Recently, I have given a bit more attention and notice to the divots I have been taking out on the golf course. In the past I was a bit afraid to take a healthy divot because I felt like I was going to hit every shot fat and I really didn’t understand the concept of the divot. I understand that there are guys out there (Steve Sticker types) who are good enough to pick the ball clean, but I am not that kind of player or nearly that good.
I haven’t had a chance to read Tom Watson’s new book yet, but I can already tell I am going to enjoy it and learn from it just by reading a few excerpts online. Watson acknowledges that a golfer can learn a great deal about the quality of their golf shots by looking at their divot. I have to be honest that prior to this year I never spent much time looking at my divots or really caring about them. If I hit a shot thin or fat I would just say, “oh I came up out of that shot or I hit behind the ball.” Now, I am trying to focus on hitting the ball first and leaving a shallow divot a few inches in front of the ball. Now when I hit a thin shot I don’t leave much of a divot and if I hit it fat, my divot is much deeper.
The hardest part about this concept for me is the lack of a grass driving range in the city of Chicago. The feeling you get when you hit the ball first then take a clean divot is unmatched on a mat. I am not sure how to get around this, but I would encourage all golfers out there who want to get better to take some time to look at the divots they are leaving out on the course. It can tell you a great deal about your alignment, swing path and shot shape. Be a student of the game and learn from your time on the course. It will make a difference in your enjoyment of the game!
thebirdiehunt.wordpress.com 