PICKER.

It's divots for me. I wonder if it makes a difference if you practice on natural turf range versus a mat range. My home club has a natural turf driving range. I would believe hitting a hard mat most of the time wouldn't be too nice to your hands and arms which may translate to your muscle memory favoring picking over taking divots...just a thought and no science backs my opinion.

Used to be mega digger, huge divots. Shallowed it out a bit and now take shallower divots. I hit my irons a bit longer with the big divots, but am more accurate now.

I guess I'm a picger. Longer irons I usually pick the ball but short irons and wedges I'll take a small divot. Unless of course I hit it fat and plow the field lol.

I was always a picker until lessons in HS and converted to digger. Winter/wet months make me try to go back to picking only to realize compression (when available) is the only way to go (usually takes me 2-3 holes when it is wet). More ball control, shaping and spin control. There is nothing better than practicing on the range and leaving strips!

I have been shown, tried & had many lessons wanting me to have a steeper attack and hit ball first. But when I started golf 49yrs ago it was more about just hitting the ball square than angle of attack. So I still pick, sweep, shallow attack a golf ball with my irons.

I can hit sometimes ball first & make a nice divot after contact. But not every time. But get excited when I do. Lol


The one thing that did happen for a period was I started swinging down with my driver & that was not a good thing.


DM

Digger!

I am basically a picker. Usually take a very shallow divot with my short irons and wedges. Probably would get more height and distance if I took a “real” divot, but it’s not my natural swing.

A bit of both. Early in the round when I’m fresh and ready, it’s a picker. Later in the round as I get tired I tend to dig deeper (often too deep).

A bit of both if im honest, all depends on what shot i want to play

Same here Scott. The shot and lie dictates the choice for me.

Deno

I take divots. Sometimes even IN FRONT of the ball! LOL.

Long time picker here

D I Double G ER!!

Picker! Caddies and grounds crew love me.

I learned to "sweep" it off the turf. That has changed over the years to hitting the ball first now with a divot. I guess that makes me a "digger." Either way, the game is still great after all these years.

I’m a picker now, I used to be a digger and have a power fade, but due to a couple of injuries I’m swinging very flat and big draw boarder line hooks ️‍♂️

DIGGER! Sometimes with wedges, it looks like a Caterpillar D8 was used.

Digger.In fact some of my divots have their own zip code.....

If I had to pick one, I would say I'm a "picker." That being said, I think picker and digger are two extremes, and most of us probably fall in-between, with a nice shallow divot. There are shots that call for a clean pick off the surface, and there are some iron shots that really call for a dig, but that nice shallow divot that barely reaches the roots of the grass are where we spend most of our time. Interesting question!

I used to be a digger with my old Cleveland wedges - then bought some SM8's with the right bounce and it's nice, crisp divots now

Digger but shallower than when I started.

Digger here. Sometimes down to 100 year old dirt. LOL!!!