. You will be suprised how far you hit the ball with a half swing like this.

[lolzzlolzz]

I don't like these "drills" people do to fix problems in the golf swing. When analyzing your swing, you must think of the cause, and not the result. When you're back hurts, you can examine and treat the cause, or you can treat the symptoms (result) and take an Advil.

First you must understand why the pros take such a big divot. In my opinion there are three major reasons for this:

1) All pros initiate the downswing with their lower body, transferring their weigh to their left leg and turning their hips back. Once you are in this position, your hands will be about hip level, and it will feel almost impossible to hit the ball without taking a divot.

2) Pros supinate their left hand before impact. Their wrist is bent towards the target, and their hands are well in front of the ball and club.

3) Their right arm is bent at impact. The left arm is straight while the right arm is still bent. They are hitting through the ball, and their arms don't straighten out until one or two feet past impact. The fastest part of the swing isn't at impact but when the arms are both fully extended.

Honestly, I think you should check your grip, stance and posture, and back swing. A correct downswing is useless without having the previous fundamentals in place. If you're certain these are correct, look at your downswing. Make sure you have enough lateral motion to bring your weight onto your left foot. If you are hanging back, you will not hit the ball with a descending blow.

Once you are in that position (with the hips starting to turn back, weight transferred to the left foot, and hands about hip level), and assuming your grip, stance and posture, and back swing are correct, it will be almost impossible to hit the ball without taking a divot, because your right arm will be bent at impact and still extending. It will have no place to go but through the ground.

[drmeh]

Our grass here in the south is just coming in (bermuda). I regularly play on a course that has a sandy soil, and it really thins out in the winter months. There is hardly any fluff there for about 4months--just thin, dormant grass. So I am grateful that the heat and humidity have finally kicked in.

[QWKDTSN]

I saw a good clip from the golf channel. I don't remember the teacher's name, or I'd look it up, but it's on youtube.

He took a piece of plywood about 2 feet square and cut a notch about 5" square on one side. Set your ball in this notch, and it will force you to pinch the ball and take a divot after the ball. If you take a normal swing, you will hit the plywood, CLUNK.

I have been meaning to try this, because I find that I do shoot very well when I can pinch the ball with my irons, especially when I have some time to practice the technique at the range, but I have a hard time taking it out onto the course - there is so much time between shots that I slip into my normal swing. I tend to hit shots very flush - I almost never take a divot with my normal swing (which isn't really good).

[CG031]

Try moving it to your back foot.

[Avid Golfer]

I noticed when my clubface came into the ball that I hardly ever took a divot on the target of the ball. I usually just catch the ball and have very little grass to be displaced afterwards. I am not looking to dig up the earth, but I understand that this is where the pros get their distance with their irons--when coming into the ball their irons are delofted--they contact the ball first, then the ground next.

Acutally the pros get their distance from ball speed, shallow angle of attack, levers, centerness of contact on the clubface, and a few other factors. Hitting down into the ground isn't one of them.

Hitting down into the ground (with a decending blow) makes the ball spin up the face of the club and adds backspin to the ball. It also directs force down toward the ground. Neither one of them is condusive to propelling the ball forward toward the target. As Bobby Jones wrote in his book Bobby Jones on Golf that the reason photos showed his hands in front of the ball at impact, and photos of Harry Vardon showed Vardon's hands behind the ball was because Jones had a strong left hand grip (with the left hand rotated on top of the shaft) while Vardon had a weak left hand grip (with the left hand rotated more to the side/under the shaft). If you want your hands leading the clubhead into the ball try strengthening your grip. Moving your ball back in your stance will not benefit you. Notice that in the picture below that none of the pros (including Annika with the wedge) has the ball no farther back then their left ear. http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/254...ballposdg0.jpg Don't concern yourself with if you are taking divots or not. Many great tour pros were known for not taking divots when they were playing well (including Greg Norman and the late Payne Stewart). A shallow angle of attack will help direct power forward (toward the target) where you want it to hit long powerful shots.

[MunkeyGolfer]

I saw a good clip from the golf channel. I don't remember the teacher's name, or I'd look it up, but it's on youtube.

I searched for this and came up empty. Have you been able to find this? I think it would be interesting to see.

[Avid Golfer]

I saw a good clip from the golf channel. I don't remember the teacher's name, or I'd look it up, but it's on youtube.

I believe the instructor you are referring to is Martin Hall (who teaches Morgan Pressel). IMO the drill you are referring to isn't a good one. Recently there has been talk on LPGA telecasts that Morgan Pressel has been fustrated she isn't getting more distance out of her swing. To date Martin Hall's drills haven't helped her gain any distance (she currently averages 233 yards off the tee), so don't expect too much (if anything) from Martin Hall's tips for distance.

Pressel: http://www.lpgascoring.com/13677/scorecards/82827.html LPGA driving distance: http://www.lpga.com/player_stats.aspx?mid=4&pid;=5 Like I said in post 11 a desending blow isn't condusive to producing forward momentum and distance.

[QWKDTSN]

Avid Golfer,
That is uncanny. I just spent 30 minutes looking for that clip and not finding anything, because I couldn't remember the name. That you knew the drill and who to associate it with off the top of your head is amazing!

part one

part two

[drmeh]

Thanks for the info on chipping. If anyone can come up with the youtube.com site for using the plywood or The Golf Channel site, please reply. I looked through this morning, but cannot find it.

[QWKDTSN]

Look at the two links I just posted.

[iacas]

First you must understand why the pros take such a big divot.

They don't all take big divots all the time. Some players almost never take a divot, and all of them don't take a divot some of the time.

To the OP, perhaps you're a sweeper of the golf ball, not a digger. If you don't believe you are, well, others seem to have answered your questions re: helping you take divots.

[MunkeyGolfer]

Look at the two links I just posted.

Thanks QWKDTSN for digging those up. Very interesting to watch