How big a divot?

[Woodtek]

How big should a divot be with irons? Mine seem huge. I've gotten pretty good at hittng the ball first, but my divots are at least 10" long and about 1" deep at the end and go about ten yards down line. They are pretty level, no toe or heel. I have stong forearms and wrists from swinging a hammer for 30 something years so I don't really feel the club dig. I know the ground is soft right now but isn't that too big?

[Bump-n-MI]

Read this article . Good info that should help answer your questions.

[Woodtek]

Thanks, that is a good article. I didn't think mine were too good.

[Zeph]

Not a very good article imo.

Location Of The Bottom Of The Swing This is the part of the swing that tour players are so good at. They hit the ball and the ground at precisely the same time. That is one reason why they are so effective out of the thick rough and tight lies. It is also the way they create so much spin on their iron shots. Many times, the average player is not even aware of the bottom of the swing. The divot can either be behind the ball, in front of the ball or at the ball.

The bottom of the swing is

four inches in front of the ball on average for the PGA players. They do not hit the ball and ground at the same time, they hit the ball first, then the ground in front of the ball. Telling someone to hit the ball and ground on the same time in the rough is a terrible advice. You'd have to cut your way through a lot of grass before reaching the ball, guaranteeing a bad shot.

In Front Of The Ball If the bottom of the swing is in front of the ball, then the proper cure is to slightly lower the right side of your body at address (for right-handers). Lower your right hip, right shoulder and even tilt your eyes as if you were going to look for something just under the back of the ball. This will position your body in a way to ensure that you move the low point of the swing back to where the ball is.

Cure? Why would you cure hitting the ball properly? Again, the bottom of the swing should be four inches in front of the ball, for every club. Well, not the driver perhaps, maybe 2" there.

Depth Of The Divot The depth of the divot will give you an idea of what your swing plane is. A proper divot is just a clip of the grass roots. You do not want a bunch of sod flying. A divot is either too deep, too shallow or just right.

You want a good piece of turf flying through the air. It means you achieved a swing bottom in front of the ball. How deep is a grass root?

It should be the size of a $ bill. How thick I'm not sure, but somewhere around 1/2 inch is probably good. Depends on how high the grass is. 10" long and 1" deep is maybe a bit too much, but you're not too far off. You could be dipping the head too much. I'd recommend this article: http://www.andrewricegolf.com/tag/direction-of-divot/

[The Recreational Golfer]

Sergio Garcia digs up dinner plates, while MacDonald Smith (going way back) could "hit a 2-iron off an altar cloth and not disturb a thread." Divot size is an effect. The swing is the cause. If you're hitting the ball well, your swing is OK. Don't worry about it.

[Woodtek]

It's interesting the transformation. When I started I was a picker, clean and simple. Everyone told me to hit down on the ball. Last year i went to TCP Boston and after watching the pros up close I was amazed at how little effort they really seemed to use. I started trying to mimic them at the range, simple effortless turn and staying connected with my upper arms. I got pretty good at it until recently. It could be just rust, but I think I need to get somewhere between picking like I used to and digging to china. I'll have to work at it some I guess.