How to Take a Proper Golf Divot in the Golf Swing

Taking a proper golf divot is one of the most critical skills for crisp, consistent iron contact, yet most golfers have never been shown what a correct divot actually looks like — which makes it nearly impossible to self-diagnose when something goes wrong.

Below, we’re going to take a close look at the proper divot from the face-on view. Study the photographs below carefully:

In the sequence above, notice how the divot doesn’t appear until well after the ball has already launched into the air. In the first frame just past impact, the ball is airborne and no dirt has been displaced yet — this is exactly what you’re after.

Ready to transform your swing? Try a free AI-powered Live Lesson with GOATY — real-time pose tracking, voice coaching, and gate-by-gate feedback on every rep.

In the picture on the right, the golf club is still working downward long after the strike has been made. The shaft remains loaded as it continues toward the low point in the golf swing, with the divot bottoming out significantly in front of where the ball was sitting at address. That’s the hallmark of a well-struck iron.

Having your divot start forward of the ball is essential for ensuring a descending angle of attack and genuine clean ball striking. In most situations, you also want to develop shallower divots for better control of spin and trajectory. When your divots are excessively deep, controlling iron distance becomes almost impossible. A shallow divot is one where only the top layer of turf is removed — you can still see the grass roots below the soil surface.

Analyze Your Swing Free → Upload a swing video and get your GOAT Score with detailed breakdown in minutes.

Read the full article: How to Take a Proper Golf Divot in the Golf Swing