how to hit divots in golf

1. Address the ball as you normally would. A short iron is the easiest club to use when learning to take a divot.
2. Keep the club on plane during your swing. Forget complicated techniques – all you need to do is make sure the butt of your club points toward the ...
3. Strike down on the ball. Too many players straighten up when making their downswing. ...
4. Hit the ball first on your downswing. The ball doesn't need your help to get up into the air. ...
5. Finish your swing. Don't just stick the club into the ground. You want to make a good turn through the ball.

How to take a golf divot after the ball?

Now, he has the necessary forward shaft lean to take a golf divot after the ball. Having lag in your golf swing is critical for having shaft lean at impact, which is critical for taking a divot in front of the golf ball. Lag allows more time for the hands to get in front of the golf ball before impact and, hence, produces forward shaft lean.

How do you hit a divot in a swing?

After you hit the ball, the club continues to go down toward the ground. Since you're turning through the shot, the club will hit the ground in front of the ball and take a divot. Finish your swing. Don't just stick the club into the ground.

How do you take a good divot?

But if you take a good divot after you hit the ball, that's proof you made a good strike. Address the ball as you normally would. A short iron is the easiest club to use when learning to take a divot.

How big should a divot be in front of the ball?

It's bottoming out about two club head widths, about five or six inches or so, in front of the ball. What's happening here is that my left hand, or my left arm, is just swinging freely from my shoulder socket. That's what gets the divot moving in front of the ball.

How do I hit better divots?

5:096:40HOW TO TAKE A DIVOT AFTER THE GOLF BALL - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipStarting your downswing hands get nice and low and then you're rotating. And extending. And throughMoreStarting your downswing hands get nice and low and then you're rotating. And extending. And through impact this is the really key thing.

How do you take a divot all the time?

2:387:29How to TAKE A DIVOT with your irons every time. - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipArm is going to make it that you guarantee you take a divot every time. And take it after the golfMoreArm is going to make it that you guarantee you take a divot every time. And take it after the golf ball. So when we set up we generally see that the spine there's a little bit of tilt.

Are you supposed to make a divot in golf?

You should take a divot when striking a golf shot, but not with every club. Wedges and short irons when hit correctly will create a clear divot, imparting backspin on the ball, yet longer clubs like 5-irons and hybrids should 'brush' the turf, rather than take a deep chunk out of the ground.

Why am I not making a divot?

If you don't take a divot on your approach shots, you're probably pulling up (above, right) or falling onto your back foot during the downswing. Here's my favorite drill for learning to take good divots. Get into your normal setup, then lift the clubhead a few inches off the ground.

How do you hit a golf ball first then divot?

3:555:37HOW TO HIT BALL THEN TURF EVERY TIME WITH YOUR IRONSYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo all you're looking to do is kind of do a few more of those swings. And then gradually build thatMoreSo all you're looking to do is kind of do a few more of those swings. And then gradually build that up into the full swing. And we see my practice swing there the divots much further after.

Should I aim in front of golf ball?

Trying to keep your eye on the ball pretty much ensures that your club will bottom out too soon. If you want to hit crisp irons from the fairway, your focus should be well forward of the ball.

How do you practice divots?

0:002:28How to Get Perfect Divots || Golf Tip || Golf Drill - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd work your way back with the wedge work all the way down the stick line and trying to make yourMoreAnd work your way back with the wedge work all the way down the stick line and trying to make your divots nice and shallow straight.

What should my divot look like?

Ideally, your divot should start 1 to 2 inches IN FRONT of where your ball was on the ground. If it starts at or behind the ball, you're probably hitting it fat. If it starts more than an inch or two in front of the ball, you're hitting it thin.

Why do pro golfers take such big divots?

Divots are part of golf, especially out on tour. Pros swing with more speed, and they're usually hitting shorter clubs into the greens from really tight fairways, so it's always raining clumps of turf. But not all divots are created equal.

Do any pro golfers not take a divot?

2:183:21Do NOT Take a Divot! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipObviously it depends on what type of club using if using a blade then you might take a little bitMoreObviously it depends on what type of club using if using a blade then you might take a little bit more of a divot. But with these modern clubs that we have wait in the bottom.

Should you always take a divot with an iron?

0:203:03Should You Take Divots With Your Irons? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou're going to get a more solid. Contact is going to control distances. Better it's going to beMoreYou're going to get a more solid. Contact is going to control distances. Better it's going to be more accurate.

How do I sweep my irons?

2:073:05Sweeping Golf Swing - The Perfect Golf Technique? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipLevel my shaft. So my hands are level to the golf ball not necessarily. Ahead level to the golf ballMoreLevel my shaft. So my hands are level to the golf ball not necessarily. Ahead level to the golf ball. And then sweep the ball. Away.

What hand do you use to divot in golf?

They'll do it with their left hand. You're not going to see very many guys sitting up like this with their right hand. The right hand has a very important job to do, but as far as making sure that your golf divot start in front of the ball, you need to focus on working on the left hand only.

How far should a golf divot start?

Now hit full shots off the tee and try and make sure that the tee remains undisturbed. Your golf divot should start about an inch in front of the tee, and the tee should not be clipped or broken. While this drill may seem simple at first, many golfers struggle with it, so don't take it too lightly.

What is shaft leaning?

Shaft lean is critical for a proper golf divot. Learning how to get your golf divots to start in front of the golf ball instead of even with it or even behind it is usually the ultimate goal for most amateur golfers who are used to hitting the ball really fat.

Why is lag important in golf swing?

Having lag in your golf swing is critical for having shaft lean at impact, which is critical for taking a divot in front of the golf ball. Lag allows more time for the hands to get in front of the golf ball before impact and, hence, produces forward shaft lean.

Why do you divot in front of the ball?

Having your divot start in front of the ball is vital for ensuring a descending angle of attack and clean contact. It is also ideal in most cases to learn to take more shallow divots for spin and trajectory control. If you are taking massive, deep divots, it becomes very difficult to control the distance of your irons.

How to practice hitting a 7 iron?

Another good way to practice this is to actually hit balls off a tee. Take a 7 iron and place the ball on a tee but tee it very low such that the tee is barely above the level of the dirt (about 1/8"). Now hit full shots off the tee and try and make sure that the tee remains undisturbed.

What is a proper divot?

Taking a proper golf 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. Below, we're going to take a look at the proper divot from the face-on view.

What is a proper divot in golf?

Golf Swing Tips for Taking a Proper Divot. By Lyle Smith. A proper divot is a result of crisp contact with the ball. 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.

What is divot placement?

Taking a divot is a great accomplishment, but if you don't take it from the right spot, you can still have problems. It is imperative for a good iron shot that you hit the ball slightly before you strike the ground.

How does the finish affect golf swing?

The finish affects the flight of your golf ball just as much as your setup, downswing or strike.

How deep should a dollar bill be for divots?

The perfect shape is that of a dollar bill pointing directly down the target line. The divots you produce should be level and not overly deep – maybe half an inch or so. Unfortunately, many amateurs never develop a comfort level for taking divots. Give some of these tips a try.

How to hit the golf ball thin every time?

Keeping your forward arm a consistent distance from your body ensures that you'll return the club back to the ball the same distance from the ground that you started. Bend your elbow and you've shortened your club and your swing, and you'll hit the ball thin every time.

Do amateur golfers take divots?

It's as if they are afraid to scar the turf. Don’t be afraid to hit the ground with your club. Take a good divot.

What happens if you divot too far in front of the line?

This divot looks just right, but if you find your divot is too far in front of the line, the ball could be too far forward in your stance; the club swung too much from the inside; your body was slow to turn through or you released the club early.

How to know if your downswing is too steep?

2. Behind The Line. The ball is too far back in your stance; the club swung too much from the outside; your body turned through too quickly; your hands were late to release. 3. Too Deep (Or No Divot) If it’s deep like this, your downswing is too steep, or your body is dipping toward the ball.

How to get out of a divot?

To get out of a divot first take a very good look at the lie. This will help you determine the type of club you need to use and the loft needed to get it out. Once you pick your weapon go for lean and loft. Make sure that your hands lead into the downswing and that you strike the ball with a forward leaning shaft and a downward blow. Setting your weight forward on your front foot will help you with this. As long as you've picked enough loft and you hit down the ball, it should pop up nicely and advance forward like any other shot from a good lie.

What does it mean to land in a divot?

Landing in a divot is nothing more than a bad break. Called "Rub of the Green" by the rules of golf, it's just a dose of bad medicine that you need to take with a smile on your face. It happens to everyone including the best players playing under the best of conditions. You may have seen Tiger, Arnie, Jack, Freddy and many other PGA Tour professionals land right in the middle of a divot during a crucial moment in a big tournament. Even though the courses they play are in mint condition and tour caddies replace divots or fill them with a sand mixture (not fun to hit out of either) depending on the type of grass they are hitting off of, there can still be old divots left behind. Seasoned tour veterans know it's a bad break, but know it can easily happen and thus are prepared to execute the shot with the best course of action. Because their technique is so solid, like I said before taking divots is somewhat automatic. Therefore, when they need to go down after the ball even more when the ball is sitting low in a divot it's not as big of a deal as it may be for the average golfer.

What is the first step in a golf swing?

Lean and Loft. The first step is to assess the lie. If a ball is sitting deep in a divot a long iron with a small clubhead and little loft may not be your best choice. A bigger head with more loft and more mass such as a wedge may be your best course of action even if it means laying up.

Why do scattered divots remove the most turf?

Here's the USGA's explanation: A scattered divot pattern removes the most amount of turf because a full divot is removed with every swing. Scattering divots results in the most turf loss and uses up the largest area of a tee stall. This forces the golf facility to rotate tee stalls most frequently and often results in an inefficient use of the tee.

How many shots can you make in a linear divot?

In so doing, a linear pattern is created and only a small amount of turf is removed with each swing. This can usually be done for 15 to 20 shots before moving sideways to create a new line of divots.