What you can learn from your divots.

When you hit an iron shot off the turf, you leave clues that indicate a lot about the quality of the shot. Grab your magnifying glass and have a look, inspector.

First, before you move, notice the location of where you took a divot. It should be in front of the spot where you made contact with the ball. If it’s behind that point, your swing was slowing down through impact. Next time keep your hands moving.

Now check the width. It should be uniform and the same as your clubface. If it’s narrow or inconsistent in width, the face wasn’t square at impact. You have to keep your body rotating.

A deep, leftward crater indicates a pulled shot straight left or a slice to the right. Let your legs start the downswing to shallow and straighten the hole some (it should curve left at the end indicating the club worked back inside after impact).

Looking at the turf doesn’t tell the whole story of your swing, but it’s a strong start to diagnosing—and fixing—issues.

Good luck.