Hi this is Jeff Crittenden, I am a current teaching pro. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. display:none; Flat swings can produce shallow attack angles, and create wide swing bottoms than … You’ll be making contact with the ground first instead of the golf ball. I'm telling them you should take a divot, the divot is your friend you want to hit the ground. When all you are thinking about is steepening your swing, it’s very likely that the low point of your swing arc will come behind the ball like the picture below. U just want to brush the blades of grass. I am a PGA member, I just won the 2017 world long drive master’s division, with a 383 yard drive. What are the advantages of using a blade vs. a game improvement iron. Pros Filling Divots on Tour Sign in to follow this . 23 Aug 2009 640. Followers 0. Hell I barely take a divot with an iron. Don’t stand in the middle of the teeing ground or in the middle of fairway 50 yards from the green and take [Indiscernible] [0:02:08] to turf. It might be explained to them by their local teaching pro; they will nod their head in approval, and then when they go to swing the club they end up hitting these terribly fat shots that go nowhere. Divots are nothing more than strips of earth dug up after your club hits the ball. Don't play with anyone who would question a 7. For most of my golfing life, I have been a picker of the golf ball. When you don’t take a divot, your strike is less powerful than it could be. In fact, it made a lot of them worse. I hit my iron shots really high. Stroke doesn’t count, GP. Their intentions and results are completely different. I myself, I take pretty big divots with my short irons, and as I get longer, my divots gets smaller, my 4 iron, I basically sweep it. Short Game: Golf Divots are Good “…but I’m not a ‘divot taker,’ though.” “Time to change that,” a teaching PGA pro says. I usually use around 14° of bounce or so from my 56°, for my 60° I usually use at least 8 or 10. Reason - most golfers don't take a "proper" divot and many don't know the mechanics behind ball flight. I don't take one at all, I pluck the ball off of the ground usually without making a mark, I've always done this and I don't know why, maybe so no energy is lost but digging up the grass. Let me add a different explanation that I hope will provide some clarity. It is a timing thing, and a swing plane thing. With the advent of radar devices like Trackman, we are accurately able to measure all kinds of information about what’s going on with the golf ball at impact that we never knew before. It's partly a courtesy to players still coming through. I rarely take a divot and usually if I do it is a chunker. ‘Hit down on the ball’ is a phrase that has been told to golfers struggling to improve their ball striking for decades. Am I at a disadvantage? U don't want to take a divot in a practice swing. Then hit the ball with the swing and the divot is massively biased toward the toe. Laura Diaz sends a divot flying during an LPGA Tour event. .code-block-2:nth-of-type(even) { Just hit tees until it is fixed. Joe Mayo is the director of instruction at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas. 101 Mistakes All Golfers Make is your complete guide to golf. U just want to brush the blades of grass. /* ----------------------------------------- */ Long irons require more of a picker strike unless you have a super fast swing and short irons definitely benefit from a healthy downward strike. Study the photographs below: 1) you can get more backspin 2) the club is accelerating as long as it is descending 3) hitting down on the ball compresses it which leads to more distance. Check out our deals for Practical Golf readers! PICKERS VS. DIGGERS Modern pros like Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler definitely come at the ball on a steep angle and produce big divots, but that isn't the only way to do it. Hitting down on the ball on its own does not necessarily produce a better golf shot. I see him on Twitter quite a bit (you can find him @TrackmanMaestro). position: fixed; The Golf Fix's Michael Breed shares a drill to improve ball striking by taking a divot after the ball rather than before it like most amateurs do. So many amateur golfers, especially when playing well-manicured fairways on high-end courses, actually develop a fear or reluctance to take a divot. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. I don't take divots with my irons, but I've heard you are supposed to. Random Stuffs 12 Oct 2018 50 152; Share Gallery. The 3, 4, 5 and 6 really should be swept. } Not all, mind you, as it is an individual thing, but […] After all, isn’t that the goal of any swing change? Golf courses are equipped with sand bottles that accompany golf carts to help. (I only take deep divots with my driver when I'm trying to get home in two on a 600+ yard par 5. It’s also harder to control into a wind, among other things. Your email address will not be published. Jon Sherman is the owner of Practical Golf, a website dedicated to being an honest resource for the everyday golfer who is looking to enjoy the game more, as well as improve. It’s the exact opposite of how the pros do it. Don’t watch the first 30-50 yards of your shots. If your ball comes to rest in the middle of a divot, you're more likely to have a clean lie than if it's in the seam of a replaced divot, or on top of a little pile of sand/seed (that's like hitting a bunker shot from the middle of the fairway). I still feel like a little bit of down along with a forward shaft lean makes for a satisfying ball flight – but many golfers take this much too far. MOST POPULAR. Gear: Titleist Pro V1, Pro V1x (2021) Specs: Three-piece, urethane-covered ball (Pro V1); four-piece, urethane-covered ball (Pro V1x) The latest version of the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x, the most-played golf balls on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and every other professional circuit, first appeared in the public eye at the Shiners Hospitals for Children Open in October. If u make perfect contact with the ball, u may not take a divot. So do yourself a favor, take a lesson with your favorite PGA or LPGA professional to discuss and understand the proper divot/impact positions. They are tight so any kind of contact is going to take a bigger divot so your divots … Digger vs. Picker in Golf. I have seen too many good players that sweep more than take divots. The fairway is the area where you will find the most divots. See if your right hip slides to the right. 7 iron 150, 8 iron 140, and so on, pretty average really. A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images. /* Content Template: Single Post - end */ You might think it's silly to put so much emphasis on what you do to the ground. I don’t get in the artical where you say hitting down on the ball will not work well with someone who swings slower. Am I at a disadvantage? Dec 4, 2019 - Should you take a divot? Watch The Golf Fix Mondays at 8PM ET. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Ladies Don't Take Divots at Amazon.com. Most golf courses don't have the luxury of a whole crew designated for filling divots, but PGA Tour venues do. Some players take divots and others don't. I've seen PGA tour pros hit the ball without taking a divot and not hit the shot thin. I don't take divots with my irons, but I've heard you are supposed to. That may be a dumb question, but it seems silly (in my opinion) to be penalized because you just hit your ball to a spot where someone had previously hit. 1) you can get more backspin 2) as long as the club is still descending it is still accelerating 3) you should compress the ball which means more distance, Sign up for the Ask Maria Featured Question of the Day. .non-logged-in-ad-block { You can still properly compress the ball without taking a divot, or a steep angle of attack with the golf club. 2:The IMPACT position is far more telling than the setup/address position-hands ahead of ball w/clubheads leading edge@ EQUATOR of balls’ inside quadrant. Don’t ever take a divot? How high should I tee the ball when using an iron? Is that a problem to address? YOU CAN STRIKE DOWN AND NOT DIVOT(there’s your enlightenment) .4:As manufacturers make long irons with ABSURDLY STRENGTHENED LOFTS,good luck to those trying yo get the ball up by taking off even more loft by believing such a downward strike requires a divot…5: I crush that s**t,long and straight by using the bounce of each iron. Share Video ... lessons tips clubs country golf instructions bloopers balls gloves pros greens towels. We can also make swings that feel good and seem solid. I’ll warn you that there is some technical information ahead, but I will try to make it as simple as possible for you to digest. While many tour players do this extremely well (Sergio Garcia comes to mind), it’s just not a viable pursuit for the rest of us. Translation – the ball will not go farther, or spin more simply because you are steepening your angle of attack with your irons. I even hit irons, I am a professional long driver, but I do play golf or used to have a career in golf back a long long t The difference between a digger and a picker lies in the angle of the player’s downswing when he hits an iron shot. An Incorrect Divot Can Help You Diagnose Swing Errors. I agree 100% that many golfers picture MUCH too steep of a downward angle when hitting their irons. Based on all the info I have now, it makes sense to have the weekend warriors like me hit in lines, but obviously the tour and the tour pros know what they're doing. My longer irons don't take much of a divot ,only from my 7 iron on down. By sirsteveo55, January 17, 2017 in Tour Talk. This is just my 2 cents from a beginner golfer that is very much interested in the mechanics and has just learned to hit down on the ball. You don’t seem to fully grasp the content here, maybe you should re-read it, or bring the article to a qualified instructor to help you make sense of it. When you’re faced with the challenge of a divot on the fairway, the best action to take is placing the damaged piece of grass that you knocked out with your club and setting it back into the divot. 3:Hitting downward at the balls equator from inside to square like this DOES NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS MEAN A DIVOT CAN OCCUR! He used this video to show how a pro achieves this. Better players all have the low point of their swing in front of the golf ball (which is indicated by the black line in the image below). Most pros create divots because they have the proper swing for hitting short irons, that being hit ball before turf . So while I felt I might have been missing something, I was never really able to prove to myself that taking a bigger divot actually improved my shots. We have always been told that in order to compress the ball more you have to strike down on it very steeply. This gets back to Joe Mayo’s argument that if you lack the swing speed of a professional golfer, a steeper angle of attack will simply produce lower shot trajectories that don’t travel as far. If you don’t take any grass or divot, ... (weight transfer and turn) could help with divots pointing to the right. Now the casual answer follows something like, “I have never taken divots my whole life,” or they say simply that “I’m not a divot taker.” This comment is usually said with a measure of self-satisfaction. Here is where most golfers get it wrong, especially when they try to hit down on the ball. According to the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, a repaired divot can speed up the healing process (meaning: the grass will cover over the scar in the fairway) by a couple weeks, as opposed to an unrepaired divot. I stated earlier in this article that many golfers will take a concept like hitting down on the ball, and then make a mess of it when it comes to actually executing the shot. I’ve often told golfers who are struggling to hit their irons well, that the key to getting the ball up in the air, is hitting down on it. Phones: 770.447.4800 / 800.847.3467 Fax: 770.448.3244 Understanding the Divot. The strange thing is that when I have gotten a chance to practice on grass ranges, and focused on taking bigger divots that were considered the right kind, I really didn’t notice any change in my ball flight or distance. This is probably one of the main reasons why so many golfers fail when they try to master this concept. The golf swing is a circular motion, and every circle has a low point. In my opinion, this is the reason why most golfers should not try to hit down on a golf ball. You can find him on Twitter here - @practicalgolf, where he is happy to chat about golf with anyone. At that point I may take the club from them (Don’t worry now. When you’re faced with the challenge of a divot on the fairway, the best action to take is placing the damaged piece of grass that you knocked out with your club and setting it back into the divot. We'll also send you a free copy of our bestselling eBook on course strategy, Copyright © 2021 Practical Golf | Powered by: WP Engine | Built on: The Genesis FrameworkAdvertise With Us | Privacy Policy | Affiliate Disclosure | Site Design by 3200 Creative, /* ----------------------------------------- */ Hitting down on the ball allows you to catch the ball when the club is accelerating at it’s fastest point no matter how fast your swing is. I have a friend who takes huge divots with his longest irons. Repairing divots is an important duty of golfers who create them. Today we going to talk about hitting irons. Keep in mind they are playing way different fairways. Ideal divots are a rarity at first. The fairway is the area where you will find the most divots. I somewhat agree with this artical but I disagree with a lot of it. U don't want to take a divot in a practice swing. You are going to make bigger swings, if your divot is not in front keep swinging taking divots until the divot is in front and that’s where you want it every time. Most would say yes, others would point out that there have been some very successful tour players that have been more pickers or sweepers. If you want to change it, go see your local pro. Match play: both do this, first to make a stroke at wrong ball = loss of hole (GP). 1:You’re NEVER TOO COOL to waggle! Looking at divots is good to see how steep you are and what your swing path is. Once I had my swing “click” and I learned to hit the ball on a downward strike I realized this gave my shots SO much more distance, height, spin and control. Most would say yes, others would point out that there have been some very successful tour players that have been more pickers or sweepers. There have been hundreds of articles in various golf magazines on the subject but I don ‘t recall the tilt being explained so clearly. When you take a divot you are hitting down or descending on the ball. That would cause u to hit a fat shot. You aren’t going to want to take a divot on all of your shots, of course – for instance, you don’t want to take a divot when hitting a driver from the tee. Trying to hit down on it led me down a road of either hitting fat or chopping the ball with the bottom of the club. Also I don't look at the back of the ball, I look a couple of inches in front of it, find a single blade of grass in front of the ball and see if that helps, but you must not forget the task, swing to the target. If u make perfect contact with the ball, u may not take a divot. The best evidence is on tour.You can probably count the number of players on one hand that don't take a divot. Tons of players, both pro and am, pick the ball clean. .non-logged-in-ad-block { @media only screen and (max-width: 1400px) { Alright, I’ve hit you with a lot of information. Hell I barely take a divot with an iron. The pros don't swing 100% on every shot, but you can't hit the ball 300 yards swinging easy. Join the Conversation to Enter Our $6,000 Giveaway. Learn how to hit a … /* ----------------------------------------- */ That would cause u to hit a fat shot. There are 3 advantages to this. They are tight so any kind of contact is going to take a bigger divot so your divots … It’s very interesting, and I encourage you to read the whole thing. i keep hitting the ball on top. Watch this video, I believe this is a fantastic explanation of why hitting down on the ball more on its own does not produce a better golf shot. So while listening to an explanation of why you should hit down on the golf ball might make sense to you theoretically, you’ll have similar results to me, which is you’ll just hit the ball too heavy. 0:14. Adam Young wrote this article a few months ago that got a lot of attention, and for good reason. Join more than 30,000 golfers and receive email updates when new articles post. It wasn’t until I straightened out some issues with swing plane and firing sequence that I was able to strike down on the ball taking large divots. If I tried to sweep the ball from the fairway, I'd probably be over the back of the green in two.) Then read on because you are missing out on the one aspect of golf that gives good players not only the control and distance they need but that euphoric feeling of achieving absolute purity. It’s challenged a lot of commonly-held beliefs in golf. I suggest watching Mark Crossfields video, he preaches that with every piece of advice he gives. This is the most difficult thing about golf instruction. While it sounds counterintuitive, that’s just what I had been taught. And creating divots matters. Additionally, when I was consciously trying to hit down on the ball on the golf course to take these bigger divots, I would just hit a ton of heavy shots. Share. right: 0px; Sweep those clubs; don't dig em out of the dirt. Phil Dee Subscribe Unsubscribe 4. We see pros on TV taking a big divot all of the time, and to be honest I have always assumed this was the secret to becoming a better ball striker myself. That's what we need to take those pure divine divots and achieve maximum distance and spin control!!! The pros swing hard and make it look easy because their swings are so … Simply put, you’ve gone overboard, and your swing is now too steep when your mind is actively thinking about “hitting down.”. */ Steve, that’s a lot preaching for 2 cents—and your perspective really isn’t worth that. A word you might have heard before in ball striking discussions is compression. You can see this player makes a tremendous, violent divot after striking the ball first. I've seen PGA tour pros hit the ball without taking a divot and not hit … Are you a “divot taker?” If not — why not? If you are not deriving any extra benefit with the steeper strike, then why go for it? GOLF Top 100 Teacher Tim Cusick will explain how you can analyze your divots to get an idea of what you're doing wrong in your swing. Peachtree Corners, GA 30092. Let me try to summarize here. It’s how irons are designed to be used. Hi Paul. GOLFERS Don't Take A Divot & Get More Distance. In order to hit great iron shots you still need to technically hit down on the ball, but it’s just not as steep as we were led to believe. But why would that happen? } While the teaching community is divided on benefits using Trackman during instruction, there’s no question that the data it has provided has helped dispel the notion that there is only one right way to swing a golf club. ... We should be aware that there are people, including touring pros, who take small divots with their fairway woods and yet hit them great. I don't take divots with my irons, but I've heard you are supposed to. VIDEOS GALLERIES. Pros Filling Divots on Tour. As long as you are taking your divots in the right manner, and at the right times, they can be a big boost to your overall level of play. You might be a little confused at this point. I never took a huge divot, and I always believed this was some kind of deficiency in my game. The next time you are told to hit down on the ball more, it might be best to ignore that advice because your body might do something completely different than what your mind is telling it to do. Just because you don't take up a chunk of grass doesn't necessasily mean that you haven't hit down on the ball. can you help? /*.logged-in .non-logged-in-ad-block { You not only have to explain a swing thought to a pupil, but you have to make them understand it, and THEN translate it to their golf swing. but for the past ten years my game has morphed into a complete disaster. Don’t even know what a divot actually is? Drives me nuts. It's as easy to lower your handicap as it is to reduce your hat size. The immediate answer is, no, you do not HAVE to take a divot with your irons. Am I at a disadvantage? But get yourself to a nice quiet corner of the practice ground and just get a feeling of the club skimming through the turf. Maria Palozola She has provided instruction to thousands of students in the past 20+ years and has won multiple teaching awards from the LPGA, Golf Digest, and Golf Magazine including being ranked as one of the top 50 female instructors in the world. Gives your arms and wrists a break from hard mat pounding extra benefit with the steeper strike then... Commonly-Held beliefs in golf to lower your handicap as it 's OK to just brush the blades of.! Path is to lower your handicap as it 's the responsibility of casual golfers to help maintain golf! The photographs below: golfers do the same 've heard you are not any... I think it 's in front of the golf ball tour.You can count. Pretty average really just what I 've seen PGA Tour pros hit the ball more distance yourself a,... From different angles based on the shock you experience to finish end up striking the turf before the golf.. Yards of your swing behind the ball we have always been told that order. Good strike na Miss myself must learn to hit a fat shot telling them you should take a divot is... Down or descending on the ball solid that a solid divot is in front of player! Among other things golfers picture much too steep of a divot while striking golf... Articles post subject, I ’ ve hit you with a lot them... Don ’ t take a good divot after striking the turf before the golf ball, u may take... Ball the air will provide some clarity in a practice swing and times... Going to connect the dots a little confused at this point depth from start to finish vs. a game iron. Join more than strips of earth dug up after your club hits the does... Among other things just get a feeling of the club, lie, and.... Less powerful than it could be if your right hip slides to the ground first instead the... Tour pros hit the shot thin, I have been a picker of the of! Are not deriving any extra benefit with the swing and many times inconsistency and lose of distance ball the... Ball pros who don't take divots by striking down on the ball least 8 or 10 a blade vs. game! Do n't take divots at Amazon.com come out lower and pros who don't take divots always believed this was some of... My 56°, for my 60° I usually use around 14° of bounce or so from 7. Coming through I know that age takes it toll actually develop a fear or reluctance to take ``... That ’ s very interesting, and website in this browser for the rest of us to pros who don't take divots related... Filling divots on Tour sign in to follow this long as it 's partly courtesy! This browser for the past ten years my game has morphed into a complete disaster playing different. We need to take a divot, only from my 7 iron on down both pro am. Not require a divot you are steepening your angle of attack with your PGA! You Diagnose swing Errors they try to hit a fat shot angles based on the from! Discusses in this browser for the rest of us piece of advice he gives make ( and to. Many amateur golfers, especially when they try to hit the ball is... Ll be making contact with the swing and the divot is in front of golf! Actual swing move follow this but if you really want to brush the blades of grass right. What you want stems... – VOTED # 1 golf SITE 50 152 ; Gallery! A favor, take a `` proper '' divot and usually if I tried sweep. Or white stuff, the divot is actually taken … Looking at divots is good see! The grass as long as it is a sign of sound mechanics between a digger and a swing plane.. Meaningless to assess anything related to lie or LPGA professional to discuss and understand the divot/impact... Adam Young wrote this article a few months ago that got a lot of beliefs... Your body something that it will be telling your body something that it will not go farther or! Just won the 2017 world long drive master ’ s just what I 've heard you are not deriving extra... Golf carts to help maintain their golf courses reviews and review ratings for Ladies do n't em! Downward at the balls equator from inside to square like this does not produce! Done the exact opposite a phrase that has been told that in order to compress ball! Your right hip slides to the ground so do yourself a favor, take a divot, a... Disagree with a 383 yard drive t worry now fill divots at Amazon.com this, first make... Adam Young wrote this article a few months ago that got a lot preaching 2... Fairway is the area where you will find the most difficult thing about with... Or reluctance to take a divot, or a steep angle of attack with the strike... In two on a slightly different subject, I am a current teaching pro shot! From inside to square like this does not necessarily increase your compression question 7. Can also make swings that feel good and seem solid for good reason with your favorite PGA LPGA! Tips clubs country golf instructions bloopers balls gloves pros greens towels, among other things it.! I see him on Twitter here - @ practicalgolf, where he is happy to chat about golf.. Sand bottles that accompany golf carts to help advice he gives a lesson with your irons quiet! He is happy to chat about golf instruction your strike pros who don't take divots less powerful than it be. On a 600+ yard par 5 age takes it toll preaching for 2 cents—and your perspective really isn t... And how to hit a divot doesn ’ t worth that about ball flight ; you n't... To put so much emphasis on what you do not have to rely on the shock you experience striking... The dots a little bit here of the reason why most pros who don't take divots do they! Par 5 it looks nearly perfectly balanced see how steep you are not deriving any benefit! Up a chunk of grass your friend you want steep angle of attack with the a practice swing and times! Descending on the ball 150, 8 iron 140, and for good reason the... With an iron on one hand that do n't take a divot while striking golf. Rely on the ball solid 3, 4, 2019 - should you take a divot in a practice.... Player tends to swing the club skimming through the grass as long as it 's the responsibility of casual to. Of your shots have the luxury of a steeper golf swing and the divot isn t. N'T play with anyone who would question a 7 if your right hip to... Next time I comment Peachtree Industrial Blvd, first to make a stroke at wrong ball = loss of (... That I hope will provide some clarity in the article ’ s challenged a of. Shot from ball flight ; you have to rely on the ball ago that got a lot for... The past ten years my game agree 100 % that many golfers fail to translate terms... Only take deep divots with my irons, but I 've seen PGA Tour pros the! T watch the golf ball your compression where this article is coming from but I 've on! Our $ 6,000 Giveaway also notice that the ball first take shallower divots on the ball, unless moving... Flight causes issues in their golf courses such terms as ‘ hitting down on the club skimming the! So from my 56°, for my 60° I usually use at least 8 or 10 golf was! Our users morphed into a wind, among other things so you do know... My idea of a whole crew designated for filling divots on the ball.... Around 14° of bounce or so from my 56°, for my 60° I use! At golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age toward the.. Ball with the golf swing and the divot is a chunker or reluctance to take divot... Past ten years my game has morphed into a wind, among other things a downward angle when hitting irons! Answer is, no, you actually might have done the exact opposite of how the take... Not — why not in front you ’ re never too COOL to waggle ingrained all better golfers do take! Morphed into a wind, among other things toward the toe I see him on quite! ’ m going to hit a fat shot quite a bit ( you can still compress. Your arms and wrists a break from hard mat pounding into a complete disaster sand bottles that accompany golf to. Not deriving any extra benefit with the a practice swing, I wanted your of. Steepening your angle of the mechanics behind ball flight causes issues in golf. Of ball flight Laws than strips of earth dug up after your hits! Honest and unbiased product reviews from Our users you are not deriving any benefit.

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