wet conditions

[scanner_66]

We have had 31 days of rain in the last 50 days, not all rain all day but a ton of water has made the fairways very soft. For a guy that traps the ball this is terrible as I cannot compress the ball off the fairway at all...short of learning to "pick" the ball what else can I do except suffer?

[stevek]

Move?

[scanner_66]

If that was possible we would be back there already....Thanks

[Dubber]

We have had 31 days of rain in the last 50 days, not all rain all day but a ton of water has made the fairways very soft. For a guy that traps the ball this is terrible as I cannot compress the ball off the fairway at all...short of learning to "pick" the ball what else can I do except suffer?

We never really want to "pick" or "peck" at the ball. The main goal is to contact the ball prior to making contact with the ground, or the low point of the swing arc thus maintaining the line of compression through the ball. The wet ground is merely a distraction, creating doubt and uncertainty. Both of those feelings are not great for golf.You may take bigger divots but so long as they are happening after you contact the ball, you're okay. I feel if you try to "pick" the ball, you will encourage incorrect wrist action and end up throwing away the line of compression resulting in an inordinate number of thin and fat shots. So, in other words, do not over think it. Make a nice balanced swing without a lot of movement and let 'er fly!

[ex-mailman]

Actually one wants to make contact before the bottom of the swing arc.

[Dubber]

Actually one wants to make contact before the bottom of the swing arc.

Yes, that is true and that's why I said contact prior to contacting the ground or the bottom of the arc.

[ex-mailman]

But the bottom of the arc will be in front of the ball if you are swinging properly so the" bottom of the arc" is
not the correct place to be striking the ground but exiting it.

[Dubber]

If scanner_66 can start to hit the ball toward the low point then he will stop suffering in wet conditions. There is a "deep part" to a divot in which lies the low point. The club head enters the ground "down and out" and exits the ground "up and in".

[ex-mailman]

Mine enters down and straight and exits straight and up but the up is AFTER the ball!!

[Dubber]

Dude, we agree the divot happens after the ball. Let's leave it there.

[ex-mailman]

Then you agree the bottom of the arc is after the ball. Therefore one strikes the ground before the bottom of the arc.

[Dubber]

Yep. Strike the ball down and out toward low point. All divots should be taken "down and out" not "down and straight". The inclined plane makes it so.

[ex-mailman]

Down and stright for me and those with upright swings. Wanna come see my divots?

[ex-mailman]

The longer ones keeps his swing line straight the straighter he will hit it.

[Dubber]

All divots are taken down and out. Period.

[Dubber]

The longer ones keeps his swing line straight the straighter he will hit it.

This I do not understand. Nice little debate though!

[ex-mailman]

"All divots are taken down and out. Period."

Not Mine!! and I am a 6 capper. PERIOD. EXCLAMATION POINT!

The longer your club head is down the target line the straighter the ball will go. You are not aware of this and yet you say what you said about divots definitively? I guess that we understand your thinking.

[Dubber]

"All divots are taken down and out. Period."

Not Mine!! and I am a 6 capper. PERIOD. EXCLAMATION POINT!

The longer your club head is down the target line the straighter the ball will go. You are not aware of this and yet you say what you said about divots definitively? I guess that we understand your thinking.

Let's not get too personal. The geometric facts are that divots are taken down and out. Period. Just like you can't fly. I didn't make it up...it is just how it is. This started by a suggestion to scanner_66 to help him deal with wet conditions and somehow we have arrived here. Anyway congrats on the 6 handicap! You sound very proud of it.

[spackler]

Let's steer this back on topic. If we want to debate divot geometry, please start a new thread.

[Dubber]

Let's steer this back on topic. If we want to debate divot geometry, please start a new thread.

Sure...anyway, steering back on topic wet conditions can be challenging just as dry, hard conditions, challenge many golfers. The key to good ball striking in wet conditions, or any condition, is to ensure that the club-head be travelling down AND OUT, not just down. Too much down tends to dig at the ball with too steep a procedure. Add the OUT to slightly shallow out the angle of attack ; best done with a proper pivot. Dragging a brick-on-a-rope image can help. Impact needs to be three dimensional...Down, Out and Forward. So, if ya dig in the sloppy conditions you need a little more OUT in your impact.

Good luck scanner_66.

[BC MIST]

The longer your club head is down the target line the straighter the ball will go. You are not aware of this and yet you say what you said about divots definitively?

FWIW:
The three ways to achieve a straight shot are:
1. Zero club path, zero face angle, center impact
2. Inside-out club path, closed face angle, heel impact
3. Outside-in club path, open face angle, toe impact
The path of the club head IS an arc and does not go "down the line." Having said that, if the arc could be drawn on a plane surface, the greater its radius, the higher the probability of achieving the correct path, face angle and impact point positions necessary for a straight shot.

If a golfers hands actually did go "down the line," the ball would fly right to right. If the club head went "down the line," the ball would still go right. To achieve #1 above, the hands must be traveling around the body to the left.

[spackler]

One last time, please keep this thread on topic.

[John]

This thread is bomb.

[sebber]

This thread is bomb.

And in the words of Tao Cruz "Nobody is Bomb as me"