Should You Take A Divot In Golf To Hit Good Shots?

The short answer is “yes, with exceptions.” There is a reason why this near-universal advice exists, as virtually every good ball striker in the modern game of golf takes a divot with their normal iron shot, even if it was a very small one.

The longer answer, like so many things in golf, is a big “it depends.” While taking a divot is not essential for beginners, it is a good skill to learn.

In this article we’ll take a look at different situations, different types of divots, the right and wrong way to take them, and some of the divot patterns (or lack thereof!) from famous professional golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, and Moe Norman.

What Is A Divot In Golf?

The word “divot” actually was first used by the old Scots, specifically in the context of golf. It has roots in Gaelic words that mean “black dirt” but the modern word “divot” first appeared around 1540 to refer to exactly what it means today - a piece of ground removed by a golfer during a shot.

This should explain a little bit about exactly how fundamental the divot is to ball striking in the game of golf.

One thing to be aware of, that we will continue to touch on throughout this article, is that not all divots are created equal. Sometimes, you can barely see or even tell that a divot has been made. Depending on a lot of factors, a proper divot on a “perfect” strike could be just a light bruising of the turf, and not necessarily a huge “pelt” taken by the golfer.

Learning to take a divot the right way will put you on a fast track to breaking 90 and beyond.

Are You Supposed To Take A Divot In Golf?

In general, for standard iron play, yes, great iron shots will almost always result in some form of a divot being taken. There are lots of caveats, however, depending on which club is used, the playing conditions and type of turf, the type of shot, and the golfer’s swing tendencies that will make divots more or less noticeable in different situations.

It is also possible, for example while teeing off with a driver, while chipping, or while hitting a specialty shot, to hit an ideal shot and take no divot at all.

How To Take A Divot

The fact is old as dirt that divots are taken by striking an iron shot with a descending blow, and making “ball-first contact.” Two of the oldest suggestions in golf, and they aren’t wrong. Where people get into trouble though is understanding exactly how subtle both of these actions really are.

The general concept of taking a divot can now be explained in much more precise terms through the advent of Trackman, Flightscope, and other clubhead radar measurement systems.

This might sound like overkill, but a lot of the difficulty in golfers who try to force themselves to take divots is because for good ball strikers, it actually is quite a fine line that they are walking.

According to Trackman’s collection of data from PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players, a 7-iron shot is contacting the ball with a downward angle of just a few degrees. For reference, one minute on a clock face represents 6 degrees. So if 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock is a perfectly level strike, the best golfers on the planet are hitting down on it at an angle that is LESS THAN one minute - i.e. the same angle as if you drew a line from 2:59 to 8:59 on the clock face.

Even with a wedge shot, most golfers will just approach this 6 degrees or “one minute” mark, and with long irons and fairway woods, it can approach almost nothing.

Needless to say, in order to take a divot, you have to hit down on the ball - but it is extremely subtle.

Should You Take A Divot With Irons?

In general, yes optimal iron shots will take a divot, but it should be about as shallow as you can make it.

However, sometimes the playing surface dictates the divot more than the ball strike. For example a dry, dusty, hard surface might not produce a visible divot at all, even with a good strike. Conversely, a swampy South Florida fairway might be a lot more prone to take a strip of sod several inches long away in one fell swoop.

The other factor is your swing type. Some very good players have been a lot more “sweepy” or “pickers” of the golf ball, and that is just fine if mastered properly. The mistake many amateur golfers make is that they do not take divots because they are adding loft by “throwing” the club at the bottom of the swing and usually hit the ball too high and too short to get the most out of their motion.

Why Am I Not Taking A Divot With Irons?

For amateur or beginner golfers, the main culprit is usually going to be with the release of the club.

Rather than de-lofting the club and hitting down on the ball, most amateurs who don’t take divots are presenting a lot of loft to the golf ball at impact and hitting with a scooping release motion. They are adding dynamic loft to the golf club. One major cause of this move is tight grip pressure.

This will cause the club to utilize the “bounce” and glide across the ground instead of the leading edge being angled to take a thin strip of dirt immediately AFTER contact.

This release pattern also prevents a divot because - when it is even timed properly to make solid contact, it means that the club head is going to be moving UP out of the ground immediately after contact instead of continuing on a very gradually descending path for a few inches after contact.

One way to help correct this common problem is by simply employing the proper golf grip and allowing the hands and arms to work properly through the golf shot!

Should You Take A Divot When Chipping?

On a general stock chip shot, from a good lie, it is definitely not necessary to take a divot. However, there are scenarios where you could take a divot while chipping and it would be just fine.

RELATED: The Ultimate Guide To Chipping vs Pitching

If you have a bad lie (ball sitting down in a low spot or bare spot for example) it may be necessary to chop down on the ball more in order to increase your likelihood of getting the face on it and getting it into play, in which case taking a little divot is going to be inevitable.

Also, many players chip with a slightly descending blow still, but a lot of wedges are built with a certain “grind” to the sole of the club that prevents it from entering the ground as easily as their irons. Combine this with the fact that many chip shots are much softer swings, and you don’t expect to see divots often around the greens. However if the ground is very soft or muddy, you may still see a small patch of grass removed with a medium or long chip shot.

Should You Take A Divot With Driver?

You should absolutely not take a divot with the driver in golf.

The main reason for this is that the driver is teed up well above the ground, and the driver should have the flattest or shallowest or most “sweep-y” swing arc of all your clubs.

While the average PGA Tour player is hitting ever-so-slightly down (1 degree or less usually) or level with their driver at impact still, the more the data comes in the more men’s players are hitting slightly up to several degrees up with their drivers at impact. LPGA Tour players have long hit with several degrees of uppercut in order to maximize height and carry distance.

All told, in order to contact the ground with the driver, if you are swinging it on the proper arc it would have to be a fairly large miss.

RELATED: How To Get Better At Golf Without Lessons

Why Am I Taking A Divot With My Driver?

Taking a divot with your driver is always something you should try to understand and avoid doing. If you are doing it consistently, it may be worth it to take a lesson with a professional instructor.

There are a couple of main ways that it can happen. The first is due to the release, and the second is due to the swing path.

If your divot is happening before the ball with a driver swing, despite how terrible this sounds it actually is usually easier to fix than the alternative. This is known as a “dropkick” and is likely due simply to early release.

If you do chunk a little bit before the ball, it actually means that you are probably coming into the ball at a good angle, sweeping the club to where the bottom of the arc is actually immediately at or just before the ball, in order to hit level or up on the teed-up ball. Rory Mcilroy has actually said before that his “good miss” is a SLIGHT dropkick, which still goes straight but just loses a few yards. He is known as one of the golfers who hits more “up” on their drives than anybody else.

If your divot is after the ball with a driver, it is almost always going to be because your swing path is way out of line for what it needs to be with a driver. Over-the-top, slicer-type swings can sometimes fool you and produce playable shots with short irons and wedges, but the driver reveals all.

The easiest way to start hitting up on your driver is by adjusting your setup. From your normal setup position, pull your trail foot back away from the golf ball a couple of inches. Next, tilt your shoulder so that the right one lowers until the shaft and your left arm feel like they are in a straight line. Swinging