Low Handicap Players: Are you divots STRAIGHT?

[CG031]

I keep hearing this fascination with straight divots from my friends, dad, etc. etc. My divot points a little bit left of my target. Is this necessarily a bad thing? I guess I may be coming over the top slightly, but do Pro's and really good ball strikers divots point left of their target generally? That's the way the club wants to go when you hit down on the ball and take a divot.

Funny thing is, on my practice swing they all point out right, but when I swing, they always go left. Not a ton left, but slightly.

Is this a really bad thing? lol.

[is2linda]

if im reading your thing correctly you have a outside in swing. which means you have a tendency to either slice or pull. Im not 100% sure but im guessing you have trouble hitting straight with your woods

most pros swing inside-out because it produces more distance and roll. which means divot should be pointing a little bit to the right side of the target line.

hope that answers your questions.

[Zeph]

The divot is supposed to go wherever you plan it to go. That my be to the left or right of the target. Many pros play a draw or fade, where aiming slightly left or right with the body is one part of the equation. Many also have a swing where the swing plane is inside to out relative to the body alignment.

If your divot aims to the left, you are coming over the top, having an outside to inside swing path. Lots of people play with this, it's what they call having a natural fade. As long as you get the clubhead somewhat square and don't come too far over the top, you'll be OK, but I'd think it would be harder to play a draw with that swing.

[David in FL]

I'm not sure what you mean by "straight". If I'm playing a draw, the divot will be oriented to the right of the target line, if a cut, to the left. If I'm hitting the ball straight at the target, then it'll be along the target line or at least it should be.

[CG031]

I'm not sure what you mean by "straight". If I'm playing a draw, the divot will be oriented to the right of the target line, if a cut, to the left. If I'm hitting the ball straight at the target, then it'll be along the target line or at least it

Yeah, if you are hitting the ball straight at the flag, for example with a PW, do you divots point slightly left of the target (for a right-handed golfer)?

I ask this because I used to not take divots, I had a really flat, scoop type of swing that produced a draw that I could never really control. Now, I have a swing that produces a divot, but also a fade now. I don't know if this is a really bad thing or most good players play like that or what...

[Happy Dragon]

Your divot should align in the direction to where you feet are aligned. If you intend to hit it straight, it should be parallel to the target line, as your feet should be. A cut is left because that's where the ball should start and right on a draw for the same reason.

[Zeph]

Yeah, if you are hitting the ball straight at the flag, for example with a PW, do you divots point slightly left of the target (for a right-handed golfer)?

You can't play a fade without having a divot that points to the left. There is a thread where this is discussed more thorougly, but the general idea is that the swingpath determine the path where the ball starts, the clubface where it comes down. With a swingpath outside to inside the ball will be launched to the left. With a square clubface, the ball will fade back to the target. Same goes with a draw, only difference is that your swingpath is inside to outside.

There is no way that is "right". Like I mentioned, a lot of people have a swing with a path which differ from their feet alignment. I would like to have a path which is straight, or slightly in to out, since I've struggled with coming over the top. With a straight swingpath, shaping shots both ways becomes easier than if you have a swing which goes outside to inside or inside to outside Let's say a player with a "natural fade", or a outside to inside swingpath. If he wants to hit a draw, he'd have to aim further right than a person with a straight swingpath. If you have an outside to inside swingpath and aim slightly right of the target, the same amount your swingpath differ from the feet to the left, the club should, if you make the same swing, travel along a straight swingpath. Since your clubface normally is square, you'd have to close it ever so slightly so you don't hit the same fade. This is why a player like Kenny Perry thrive on a course with lots of doglegs left. He can hit his natural shape, which is a draw. On a course with dogleg left to right, he'll have to manipulate his swing in order to hit a fade. It is possible, by all means, but not as easy as if you don't have a built in shaped shot.

[anthonykim3]

actually ball flight laws the club face determines where the ball goes right of the start

[Drifterland]

I keep hearing this fascination with straight divots from my friends, dad, etc. etc. My divot points a little bit left of my target. Is this necessarily a bad thing? I guess I may be coming over the top slightly, but do Pro's and really good ball strikers divots point left of their target generally? That's the way the club wants to go when you hit down on the ball and take a divot.

If your try using your body to create speed you will straighten out your swing path, your practice swings probably have a slower tempo which for a better player would make the club go in to out. When you fire with your hands it is very difficult to avoid coming over the top.

[Zeph]

actually ball flight laws the club face determines where the ball goes right of the start

It's a combination. If you aim the clubface 40 yards left of your body, the ball won't go straight left. There are many variables, but a club swinging outside to inside relative to the clubface will produce a shot which curves from right to left. The ball won't go dead straight where the clubface is aiming, but it won't start at the same angle as the club path either, it will be somewhere inbetween and there will be put spin on the ball which cause it to curve.

[golfbarefoot]

playing a draw, the divot will be oriented to the right of the target line, if a cut, to the left

That's sounds exactly right to me

When I'm ballstriking my best and really hitting pure iron shots with a nice draw, my divot is pointing slightly to the right of the target.

[CG031]

If your try using your body to create speed you will straighten out your swing path, your practice swings probably have a slower tempo which for a better player would make the club go in to out. When you fire with your hands it is very difficult to avoid coming over the top.

Probably what I am doing. I also think my backswing is a little too long, ala Phil or Daly.

Since Steve Marino always plays a cut I'm guessing he's coming over the top a little bit with his swings and his divot is going left?

[out_in_30]

when i line up square to a target; a good swing of mine that is down the line will have a straight divot at my target.. divots should point in the direction of your initial target. when a righty plays a cut, they will start it left of the pin(or target) divot should be pointing that way.

[PiustheDrGolf]

My divot always toward little left of the target and Yes I do produce slight fade and Yes..my body alignment is parallel to the divot. As one of replies, I do use my torso little bit more than whole body turn.

I had been instructed many times and none of pros. did try to correct that. Personally, I think little out-to-in produce better striking and control to it. :)

[Happy Dragon]

You can't play a fade without having a divot that points to the left. There is a thread where this is discussed more thorougly, but the general idea is that the swingpath determine the path where the ball starts, the clubface where it comes down. With a swingpath outside to inside the ball will be launched to the left. With a square clubface, the ball will fade back to the target. Same goes with a draw, only difference is that your swingpath is inside to outside.

Much of what you post makes little sense which is consistent with some of your other posts on technical subjects. If your 16.5 handicap is accurate, swing paths/planes and shot shapes may be out of your scope.

Sorry to be a little brutal.

[Zeph]

Much of what you post makes little sense which is consistent with some of your other posts on technical subjects. If your 16.5 handicap is accurate, swing paths/planes and shot shapes may be out of your scope.

Don't be, but I'd apprechiate it if you did explain why and how I am wrong, so I and everyone else might learn something. Just telling people they are wrong won't help much, and I still don't think I'm wrong.

And regarding my other posts, as long as you don't elaborate, I don't care what you think.

[Happy Dragon]

Let's say a player with a "natural fade", or a outside to inside swingpath. If he wants to hit a draw, he'd have to aim further right than a person with a straight swingpath. If you have an outside to inside swingpath and aim slightly right of the target, the same amount your swingpath differ from the feet to the left, the club should, if you make the same swing, travel along a straight swingpath. Since your clubface normally is square, you'd have to close it ever so slightly so you don't hit the same fade.

I have issues with this paragraph. Where is the draw coming from. Just the amount the player aims right? If you make no other changes then, your ball is still going right, it's not going to magically curve but aiming more to the right. There's a little more to hitting a draw... like the position on the clubface at address, altering the swing path to a lower finish, and visualizing/feeling the shot beforehand. The magnitude of the draw setup changes with the driver as compared to the wedge.

[mgresh]

Much of what you post makes little sense which is consistent with some of your other posts on technical subjects. If your 16.5 handicap is accurate, swing paths/planes and shot shapes may be out of your scope.

Don't be, but I'd apprechiate it if you did explain why and how I am wrong, so I and everyone else might learn something. Just telling people they are wrong won't help much, and I still don't think I'm wrong.

Hey guys,

Zeph, you're right about this having been discussed at length in previous posts but the way that I've been taught and found most evident in reality is that if you draw a line through the ball to the target, at no point should your club ever go "outside" that line. It should move inside going back, touch through impact and move back inside on the way through. I tend to cross this line from the inside to outside at impact typically producing what you would term a "natural" draw, with divots which angle right of my target and foot lines but a clubface square to these. My goal of course is to have each of these square to square at all times and just adjust my target and foot lines right or left depending on the shape desired. It seems to me the best ball strikers don't have a lot of movement one way or the other as far as shape goes...Sean O'Hair comes to mind...his shots just sort of "fall" one way or the other. I know this has to do quite a bit with equipment these days but this has been the case in my observation. Again, there is another thread that debates this in detail with article references, physics lectures, etc. but for my purposes and having played, studied and taken lessons for 30 years this works the best for me. I will tell you that $2.00 alignment sticks, or whatever folks want to call them (they're really just driveway markers), are the best investment from a practice aid perspective I've made for golf as there are numerous drills for this very topic that they can be used for.