no divot?

  • Thread starter Thread starter CannyFifer
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CannyFifer

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Whats the reason I never take a divot unless I hit behind the ball and fluff the shot. On good shots, ball straight and high, but never a divot.
Do you need a divot? any advice appreciated.
 
So long as you are making good contact with the ball, a divot doesn't matter all that much. Some players are pickers and take no divot, others are diggers and do.
 
I disagree with ethan,i.m.o. it is essential you take some kind of divot with your irons ideally it would be the size of a note.A iron shot should be a slightly descending blow firstly hitting the ball then taking a divot.If you dont take a divot you could end up thinning the shot,i.m.o
 
Is that similar to topping the ball , or it not getting up?
 
i must be a sweeper too, cheers mate, 2 of my biggest faults, dont know how I'll sort it though.
 
You're probably hitting the ball just as the club starts to rise rather than just before the bottom of the ark.

At our level, I'm not so sure it's a major problem but if I don't take a divot I do feel as though I have hit it thin and the ball doesn't spin as much. I assume because the ball isn't running up the clubface properly so the grooves are gripping properly but I'm no expert and there are more qualified posters than me who can probably put me right :)
 
Your angle of attack is too shallow, taking a divot equates to more distance,though Steve Stricker manages without but I've heard he has picked up a "Nit-picker" nickname.
 
You should be looking to take a divot with every club apart from driver (and putter). The divots should be deeper with wedges & shorter irons than it would be with a 3 iron or 3-wood which would just be a gentle scrape.

Watch these vids and see if they shed any light on the impact position you should be trying to achieve...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSK7M8iCaH0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2VKacwXr_w

regards....
 
99, 98 and 94 is working?

If you are learning the game (9 months) then it's best to start out as right as possible before you get too used to all the wrong stuff.
 
I disagree with ethan,i.m.o. it is essential you take some kind of divot with your irons ideally it would be the size of a note.A iron shot should be a slightly descending blow firstly hitting the ball then taking a divot.If you dont take a divot you could end up thinning the shot,i.m.o
Click to expand...

Poker, old chap, you didn't read my post. Read the part which said "So long as you are making good contact.."

This is a game about results, and if the results are good, nobody should change just to conform with some idea of orthodoxy. Many good players from this side of the pond do not take divots, and that is partly due to learning to play on harder fairways, links etc.

Even the Americans would say that the size of divot should vary between the irons. If you take a divot the size of a note with a 3 iron, you have fatted it.
 
Ethan you are right about the size of divots for longer irons i should have stated shorter irons,however in my opinion a divot should be taken as just nipping it off the fairway could result in topping or thinning.I can also relate to your point as long as your making good contact but due to the OP he obviously wasnt.
 
as just nipping it off the fairway could result in topping or thinning.I can also relate to your point as long as your making good contact but due to the OP he obviously wasnt.
Click to expand...
thats my biggest fault, cheers for the feedback guys, i'll practice off the course and see what happens.
 
I didn't used to take a divot very often.
When I had a lesson I was shown, on the video, that I was flicking the club just before impact and therefore scooping the ball up.
In order to prevent this I have two different practice drills.

1 - when on the range put your towel 2 to 3 inches behind the ball. By having to avoid hitting the towel it should help prevent the flicking.

2 - get some old broken tees or small twigs. Put these a couple of inches in front of the ball. You should imagine you have to hit these just after impact.


When I'm having a bad day striking the ball, I sometimes imagine that I'm doing either of these on my normal shots.
 
I rarely take divots, and when I was playing every week I was getting by with some adequate shots and scores. But the few times I have hit "properly" down on the ball and taken a divot afterwards, the ball has always flown higher, faster and further, and the feeling you get when you hit such a shot is sublime.
 
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