How To Play A Shot From A Divot Hole

[Golfingdad]

OK, so I have an idea.  Instead of arguing about whether or not divot holes are unfair and should be considered GUR, such that nobody would ever have to play out of one, perhaps the best way around this problem would be to help people learn how to properly extract themselves from one.

I don't know what is technically the best way to play from a divot hole, but what I like to do is to play it like a punch shot.  Put it back in my stance a bit and ensure that I catch the ball first.  Of course, as I've mentioned in the other thread, this hasn't happened to me very often so I have little practice with it, and no idea if it's the best option.

What does everybody else do?

(If your answer is that you roll the ball out of the hole, then I say tsk, tsk, and you are of no help to me. )

[Gunther]

I don't play em much different than a regular shot given that I hit down pretty steeply on my irons typically.  May move it back a little but I play the ball a little back in my stance usually.

If 190 out or more, I'll play a lay up rather than try to hit a 4i or hybrid out of it.

[vangator]

That what your foot is for.   Actually, I would play it basically like you said.  I've practiced playing from divots around the green.  A steep AoA kind of like a ball plugged in the sand.  Abbreviated follow through typically.  From a longer fairway shot, depending how deep the crater is, I'd take enough loft to get the ball out and enough force to blast the front edge of the divot away.  If I'm in a sanded divot, I play it a lot like a fairway bunker.

I agree with Nicklaus on this.  Play them as GUR.  The landing area of a lot of fairways are like a DMZ.

[Patch]

I aim a little more left than I normally would. Reason being that when I hit out of a divot, I tend catch the heel of the club on the side of the divot, which closes the club face up a little. I do this for my longer, full swing shots. 

For my shorter shots I just come down at a steeper angle into the back of the ball. This does a good job of popping the ball out. Also makes a bigger divot which of course I repair. 

On another note I cant remember the last time I had to hit out of a divot. 

Edited January 9, 2016 by Patch

[mvmac]

6 hours ago, Golfingdad said:

What does everybody else do?

Basically this.

 

[Pretzel]

I use a the same technique as stated by others here (a lower, flighted golf shot), but the key for me is to feel like I'm going to hit the ball slightly fat. If I intentionally try to make crisp contact I will invariably hit the ball thin and send it screaming over the green, but if I'm trying to hit it fat I end up making as solid of contact as I can.

[boogielicious]

Good thread @Golfingdad. I have been playing it like a down hill shot and getting my weight more forward, but yours and Mike's response sounds like a better idea. I think it also depends on where in the divot the ball is. If it's up front, you have a better chance of making good contact.

[SavvySwede]

I just use my trusty "rut iron".