First of all, let's define what is a divot.

Visualize yourself swinging. Your club is descending as it hits the ball (because you are making a good weight transfer). Once the ball is released from the clubface, it continues on a downward arc which bottoms out just past where the ball was, thus taking a divot after the ball is hit. The depth of the divot is relative to the amount the club is descending as it approaches the ball. The more descending the club, the deeper the divot.

What Do I Do When Making A Shot From An Old Divot Hole

Are you like me? Does most of the fun and challenge of a good game of golf come from making successful recovery shots out of unsuccessful tee offs. Of course, we like to avoid these type of hazard areas completely, but we get a real sense of accomplishment from working our way of trouble.

Hitting The Ball From A Divot

Again, a divot is the term to describe a small chunk of grass that is sliced out of the course, usually by iron shots. The entire patch of sod is scooped out, roots, dirt, and all. Usuall, courteous golfers will replace any divots that they create. The grass will re-root itself in short order, making the area appear like new. However, all players are not as kind to the course as are you and I. Many golfers simply do not take the time to replace their divots.

When this happens, the course is left damaged, with a hole in the ground. This causes a real disaster of a shot for you and I. This is true especially when the ball snuggles right inside the divot hole. Now you have a shot to make that is resting on top of sandy soil instead of grass. This can be a nightmare.

When you hit the ball from such a divot hole, you will need to adjust your position. You must make contact with the golf ball first, instead of the ground. Many beginners have a tough time with such shots because if the ball is hit even a bit flat, it's not going to move very far at all. You must adjust your stance so that you can make the downward swing steeper than normal, making sure to tap the ball first before hitting the ground, if at all.

Choose The Right Iron

When facing a divot hole shot, your best bet is to carefully choose an iron that gives you a decent amount of loft. Remember, you might not be able to get the ball onto the green with your iron in this particular situation, but the important objective here is to simply get out of the divot entirely. And because you will be adjusting your stance in your swing so that you de-loft the clubface, the ball should go further than normal.