Fat Golf Shot Drill: Mark ball position with tee to see divot (Video) - Lesson 21 by PGA Pro Pete Styles
Fat Golf Shot Drill: Mark ball position with tee to see divot (Video) - Lesson 21 by PGA Pro Pete Styles

One of the most important bits of feedback you could ever get on the golf course is what the divot is, where it is, what it looks like, what shape it is, particularly where it is in relation to where the golf ball was. But once you've hit your golf ball and the ball is flying down here, all you're left with is the hole in the ground where the divot is, and unless you're very good, you can't really work out where the golf ball was on the ground, in the divot.

So, what I encourage you to do is have your golf ball down on the practice ground or the golf course, and just place a tee peg exactly opposite the back edge of the ball, so the tee peg points at the back edge of my golf ball. Then, when I go ahead and take my swing, the ball will be removed, the divot will be revealed and the tee peg lets me know where exactly the start of the golf ball was. If the divot is before the start of the golf ball, you've got problems. You've started to fatten the ball. So, if the divot shows up before that tee peg, where the start of the ball was, you must have hit a fat shot.

If the divot is level with the tee, or more importantly after the tee peg, that's great work, that means you're taking divots but you're not hitting it fat. But any time the divot comes up an inch or two inches before that tee peg, you've got concerns.

It's best if you don't try this in competition, so try this on your practice ground or in a practice round when you've got a mid to short time where you should be taking some quite healthy divots. Try placing the tee peg in opposite the edge of the golf ball, then when you've played your shot, you'd be able to look down and have a reference point for where your divot is. If the divot happens before the tee peg, you need to work on making a lot more of a lateral dynamic movement in your swing to get more in front of the golf ball. Your chances are that you're leaning back too much.

If you are taking a divot that is after the tee peg, congratulations, you're not fatting the golf ball anymore and you're striking it much better, well done.

 2012-11-28

One of the most important bits of feedback you could ever get on the golf course is what the divot is, where it is, what it looks like, what shape it is, particularly where it is in relation to where the golf ball was. But once you've hit your golf ball and the ball is flying down here, all you're left with is the hole in the ground where the divot is, and unless you're very good, you can't really work out where the golf ball was on the ground, in the divot.

So, what I encourage you to do is have your golf ball down on the practice ground or the golf course, and just place a tee peg exactly opposite the back edge of the ball, so the tee peg points at the back edge of my golf ball. Then, when I go ahead and take my swing, the ball will be removed, the divot will be revealed and the tee peg lets me know where exactly the start of the golf ball was. If the divot is before the start of the golf ball, you've got problems. You've started to fatten the ball. So, if the divot shows up before that tee peg, where the start of the ball was, you must have hit a fat shot.

If the divot is level with the tee, or more importantly after the tee peg, that's great work, that means you're taking divots but you're not hitting it fat. But any time the divot comes up an inch or two inches before that tee peg, you've got concerns.

It's best if you don't try this in competition, so try this on your practice ground or in a practice round when you've got a mid to short time where you should be taking some quite healthy divots. Try placing the tee peg in opposite the edge of the golf ball, then when you've played your shot, you'd be able to look down and have a reference point for where your divot is. If the divot happens before the tee peg, you need to work on making a lot more of a lateral dynamic movement in your swing to get more in front of the golf ball. Your chances are that you're leaning back too much.

If you are taking a divot that is after the tee peg, congratulations, you're not fatting the golf ball anymore and you're striking it much better, well done.