Divot taking - is it essential?

[RGuk]

Either way your hands are not ahead of the ball at strike so you cannot take a divot as you are not on a downward swing when you hit the ball.

When you get this sorted you wont believe the effortless power you'll get.

I'd like help with this. The words "effortless power you'll get" are like a magnet to me!!!

Mostly, If I practice striking down and taking a divot, eventually, I go too far with it all and start sky-ing my 3 wood and driver......

I was mashing my 8i today on the practice ground....sweet as....then my dozen 5 woods (to finish) were a disaster off any kind of tee. Golf eh??

 

[AlchemyGolf]

I concur with the majority of views that from mid irons down a divot is needed to impart the required back spin. With longer clubs and woods a more sweeping action is required.

I dont like to agree with Homer on principal (ruffle,ruffle) but in this case I do.

I look for a divot of some description with all my irons,from a very shallow one with the longer stuff to a healthy one with the shorter.

To answer your question I think it is essential with your irons.

 

[birdieman]

Grooves are on a clubface for a reason, to make the ball spin and therefore give the player control of the ball flight.
Without spin you can't control the ball properly so I would say you need to generate it then use it .... in varying degrees of course!
Keef maybe mess around a little with the ball position and move it back until you are taking a divot. As you say in the pic you appear to be getting through the ball ok. You must have a shallow swing plane but with 8.9.w you should still get a divot.

 

[bobmac]

Do you have a picture of yourself at impact?

 

[KeefG]

Not at the moment, i'll try and get some tomorrow when i play at Doncaster.

 

[SammmeBee]

Ok then, say the majority are correct, next question is why dont i take a divot?

Maybe your clubs are too short....

 

[KeefG]

Ok then, say the majority are correct, next question is why dont i take a divot?

Maybe your clubs are too short....

I did mention earlier that my clubs have been custom fit

 

[Smiffy]

Ok then, say the majority are correct, next question is why dont i take a divot?

If you are that desperate to have some, you can have some of mine

 

[Earl]

Do what is best for you, all the pro's on tour have different swings, there is not just one solution. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[theeaglehunter]

The subject has been pretty much covered, and very comprehensively as usual. To add my view I would say you definitely should be taking a divot to ensure a good strike, but to what extent will depend strongly on your angle of attack and thus what club you are using.

Additionally taking a divot is good because you can learn a lot about how you swung the club by where the divot it pointing,for me I always check to make sure my divots are not pointing left but the method of fixing this now seems to have worked to much as in the space of a week I went from divots pointing partially left of target with the ball fading, to divots straight at target and then to divots right of the target with a high draw!

To develop your golf you should definitely be taking a divot though- try pushing a tee peg into the ground about 1cm in front of your ball and aim to take this out of the ground as you swing and just 'let the ball get in the way' as such.

 

[Herbie]

Not essential

Would have to see you in order to best tell you how to hit with a divot.

What distances to you get per club?

I play shots without divots if I can help it , if its very wet, but its a slightly different shot and result to how I normally hit them.

 

[Cernunnos]

There are many who manage perfectly well without taking divots. It can actually be advantageous sometimes to be able to play without taking a divot, especially on soft ground.

That said, I really think taking a divot, a proper divot, after the ball of the right shape for the sort of iron being used, which shows good technique, can aid performance.

But of course, there is taking a divot & taking a ditch. So there is not really a simple answer.

 

[viscount17]

as a matter of interest, where did you learn your swing? if it was off mats, therein may lay your answer. I learnt off mats and struggle with, intentional, divots

 

[Cernunnos]

Viscount... to whom was the question aimed...?

 

[viscount17]

sorry, brain fade, It's intended for the OP, KeefG

 

[TonyN]

Depends HOW you want to play your game. If you want to play to generate spin then yes you must take a divot to compress the ball and let it grip the grooves. Its a simple case of striking down on the ball rather than behind it.

I never used to take divots when I started playing, I wanted to cause I knew it was the right thing to do. I simply learnt how to do it by practice swinging WITHOUT a ball and taking a divot. You just have to learn to strike the ground and take the turf away without letting the club slow down.

May I suggest you spend as many opportunitys as possible doing this, like anything, with practice, it will come. The more you practice, the faster you'll get it.

You cant beat the feeling of a perfect ball/divot combo!

 

[KeefG]

Well.....i now take divots after discovering (whilst mid round at The Belfry) that i take my eyes off the ball before striking it.

I was about 30yds off the green at the 5th with a nice lie leaving myself the simplest of chips, and i made a right mess of it and it went straight right. Same thing on the 6th only slightly longer, about 80yds so a decent swing with my SW, same again, straight right.

It was at this moment i realised i hadnt actually watched the ball and i had my eyes/head up looking for it, a bad habit that must have crept back into my game gradually.

Anyway, i had a 70yd shot in a few holes later, made a concious effort to keep my head down and eyes on the ball and took a small divot with my SW and now take divots from my 8 iron through my wedges!

 

[vig]

That is/was my biggest problem with short game. looking for ball before I hit it. Got free lesson from assistant pro in exchange for lending him a Bettinardi putter.
Head down, smooth stroke, rhythm, rhythm, rhythm, accelerate the club through. Has been a lot better recently but still the odd one or two sneaks in.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm currently having a problem with earthworks prokects on my pitches. I'm coming in way too steep and taking massive deep craters. I've pinpointed the problem I think. I'm setting up slightly open (10 degrees left or so) and have my weiht forward with my sternun (polo shirt buttons if you like) just in front of the ball. I think I'm tending to let the weight rock back as I swing and soat impact the sternum has moved to level with the ball meaning I'm coming in behind the ball too much. When I focus on keeping the weight forward I'm really "dialled in" as the Yanks would say.

 

[RGDave]

if it was off mats, therein may lay your answer. I learnt off mats and struggle with, intentional, divots

Me too.....but I can hit a clean fairway wood though!! (as long as I don't pull the bug*****)