Taking a divot in front of the ball?

[Zeph]

I take great looking divots with my wedges, always in front of the ball, high ball flight and good distance, yet I cannot spin or bite my ball on the green. I'm at the point now where I play short of the pin distance (judging by whether it is front middle or back of green). This way the roll doesn't kill me.

High ball flight is probably the reason. A divot is not a guarantee for backspin. If you hit it high, you are releasing the lag and adding loft to the club, this also greatly reduces spin. If you manage to work on your wrists and getting the hands in front of the club head at impact, you will quickly see a lower ball flight and more backspin.

On the PGA Tour, the average height on a shot is 30 yards. That is 30 yards with a driver and 30 yards with a pitching wedge. How they do it? De-lofting the club, hands ahead of the ball at impact. As long as you don't hit it thin, the lower ball flight you get, the more backspin you will create. Just try with your wedges when chipping. Set up with the hands well in front of the ball, maybe even all the way to your left knee. When swinging back and through, make sure you lock the wrists and never let them break down. Be well ahead of the club head with the hands at impact. This will promote a lower ball flight, but also create lots of backspin. It is how the pros hit their chip and runs which come out low, hop two, tree times and then come to a complete stop. Try using your 8 iron, doing the same drill, hands in front of the ball. Don't hit full swings, just 1/2 or 3/4. Ball flight is a huge part of gaining distance.

[nevets88]

When I first started playing, I thought a very high ball flight was good and did everything to promote that - thus divot behind ball, lots of fat shots, inconsistency.

I eventually learned I was wrong and tried to get the divot ahead of the ball, hands ahead of clubface at impact, but at first, I took hitting down on the ball too seriously.

On a wet course one day, I saw my divot going deep into the ground - inches-- and to the right, so don't overdo hitting down on the ball.

I think it's more like hit the ball first, imagine the lower edge of your club making first contact with the equator of the ball and then going down and through.

As a result, like the poster above, my ball flight was lower, even with wedges and pitches. When I tee the ball for par 3s, sometimes my divots are an inch in front of the ball.

Getting the hands in front at impact and not releasing early was the hardest thing for me to learn. I hit no small amount of shanks, but it helped starting small, with wedges and little swings.

To make sure I got it, I videotaped myself and freeze framed at impact. Don't have the lean forward as much as some of the pros, but I'm still getting there.

[iacas]

What Zeph said is true, but at the same time if you take the same club with the same amount of shaft lean and speed and the same contact point on the ball, the one that's still moving downward more will often launch the ball at a higher angle with more backspin because the CG is being driven down beneath the ball rather than coming into it flatter.

And that's not to mention that increasing backspin can increase total shot height, too. 3/4 8I don't go as high as a full 8I due to a few things, one of which is less backspin (and ball speed for peak height since the ball simply won't climb for as long).

[shortstop20]

Great point iacas.

Backspin plays a great role in the height the ball reaches in the air.

[2strokes]

Took a lesson yesterday after 16 years away from the game. Big bad slice hitter my whole life.

Lessons from Matt Trimble at ASU Karstens Ping Learning Center, video analysis.

Things I learned:

1. To break my wrist on the backswing. I was not doing that.
2. To roll my wrist (club head) open to close on the swing. My whole life(56 yo) I never knew this.
3. To make a divot in front of the ball . in the old days a divot was behind my ball and it was always something bad when it happened. I always tried to not take grass, just the ball.

He made me practice 3 divots in front of the spot where the marker was, then he would let me hit a ball. I could continue to hit the ball if the divot was in front. No divot in front, take the ball away and hit 3 more in front, then I could hit another ball.

I was amazed that I could actually hit a draw when hitting correctly. Old days the only time i hit it to the left was if there was water there

[clg82]

Took a lesson yesterday after 16 years away from the game. Big bad slice hitter my whole life.

Good to hear 2 stroke! I have been doing the drill lately where I place a tee in front of the ball and hit it.....haven't noticed much of a difference but in time I think I'll notice.....Glad you're getting back into the game!

[Zeph]

Things I learned:

I don't agree with that one. I can't say what you and the instructor means by rolling, but in any case it's probably not something you would want to do.

It's a lot to read, but give it a go when you can: Clubface Square to the Plane Deep Hands Explained