opinions on divots

[spc lewis]

ive read opinions on both sides of the divot question. I dont take divots but often my mishits end up bladed or topped. Ive read Divot takers say that if you take divots, there is larger room for error. When i intentionally try to take a divot i usually hit behind the ball for a really bad shot.

so i quess my question is: Is what ive read about taking divots accurate? I know not all players take divots but could this possibly help my consistancy. And if so, does anyone have any advise on hittin down on the to take a divot without hitting behind the ball? Thanks for any advise.

[dilly]

I think however you hit the ball naturally is what you go with.I only take a small divot & would consider my self a sweeper.I've tried both & always end up going back to what i know best.

A drill i do more than most & stand by is this one here but instead of using another ball i use a tee.Had a couple bad experiences where the back ball would get cliped on the way through & end up almost taking out my knee caps lol.Try it tho,i'll think you'll be astonished by the results of how a golf ball should be truely struck.

http://images.thegolfchannel.com/images/Instruction/uk/37046.gif

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/golf-lessons/two-ball-drill/

I swear by it & actually got a big buzz once of got over the fear of hitting the other ball :)

[free816]

my opinion the shorter the club the bigger the divot,
i take a good chunk with my 60, and 54, pw a nice shallow
one and so on. 5 iron, hybrid, 3wood barely brush the grass
imo, you should hit down on each club, save your driver

[Kiwi]

I would be the happiest man in the world, when if every time I went out for dinner that it turned up at the table the same size as my divots. I take huge, massive one's. Quite thick as well. I know that I'm a "digger' with my swing and come into the ball quite steep. But whatever works for you is fine.

[jack"bitchin"ripper]

I would be the happiest man in the world, when if every time I went out for dinner that it turned up at the table the same size as my divots. I take huge, massive one's. Quite thick as well. I know that I'm a "digger' with my swing and come into the ball quite steep. But whatever works for you is fine.

divots don't mean shit if the ball lands on the green.
gir means that whatever you are doing its working.
if it ain't broke don't fix it.
harrington is a good example right now of what "fixing something that ain't broke"will do for you.
i got way too many swing thoughts allready,worrying about how big or small my divots are don't need to be one more.:bg::cigar:

[CG8]

Divots suck. Especially when your ball rolls into one that some lazy fuck did not replace :roll:

That should be a unplayable lie! :gg:

[jack"bitchin"ripper]

Divots suck. Especially when your ball rolls into one that some lazy fuck did not replace :roll:

That should be a unplayable lie! :gg:

thats golf.play it as it lies.
actualy i practice that shot on the range.
the guys i work and play w/play strict rules of golf and this is just a shot you have to play sometimes.:thumbs5::bg:
just luck of the draw.to me this kinda stuff is what makes golf such a great game.the little stuff that can totaly mind fuck you.
it ain't the number you put on your card,it's how you got the number to start with.
:cigar:

[CG8]

thats golf.play it as it lies.
:cigar:Yeah I know. Fortunately it don't happen often. I've also practiced hitting out of my own divots on the range. I don't know how many times I have seen it on TV when a pro lands in one and it screws his next shot up. Tough break I guess :golf2:

[LateNight D.J.]

I would be the happiest man in the world, when if every time I went out for dinner that it turned up at the table the same size as my divots. I take huge, massive one's. Quite thick as well. I know that I'm a "digger' with my swing and come into the ball quite steep. But whatever works for you is fine.

I'm in the same boat as Kiwi, I'm a digger! I took a divot yesterday, looked like a fuckin' porterhouse steak flying thru the air! Was as heavy as one too. I try not to take 'em that big, but I was hitting up hill and just dug in.

The one advantage I would guess to taking a divot, this is ONLY if you're hitting your irons very very well, is creating some spin. If you contact the ball first, pinching the ball between the club face and the ground, that's how you create spin with your irons. With a wedge, I can generate serious backspin without taking any ground at all sometimes, but its a perfect shot and the grooves are doing all the work.

[spc lewis]

Yea the course i was playing today was so dry and the ground was hard as hell. If i was a divot taker I probably would have killed my clubs. I am more of a picker i guess. A usual good shot for me is just low enough to cut the grass. I was messing around in my parents back yard last weekend...my stepdad jokingly thanks me cause he said he wouldnt have to mow the yard now. I think its just going to come down to set up and remembering my setup now...I may be starting to overthink this game

[LateNight D.J.]

Yea the course i was playing today was so dry and the ground was hard as hell. If i was a divot taker I probably would have killed my clubs. I am more of a picker i guess. A usual good shot for me is just low enough to cut the grass. I was messing around in my parents back yard last weekend...my stepdad jokingly thanks me cause he said he wouldnt have to mow the yard now. I think its just going to come down to set up and remembering my setup now...I may be starting to overthink this game

If you look at your everyday, typical joe shmoe golfer, we ALL have different swings. I mean, everyone hopes to accomplish the same thing, but getting back and then thru, I don't see too many guys that look exactly alike. So, just do what you do and make it good. Too much thought will kill you, I deal with that alot. Sometimes I just step back and say to myself, jeez, would you just take a smooth swing and put the ball down the line.

Just try to consistently make good contact, however you get there.

[mopar1969]

If you look at your everyday, typical joe shmoe golfer, we ALL have different swings. I mean, everyone hopes to accomplish the same thing, but getting back and then thru, I don't see too many guys that look exactly alike. So, just do what you do and make it good. Too much thought will kill you, I deal with that alot. Sometimes I just step back and say to myself, jeez, would you just take a smooth swing and put the ball down the line.

Just try to consistently make good contact, however you get there.

There is something to be said for dumbing it down and just playing. Analsysis Paralysis.

[jack"bitchin"ripper]

There is something to be said for dumbing it down and just playing. Analsysis Paralysis.

i am going to be serious for this.
once i set up and get lined up my best shots come when i forget every thing except swing smooth and hit it hard.
my trouble is when i'm playing good i get greedy,like o.k. you hit that p/w 115 so if you put a little more into it you can hit it 125,thats when the shit hits the fan.:tip:

[free816]

i am going to be serious for this.
once i set up and get lined up my best shots come when i forget every thing except swing smooth and hit it hard.
my trouble is when i'm playing good i get greedy,like o.k. you hit that p/w 115 so if you put a little more into it you can hit it 125,thats when the shit hits the fan.:tip:

add to that when im going bad, im always left in between clubs, is it a hard 8 or a easy 9? days when im hitting it well all my yardages are in said wheel house.
all i can say is oh well!! thats golf

[BurleyGolf]

ive read opinions on both sides of the divot question. I dont take divots but often my mishits end up bladed or topped. Ive read Divot takers say that if you take divots, there is larger room for error. When i intentionally try to take a divot i usually hit behind the ball for a really bad shot.

so i quess my question is: Is what ive read about taking divots accurate? I know not all players take divots but could this possibly help my consistancy. And if so, does anyone have any advise on hittin down on the to take a divot without hitting behind the ball? Thanks for any advise.

Every good ball striker takes a divot! It might not be but brushing the grass or digging a hole to China but every one does. Most people or good ball stikers hit ball then the club enters the ground and the deepest part of the divot is 4iches infront of the ball. Down and thru... To do this with the correct blow you must have the hands leading the club head.

BurleyGolf-

[JPsuff]

I've always believed that a divot is a result, rather than a goal.

Not all shots will end up with the club digging into the turf. For example, if I'm trying to hit a smooth hybrid or long iron off the deck, I'm not thinking about digging down into the turf. Instead, I'm thinking about gliding the club along the top third of the grass and catching the ball cleanly.

On the other hand, when I'm hitting a wedge, I'm thinking about hitting down sharply on the back of the ball and that usually results in a fair amount of real estate flying up into the air.

Everyone's heard people say to "Hit down on the ball" but that doesn't apply to every shot. If whatever shot I'm hitting ends up taking some turf out of the ground, then it's usually because it was just a natural consequence of that type of shot. But it wasn't because I was TRYING to to do it -- it just happened that way.


-JP

[DR2010]

I love this forum. haha. Ok lets talk divots. AWW they Suck. I was playing in my last golf tournament of the season my senior year and I was a stroke back to make the cut to go to regional's. Par 5. I killed the drive. Second shoot got away from me a bit to the left. No problems... I thought when I got to my ball it had planted its self very nicely in to a muddy hole of death where rough use to be. Oh my god, I chunked it. This made my third shot like 165 in and wait guess what, another f-ing divot. So I got on, finally, but it didn't matter the guy I was up against chipped it in from about 60 yards. That was a crappy day. But I still love the game.

[TCL]

I used to take big muffy divots. You did not want to stand behind me at the range!
But after my swing change, it really depends on the type of shot I'm playing.

I learned to hit my 3,4,& 5 irons well by practicing from fairway bunkers.
The courses around her can get very swampy, so it pays to be able to pick 'em clean.

[bigvivec]

Ball Contact Drills



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9gcvcRRWGo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrKDbhC6lVg

These two vids if applied with add more COCK to your swing, and help develop a more torquey descending blow...


This one teaches how to use the bounce on the sole of the club and how to really hit down on the ball...IMO you don't have to dig ditches though on some shots it's preferable, but if you aren't taking any divot at all you're way too close to the edge of forgiveness and I'll bet you blade a ball or three here and there...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoNDdlmt6UQ

[LateNight D.J.]

When I started playing this year, I wasn't taking a divot at all. I realized it early, but couldn't figure it out at first.

I used to take monstrous divots, every once in awhile, I chunk a few pounds of ground--but its not as bad as it used to be. So, I've worked hard on extending my back swing. I used to just pick the club up and cock my elbows and wrists like a baseball player.

I also started working on flattening my swing a little, I over did that.

Now, I concentrate on feeling my left shoulder touch my chin. If I do that, I'm getting a good turn and I'm also not too flat. Then I just make sure I keep my head down. For me, if I do these things and my feet don't fail me, I tend to make good contact with a small, thin divot.