Golf divot before contact?

Question

I take a very small divot on my iron shots right before making contact with the ball. Is this incorrect?

Answer 1

Not good.  You should hit the golf ball on the downward plane and take a shallow divot after contacting the ball.  In other words your divot should be ahead of your lie.

Answer 2

sounds like you aren't shifting your weight to the left at impact.  If all else is equal, you shift your weight, the divot will be on the other side of the ball and your shots will fly farther.

Answer 3

If you are hitting the ground before your ball then you are not connecting with the ball at maximum clubhead speed.

You will be losing distance and spin.

As everyone says you should be collecting the ball first and then making a divot.

Try shifting the ball slightly back in your stance over the spot where you are making a divot.

Answer 4

should almost always hit ball first, unless in the sand

Answer 5

Terms used for that are fat, chunky, heavy, etc.  Not a good idea.  You hit behind the ball and the ball won't go too far as you have noticed.  Hit the ball first and then make the divot.  If you listen to golf telecast they talk about different golfers being great ball strikers.  That is because the make contact with the ball first.  You do that and you will hit more pure shots.

Answer 6

VERY SMALL divot before making contact...  no... its incorrect.

But, if only very little... dont worry to much about it, more you play, you will get better... it take time before you really hit the ball very solid!!  Just keep practice on your balance....balance really help for ball contact.

Answer 7

No it is not correct. You should always make contact with the ball first, and the produce a shallow divot.

Answer 8

Go to this "Golf.com" website page and it will show you what you're asking about...hitting the ball fat...and how NOT to do that.

http://www.golf.com/golf/instruction/les...

Select "Hitting It Solid".  Great website!

Answer 9

Hello,

           All depends how good of a golfer you are. Yes, divots are required for proper ball flight and distance depending on what club you are using.  All little more divot would not hurt and you may see better results.

                                             good luck

                                                    jim

Answer 10

The iron should swing on a descending blow, hit the ball, then the ground.  The type of divot is less important, and could change depending on the shot, but it should normally be closer to the hole than where the ball was.

Answer 11

I will always try to hit the ball first with my irons especially, but rarely with my fairway metal. A good shot I noticed is produced with the divot after the ball, not behind the ball.

With my fairway metal I seldom take a divot; hence I do not get the distance I need. I tend to sweep the ball clean off the fairway, without making any divot most of the time. The moment I make a divot my ball flight becomes haywire!

When we hit the ball first we tend to give a +ve momentum to the ball in its flight forward, but when we hit before the ball the tendency is for the ball to gain a slight -ve momentum, creating a lag in its flight.

Answer 12

Answers can be confusing, try to hit the ball in the centre what i mean is aim for the equator of the ball, hope this helps it did with me and knocked 5 strokes of my handicap

Answer 13

No, you will hit better if you hit the ball first and THEN take a divot.