I don't usually take a divot but want to learn how. So how?

Question

I'm getting good distance but if I pinch the ball I heard I'll get better distance and more control of my shots. I pick up the ball pretty clean which helps in fairway bunkers, but really want to pinch that ball, take a divot and watch that ball fly.

Any tips?

Answer 1

Don't be afraid to get the clubhead into the ground is probably my best tip, alot of people who "pick it clean" worry that that if they get the clubhead into the ground, it will hurt, but that is something you will not have to worry about =)

Also focus on making a downward attack on the ball as opposed to a swinging up onto the ball, that should help alot too

Answer 2

Hit down on the back of the ball...causes a divot and backspin.

Answer 3

If you are picking the ball cleanly, you are probably not transferring your weight to your left leg until after contact.  You are sort of hanging back.  With a short iron, try putting the majority of your weight on your left leg at address and take a 3/4 swing.  Be patient with in because you will probably hit more chunky than you will clean.  This will help you get the feel of what it is like to hit down on the ball.  Once you are comfortable with hitting down, adjust your weight to be more centered but favoring the left side, then incorporate the full swing.  Good Luck!

Answer 4

I was in your shoes a few years ago and “hitting down on the ball” never meant anything until I had a lesson a great teacher.

If you don’t have money for lessons, here’s the tip I learned.

Imagine a nail coming out of the ball at a 45* angle and imagine smacking the nail down into the ground with your club. Practice this with a six iron, because this is hard to visualize with a wedge. Forget the ball, keep smacking that nail into the ball and into the ground.

Take some half swings and smack the ball into the ground, don’t worry about direction, just contact. Also, don’t worry about hitting fat, the fear of hitting fat is what makes higher-handicappers want to “pick” at the ball.

Eventually, on one of those swings, you’re going to hit the ball first and then the ground. You’re going to feel the ball getting trapped against the ground. You’re going to feel the ball higher on the clubface, because the bottom three grooves are in the ground. When the ball is hit with the middle 6 grooves of the clubface, there’s no more pure feeling in sports.

With practice and good spine angle, you’re going to hit ¾ shots that go further than your old full shots. On courses less than 6500 yards, I NEVER use a full swing with my irons.

Last of all, take lessons. You could have 3 other problems that none of us in the forum can see and tell you about. Most teachers will give a 10 minute intro lesson for free.

Answer 5

Here's an inexpensive way to learn it from one of the greatest teachers of all time Harvey Penick.  Just put a tee in the ground and push it most of the way down until just the head sticks up.  Now take a swing at it and the goal is to clip the head of the tee off leaving the stem in the ground.  You have to make a good crisp strike to do it.  Practice that (with like a 5 or 7 iron) and when you can do it consistently you will find  you are pinching the ball well and taking a nice divot.

Answer 6

Do not look at the ball... I know this sounds strange, but you have  to look at a place about two inches in front of the ball and try to hit that spot. Remember, divots in front of the ball are better than divots behind the ball (fat shot).