You Don't Know, "My (golfing) thought for today." Divets

Divets and more divets.  One sometimes wonders whether amateur golfers are afraid to hurt the grass on the fairways based on my recent observations.  You can't hurt the grass, so take a divet with your fairway irons: just replace them.  

Amateurs, I suspect, think that the different lofts of the clubs are to pick up the ball.  This usually results with the leading edge coming into contact with the ball resulting in a very low shot or a complete flub.  The proper contact with the ball is in a downward motion of the club face, continuing into the ground, and continuing in a forward motion.  This is what causes the divet.  (Observe the pros on TV.)

Years ago while playing with a pro and after a few holes, he told my buddy and me to go to the rough and dig some holes; which we did.   You don't dig a hole under the ball, you hit the ball first and continue in a downward motion while continuing the forward motion through the follow through.  This motion will force the ball up the face of the club resulting in a lofty shot. 

This motion is not for your fairway woods or driving irons such as the 2 or 3 iron, but you should still scruff up the grass a bit.
Even when you're on the tee and your ball is teed up, you're still moving the club head in a slightly downward motion, without necessarily hitting the ground, so the ball obtains the desired loft.   

A stranger in New York City several years ago asked a New Yorker, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?"  To which the New Yorker answered, "Practice, practice, practice."  So go in your backyard and dig some holes.  With a golf iron, not a shovel.

0 comments:

Post a Comment