Taking Divots vs sweeping the grass

[airlefty]

Can someone teach me the proper technique to take divots? how do your arms and hands feel when you hit it right (or wrong)? For the whole time I just "sweep the grass"... are there pros and cons for both ball striking techniques? (i know that pros take divots all the time...) what do i have to change in my swing? can i practice the technique on mats?

[lamebums]

Can someone teach me the proper technique to take divots? how do your arms and hands feel when you hit it right (or wrong)? For the whole time I just "sweep the grass"... are there pros and cons for both ball striking techniques? (i know that pros take divots all the time...) what do i have to change in my swing? can i practice the technique on mats?

Assuming you're hitting down on the ball, and thus hitting the ball before the grass/taking a divot, there's little to no problem. It means you have a more rounded swing, and

might be more prone to catching it thin, but otherwise, there's no problem with it. I rarely take a divot in the fairway - added bonus, you don't have to replace one, if there is none to begin with. If you want to take a divot, I guess you could practice on mats, although it wouldn't be very effective - most likely, the hint that you took a divot is actually your club bouncing off the mat, and you've got those annoying astroturf green marks on the sole of your club.

[Chilidipper]

Taking a divot in my opinion is the way to go. I always/99% of the time take a divot after I come down on the ball. It is really hard to describe in words how to hit down. I can tell you this though when you catch it perfect/sweet spot and come through with a thick divot and stick your approach nothing feels better. Well accept for hitting a 30 ft birdie putt.

[RunOfTheDill]

Yeah, I never take a divot. When I hit the ground I never get a clean hit. I just cant use to the hitting down.

[Mhinderaker]

For me the trick to hitting down and through the ball rather than sweeping is making sure to make a full shoulder turn because it gets my arms moving fast enough to get the club down through the turf.

Also, I only usually take a very large divot with sort irons and try to make a more sweeping swing with longirons, fairway woods, and hybrids.

For me, taking divots is only especially necessary when you really need that half-wedge shot to check up real quick, allowing you to swing far more agressively and really try to knock it close.

[PensacolaWahoo]

There are plenty of solid players out there that don't take divots. The most well known of which would be Tim Clark. That guy even hits wedges and picks them clean off the fairway. For many they are able to hit the ball much longer by picking it clean. That said - I'm a divot taker and love hitting anything from 7 iron in. I focused very hard on learning to hit down on the ball and my 140 yard in game has gotten much better for it. I am right now trying to focus on picking the ball a bit more with my 3-6 as I tend to take huge divots with these clubs as well and feel like I'm losing a ton of distance. I think you have to have some serious swing speed to take divots and hit long shots with the long irons. I do love watching Tiger smash a 2 iron and dig up half the fairway in the process though.

[Dent]

I always think that when i dont take a divot i dont have a proper swing, but taking a divot is nothing, if you can hit the ball good without a divot then whats the point of taking one and picking it up and replacing after?

[Guest]

Taking Divots vs sweeping the grass = its all about swing plain. And that’s not easy to change! And when you do change it your whole game will change to you ball flight,your wedge play the lot so if you play all right leave things the way they are if not try some of these tip. I do this in a bunker and but you can do it on grass hit some ball focusing on the equator of the ball that is your impact point hit down on that and though

[seattlemudder]

It all depends on what type of swing you have, whether you're a sweeper or a digger. Steeper swings take divots, shallower swings don't. That's why wedges come in different bounces - because people have different swings. Personally I'm more of a sweeper so I don't take big divots. It's important to remember that both styles need to hit down on the ball, especially with the irons.

[Dragasevich]

Reading this thread had given me renewed confidence in my swing.
I never realised you were supposed to hit down on the ball, i just did it because i could hit it ALOT better.
With the irons, 7 upwards, i take a fairly large divot especially with wedges, but i only take a small one with my 3-6 irons.

Are you supposed to hit down on the ball with a driver??

[Chilidipper]

Reading this thread had given me renewed confidence in my swing.

I feel like I am hitting level or downish with my driver. I'm not sure what the the majority on here feels, but I feel like when I hit it good I am hitting level or ever a little down.

[seattlemudder]

Reading this thread had given me renewed confidence in my swing.

I was thinking more about hitting off the grass (per the question) - with the fairway woods, I tend to sweep the ball off the grass although I'm still hitting down slightly.

With the driver off the tee, I try not to hit down - if I do the ball balloons on me.

[Leo Morris]

Do not hit down with the driver! It will cause excesive backspin and ballooning, hit it level or slightly upwards. With the fairway woods off the tee hit level or slightly downwards, and slightly downwards if playing off the fairway. Always hit slightly downwards with the irons and wedges, you will get a better strike.

[Chilidipper]

Do not hit down with the driver! It will cause excesive backspin and ballooning, hit it level or slightly upwards. With the fairway woods off the tee hit level or slightly downwards, and slightly downwards if playing off the fairway. Always hit slightly downwards with the irons and wedges, you will get a better strike.

I usually hit it level but there are times I hit a little down not to much. I try to hit it level most of the time.

[$2 Nassau]

It's something I'm working on right now. Not necessarily just taking a divot, but putting a good swing on the ball which creates a divot, after solidly striking down and through the ball. Irons are made to take divots.

[powerhitter]

Conventionally its suggested that you take a divot with your irons and use a sweeping motion with your woods. Now there are many reasons why you may want to break these rules, so just realize they are there for a standard to help you maximize spin and distance. If you think that picking is better there is nothing wrong with that, infact that helps alot on rainy days, or very tight lies.

[Guest]

I personally don't set rules to when I take divots,

It happens naturally for many reasons like when the grass is cut short on the fairway or when the soil is moist. To hit under the ball, you naturally will take some sort of bacon strip divot under these conditions.

If I drive off the tee or if the ball is sitting nicely on top of the grass than naturally, I will hit through the ball and no divots will exist.

I prefer seeing a dead straight ball hitting the flag than making an artwork out of my divot where even Pacasso will be proud of. (Unless I could sell my divot for a cool million which is very unlikely)

[Clubswinger21]

I believe its a myth that in order to be a solid ball striker you have to take a divot. Like mentioned already there are plenty of pros who infact play all their shots by picking the ball and or sweeping. If you watch closely players like Luke Donald, and Geoff Ogilvy will sweep the ball alot of the time, especially with their longer irons.

Im not saying its better to sweep but I started out that way as im sure most golfers do.. I learnt to take divots in my 3rd year playing and practiced hitting down on the ball to become a more solid ball striker. Unfortunately the climate i live in is damp, moist and raining 70% of the year. Alot of the lies i have are muddy its like trying to hit a ball off a a cow pie. I began chunking alot more shots then i felt i should of been because the ground was so soft. Also its definetely a good way to hurt an already bad back so i made the decision to become a sweeper again. I do take divots with wedge's in my hand to gain more height and spin, unless im hitting knock downs.

Do whats comfartable for you, no one is making you take divots or saying you have to to play the game of golf well. Those who do are narrow minded, the majority of proffesional players do take divots but i think you'd be surprised at how many sweep. Honestly I see alot of players sticking the club in the ground which i feel is unnecessary and it would probably just save alot of 14-35 handicappers alot of stroke if they just swept the ball.