I play a pretty solid game for the molst part, with some days better than others. One of the things I never do is ground my club at address prior to starting my back swing. This usually gives me a crisp contact with the ball, and I don't have to worry to much about fat shots causing short, erratic ball flights. "Thin to win" is a motto I have adopted. Here's the the deal. I rarely take a divot. Usually if I concentrate with a wedge the closest I can get is a divot that starts just under the back edge of the ball. 

An article I read stated that the pros divots (swing arc's low point) starts about 3-4 inches in front of the ball after impact. Watching the pros on the Golf Channel shows this. A higher handicapper swing arc's low point start prior to impacting the ball. I saw this during today's round. The rest of us are between these two divots.

So how does one swing the club to get the low point of the swing arc in front of the ball? What swing chsractoristics, body movements does a golfer need to gain the extra distance, and accuracy that relates to the divot starting after the clubhead has impacted the ball?

Opinions?  Thanks, FHs  

Hey frog...this is a great question/topic.  I have often heard this too, but have been confused on how to make it happen in MY swing.  What was explained to me is that the forward weight transfer has to happen in a sequence with your downward swing so that your low point actually "moves" forward.  At address your natural low point is where the club sits behind the ball, but as you start your downswing and make your weight shift forward the lowpoint will naturally shift forward also.  The problem we amatures have is that we swing "at" the ball instead of letting the ball get in the way of the swing.  In doing so, even though our weight has started shifting forward, we are still swinging to the point where the club was at at address instead of to a point in front of the ball. 

Did this make sense?  Though I kinda understand what needs to happen, I still can't get my mind to not swing "at" the ball.  Any suggestions?

Semper Fi

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The worst possible situation presents the greatest possible challenge!

Go to this website, and note the picture of the guy in his golf stance at the top of the page.

http://www.easy2.com/tutorials/glf0101/index.asp

Notethat from his front shoulder to the clubhead is almost a straight line, and that his front shoulder is pretty much level. Note that his hands are over his inner thigh on his front leg. Note that his back shoulder is not level. This is because he has to reach with his back hand, which pulls the back shoulder down. Notice that his front wrist is pretty much straight, inline with his forarm, and the club shaft. Note that his back wrist is some what cupped.

Before I was the guy who gripped the club in the center of my stance. I have been working on this new set up position for the past few days, and have noticed an improvement in a consistant low point in my swing arc. It has really helped with my chipping and shorter pitch shots. Club selection is becoming a pleasent issue as it looks like I am gaining some extra distance, which I attribute to getting the correct, consistant loft at impact. With the center grip I use to have I was adding loft at impact.

Here are a couple of more links that will help explain this set up, and it relationship to the low point of the swing arc.

 http://www.iseekgolf.com/golfinstruction/6107-fix-your-golf-swing-part-1

http://www.iseekgolf.com/golfinstruction/6108-fix-your-golf-swing-part-2

Hope this helps.  FHs

 

 

 

 

&nb sp;

 

 

 

 

&nb sp;

 

 

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Golf Should Be Played.......No Watched

I have not given up on my quest to to get my "divot" more in front of the ball. I am doing pretty well with my wedges, and progressing with my mid irons. What I am finding is I am getting more distance, and greater accuracy with wedges when taking a divot after impacting the ball. Another thing I am finding is that even though I am hitting my wedges further, those longer distances are more precise. I attribute this to generating more back spin, which stops my ball quicker. I use to have a problem with consistant distances of my wedges. My ball would stop short sometimes, and other times it would run out further. This extra back spin also contributes my accuracy. Another plus is I seeing more draws with my longer clubs.

What I am doing is getting more of my body involved in my swing. More turning, and more weight shift at the proper time during my swing.  i am also paying more attentionto what my head is doing during my swing.

IMHO if a person can learn to hit a decent ball, while taking a divot after impacting the ball, with their  irons, then they are on a proper path to lower scores, with a better swing.

There seems to be so little information on "how to" take a divot in front of the ball after impact when compared to other swing instructions.

Below are some more links on taking a divot. Hope they are of some value.

http://www.paulwilsongolf.com/golf_tip_21.htm

 http://aolsearch.aol.com/aol/search?encquery=9b7feb7aec9b402f272f5858d60ecbaf109f99d96fc8d4965c6ba299e929e83bbfd477c9c77aee8e4b85fea35c4bef7a&invocationType=keyword_rollover&ie=UTF-8

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Golf Should Be Played.......No Watched