When golfers use their irons they hit a divot behind the ball wouldn’t it be a more efficient transfer of energy if they did not hit a divot?
In: Physics
Generally if you’re using an iron, distance isn’t the primary concern, it’s elevation, accuracy, etc.
It’s not about the energy, it’s about reducing friction between the ball and the earth. That’s why the divots are so narrow
Ideally with an iron you want to initiate contact while the club is still going downward on the back of the ball, and let it roll up on the club face as you hit it. Since you’re looking more for accuracy, a higher shop with more backspin to limit roll is preferred. The pros can actually put so much back spin that the ball will hit the green and roll backwards. I’m more your weekend hack, so I will totally take a giant divot out before I scold the ball like 50 yards into the weeds.
Like others have said here you hit the ball before the ground (ideally) then the club head, which was on a slightly downward trajectory still, takes the divot. 100% of your divot should start at the ball then continue beyond where the ball was. Also, hitting slightly down into the ball imparts backspin on the ball and helps you stick it.
What no one else has mentioned is that the pros are usually also playing on very well groomed and maintained courses. The fairways have very short grass compared to most public courses and taking a divot in the fairway takes almost no effort (the ground is very soft, but not squishy if that makes sense). Many public courses the fairways have slightly longer grass than pro courses and the fairways, even if watered, are slightly harder.
Playing on a top end course with tight (short) fairways will throw off a lot of weekend golfers that don’t hit down into the ball and also like the ball fluffed up on grass a little as they are used to picking the ball off the ground vs hitting down into it.
Source: Caddied one summer at Oakmont CC in Pittsburgh and back in my playing days was a single digit handicap (though not at that course!)
They hit a divot in front of the ball. You hit ball first, then follow through into the ground.
Hm. When I hit with an iron, the divot came juuuuuuust a millisecond before hitting the balls. I applied blunt force to the ball, instead of a follow through. I don’t know how to explain it, but controlling the ball was easier with this method. I only did a follow through on drives and parts of the fairway because I just wanted it to go far in one general direction.
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