That weak fade costing you 20 yards? The pulls when you’re trying to draw it? Look at your divots. If they’re pointing significantly left (we’re talking 10 degrees or more), they’re showing you exactly what’s wrong.
Your divot direction reveals your swing path at impact. Ignore what your divots tell you and you’ll pile on band-aid fixes that make things worse. Learn to read them and you’ll understand your swing better than most club golfers.
A quick note on what divots actually show: Technically, divot direction shows your swing direction or the overall arc of your swing rather than the precise club path at the exact moment of impact. Because of attack angle (how steeply you’re hitting down), the actual path can differ slightly from what the divot shows. But, for practical purposes, especially for recreational golfers, divot direction is one of the most useful diagnostic tools you have. It reveals patterns immediately, without a launch monitor, and the fixes that address divot direction also fix path problems.
Why divot direction matters more than ball flight
Most golfers chase ball flight without understanding what creates it. They see a slice and compensate by aiming left or changing their grip. The swing path stays broken.
Ball flight lies. A pull-slice can come from an over-the-top swing with an open face. A straight shot can come from a path five degrees left with a face equally closed. You’re getting lucky with compensations, not building a repeatable swing.
Divot direction tells the truth. It shows your swing’s general direction through impact, regardless of what the ball did. A divot pointing left means your club traveled left through the hitting zone. A divot pointing right means it traveled right.
The ideal divot direction depends on your desired shot shape. For most golfers hitting a neutral shot or slight draw, divots pointing one to four degrees left of target are actually normal and effective. This happens because the club naturally returns to an inside path after impact. Divots pointing notably right indicate a strong inside-out path that produces draws or hooks.
What matters most: same direction every time. Consistency creates a predictable shot pattern you can manage.
What tour players teach us
Tour players create the same divot pattern every time, matching their ball flight. Draw players point right. Straight-ball strikers point at the target or slightly left. Here’s what matters: consistency over direction. What doesn’t work is randomness. Divots pointing different directions shot after shot mean your path is all over the place.
Pattern 1: Divots pointing significantly left (the over-the-top path)
Your divots point 10 to 20 degrees left of target. This is golf’s most common swing flaw, causing weak fades, slices or pulls depending on your face angle at impact.
What causes it: The over-the-top move starts in transition. Your upper body fires first, throwing the club outside your ideal swing plane. Your hands and club approach from outside the target line, then cut across it moving left through impact. This path bleeds distance. Outside-in swings create glancing contact with added loft, robbing you of compression.
How to fix it: The fix starts with transition sequencing. Your lower body must shift and rotate before your upper body unwinds. This drops the club into the slot, approaching from the inside. Feel like you’re throwing the club toward right field, not pulling it across your body. Start the downswing with your hips, not your shoulders.
Pattern 2: Divots pointing moderately left (the subtle path leak)
Your divots point five to 10 degrees left and you hit pulls or slight fades. This is beyond the normal one- to four-degree left path. This is more subtle than the over-the-top pattern but it still costs you consistency and distance.
What causes it: This path comes from alignment issues or a swing that’s close to correct but too steep into impact. Many golfers unknowingly align their body left and then swing perfectly on their body line and wonder why everything goes left.
How to fix it: Check your setup first. Verify your alignment isn’t subtly left of target. Practice hitting shots with your trail foot pulled back six inches from the target line (closed stance). This forces an inside approach and helps you feel the correct path. Another drill: place a headcover six inches outside the ball and slightly forward. Make swings that miss the obstacle.
Pattern 3: Divots pointing right (the overcorrection)
Your divots point right of target but you’re not hitting beautiful draws. You’re hitting blocks, hooks or the occasional snap-hook that makes you question everything.
What causes it: An inside-out path is generally good. Better players develop it. But taken too far or combined with inconsistent face control, it creates different problems. This pattern often comes from overcompensating for a previous slice. You’ve worked so hard to swing from the inside that you’ve overdone it.
How to fix it: Dial back the inside approach by about 10 percent and focus on face control through impact. Practice with a slightly open stance (lead foot pulled back). This moderates your inside path without destroying your progress. Work on body rotation through impact. Many inside-out swingers hang back, trying to flip the club with their hands. Rotate your body fully through the shot, keeping your chest moving toward the target past impact.
Making divot awareness permanent
Check your divots after every shot at the range. Not just after bad ones; every single shot. Mark a target line with alignment sticks. Hit shots and immediately look at where your divot points relative to that line.
On the course, glance at your divots after every iron shot. If you notice they’re pointing significantly left on the back nine, you know your path 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 most important six inches of your swing. Get your divots consistently in that one- to four-degree left window (or at the target) and everything else becomes easier.
The post Why Your Divots Point Left (And What That Really Means) appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
