making the right divots

[chachi1984]

hey guys,

ive been working on keeping my upperbody still, keeping my eyes on the ball. while working on making a good shoulder turn, I have had trouble making proper divots

seems like some swings Ill make a good divot shallow and after the ball and other times I wont make a divot at all and still hit a decent shot,

what do you guys think is causing this, I was trying to work this out and think it might be that iam starting to rise up just before impact.

seems like my lead leg is going straight at impact this make be causing me this problem???

[mystic]

I could say the same thing here as I did on TorontoGolfNuts

Shoulders can't turn around your chest. Turn the chest and bring the shoulders with it.

[sohills]

This is truly one of the biggest issues with most average players. Good to work on the eyes. I always think it is easier to hit something when you are actually looking at it! harder to hit it when you are not looking at it!

That being said, there are a couple of other things to give thought. The answer to your problem is not difficult. If you think about the swing and your problem, how many things can go wrong. All your asking is to consistently brush the ground, right!

What can make you not hit the ground? countless things, but look at your setup. when you set up to the ball, you are looking at the ball, your spine is tilted, and your arms are hanging straight, and the club is resting on the ground, right?

So we now have 3 things that can go wrong.

Your head can lift, lifting your eyes, or just simply looking for the shot before you hit it.

Your spine can lose angle and straighten up, making it impossible to not lift your head. You can still look at the ball, here, though.

You can collapse your arms at impact, shortening your arms, making the club swing slightly higher as it approaches the ball.


What causes these problems? Many things, but:

Your eyes are typically anxiety, leading you to look for the shot early, instead of being patient with your eyes, and making sure that you are actually looking at the ball at impact.

Your spine can be bad habit, a little tight in your muscles in your left abdomen and back, your hips pushing forward, towards the ball, making it impossible to keep your spine angle and still hit the ball without several other compensations.

Arms shortening at impact can be tightening of the arms and elbows as you "prepare" for impact instead of keeping your arms relaxed through impact. Your balance may be getting to much into the balls of your feet, causing your balance to come to the ball, leaving you with little choice but to shorten the arms if you want to actually hit it.

Check these items and work on these simple steps.

But, the real answer to the problem can be simplified to 2 answers. Maintain consistent height throughout the swing, and keep your mind on the grass and ground beneath and slightly beyond the ball. Make the goal of the shot to brush the grass and take a shallow divot, instead of trying to hit the ball!

Give this some thought. Check your swing with the thoughts above, and start being more consistent with one of the most basic ball striking elements you will find. Consistently brushing the ground!! Your shots will be so much more solid, and they will be more enjoyable. Especially as the cold temperatures arrive. Those thin shots really sting when your hands are cold!

Good Luck with the swing!

The Golf Surgeon

[quote name='chachi1984' timestamp='1319925869' post='3736289']
hey guys,
ive been working on keeping my upperbody still, keeping my eyes on the ball. while working on making a good shoulder turn, I have had trouble making proper divots
seems like some swings Ill make a good divot shallow and after the ball and other times I wont make a divot at all and still hit a decent shot,
what do you guys think is causing this, I was trying to work this out and think it might be that iam starting to rise up just before impact.
seems like my lead leg is going straight at impact this make be causing me this problem???
[/quote]