How do you do it

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Tony D'Antonio

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Ok, I've played golf for over 40 years, pretty good golf at times (3 handicap years ago, with 'real' clubs and balls :)). One thing I've always admired in good players is the ability to take a divot way in front of the ball while hitting good/great iron shots. Yesterday, I saw a guy who didn't even look that good hit an iron shot off the tee. His divot started 2 inches after the ball and bottomed-out about 4-6 inches in front of the ball. And he did this while hitting the ball flush, ie. he did not hit it thin like I do whenever my divot is this far in front of the ball.

HOW DO YOU DO THIS? I know I have to be shallower coming into the ball but when I do this I hardly take a divot. Nothing wrong with many of these shots but I'm looking for the holy grail here. How do you get shallow enough to hit irons flush but still maintain enough down to have that divot well after the ball? My divots usually start right below the ball and bottom out 2 inches in front, when I'm hitting it well. Nothing particulary wrong with this but I know the best golfers have their divots even further ahead.

Any insights will be greatly appreciated. I've been chasing this impact for 40 years.

Thanks,
Tony
 
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softconsult

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Try Brians divot drill. Swing and take a divot. Don't change your stance. Swing again and make the divot start at the
end of the first divot. Repeat until you can't do it. It's on one of his videos. Confessions may be the one.
 
hp12c

hp12c

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softconsult said:
Try Brians divot drill. Swing and take a divot. Don't change your stance. Swing again and make the divot start at the
end of the first divot. Repeat until you can't do it. It's on one of his videos. Confessions may be the one.
Click to expand...

Yes I concur in COFF.
 
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Tony D'Antonio

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Thanks for the suggestions. I can take a divot where I'm aiming, although my divot with a ball is not as shallow as without a ball (I guess this is the $64000 problem in golf: swing is different when trying to hit ball). The problem (I think) is that I've probably trained myself to take that divot coming in at too steep an angle. I've hit balls while looking at the spot in front of the ball where I want my divot to start. When I do this I hit too high on the ball and then take the divot where I'm looking. I guess I've yet to figure out how to shallow my path while still having my heads ahead and low point ahead of the ball. I guess my question should have been: how do I have a shallow iron clubhead path but still hit down on the ball? It is a subtle distinction, I know. Thanks again.
 
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wulsy

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softconsult said:
Try Brians divot drill. Swing and take a divot. Don't change your stance. Swing again and make the divot start at the
end of the first divot. Repeat until you can't do it. It's on one of his videos. Confessions may be the one.
Click to expand...

The man is a true genius.
 
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JonWil

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Tony D'Antonio said:
I've hit balls while looking at the spot in front of the ball where I want my divot to start. When I do this I hit too high on the ball and then take the divot where I'm looking. I guess I've yet to figure out how to shallow my path while still having my heads ahead and low point ahead of the ball.
Click to expand...

Tony have you ever tried to take your hands out to that spot you were looking at 'in front of the ball'? Not from the top but as you come down turn your hands out to that spot. The turn out will shallow you. It should feel like you are literally putting your hands in front of the ball on its flight path.

In my swing it got me from steep, out to in, and on the toe to centered and crisp iron strikes. My divots are just ahead of but not at the four to six range you seek. For certain your swing is superior and maybe the intention will get 'you' out that far and shallow.

It's my reinterpretation of 'hands in front of the ball'

Anyway, just some thoughts. Forty years invested I say you are due for that grail.:D
 
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Lindsey Newman

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Tony D'Antonio said:
Thanks for the suggestions. I can take a divot where I'm aiming, although my divot with a ball is not as shallow as without a ball (I guess this is the $64000 problem in golf: swing is different when trying to hit ball).
Click to expand...

The divot is deeper with the ball because at impact the head of the iron gets forced downward which makes it deeper. JMO
 
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Tony D'Antonio

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JonWil, thank you for your tip. I'll give that a try. I do think that the answer lies in being able to start the hands back and down (stay wide?) and then take them to the front of the ball. I just can't do that yet. It took me a long time to get away from the flip I had so I imagine this even more sophisticated move will take even longer. And I'm running out of time.
Thanks to Lindsey for that bit of information about the club being forced into the ground more when hitting the ball although I'm almost positive that I swing steeper when the ball is there than when not. Anyway, I appreciate all the information.
 
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