I have just recovered from neck surgery and started to score well again. My biggest problem is hitting thin shots both with fairway woods and longer irons. I need an exercise or drill to reprogram myself to hit down and take a divot. One person suggested thinking the ball is setting on a tee and strike the ball thinking you are dislodging the tee at the same time. Another says to concentrate on a particular dimple on the ball as you swing. Neither seems to do the trick. I used to play on bernuda grass and would take a "New York Strip Steak" size divot but now I don't hardly take any. Thin shots are usually right of target and shorter than normal. My handicap should be around 10 next month. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Sandwdge,

In your question, you stated the main clue to the whole problem, "Thin shots are usually right of target and shorter than normal."  This indicates that your swing is too "shallow" and coming too much on an inside path into the ball. Looking at dimples, taking the tee out will neither help the problem.  A possible problem after having neck surgery is your posture is too erect. That can cause your swing to become more rounded than necessary causing and thin shots. Here's an easy exercise you can do at home that will help to re-program your motion. Take a broom and put it across the front of your shoulders with your arms crossed.  Stand in the kitchen with a tile or wood floor.  Take your golf posture (bent at the lower hios, back straight from tail bone to head), Make a backswing until the left side of the broom is pointing at the line on the tile or wood floor where the ball would be.  Now rotate your stomach and shoulders until the right side is pointing at the same place.  This will train your body to swing a little more left in your downswing, bringing the bottom of your swing more forward thus hitting the ball first, taking a NY Strip divot.

Now you really know what the broom is used for!

I had one of our professionals look at my swing and here's what he had me do. First of all, I think it is working. He told me that my swing plane is too steep (not too shallow) and that I was coming over the top and at the bottom I would occasionally flip my hands.

To fix all this he said to imagine I am in front of a table and I should swing with my hands "undera imaginary table in front of me". That really seems to work. As for flipping my hands he said to think about the moment of impact and my wrists should not be pronated and I can think about my left hand palm turning upward on the follow through. Maybe you can comment on this?

I am glad you went to see a professional to have them look at your game.  One of the hardest things to do when helping someone on line is not being able to look at a swing.  From your description what he saw, this can totally make sense.  Usually a too steep swing can dig into the ground too much.  A natural reaction is to "stand up" or come out of your address position to avoid the crash into the ground. The table image is a good one to round out and shallow the steepness.  The greatest thing for you is IT IS WORKING!  So if it is------go for it and keep doing it.  It sure sounds like you have found an instructor whom you can communicate with, gives you images easy for you to understand and keeps it simple - my formula for successful improvement.  Good luck for the fall and be sure you see that professional in the spring for a tune-up and a start for a successful 2009 season.