Differences Between Driver Swing and Iron Swing (Driver Swing vs. Iron Swing Master Thread)

[Finn07]

Same swing, I just spread my feet apart more and stand further away from the ball, also the ball is played a touch further in ahead in my stance.

[J_Bone]

Yes, different.
Because of the longer shaft, the back swing is a bit longer and slightly lower. While the swing is close to the same accept I hit the ball level instead of trying to make a divot.

[fluxcapacitor]

I've been fighting this for months.

For a month or so, my irons were on fire. I was hitting the green off the tee for about 80% of my short to mid length par 3's. Within 170 yards I was pretty acurate. My biggest problem was getting to that distance would take me 2-3 strokes due to my inconsitincy of my driver/woods. So what do I do to fix it? I decided to hit an entire bucket of balls with woods and driver only. So now I'm hitting off the tee on 4's and 5's much better, but I've ruined my swing on my irons somehow.

The past 3-4 times i've played have been a nightmare trying to manage the 2 different swings. So I've went to the range twice last week and started swinging the same way with every club, and doing like some said, just moving the ball forward in my stance for my woods/driver. I'm striking the ball much more consitently on every club now. I guess my moral I took away from it was to get one swing. Thats what has helped me, I think, we'll see friday when i get on a course.

Flux

[golfmonke]

My driver swing FEELS the same to me as my iron shots. I always feel as if
i'm hitting and swinging down on the ball.

The difference in the ACTUAL swing and path are different because of a slightly wider setup with the driver, you're standing further from it which flattens the club path and the ball is on a tee.

[philipy]

The only way I can hit my 3 and 4 iron with any consitancy is to swing very similar to my driver. The lower irons seem to have a different swing path.

[doublesuited77]

for me, they are more similar than they are different. I stand a little farther away from the ball and the release/ forearm action is slightly delayed. However, the finishing positions of both swings are virtually the same.

[schapman]

Just curious about something.

Got my new set of irons which I've been hitting really well (the upgrade from the mix of hand me downs is like night and day)

I'm using the Callaway driver in my sig, which I'm not a huge fan of because I find it hard to hit. I think it's mostly my swing that's causing the problem.

When I hit an iron I come down in behind it instead of trying to sweep it off the ground which seems to be working well for me. When I hit the driver should I be going for a rounder swing to pick it off the tee?

Also, what about for a hybrid? should it be a iron like hit?

[cigarnut81]

The goal is to swing every club the same and just move the ball position to allow for different angles of attack.

[Chief Broom]

I've always felt like I have a different swing between my woods and my irons. It's a subtle difference but it's a difference I can feel. My swing with irons is more upright. It's also much more wristy at the top of the backswing. Inversely with woods my swing is flatter and I keep my wrists quite in the backswing. As to hybrids I struggled with mine until I began swinging it like I swing my irons.

[cigarnut81]

  Chief Broom said:

I've always felt like I have a different swing between my woods and my irons. It's a subtle difference but it's a difference I can feel. My swing with irons is more upright. It's also much more wristy at the top of the backswing. Inversely with woods my swing is flatter and I keep my wrists quite in the backswing. As to hybrids I struggled with mine until I began swinging it like I swing my irons.

Have you seen your swing on video? I will bet that it surprises you if you haven't. The goal of golf is consistent contact right? How is that possible with a bunch of different swings?Or even two different swings?

[kc8kir]

While the sensations may differ slightly because of shaft length, club weight, and posture / swing plane, the swing is the same.

This is really a fundamental of all good players. When you start trying to have different swings with different clubs, you really limit your development as a ball striker. If your iron swing doesn't work with the driver, it could tell you a couple things.

1) Your iron swing isn't as sound as you think it is.

2) If your iron swing is sound, you are not setting up with the driver properly, to be able to use your iron swing.

It really is fantastic when you start getting the feeling of same swing with all clubs. I am just getting there myself, and the results are really appealing.

[jambalaya]

  schapman said:

Just curious about something.

There shouldn't be much difference between your iron swing and driver swing. But between your pitching wedge and driver your setup to the ball should be quite different. Yes, you should sweep the ball off the tee with the driver. This should happen because you have widened your stance and placed the ball to line up with the inside of the heel of your forward foot. If you address that ball with the clubface on the ground just behind the ball the club shaft should be straight up and down or even slightly leaning back. With your pitching wedge your hands would be forward of the ball and the shaft leaning towards the target and ball positioned in the middle of the stance. You are making the same swing though.

[Chief Broom]

  cigarnut81 said:

Have you seen your swing on video? I will bet that it surprises you if you haven't. The goal of golf is consistent contact right? How is that possible with a bunch of different swings?Or even two different swings?

Fundamentally my swing is the same. But the feel is differnet. I don't know any other way to explain it. I do understand the principle of using the same swing regardless of the club, but I've always felt this difference. I think much of this difference for me is due to club length. Anyone swinging a wedge will swing it much more upright compared to their driver. You can't swing a driver upright like a wedge and be able to clear the ground in order to hit the ball (without dropping the club into a flatter swing plane as it approaches the ball similar to a swing like Jim Furyk's). I think the wrist action difference I feel is a consequence of the more upright swing plane. Viewing these as two distinct swings is a swing thought that has always worked for me.

[jmoc]

I'll admit I'm an odd duck, but I have 2 swings. My Iron swing is very flat, straight back approaching from the outside, almost a pull, but it produces a very straight ball. The Driver swing is more rounded, but still outside, then drop it into the inside on the downswing producing a nice draw. I will say that they get mixed sometimes and my game goes askew. I should probably go to one swing, but I cannot get the iron swing to work with the driver, the tee ball fades or even slices. Maybe time to apply myself... jmoc

[schapman]

So really it should be the same swing but because of the driver ball placement + tee I'm going to hit the ball more on the upswing of the club vs the iron digging in just at the ball point?

[jambalaya]

That's right.

[schapman]

Guess I'm bringing the driver with me to the range tonight to play around with it :)

[Dub]

I know that in theory the two swings should be the same....but I don't practice that.....and therein may lie the reason for my handicap

I simply "go with what I know". I tend to hit down on my irons and hybrid...almost always taking a deep divot. I sweep my driver...and even my woods, however I try to catch the ball on the grooves with a slight downward sweep...if this makes sense.