That weak fade costing you 20 yards? Drawbacks when you’re trying to draw it? Watch your divots. If they’re pointing significantly to the left (we’re talking 10 degrees or more), they’re telling you exactly what’s wrong.
Your sharing direction reveals yours swing path in influence. Ignore what your naysayers are telling you and you’ll be piled with band-aids that make things worse. Learn to read them and you’ll understand your swing better than most club players.
A quick note on what the splits actually show: Technically, the direction of the split indicates your swing direction or the general arc of your swing rather than the exact path of the club at the exact moment of impact. Due to the angle of attack (how steeply you are hitting), the actual path may differ slightly from what the split shows. But for practical purposes, especially for recreational players, divot direction is one of the most useful diagnostic tools you have. It detects patterns instantly, without a launch monitor, and fixes that address split direction also fix routing issues.
Why the direction of the split matters more than the flight of the ball
Most golfers follow the flight of the ball without understanding what creates it. They see a part and compensate by aiming left or changing their control. The swing path remains broken.
Ball flight lies. A pull-slice can come from one over the top open face swing. A fair shot can come from a five degree fairway left with an equally closed face. You are lucky with the offsets, not building a repeatable swing.
Divo’s direction tells the truth. It shows the general direction of your swing through impact, no matter what the ball did. A left-facing divot means your club has traveled left through the hitting area. A division pointing to the right means it has traveled straight.
The ideal direction of separation depends on the desired shape of the shot. For most golfers hitting a neutral shot or an easy par, splits that point one to four degrees to the left of the target are actually normal and effective. This is because the club naturally returns to an inside path after impact. Divots that point prominently to the right indicate a strong inside-out path that produces pulls or hooks.
What matters most: the same direction every time. Consistency creates a predictable firing pattern that you can manage.
What tournament players teach us
Tournament players create the same split pattern each time, matching their ball flight. Draw the dotted players to the right. Straight ball strikers aim towards the target or slightly to the left. That’s what matters: consistency over direction. What doesn’t work is coincidence. Divots showing different shot directions after impact mean your path is all over the place.
Pattern 1: Divots pointing significantly left (top path)
Your divots point 10 to 20 degrees to the left of the target. This is the most common golf swing fault, causing weak fades, slices or pulls depending on the angle of your face at impact.
What causes it: Overhead movement begins in transition. Your upper body fires first, throwing the club out of your ideal swing plane. Hands and stick approach from outside the target line, then cut it by moving left through the shot. This road bleeds distance. Outboard swings make eye contact with added loft, robbing you of compression.
How to fix it: The adjustment starts with the transition order. Your lower body must shift and rotate before your upper body can release. This drops the club into the slot, approaching from the inside. Feel like you’re throwing the club toward the right pitch, not pulling it across your body. Start the downward movement with your hips, not your shoulders.
Model 2: Divorces with moderate left direction (thin road flow)
Your divots point five to 10 degrees to the left and you hit easy pulls or fades. This is one to four steps beyond the normal left path. This is more subtle than the top model, but still costs you durability and distance.
What causes it: This road comes from EXPANSION problems or a swing that is close to a correction but too deep in impact. Many golfers unknowingly stretch their body to the left and then swing perfectly into their body line and wonder why everything goes to the left.
How to fix it: Check your configuration first. Verify that your alignment is not off target. Practice hitting shots with the trail foot pulled six inches from the target line (closed stance). This forces an internal approach and helps you feel the right way. Another drill: place a headgear six inches outside the ball and slightly forward. Make swings that miss the hurdle.
Pattern 3: Divots pointing to the right (overcorrection)
Your divots are to the right of the target, but you’re not hitting nice pars. You’re hitting blocks, hooks, or occasional hits that make you question everything.
What causes it: An in-out route is generally good. The best players develop it. But taken too far or combined with unstable face control, it creates different problems. This pattern often comes from overcompensating for a previous part. You’ve worked so hard to rock from the inside that you’ve overdone it.
How to fix it: Reduce the inside approach by about 10 percent and focus on controlling the face through impact. Exercise with a slightly open stance (lead foot pulled back). This moderates your inner path without destroying your progress. Work on body rotation through impact. Many inside-out swingers hang back, trying to swing the club with their hands. Fully rotate your body during the stroke, keeping your chest moving toward the target of the past stroke.
Making divot awareness permanent
Check your data after each shot at the range. Not only after the bad; every single shot. Mark a target line with alignment sticks. Hit the shot and immediately see where your split points in relation to that line.
On the course, take a look at your stances after each iron shot. If you notice they are pointing significantly left on the back nine, you know your fairway is slipping. Make an adjustment before it costs you three holes.
Your divots don’t lie. They show exactly what your club was doing through the all-important six inches of your swing. Get your votes consistently in that left window one to four degrees (or on target) and everything else becomes easier.
Post Why Your Left Divots (And What It Really Means) appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
