MASSIVE Iron Divots! Help!

[bpollino89]

I'm not sure what is going on here, I've been playing golf for about 10 months now. Up until yesterday I was very happy with my iron play. I played 27 holes at my home course yesterday, now granted the course was very wet in some areas, but I found my self digging my irons and wedges, just about every club except the driver. I normally have a problem topping the ball if anything, but yesterday was extremely frustrating to say the least. Tried moving my hands down the grip, same story. I'm talking massive divots, almost stopping the club in the ground at times, even on a slightly teed up par 3 shot. Any ideas why?

[JetFan1983]

From a post I wrote a while back when someone else asked the same question:

Originally Posted by JetFan1983

If your contact is good, then the fix is simple. Tuck the butt quicker through the strike to take some of the steepness out of the swing. The level of your belt should rise a few inches through impact. Releasing the hips from their downward tilt helps shallow the swing to prevent those steep crashes. Focus on pushing off the ground and straightening your legs as your arms stay straight through the shot.

[CrossGolfPro]

I had a similar problem...sometimes is actually in your set up.  Deep divots are caused by an extremely steep arc in your swing.  What can cause this is a set up where for example your feet are lined up to the right of your target and your shoulders are pointed at the target.  In essence your body is crossed up and swinging against itself.  Try lining up your shoulders to point the same direction your foot line is pointing and make your swing path correspond with that line.

If that doesn't cure it, try backing away from the ball a little and flatten your swing plane out.

[saevel25]

Well, to take a divot that large, there are a few options...

1) your to close to the ball

2) your swing is to steep

3) your dipping your head down, your arms can't gain length in the swing, and there attatched to the shoulders, so basically the point between the shoulders, if you draw a line between them, form a triangle down to the hands. If you that line moves close to the ball you will bottom out deeper into the ground. If you say you topped more than you taken deep divots, i would say your moving your upper center up and down. Focus on taking slightly less of a backswing, in both length and rotation, really tighten it up, and focus on keeping that head still. I had this problem for years and still do a bit.

[bpollino89]

Excellent answers! Really sounds like what could fix my struggles. I just went out and got some alignment sticks to start from the ground up and see if it could be an alignment issue and I will certainly check for head movement! Thanks a ton guys! I have been doing more than usual work with my driver/3wood/hybrid so I may have become too accustomed to a flat swing plane and I think I'm over compensating with the irons and coming in really steep! To the range today to see how it goes! Thanks!

[westcyderydin]

Also check that you are keeping your head from moving forward as you are hitting the ball...that will make you get steep.

[james_hirshfield]

COMON GUYS!

Deep divot is why?!?! Club is traveling DOWN too sharply, and not coming UP fast enough.

Golf in TEN words will fix it.

Weight Forward - (hips forward gives axis tilt, shallows angle of attack)

Shoulder Down

Hands In - (more INWARD hands go, shallower angle of descent. think merry go round club head.... not wood chop!)

Arms Straight

TUCK BUTT - (gets club out the ground)

You're welcome. :P

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by JetFan1983

If your contact is good, then the fix is simple. Tuck the butt quicker through the strike to take some of the steepness out of the swing. The level of your belt should rise a few inches through impact. Releasing the hips from their downward tilt helps shallow the swing to prevent those steep crashes. Focus on pushing off the ground and straightening your legs as your arms stay straight through the shot.

Originally Posted by james_hirshfield

COMON GUYS!

Deep divot is why?!?! Club is traveling DOWN too sharply, and not coming UP fast enough.

Golf in TEN words will fix it.

Weight Forward - (hips forward gives axis tilt, shallows angle of attack)

Shoulder Down

Hands In - (more INWARD hands go, shallower angle of descent. think merry go round club head.... not wood chop!)

Arms Straight

TUCK BUTT - (gets club out the ground)

You're welcome. :P

Good advice guys, just a picture to go with it

[bunkerputt]

Don't forget "Head back"

[tshapiro]

If I start getting right hand dominant than I start getting deep divots. I attribute this to the fact that hitting with the right hand causes me to lose extenstion at the top and also lazy core action where I dont get to my left foot or rotate fully on the downswing. I could be wrong, but, my perception is also that my right hand releases steeper than my left hand because the swing point goes from my left shoulder to my right elbow creating a smaller arc. So, should the deep divots start to creep in, my cure is to encourage lower body action and focus on my left hand for the timing of my release. When I do this, my divots are nice and shallow - barely exposing the grass roots.

[bpollino89]

I just wanted to come back to this thread to thank all of you who contributed, I was going through a pretty rough time with my golf game because of this problem and had some sort of mental block that would not allow me to self diagnose the issue. I'm playing the best golf of my short career after I got over this little 'speed bump.' You guys saved me a trip to the instructor in a major way. I found most of the problem in my alignment, head movement, and standing WAY too close to the ball. Thanks again guys!