Divots tell

After a less than hot morning in my home course with Ghoonk yesterday, we proceeded to the range for some more swings 3 hours after our first tee off and since we finished ahead of (wife's) schedule.

At the range, I noticed Ghoonk's relaxed irons produced consistent shallow divots in front of the ball the size of a dollar in length (we play on grass at the range). They were like 3 neat rows of strip marks on a road after 25min of work.

Mine (divots) on contrary were mostly non-existent, and deep and short in one out of ten shots, and mostly fat ones (i.e behind the ball).

Hardly surprising considering my downswing is always too steep and a failure with arm extension following through.

Are you one of these 2 cases?

Interesting to learn more...

Extract from the net:


Are you one of those golfers that's struggling to solve the mystery of how the pros take those perfect divots with each iron shot they hit? If you said yes, you may want to keep reading because the mystery is finally going to be solved.
Understanding the Divot

A proper divot is actually taken after the ball has been hit. This means that the club is descending as it approaches the ball. It makes contact with the ball, then it enters the ground to take the divot. The depth of the divot is relative to the amount the club is descending as it approaches the ball. The more descending the club, the deeper the divot. If the club is not descending, it won't take a divot (unless you were to severely dip your upper body or spine angle during the downswing). There are 2 fundamentals you need in order to take a proper divot. They are:


1. Arm Extension

Most average players try to hit the ball solely with their hands and arms instead of the their body. Hitting with the hands and arms causes the arm muscles to contract or buckle as the club swings through impact. The harder the person hits, the more their arms will contract. If the person's arms contract, it narrows the arc that the club is swinging on (this buckling of the arms is referred to as a "chicken wing"). If the arc narrows, it's not able to impact the ground and take the divot. Instead, it skims the surface or comes up so high on the ball it will start to approach the equator of the ball. This narrowing arc produces thin or topped shots.

Are you one of those golfers that's struggling to solve the mystery of how the pros take those perfect divots with each iron shot they hit? If you said yes, you may want to keep reading because the mystery is finally going to be solved.

In looking to solve the mystery of not taking a divot, people feel they have to hit down on the ball to get the club to enter the ground. As I just explained, this will never work because you are hitting. The harder you hit, the more the arms will buckle, the less divot you will take. What you should be doing is relaxing your arms as you swing the club and not trying to hit anything. The feeling should be that the weight of the club is pulling your arms out to their widest point. This pulling sensation can only occur if your arms are relaxed. A great way to understand it would be to imagine a weight swinging on a piece of string. Your club is the weight and your arms are the string. As it swings, the string is pulled to its widest point. This means it is maximizing the width of the arc its swinging on. If your arms are relaxed, the weight of the swinging club will pull your arms out as well thus maximizing you arc. Keeping the arms extended is the first part to taking a divot. Now, let's take a look at how the body rotation makes the club to descend.

2. Body Rotation

The proper body rotation throughout the golf swing is what creates the divot because it causes the club to descend at impact. Think of it this way, if you were to hit the ball standing on one leg you would have one axis between your head, body and leg. This means that the club would be swinging around a single axis because your head would not be moving. This also means that the club would only swing at ground level and pick the ball off of the surface without taking a divot.

Because you're going to hit the ball with both legs on the ground, it means that you have 1 top (head) and 2 bottoms (legs) to an axis. When you rotate into the backswing, you create your first axis between your head. body and right leg. As you start the lower body rotation on the way down, it forces your head to stay behind the ball at impact.

As you make the move to create your second axis between your head, body and left leg. Because your head stays behind the ball you are actually lower at impact than you were at address. If you keep your arms extended throughout the downswing your club will descend as it hits the ball thus taking a divot.

Hitting With Arms

If you are someone who hits at the ball solely with your arms it means you are not using your legs so you don't get the head staying behind the ball through impact. The hitting also contracts your arms instead of allowing them to extend. This contraction pulls the arms off of the ground.

Sliding Laterally

Likewise, if your body slides laterally through the shot instead of turning, your upper body will tilt too much to the right through impact forcing the club to hit behind the ball too much.

What you should be doing in order to take proper divots is to work on your body rotation. In your backswing, you should move your head overtop of your right instep. This will create your first axis between your head, body and right leg. Then, keep your head back as you approach impact. Once the ball is hit, your head then moves overtop of your left leg to create your second axis between your head, body an left leg. So really you have a floating top (your head) to an axis.

Although it's difficult to describe without pictures I think you get the point. In order to take proper divots you have to relax your arms to maximize the width of your arc. Then, you have to connect that arc to a rotating body. Because you are going between 2 pivot points it tilts your body to the right through impact. This tilting puts you lower than you were at address thus making the club descend as it approaches the ball.

Funny why others are teaching how to make divots and not hitting the golf ball.


Anyway, I have my own divot stories too...

No, he's sharing stuff he's been reading on the net about how to create divots, which I think is a good gesture. He's also working hard on trying create divots, and I have noticed that he is going through the same 'problem' that I had in the past, i.e scooping the ball as part of a sweeping motion.

The way I overcame that problem was to cock my wrist fully at the top of my swing, maintaining soft wrists on the downswing, and by creating lag, the clubhead would accelerate so quickly through the impact zone that it would pull itself towards the ground, strike the ball, and continue slicing through the turf after impact.

In my case, this 'technique' was learned by accident (like him, my swing used to look pretty stiff) using shorter clubs (9i, then 7i) and eventually I learned to apply it to my long irons as well.

There is no way you can properly generate lag AND square the clubface naturally if your wrists are stiff/locked during the downswing.

I will take some slow-motion video when we next play at The Els Club this Friday and share them online if jurongtiger is comfortable with it. I'll include some of my swings as well, but it ain't going to be pretty

DUn wan la. I very paiseh with videos (golfing or others) out in the public.

Just for my own viewing pleasure.

But I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING AT THE ELS! Wooo Hoo.

I will be staying overnight at Al Barsha Holiday Inn again! Thats near the Els right?

Erm, not THAT near, but near enough. Do you want me to pick you up from the hotel?

No need la. Paiseh.

I will make my way there myself... hopefully my GPS works fine cos I have NOT been there before.. I only know JGE and Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club....

You can either access TEC via Emirates Road (watch out for the small signboard) or via Motorcity (which will take you through some pretty crap roads)

Jurongtiger, that is a great piece of facts.
It serve as a great reminder to use the core muscles rather than just hands.

Use your big muscle, eh?

I have a couple of tips that helped me hit the ball first then divot instead of an inch or 2 behind the ball.

-Look at the front of the ball instead of the back. Mebbe even up to an inch ahead. It will feel weird initially but so far, its been working.

- Also if you have those alignment sticks, place it about 6-10" behind the ball in between your feet. That will teach you to hit down and take ball 1st.

If you are steep with your swing, try using a small towel or if you are into iron headcovers, place one under your right armpit and keep it there till followthru.

Think 'Lucas Glover' or 'Sergio Garcia's looping of dropping the club to the inside. If you need extreme, think 'Jim Furyk',

Getting my old distances back. I realised that I was coming slightly outside in with a little open clubface at impact which was causing those little pushes and fades.

I got no doubt about intentions. but just that some advice are not meant for certain kind of ppl. like you cannot tell some people not to use 'harder plastic tees' becuz it will scratch the club head. some people just do not have that much club head speed to create that effect!


Anyway, when I make bad shots, I tend to let my club head lightly run though the divot to see the path of my club head to learn my mistakes. It is easier for me as I tend to make divots in most of my shots, even off the tee with my 5 iron.

S70B wrote:

I have a couple of tips that helped me hit the ball first then divot instead of an inch or 2 behind the ball.

-Look at the front of the ball instead of the back. Mebbe even up to an inch ahead. It will feel weird initially but so far, its been working.

I also do it.... reason is that is the point I want my lowest point of the swing to be where I'm looking at... dun even bother abt the ball... you swing cannot be so steep that u dun catch the ball before the lowest point

ghoonk wrote:

Use your big muscle, eh?

Extract from above.
Most average players try to hit the ball solely with their hands and arms instead of the their body.
2. Body Rotation
The proper body rotation throughout the golf swing is what creates the divot because it causes the club to descend at impact.

So is using big muscle the same as body rotation?

mUAr_cHEe wrote:

I got no doubt about intentions. but just that some advice are not meant for certain kind of ppl. like you cannot tell some people not to use 'harder plastic tees' becuz it will scratch the club head. some people just do not have that much club head speed to create that effect!


Anyway, when I make bad shots, I tend to let my club head lightly run though the divot to see the path of my club head to learn my mistakes. It is easier for me as I tend to make divots in most of my shots, even off the tee with my 5 iron.

champion talking here. Heed and improve.

noted

seebayho wrote:

So is using big muscle the same as body rotation?

Not necessarily.

Body rotation is achieved with the big muscles. Using the big muscles though, does not mean you have proper body rotation. Example: sliding the hips instead of turning and clearing.

Birdman wrote:

seebayho wrote:

So is using big muscle the same as body rotation?

Not necessarily.

Body rotation is achieved with the big muscles. Using the big muscles though, does not mean you have proper body rotation. Example: sliding the hips instead of turning and clearing.

So it should be body rotation with the big muscle?

But my big muscle is at the back not at the batok leh.

Anyway, your nick is seebayho, no need to think so much also you can play see bay ho. For you, doesn't matter if your big muscle is at the back or batok, still the same, seebayho!

As a big spider says "Hit hard, look up!"

S70B wrote:

I have a couple of tips that helped me hit the ball first then divot instead of an inch or 2 behind the ball.

-Look at the front of the ball instead of the back. Mebbe even up to an inch ahead. It will feel weird initially but so far, its been working.

.

S70B, I tried that on the range, it works very well!

Birdman, ya clearing the hip is more effective than just using the big nuscle.
I put your theory on test just now and it works! you seebayho ah!

S70B wrote:

I have a couple of tips that helped me hit the ball first then divot instead of an inch or 2 behind the ball.

-Look at the front of the ball instead of the back. Mebbe even up to an inch ahead. It will feel weird initially but so far, its been working.

- Also if you have those alignment sticks, place it about 6-10" behind the ball in between your feet. That will teach you to hit down and take ball 1st.

If you are steep with your swing, try using a small towel or if you are into iron headcovers, place one under your right armpit and keep it there till followthru.

Think 'Lucas Glover' or 'Sergio Garcia's looping of dropping the club to the inside. If you need extreme, think 'Jim Furyk',

Getting my old distances back. I realised that I was coming slightly outside in with a little open clubface at impact which was causing those little pushes and fades.

Hi bro,

Thanks for the tip on looking at the ball in front instead of back of the ball. Tried at range. Contact was much sweeter. Will try it out on course on Thurs.

asahi wrote:

Thanks for the tip on looking at the ball in front instead of back of the ball. Tried at range. Contact was much sweeter. Will try it out on course on Thurs.

wah liew ! secret training on thurs ! how can like that ?!

oops.......darn.