Three Surprising But Useful Facts About Divots

This post will sound painfully simple however you will be surprised at how a whole lot it can help you troubleshoot swing troubles.

Martin Hall began School of Golf Wednesday night with "three things you might not know about divots... but should." These three facts were:

1. The divot made by a straight shot actually points a bit to the left. (That's for righties, of course. If you're a lefty, it should point slightly right.)
2. If you hit the ball correctly, the divot should begin right under the center of the ball and NOT in front of it.
3. Except when attempting special shots, your divots shouldn't be very deep.

Now let's look at each of these facts in more detail.

1. You swing on an inclined plane, which means that -- for a straight shot -- the club head approaches the ball from inside your aim line, contacts the ball when the club head is facing straight down the line and then immediately moves back inside your aim line. So if you hit the ball straight, the club head should be moving to your left (if you swing right-handed) right after it contacts the ball. Therefore your divot should point just a bit to the left -- not a lot, just a bit.

That additionally method that if your divot is pointing instantly at the target, you probable driven the shot. So if you maintain reducing but your divot factors directly beforehand, you've got the ball a chunk too a long way again to your stance.

This actually makes sense once you think about it... but you do have to think about it

2. Although the main part of your divot is in front of the ball -- if you hit the ball before you hit the ground, it has to be -- that doesn't mean ALL of the divot is in front of the ball. In fact, the beginning of the divot is UNDER the ball. The club face should hit the ball first, then hit the ground where the ball is resting, and then take out the divot starting there.

Again, this makes experience if you think about it. If the whole divot was in the front of the ball, you'll have hit the ball skinny.

3. Martin quoted the late Moe Norman, who once said your divots should be "bacon strips, not pork chops." Under normal circumstances you want a shallow divot that doesn't slow down the club head or twist it sideways when it hits the ground. A shallow divot four to six inches long -- Martin said the size of a dollar bill -- is a good rule of thumb.

If you're coming over-the-top, you will in all likelihood get a deep divot that factors quite a chunk left. (Or quite a bit proper, in case you swing lefty.) That's due to the fact your downswing is available in steep and from the out of doors of your aim line. And taking deep divots can also harm your wrists.

So there you have it --  a quick lesson on "reading" divots. These simple facts about divots provide a lot of very useful information when you're trying to troubleshoot your swing.