Similarly, if you are not taking a divot at all then your swing arc is too shallow and not hitting the ground correctly. By: Maria Palozola. When you do watch the recording, you are going to want to keep an eye out for the mistakes that were highlighted in the previous section. As the downswing begins, it is the job of the lower body to turn toward the target and carry your weight slightly onto your left foot. If your short game divots begin to get deep, you will know there is a problem in your technique - just like deep divots in your long game indicate trouble with your full swing. Divots play an important role in the game of golf – yet many amateur players don’t really understand how they work and what they are trying to tell you about your swing. Watch Morning Drive 7AM ET. Richard Griffith wrote me a very good email a few weeks back and asked a question about one of my basic tenets of the Surge Swing: "Don't Hit Down!". If you stop your hands early however and throw the golf club, it's very easy to hit down behind the ball and too deep. Happy with where my swing is going but definitely do not take pro like divots. If your belt buckle is pointing out beyond the ball, there is a good chance that your lower body is doing its job. With no homes or big city congestion, just pristine fairways lined with century-old oak trees, lakes and natural grasses. A divot is the piece of turf cut out of the ground by a golf club in making a stroke.. I always/99% of the time take a divot after I come down on the ball. The divots you produce should be level and not overly deep – maybe half an inch or so. Another good way to practice this is to actually hit balls off a tee. Players must then allow the swing arc to rise and the club head with it to avoid the front towel. Is the most likely reason just need to work more on relaxing the arms or is there anything else to look for? However, if the left shoulder is coming up short, you will then need to watch the down the line angle to see how your arms are behaving. Big divots usually indicate big trouble in the golf swing. In this case, making a hard swing can lead to a deep divot if your longer backswing pushes you too far onto your left side prior to the downswing. Get into your normal setup, then lift the clubhead a few inches off the ground. How high should I … If I put the divot in the back you are hitting it fat, no divot thin. Don't go too long making deep divots on your short game shots without trying to fix the problem or you could wind up with mechanics that are way off track. When you release late (this is ideal because it stores your energy and control) you tend to come in a bit more shallow and take divots that are not quite as deep. However, players can try the following drill to help create a shallow swing arc and decrease the size of their divots. The worst thing you can do for your game is to try fixing problems that don't exist in the first place, so confirm with video the issues with your swing plane before you start making changes. This is the main cause of deep. A player's weight could have shifted too far on to their front foot during the down swing creating an aggressive angle of attack or a player's hands could have gone too far ahead of the club face during the down swing, or a player's ball position may simply be too far back in their stance for the club they use. This will teach them to come in on a shallower angle of attack and clip the ball away. Paul's golf swing technique is based on the Iron Byron swing machine. You want to be able to analyze your actual swing, so pick a target and make a smooth swing just as you would on the course. Sticking the club steeply into the ground on every iron shot can do damage to the small muscles and joints in your hands and wrists, which could lead to injury over time. This usually results in weak shots, often poor contact and high ball flights. Using irons that aren't fitted to your swing can cause you to take deep divots – even if your golf swing is fine. You need to see the whole swing. Some players who take divots with their irons quit on the swing as soon as the club enters the turf. The only way to really know what it going on in your golf swing is to watch it for yourself. For the benefit of both your ball flight and your hands/wrists, it is a good idea to learn how to take a shallow divot on a consistent basis. Improving contact with backward bend Staying bent forward like this in the … Loosen your grip on the club, so it is relaxed and you are not squeezing. Here's my favorite drill for learning to take good divots. (We respect privacy and keep all emails confidential). You can certainly learn to … In this video, I give you a drill to teach you how to get your divots in front of the golf ball at impact. The best course of action is to take your set of clubs to a professional club fitter before you make any changes at all to your swing. If your swing plane is altogether too steep, you will hit down on the ball dramatically and although you may catch the ball clean you may also push the ball down into the ground and kill your distance. Not all, mind you, as it is an individual thing, but most do. If you are detailed about getting the ball in just the right position during your range sessions, that same task will become much easier out on the course. Having lag like this makes it easy for your divots to start in front of the ball, but it can make your angle of attack very steep. Using a lofted iron, swing down and avoid hitting the back towel, strike the ball then turf, before taking a crisp divot as the club bottoms out. If deep divots remain a problem even after your club fitting, you will know there is a swing issue that needs to be addressed. When you are taking too much of a divot that means that something is causing your club head to come down too steep. I have seen every golf swing possible and most mid/high handicappers top the ball with the weight on the back foot, I tell them to aim at a point 4 inches in front of the ball with a flat left wrist. In all cases, unless you’re teeing the ball up you need to be bringing some blades of grass up even if you don’t take much of a divot but you certianlly don’t want to be taking a big sirloin-sized chunk of turf. Set atop a beautiful vista amidst the wineries of the Central Coast and surrounded by California’s natural beauty. If the lower body simply stays put during the downswing, your arms will be forced up and away from your body in order to find a path to the ball. The conventional wisdom has always been that better golfers will take a huge divot with their iron shots, and the key to “compressing” the golf ball is to … Sioux Falls golf takes big divot; Sanford International may end after 2022 event / KQSF FM Q95.7 The Most Music. While there could be any of number of issues causing this mistake, most likely your problem is going to be found in one of three places. If you’re taking huge divots, then it’s likely you’re playing irons or wedges that don’t have enough bounce on the sole. By making sure your clubs fit you correctly, you can eliminate another variable from the golf equation. If your swing plane is altogether too steep, you will hit down on the ball dramatically and although you may catch the ball clean you may also push the ball down into the ground and kill your distance. Once again, watch the flight of your ball, look at your divot and tinker to see what works. While you might be plagued by poor swing mechanics such as the points mentioned earlier, you also may be struggling with one of the simple points on the list above. It is approximately half an inch deep and evenly skimmed off the surface. You want to record your swing from both the 'down the line' and 'face on' angles. If you wish to hit a high percentage of greens in regulation, you will take the time to learn how to hit down on the ball. But, my ball goes where I want it and the distance I want. Lots of golfers love taking big, juicy divots. reading golf instructions is like becoming a surgeon on online Uni… please give yourself a xmas pressie and get a golf coach… everyone is different and proper coach will fix you in no time. We’ve all done it before. If you play left handed, please adjust the directions as necessary. Not like that one, more like this, make sure your divot is out in front of the golf ball. 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Whenever you apply too much forward shaft lean you are essentially de-lofting the club and a de-lofted club can play one to two club lengths longer. If you tend to take big divots, practice holding the clubhead off the ground and making swings like you would to hit a baseball or a golf shot off a very high tee. And how do you know when to adjust grip (strengthen/weaken)? Secondly, is the divot mark suppose to be in line with the direction? Loosening your grip helps relax your arms … Check the condition of the grass after every short chip or pitch that you hit and make sure you are only making a small mark in the ground. Afraid of hitting the ball too far, these players will slow the club head down right before impact, taking away the speed required to move through the ball and the turf successfully. For some players, the deep divot is a result of a mistake made at address – or even a mental mistake. Divot Location in Relation to Where Your Ball Was at Address If the short shoulder turn is combined with a lifting of your arms, the root cause of your steep swing will have been discovered. When you are ready to take the video, keep the following points in mind –. Golf is kind of like newtons law of physics for every action there in and equal reaction or something like that maybe it wasn't newton any who I'm close. Specifically, clubs that are too upright for your swing and your body type may lead to steep downswings and deep divots. On a grass driving range or range mat, place two small towels on the ground in parallel lines at right angles to the target, with a gap of 10 inches between the towels. I hear “nice ball” or “good golf shot” on the golf course but I hardly ever hear “great divot” or “great turf cut”. When the club hits the ground, it quickly loses what speed it had remaining, and sticks in the ground. I'm talking massive divots, almost stopping the club in the ground at times, even on a slightly teed up par 3 shot. Then there's the divot repair tool, something that should be in every golfer's bag. With no homes or big city congestion, just pristine fairways lined with century-old oak trees, lakes and natural grasses. Hitting a good divot is the first sight of a good golf stroke. When you are taking too much of a divot that means that something is causing your club head to come down too steep. Here is a free drill that is great for helping you to get on a more inside path: From a post I … Golf Swing Tips for Taking a Proper Divot. If not, work on getting a better rotation from the top of the swing to improve your angle of attack. As I mentioned, each one tells a story for every golf shot. Quote; Link to post Share on other sites. The angle of attack you use with your irons is an important part of the swing equation, and your divot does a great job of showing you what that angle looks like. The perfect divot is taken AFTER the ball is struck, as per design of the golf club and related to your movement through the golf ball. You have reached the maximum number of submissions for today. While watching the down the line video, pause the video at the impact position. The golf swing is a circle, and this circle is tangent to your target line (remember your geometry class in … The ability to correctly self-diagnose your swing problems is one of the most important skills in golf. I hit my iron shots really high. Using the down the line angle will also be helpful when you want to see how your lower body is working in the downswing. To stop taking divots, players need to create a better angle of approach into the ball which means creating a more shallow swing arc. Having your divot start in front of the ball is vital for ensuring a descending angle of attack and clean contact. Taking a divot in my opinion is the way to go. If you can identify your own problem from the list below, you will be a big step closer to making the necessary corrections. How to Hit a Divot While Striking a Golf Ball. emmolos / CC. once this concept is understood then they hit crisp shots with a nice shallow divot. If you see that you aren’t taking a divot at all, you’re swing is too shallow. In Front . The result is a deep divot and a poor shot. Tournament Director Josh Brewster says it’s … How to Fix the Problem of Your Divots Being Too Deep – Golf Tip. Nov 11, 2020 3:37 PM . The ideal ball position for each player will vary, so you need to experiment until you find the right position for your swing – but the ball should never move behind the center of your stance (unless you are trying to hit a specialty shot, like a punch). If that is happening, you should be happy with the rotation that you are getting from your shoulders. Divots are nothing more than strips of earth dug up after your club hits the ball. Divots are something you tend to think more about with your full swing, but they can affect the short game as well. This is seen frequently in golfers who lack confidence in their short game. Of course, there is the possibility of having too much of a good thing. Making a big shoulder turn is another important ingredient in getting the swing plane just right. You can see here as I’m making these swings, I’m going to be quiet here and see if you can hear one of these divots of this club thumping the ground. Before starting your swing, convince yourself to take a confident approach and swing the club as if you are sure of the result. https://www.golfchannel.com/video/how-take-divot-after-golf-ball But how can you be sure? Right now I am taking shallow or thin divots. This is a great practice tool for you, set up next to the golf ball, make some swings. If you are taking consistently deep divots out of the turf, there is a good chance you are swinging down too steeply into the ball. This enables you to hit the ball first on your downswing. Link to post Share on other sites. 60 Day On Course Guarantee! If the divot starts behind the ball, you have mis-hit the shot (this type of mis-hit is often called hitting the ball "heavy" or "fat"). Another common cause of deep divots on short shots is slowing down the swing as you approach the ball. While your deep divots are likely being caused by a mechanical flaw somewhere in your swing, that won't always be the case. To create a divot is called "taking a divot." With just a few quick changes, you should be able to adjust your angle of attack to the point where you are taking nice thin strips of turf out of the ground after every iron shot. The divots you produce should be level and not overly deep – maybe half an inch or so. This means your club struck the ball then the ground. When a swing gets too steep, there are a number of different causes. When the U.S. Open was played at Pinehurst in 1989, a most unusual thing happened on the 18th hole, a par 5 that's fronted by a pond. Don't try to impress the camera. If the divots look right, you are probably not exerting maximum power at the point of impact. Assistant to the Regional Goon; Supporter; 623 4,534 posts; Location: Stalking Amanda Dufner Plays: Righty Report; Share; January 20, 2012. Replacing your divot is also called "fixing a divot" or "repairing a divot." When I see a golfer on the range taking giant divots I know they are only moments away from disaster and probably struggle with hitting their longer clubs. A "nice divot" is a divot that is sheared off very cleanly and thinly and remains in one piece. Your swing did not bring you to a fundamentally correct impact position. Hunter Ranch Golf Course, located in Paso Robles, California wine country, is one of the finest, most beautiful golf courses in California. You will want to take a divot on some of your longer pitch shots, and even on some short chip shots depending on the style of shot you are trying to play. The main cause of deep divots in the short game is overactive hands and wrists during the takeaway. Swinging too hard. Taking a proper divot is something that is critical to crisp and consistent iron play, but if you don't know what a proper divot is, it's tough to know when things go wrong. If you take your address position with the ball too far back in your stance, you will run the risk of creating a deep divot. Regular readers of this Blog know that the Low Point of any golf stroke is located in front of the left shoulder.Therefore, a standard iron shot should call for a divot located well ahead of the ball as the clubhead has to go DOWN and OUT after impact.. Big, deep divots are indicative of a very steep angle of attack into the ball and will not get you in the good books of your green keeper! If one takes the position that by "regular" divot Richard meant the kind taken in a rotational swing where one hits down on the ball, this excessive forward shaft lean could explain why he feels he hits the ball longer. One of the biggest mistakes that is made by golfers who wish to analyze their swings is they try to 'impress' the camera by swinging as hard as possible when the video is rolling. So why are you taking a deep divot in the first place? If you hit down too steeply on the ball, you won't achieve the results you desire. Always start with the simple things first and move on to more complex problems only if the simple fixes don't alleviate the issue. Fortunately, none of those points are particularly difficult to fix, so you should be able to get your swing going in the right direction after just one or two quick trips to the driving range. The face on angle is also helpful when watching your shoulder turn. Many amateur golfers never master the skill of hitting down on their iron shots, and they struggle to gain consistency for that reason. Taking a good, clean divot like the pros doesn't help you make good golf shots, but good iron shots do produce good, clean divots. When looking for a balance problem, you want to use the 'face on' angle. You don't want to try fixing problems that aren't there to begin with, so it is critical to be right when you determine what is actually causing your deep divots. Taking divots – accelerate through the shot. Without professional advice, it would be hard for an average club golfer to accurately diagnose the problem. There are 3 advantages to this. Swing Under a String Drill : 5) The man takes big divots Andrew Tursky Judging by the X-Grind on Smith’s Callaway MD5 Jaws lob wedge, he doesn’t have any trouble taking a big … Taking large divots on shots - posted in Golf Instruction: Hi All, Recently I have found a tendency on shots to take a large divot and this results in poor contact, practice swings before the real swing are great but ofter the divot on the real shot starts about an inch or two before the ball, I have been told I stand a little to close to the ball, could this be the problem ? Rather than a smooth rounded arc which bottoms out just after the ball creating a nice crisp divot, the club comes in steep, makes contact with the ball and then digs into the ground heaving up mounds of earth. The best way to determine if you are hitting down to steep is to check the shape and depth of your divots. The first thing I would recommend for you without seeing your swing would be to try to shallow out your swing plane and see if that helped. When hitting an iron shot from the fairway, you want to be playing the ball from at least the middle of your stance, if not slightly forward of middle. Hunter Ranch Golf Course, located in Paso Robles, California wine country, is one of the finest, most beautiful golf courses in California. It is really hard to describe in words how to hit down. "Dear Surge, I have been devoted to the Surge Swing for almost three years now and I strive to perfect it every time I am out. The two common culprits are your swing plane and your release. With a little bit of background knowledge, your divots can be one of the most powerful teaching tools in the game because they provide the physical evidence needed to decode the quality of your swing. Taking a big chunk of dirt and grass instead of the ball is more than a little frustrating, but you can remedy the problem by making some minor swing adjustments. You’ve eyed your shot, set your stance, and finally, you take the crucial swing that puts your ball in motion – only to have a huge chunk of grass go right with it. You actually want your short swings to resemble your long swings in that your shoulders should be doing most of the work when it comes to pulling the club back away from the ball. If the divots start before you contact the ball, you are dipping too early and too much on your downswing: keep your right shoulder level and use more left arm for the impact. If you have watched any golf on TV you will almost certainly have noticed the huge divots that get taken with the irons from the fairway, however the majority of amateur golfers struggle to do this and often pick the ball off the top of the turf. Why am I taking such divot, and what would be causing me to do this. You are already in a good position if you are hitting down on the ball, so you simply need to make some minor adjustments to avoid those nasty deep divots. Jesper P. takes huge divots and makes a great living playing golf. Travis Fulton shows amateurs three different ways to shallow out divots when playing with a wedge. This perspective will allow you to get a good idea of your weight distribution during the golf swing. Other Related Tips on Irons. Taking deep divots can have a negative impact on your ball flight, and it can also be dangerous for your hands and wrists. Should I fix and is there a fix? Taking A Divot. Big divots in themselves won't create a problem with the actual shot but the steep swing path can result in low ball flights and often thin or fat shots. First check your divots and see if they are before of after the ball. Your friend should be standing back far enough so that your entire swing is captured in the frame of the video (including the club). So the divot always wants to be in front of the golf ball when you are hitting it, very. Is that a problem to address? Taking large divots on shots - posted in Golf Instruction: Hi All, Recently I have found a tendency on shots to take a large divot and this results in poor contact, practice swings before the real swing are great but ofter the divot on the real shot starts about an inch or two before the ball, I have been told I stand a little to close to the ball, could this be the problem ? Most likely, you will be able to use the video camera on your cell phone to record your swing, but a handheld video camera can work just fine as well. If you are taking massive, deep divots, it becomes very difficult to control the distance of … Ideally, you will only be taking a small amount of turf out of the ground on your average chip shot. JetFan1983. divots are overrated – i dont play divots and it had little difference on the distance or direction. It is also ideal in most cases to learn to take more shallow divots for spin and trajectory control. As soon as you notice your divots becoming too deep with your short shots, make an effort to use your shoulders more actively in the backswing and the problem should be quickly corrected. Each of these angles offers important information about your swing, so get a recording or two from both perspectives. Thanks. The club descent at the bottom of the swing, known as the attack angle, is about 4 degrees down for a 6 iron for tour pros. You are "coming over the top" The worst move you can make in golf. How to Repair Divots on the Golf Course. Instead, work on shallowing out your swing plane using the tips above so you can take shallow, medium-sized divots on your iron swings. Watch The Golf Fix Mondays at 8PM ET. Large divots hurt your wrist, arms, shoulders, upper back, lower back, the list goes on, large divots are bad. ‘Hit down on the ball’ is a phrase that has been told to golfers struggling to improve their ball striking for decades. Since the golf club can be speeding down toward the ball at 100 miles per hour or more, the dangers of a harsh collision with the turf should be obvious. So if your divots are huge and you are slicing the cause is a backswing that is to flat and a down swing that is steep outside and to vertical up and down. A good divot starts just in front of the ball at rest. Sometimes you just need to forget about hitting balls and just make perfect divots. Sticking the club steeply into the ground on every iron shot can do damage to the small muscles and joints in your hands and wrists, which could lead to injury over time. Move the golf ball a bit farther back in your stance. I tend to take too much divot. Improve by Hitting Irons off a Tee. Poor ball position. The recording will be useless if it doesn't reflect your normal swing, so just hit regular shots during your video session. Mark Russo. A scattered divot pattern removes the most amount of turf because a full divot is removed with every swing. Ideally, your left shoulder will pass completely under your chin in the backswing. By turning your shoulders properly, the club can wrap around the back of your neck instead of swinging up over your head. How can I take less?--Robert M. from Rootstown, OH. You are going to make bigger swings, if your divot is not in front keep swinging taking divots until the … Taking a divot after you hit an iron shot is a good thing. Have you rotated toward the target? If that’s the case, what creates it, what do you have to do to facilitate this? Huge divot striped from an 8 iron shot in the fairway during the 2011 Fry.com tournament. Divots play an important role in the game of golf – yet many amateur players don’t really understand how they work and what they are trying to tell you about your swing. Take your time while reviewing the recordings to make sure you are coming to the right conclusions before getting down to work on fixing your mechanics. cnichol3 … 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. This drill will teach the player using it to swing down with a descending arc so the ball is struck then the turf but not so steep so the club has time to rise upwards to avoid the second towel. Should you find that deep divots are common in your game, take the necessary steps to correct the problem as soon as possible. How can you diagnose if the grip is the cause of hook/slice? But if you take a good divot after you hit the ball, that's proof you made a good strike. Hitting down on the ball allows you to impart backspin on the shot, which will help the ball climb high into the air. Thanks for writing MyGolfInstructor.com. Does the divot ever get recognition? Once you see what your swing looks like on video, you should have a pretty clear picture of what it is you need to work on. With your years of experience teaching, what are the most common things your students do wrong. Verified … Following are a few tips for spotting those three swing issues. Quote; Share this post. That movement up and away will put you on a steep plane, and a deep divot will be the sure result. If you’re taking out huge chunks of earth with every swing, it’s too steep. Ben Hogan once said, “the secret is in the dirt,” and Bobby explains just what he meant- and how to transform your game with the power of reading divots!