Welcome to this week's newsletter. 

We thought that we would talk to you this week about your divots. There are two main reasons that we are going to talk to you about divots, the first is to make sure that you are taking them and the second reason is to make sure that when you do take one you put it back, or fill the divot in from the divot boxes on the tees!

It amazes me how many of you feel that taking a divot is a bad thing. This couldn't be further from the truth. If you don't take a divot you may well be the Green Keepers best friend but sadly your golf will be suffering.

Our golfing goal is to strike the ball cleanly, accurately, powerfully and consistently. To do this we must strike the ball before the ground, striking down on the ball with a forward-leaning shaft, hitting the ball with the sweet spot on the club face, and striking through to take a divot after the ball. You should take a divot in the same place after the ball with every full swing shot played off the ground, with every club. Please note that your divot with a 3-wood will be a lot shallower than with a pitching wedge because of the wider swing arc and the resulting shallow angle of attack, and because of the design of the sole of the club. In fact you may only scuff the turf rather than dig into it, but you still strike down on the ball and you still take a divot in the same place.

 

The next time you are hitting some balls in the nets or from an astro turf mat, pour a small amount of water onto the mat from your water bottle so as to make a small puddle on the mat. Then with an iron make a half swing and try to squeeze the water from the mat. You should see the water squirt forwards but also note the feeling you get when the Club bounces off the mat, (this is a good feeling!) Once you have done this a couple of times make a full swing and then put a ball where the puddle had been. With the ball in place make a full swing and feel that you squeeze the ball from the mat with your Club. If your club comes down too early/before the ball then try to ensure that you are moving forward/onto your left side on your through swing. This is a great tip and works particularly well if you are struggling to get your wedge shots in the air. Let us know how you get on.

If you are already hitting divots (and replacing them!) that is great news, but take a moment just to look at their shape. If they are too deep or not pointing towards your target then there may be a swing fault which will need addressing. If one side of the divot is deeper than the other then there is a really good chance that your Clubs are either too long or too short, to the lie angle too upright or too flat.

If you any concerns about your divots, or lack of them, then please feel free to come in to the shop and speak to myself, Jack or Glenn who would all be more than happy to help you. Alternatively please click here to get in touch.

 

This week's Pro shop Special Offer

 Up to 50% OFF selected Odyssey, Wilson and PING Putters.