[Today, Josh Zander, a PGA Teaching Pro at Stanford University Golf Course and MySmartGolf.com Co-founder, tells you how to carve the perfect divot. The tee is yours, Josh! ]
I had a chance to watch Nick Price hit balls warming up for his President’s Cup match several years ago. His ball striking was amazing. The sound was so solid as he compressed ball after ball with a perfectly straight ball flight. I then noticed that each divot was going slightly left of where his ball was going. The reason for this is that he was swinging on a wonderful “in to in” swing path. He hit the golf ball first and then took his divot as his swing was completing the circle on the other side.
Make sure that your divot is only slightly left, as I do not want you swinging across the ball! Hitting across the ball will produce a glancing blow and lead to weak, slicing golf shots. It could also lead to deep divots as the swing plane gets too steep. Byron Nelson used to call the perfect divot one that looked like a dollar bill. It is shallow and the width of a dollar bill which matches the width of the sole of your club. A dollar bill divot is a sign of a proper swing plane, and will lead to dollars in your pocket as you beat your playing partners! Make that dollar bill points slightly left of where your ball takes off and you on your way to pure ball-striking.
If you are trying to shape your shots, your divot may point in a different direction. For example, if I am trying to hit a hook that starts right and falls left, I will play the ball back in my stance in order to catch the ball as my swing is on the part of the circle that is going to the right. The divot may point right of the target but it will still be past the ball. One thing is for sure, all great ball-strikers hit the little ball before the big ball. The little ball is the golf ball, and the big ball is planet earth. Hit the earth after the ball, replace your divot and then make that long walk to the green with your putter in your hand and a smile on your face.
