Divots

[MrC]

Hi

Trying to work on my golf game. 21 handicap at moment

Just realised I never take a divot after the ball

Is this an essential improvement needed?

 

[SteveJay]

Probably! I was like you for long time, swept the ball off the turf.

Lately my pro has been getting me to make a downward strike at impact. I also bought a DST club (google it if you don't know what it is) and that changed my angle of attack almost instantly.

Think you can play without taking any real divot but it will be a struggle. Just look at how descending a blow all the pros make. Helps spin, power and flight so worth trying to develop that in my view (which is what i have been trying!)

 

[MrC]

Just googled DST. Interesting.

Thanks - pretty much confirms what I was thinking.

Definitely a sweeper off the ground.

Any ideas how you practice the downward strike down the range. My course doesn’t have practice areas so that’s my best bet

 

[Beezerk]

I went from no divot to taking quite big ones, specially with wedges. What helped me best was thinking about attacking the back of the ball and not being hesitant when it comes to interacting with the turf...if that makes sense
You need to get it in your head that hitting down on the ball with irons makes it go up, rather than trying to help it up yourself.

 

[clubchamp98]

Tom Watson played most of his career not taking divots , he wasn’t bad.
To change your natural swing will be difficult but not impossible.
My mate is a scratch golfer he dosnt take divots.
But for a scratch golfer he is woeful bunker player as he can’t make himself hit down on the sand.
But as he said “ he dosnt go in many”

 

[Lump]

No not at all. But you’ve got to understand the limitations of not taking divots.

 

[Jimaroid]

Just focus on where the ball goes.

You don’t write divots on your scorecard.

 

[bobmac]

Here is a drill you can use to increase your angle of attack.

Hit the front ball without hitting the back ball as below

[video=youtube;bJ2oBmW37eY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ2oBmW37eY&t=0s&list=PL7Uf2W3sfvqYBJ3OUld KvQT7ZWYEmPOyW&index=9[/video]

You may want to use a headcover or a rolled up towel instead of the back ball to start with

 

[One Planer]

Out of curiosity Bob, how big a gap do you recommend?

Does the distance between the balls change as you improve?

 

[bobmac]

Out of curiosity Bob, how big a gap do you recommend?

Does the distance between the balls change as you improve?

It would depend on the club you're using and the ball position.

But assuming a 7 iron with the ball in the centre of your stance, I'd say 12-15in to start with. As you improve you will start to hear the club thump the mat as in the video

 

[One Planer]

It would depend on the club you're using and the ball position.

But assuming a 7 iron with the ball in the centre of your stance, I'd say 12-15in to start with. As you improve you will start to hear the club thump the mat as in the video

Thanks Bob.

Out of curiosity, is there a generic reason players might not take a divot?

 

[the_coach]

Hi

Trying to work on my golf game. 21 handicap at moment

Just realised I never take a divot after the ball

Is this an essential improvement needed?

not necessary to move huge chunks of earth - that being said though with your irons you need the low point in your swing arc to be target side of ball

but with the irons you need a certain range of downwards angle of attack to be able to deliver the club head at an optimum range of dynamic loft to get best launch angle/spin rate for good flight & optimum distance for the swing effort

at strike with the irons you know where the majority of your weight is ?
do you tend to hit the irons a tad high as a norm ?
find it difficult into the wind to get reasonable distance ?

 

[MrC]

Here is a drill you can use to increase your angle of attack.

Hit the front ball without hitting the back ball as below

[video=youtube;bJ2oBmW37eY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ2oBmW37eY&t=0s&list=PL7Uf2W3sfvqYBJ3OUld KvQT7ZWYEmPOyW&index=9[/video]

You may want to use a headcover or a rolled up towel instead of the back ball to start with

thanks - useful video - think i will try with a head cover though!

 

[MrC]

not necessary to move huge chunks of earth - that being said though with your irons you need the low point in your swing arc to be target side of ball

but with the irons you need a certain range of downwards angle of attack to be able to deliver the club head at an optimum range of dynamic loft to get best launch angle/spin rate for good flight & optimum distance for the swing effort

at strike with the irons you know where the majority of your weight is ?
do you tend to hit the irons a tad high as a norm ?
find it difficult into the wind to get reasonable distance ?

thanks

at strike with the irons you know where the majority of your weight is ?

No - when i think about i try to keep my weight forward but normally i think i lean towards my back foot. Tend to occasionally lift my head

do you tend to hit the irons a tad high as a norm ?

I wouldnt say so - I have Callaway XR irons and flight tends to be meduim

find it difficult into the wind to get reasonable distance?

No more than the next person - infact I would say distance is not my issue. Quality and consistancy of strike is what i struggle with


If it helps my miss is normally to the left - some times a little draw sometimes a hook!

 

[the_coach]

thanks

at strike with the irons you know where the majority of your weight is ?

No - when i think about i try to keep my weight forward but normally i think i lean towards my back foot. Tend to occasionally lift my head

do you tend to hit the irons a tad high as a norm ?

I wouldnt say so - I have Callaway XR irons and flight tends to be meduim

find it difficult into the wind to get reasonable distance?

No more than the next person - infact I would say distance is not my issue. Quality and consistancy of strike is what i struggle with


If it helps my miss is normally to the left - some times a little draw sometimes a hook!

usually disclaimer as always lessons the best ways to go (to that give the drill mentioned a go - maybes best to go with a rolled or folded bag towel as with the AoA likely being a tad shallow you could do some damage goin straight for the 2 ball option - if say using a folded bag towel so not so much 'height' in the flatter towel then with a 7i try the towel 6 or so inches back of the ball)

likely currently the AoA is a tad too much from the inside & tad too shallow - so fats or thins even tops - toe balls etc
hard to say without seeing the swing but often times that can stem (particularly as you say leftfield is an issue) that the upper body trail shoulder at transition is moving/tilting backwards & down so the lead shoulder is tending to stay high & even rise up as transition into the downswing starts - this kinda move also has the tendency to load the weight too much onto the trail foot

could be in the takeaway the club is moving too much inside off the ball - so the whole iron swing is more around the body this motion works better say with a long club hitting off of a tee - but decent iron swing needs to work up & back then also needs to work downwards & not so much from the inside - could also use an alignment rod pointed at target & ball just 2" inside of that would help you see the swing arc cannot come from too much inside as that has it traveling too much towards the ball & stick so more like this )| a softer curve just slightly from the inside to ball then back inside again like the curve of the parenthesis - makes the swing arc more neutral to the target line & also a tad steeper so low-point is target side of the ball

so with the iron at the top of the swing instead of pulling the arm & trail shoulder down & back (that tilt or lean back you mentioned) first feel some weight into the lead leg & foot & keep the lead shoulder low or lower for the very first motion as it starts to move away from the chin - don't let it rise up as soon as it moves - as you also swing the arms downwards

 

[MrC]

usually disclaimer as always lessons the best ways to go (to that give the drill mentioned a go - maybes best to go with a rolled or folded bag towel as with the AoA likely being a tad shallow you could do some damage goin straight for the 2 ball option - if say using a folded bag towel so not so much 'height' in the flatter towel then with a 7i try the towel 6 or so inches back of the ball)

likely currently the AoA is a tad too much from the inside & tad too shallow - so fats or thins even tops - toe balls etc
hard to say without seeing the swing but often times that can stem (particularly as you say leftfield is an issue) that the upper body trail shoulder at transition is moving/tilting backwards & down so the lead shoulder is tending to stay high & even rise up as transition into the downswing starts - this kinda move also has the tendency to load the weight too much onto the trail foot

could be in the takeaway the club is moving too much inside off the ball - so the whole iron swing is more around the body this motion works better say with a long club hitting off of a tee - but decent iron swing needs to work up & back then also needs to work downwards & not so much from the inside - could also use an alignment rod pointed at target & ball just 2" inside of that would help you see the swing arc cannot come from too much inside as that has it traveling too much towards the ball & stick so more like this )| a softer curve just slightly from the inside to ball then back inside again like the curve of the parenthesis - makes the swing arc more neutral to the target line & also a tad steeper so low-point is target side of the ball

so with the iron at the top of the swing instead of pulling the arm & trail shoulder down & back (that tilt or lean back you mentioned) first feel some weight into the lead leg & foot & keep the lead shoulder low or lower for the very first motion as it starts to move away from the chin - don't let it rise up as soon as it moves - as you also swing the arms downwards

thanks Coach - makes sense

the driver is a strong point. i have posted in the lounge about lessons so looking to take possibly one now and then a programme later in the year when i have more time to practice

 

[hovis]

be very careful with your quest to hit down. it can lead to a whole world of hurt. it was an area i was stuck on for a long time. i tried all the typical drills and it made my golf worse.

not sure what your issue is but i found that in attempt to hit down the handle continued to move. if the handle is still moving too hard then you cant release the head. this caused and lot of grief. i actually fixed it by trying to hit up on the ball. this raised the handle and sent the clubhead "down" and into the ball.

before taking any advice of a forum i would definitely see a quality pro about this particular problem. its a long road to come back from a if you get it wrong