Help! I've stopped taking a divot!

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kc8kir

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This is nuts. A product of practicing on mats I believe, but I have gone from ditch digger to TOTAL sweeper. I can't even take a divot with a wedge. I really don't think I'm flipping (gonna take some video to check this), but is there anything I can do to start taking divots again? I can't hit crap off the ground anymore. It's all these floaty hooks. I'm guessing underplane, too much in-out, super shallow.

Aaaarrrgghhhh


Maybe it's time to pull out NHA...
 
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alexlimco

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kc8kir said:
This is nuts. A product of practicing on mats I believe, but I have gone from ditch digger to TOTAL sweeper. I can't even take a divot with a wedge. I really don't think I'm flipping (gonna take some video to check this), but is there anything I can do to start taking divots again? I can't hit crap off the ground anymore. It's all these floaty hooks. I'm guessing underplane, too much in-out, super shallow.

Aaaarrrgghhhh


Maybe it's time to pull out NHA...
Click to expand...

Happened to me once before. Due to praticing on mats which results in a sore wrist after an extended session, I have 'learned' to move the ball a tad more forward which allows me to pick the ball up off the mat without a divot.

Try moving the ball a tad more back in your stance and make an effort to hit down on it with your irons. Hope this helps.
 
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Zztop

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You know the advice is good when...
...it starts working the first time you try it!

Today was a great day at the range. Worked on much more out and up in the backswing, along with getting the shoulders squared at impact (more of a face the ball at impact snap move versus a pull left spin left move). Very much improved in all clubs. 3 Wood was still tricky, ball position being rather sensitive and my tempo at the top (transition) still having a tendency to get way too quick. I had to think more of swing up, pause, fire. Then the shots started to come together. Very long too! Misses were low pulls. Good thing though...no BLOCK SLICES or DUCK HOOKS!

I'd never focused on "square the shoulders at impact" before, and was very surprised to see it work so well. Didn't require much hand action to square the club either. Actually gave me something to focus on body wise in the downswing that made the club behave.

The only other thing I did was apply a little forward press at address (a la Jack Nicklaus).

Here's hoping it keeps getting better! I'll report back soon.

Recognize this post?
 
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kc8kir

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Thanks for the reminder. I do recognize it. Unfortunately, I was trying those things today, and still couldn't take a divot. I think overall my swing is too long. I'm going to work on a 3/4 feeling action until impact improves. Watching my swing in a mirror here at home, even my mid irons are going past parallel. I can't control the swing that long. Time to shorten it up.
 
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Zztop

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kc8kir said:
Thanks for the reminder. I do recognize it. Unfortunately, I was trying those things today, and still couldn't take a divot. I think overall my swing is too long. I'm going to work on a 3/4 feeling action until impact improves. Watching my swing in a mirror here at home, even my mid irons are going past parallel. I can't control the swing that long. Time to shorten it up.
Click to expand...

From the swing pics you posted a little while ago,you seem to take the club inside and low and then lift your arms to lift the club higher, you might need to pivot with your core more to help take the club away, instead of alot of arms yanking the club inside and then up.

Just a thought could help, haven't seen your swing since ,so hard to give advice, and you know what free advice is worth... lol ;)
 
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dsmith2296

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Can you answer two questions for me:

How far away is the butt of the club from you at address?

How far is the butt of the club from you at impact?
 
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kc8kir

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I'd have to video the swing to know that. I know I try to return it about the same distance, but I could be entirely wrong.

I practiced the rest of the weekend with a mirror, working on shortening up the swing. Somewhat difficult, but I think I know now feel wise where a correct top position is, versus overswinging. If I don't feel it, I can just make way too much turn too fast and send the arms flying up and around me. Need to feel more like the left arm never goes past 10 o'clock, which is really about 11 o'clock to stop the over swing. More or less need to "hold the umbrella" at the top. Villegas and Baddeley (pre-ST) are gonna be my swing models for now.

This is gonna take some work, but at least the mirror work was reassuring. I definitely need to stop the club from overswinging at the top, throwing away my lag, and destroying my arc. My downswing sequence from the shorter position certainly feels much better. The wrists feel much more stable on the way down, and medium speed swings to impact position appeared it took much less effort or manipulation to arrive square at the ball with low point in front of the ball.

I'll keep yall updated.

Flexibility is a gift and a curse. :rolleyes:
 
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dsmith2296

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If you want to take a divot for divot's sake, take the club back with the butt of the club close to your right pocket and, on the down swing, make the butt of the club come as close as reasonably possible to your body at impact without coming over the top.

This is how I get the ball out of deep rough.

Let me know if it works.
 
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Brian Manzella

Administrator
Taking a Divot.

"You should never try to take a divot" —Homer Kelley

I buy that 99% of the time.

It should be an automatic result of distance from the ball, ball position, left shoulder location at impact, left wrist condition, and plane line.

So, if you can't take a divot....

Stand closer, move the ball back, have your left should further forward, have your left wrist flatter and more un-cocked, and swing further left.

You probably won't need all of them. ;)
 
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kc8kir

New
Jim Kobylinski said:
Generally the further to the right you swing the more shallow the angle of attack the shallower the divot in most cases. Make more sense?
Click to expand...

Yep. Especially if you are like me, someone who gets underplane, too much in-out and way too shallow.

I think the swing shortening is really going to help, but thank you Brian and Jim. I'll keep your notes in mind.
 
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