How to Find the Low Point of Your Golf Swing

To find the low point of your golf swing, look at where your divot starts. Draw a line in the turf, put the ball on the line, and hit five shots with a mid iron.

If the divots start on the target side of the line, your low point is forward, where it belongs. If they start behind the line, your low point is too far back, and that's a fat shot.

This guide assumes a right handed golfer. If you play left handed, swap left and right.

What Is the Low Point of a Golf Swing?

The low point is the lowest part of the clubhead's arc during the swing. With a solid iron shot, the club reaches its lowest point just after the ball, so it hits the ball first and the turf second.

This is why trying to "hit down" is not enough. Hitting down on irons only helps when the bottom of the arc is in the right place. You can make a downward strike and still have the low point behind the ball.

For iron shots, the goal is ball first contact: the club hits the ball, then the turf. For a step by step look at how to hit ball first with irons, read ball first, ground second, and how to actually do it.

A simple way to think about it

Ball first, then turf, then low point.

If your divot starts behind the ball, your low point is too far back. If your divot starts at the ball or just past it, your low point is forward enough.

How Can You Tell Where Your Low Point Is?

Look at where your divot starts compared with where the ball was. It should start at the ball or just past it. That one check is the core of golf divot analysis.

Hit five normal iron shots before you change anything. Then look at three things, in this order:

1. Where the divot starts. This matters most.

2. Which way the divot points. This is a rough guide to your swing path.

3. How deep the divot is. This matters least, and it changes with the club.

Low point patterns to watch

One poor strike tells you very little. Five shots show a pattern. This visual divot guide covering fat, thin, and path patterns shows what each common pattern looks like.

If the start point is good and the direction is the problem, read why your golf divots are going left or what a divot pointing right means.

Why Does the Low Point Matter When Hitting Irons?

The low point decides whether the club hits the ball first or the ground first. A forward low point means the club reaches the ball before it reaches the bottom of its arc.

A fat shot is a low point behind the ball. Three things usually put it there: weight staying back on the trail foot, scooping at the ball to lift it, and a ball position that has crept too far forward. Fix the cause and the low point moves forward on its own.

Don't overcorrect. Start with only a slight lead foot bias at address, about 55 to 60 percent, and let the rest of your weight shift during the downswing. Too much weight forward at address, or a ball that has crept too far back, can push the low point past the ball and turn fat shots into thin ones.

These tips to stop hitting fat shots with irons pair well with low point practice.

A thin shot, also called a blade or a skull, means the club caught the ball above its middle. On the Divot Board, most thin shots show the mark starting well past the ball. The low point is too far in front, so the club is still coming down when it meets the ball, but too high. Standing up or lifting through impact and a ball that has crept too far back in your stance are the usual causes. Less often, the club bottoms out early and is already rising. That shows as a mark behind the ball, so treat it as a fat shot first. For a fat shot, move the low point forward. For a thin shot, stay in your posture through the ball, and check that the ball hasn't crept too far back in your stance.

Forcing the club down harder does not fix hitting irons fat. It digs a deeper divot in the same wrong place. Find the cause, then make one change at a time.

Compressing an iron means hitting the ball first with a downward blow, so the ball is pinched between the clubface and the turf. It only happens when the low point is in front of the ball, and the result is cleaner contact, a more predictable distance, and the spin to stop the ball on the green. Our guide on how to compress the golf ball with irons covers the technique. On the Divot Board, a mark that starts at the ball or just past it is the sign you did it.

What Moves Your Low Point Forward?

Three habits move it. Work on one at a time.

1. Pressure to the lead foot. Start with a slight lead foot bias at address, about 55 to 60 percent. Tour players get roughly 80 to 90 percent of their pressure onto the lead foot by impact. Shift early and don't hang back. If your weight stays on the back foot, the club bottoms out early.

2. Ball position. Center of the stance for short irons, about a ball forward of center for mid irons. If you hit fat, check the ball hasn't crept forward.

3. Hit the ball, don't lift it. Trust the loft of the club. Scooping with the hands moves the low point back.

What Do Different Golf Divot Patterns Tell You?

Different golf divot patterns tell you where the club hit the ground, which way it was traveling, and whether your strike repeats. Read the starting point first, then direction, then depth.

Depth changes with the club. Wedges take the deepest, shortest divots, mid irons take a shallower, longer one, and long irons and hybrids take very little.

The table above covers single patterns. Across a group of five shots, look for these:

How Do You Practice Finding the Low Point?

You practice finding the low point with the line drill. Draw a line in the turf, put the ball on the line, and hit groups of five shots. The divot should start on the target side of the line.

The line is your reference point. It stays put after the ball is gone, so you can see exactly where the club first hit the ground.

Try this six step process

1. Draw the line and take your normal setup. Use a 7 iron. Ball on the line, about a ball forward of center, feet about shoulder width apart.

2. Hit five shots without making a swing change. Your objective is to collect information, not fix anything yet.

3. Look at where each divot starts. Is it on the target side of the line, on the line, or behind it?

4. Name the pattern. Behind the line means fat, with the low point too far back. At the line or just past it means ball first contact. Moving around means your low point isn't repeating.

5. Pick one change. (a) Pressure: about 55 to 60 percent on the lead foot at address, then shift early. (b) Ball position: center of the stance for short irons, about a ball forward of center for mid irons. (c) Stop scooping: hit the ball and trust the loft.

6. Hit five more shots. Compare the new group with the first five.

If your divots start behind the line, add the towel drill for fat shots. Lay a towel two to three inches behind the ball and hit the ball without touching the towel. Touch the towel and you know the club hit the ground too early.

This low point control drill is a simple loop: look, change one thing, test, compare.

The goal of these golf ball striking drills is not a certain looking divot. It's a divot that starts in the same place, at the ball or just past it, shot after shot.

How Divot Board Helps You Find the Low Point

Divot Board shows where the club hit, so on each strike you can see whether contact started behind the ball or at it. It shows where contact starts (fat, thin, or ball first), which way the mark points, and toe or heel strikes.

A standard mat leaves no readable mark, and a firm mat lets the club bounce and slide into the ball, so a fat strike looks fine. The board adds the feedback a mat can't give you.

The full size Divot Board works with or without a ball. You can see how the sequin surface shows club contact before your first session.

It helps most when you practice:

• Ball first iron contact. Check that the mark starts at the ball or just past it.

• Low point control. Hit five and look for the same start point every time.

• Swing changes. Make one change, hit five, and compare the marks with your first group.

• Practice at home. On carpet, turf, or grass, the board's spikes anchor it. On hardwood, tile, concrete, or vinyl plank, use the Grip Pad made for your board.

The board has one limit. It does not show divot depth or divot length, which you can only read on natural turf.

It also doesn't replace other feedback. Pair it with ball flight, video, launch monitor numbers, or the Advanced Protocol Series video program with Mark Crossfield.

Divot Board vs Other Low Point Feedback Methods

Each tool answers a different question, so use the board alongside ball flight and video. See our guide to golf swing feedback for the full comparison.

Divot Board's strength is making where the club hit visible and repeatable, so you can connect a swing change to a mark you can see.

For frequent low point work, a spare replacement pad for the full size board gives you a fresh surface. Original and Mini pads are not interchangeable.

A Practical Low Point Practice Routine

This routine takes 20 shots and works at the range or at home. Do it in order.

Warm up: Hit five easy shots with a short iron and change nothing. The Divot Board Mini also works for these easy warm up swings.

Baseline: Hit five shots on a line with a 7 iron. Note where each divot or mark starts.

Target: All five start at the ball or just past it. You're after repeatable ball first contact, not a bigger divot.

Test: Pick one change from step 5 above: pressure, ball position, or no scooping. Hit five shots.

Compare: Put the test group next to the baseline. Did the start point move forward?

Verify: Hit five more with the same change and watch the ball flight. For video, set your phone face on at belt height, about 8 to 10 feet away, in slow motion. It shows ball position and weight shift.

For a coach's perspective, watch Arlen Bento Jr. explain how to master low point.

For practice at home, the Home Range Kit bundles the board, a spare pad, and the Grip Pad, so the hard floor and replacement piece are covered. Add balls and a safe space.

Swinging a golf club can be dangerous. Be aware of your surroundings, especially indoors around children and pets. Check ceiling height and swing room before your first swing.

Use foam or limited flight balls in small rooms, hit real balls into a net, and keep people and pets out of the swing zone.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does a divot tell you about your golf swing?

It tells you where the club hit the turf, which way it was moving, and how steep the strike was. A divot that starts at or just past the ball means ball first contact. Confirm with ball flight.

2. Should a golf divot start in front of the ball?

Yes, with irons off the turf. The club should hit the ball first, so the divot starts at the ball or just past it. A divot that starts behind the ball means the club hit the ground first.

3. What does a shallow divot mean?

With a mid or short iron from the fairway, a very shallow divot or none usually means a thin or sweeping strike. With long irons and hybrids, little divot is normal. Check where it starts and how the ball flew.

4. What does a deep divot mean?

A deep divot usually means a steep strike. The usual causes are a steep, over the top swing, weight hanging back, a ball too far back, or soft, wet turf. With a wedge or short iron, a deeper divot is normal. This guide to deep vs shallow golf divots covers each cause.

5. Can divots show swing path?

Roughly. A divot pointing left of the target suggests an out to in path, and right suggests in to out, for a right handed golfer. It's a rough guide, not a measurement, so confirm with ball flight or a launch monitor.

6. How can beginners use divot feedback?

Beginners should use it to answer one question: did the club hit the ball first or the ground first? Draw a line in the turf, put the ball on it, and hit five shots. A divot that starts on the target side of the line is ball first contact. One that starts behind it is fat.

7. Is Divot Board useful for low point practice?

Yes. Divot Board shows where contact starts on each strike, so you can see whether you hit fat, thin, or ball first. Hit five shots and compare the marks. It works with or without a ball.

8. Can Divot Board replace a launch monitor?

No. A launch monitor measures ball and club numbers such as speed, launch, and distance. Divot Board shows where the club hit. Use the board for contact and low point practice, and the launch monitor for numbers.

9. How often should golfers practice low point control?

Every iron session. Use your first 10 to 15 shots on it as a warm up and check again at the end. It costs no extra time, because every iron shot already shows you the answer.

10. What other tools should be used with divot analysis?

Ball flight first, then video. Ball flight confirms what the divot tells you about contact and path. Face on video shows ball position, stance width, and weight shift. A launch monitor adds numbers, and a coach tells you which cause to fix first.

Final Takeaway

The low point of your golf swing decides whether you hit the ball first or the ground first. You don't have to guess where it is. The start of your divot shows you.

Draw a line, hit five shots, and look at where each divot starts. Then pick one change (pressure, ball position, or no scooping) and hit five more.

For golfers who want to see this process, Divot Board shows where the club hit on each strike, which can make low point practice more visible and repeatable. Used alongside ball flight and video, it gives you a practical way to replace guesswork with something you can see.