FORE! (If you yell this a lot, try a lesson!) Can you hit this thing right every time?

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Golf Swing

 

TAKING A DIVOT - NO SCOOPING (Brent Nicoson)
It is very important to learn to hit shots on a descending blow and take a divot. Otherwise, inconsistent ball striking will occur. Many fat and thin shots will appear. An improper weight shift is one cause of scooping. The weight must shift to your left side during the downswing in order to take a divot and hit a crisp shot. 

If your weight hangs back on your right side, it becomes impossible to take a divot that starts at the ball and moves forward. The weight shifting to the left allows you to hit on a descending blow. If your weight stays to the right too long, you will be referred to as a "hanger and a flipper" meaning you hang back on your right side and flip or scoop the hands through impact.

Another thing to think about is your posture. If you are not standing tall with good posture it becomes tough to hit down on the ball. Players that set up with a rounded back and "hunched" over too much cannot hit down on the ball. They can only stand up through impact causing a scooping motion.

The third area to check is that your right side stays "tall" on the downswing assuming you are a right handed player. If the right side (shoulder and hip) collapses or lowers during the downswing it also becomes impossible to hit down on the ball and take a correct divot. Staying tall with your right side will allow the downward impact you need. When the right side lowers you will tend to hit behind the ball or (because you know you are going to hit behind it) you will be forced to "stand up" through impact causing very inconsistent shots. 

Lastly, an early release or casting of the club head is often a cause of scooping your shots. Delaying the release of the club head is essential in hitting solid shots. 

DRILLS:

1. Paint a line on the ground during a practice session. Place the range balls along the line and hit some shots. The divots, when the ball is hit correctly, should start at the line and move forward. If you are hitting the ball with divots starting behind the ball, or not taking divots at all, check your posture, the level of your right side, an early release, or an improper weight shift. 

2. Chip some balls with your right hand only holding the club. Notice how when chipping with one hand only, it is easier to get the ball airborne when you hit down on the ball instead of trying to hit the ball on the upswing or scooping it. The regular swing should be a longer version of this "chipping" motion. The ball will fly off of the clubface with much more consistency when struck with a downward motion. Always keep in mind how the ball gets airborne: the club head strikes the ball on a downward motion which allows the ball to roll up the clubface and become airborne. This cannot occur when you are scooping the ball.