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

[rossvanwyk]

To cure your slice, tuck the back arm in. If you're right handed, make sure your right armpit stays closed. Pretend there's a towel under it or something and it can't drop out. You won't be able to come OTT/outside in if you do this.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by rossvanwyk

To cure your slice, tuck the back arm in. If you're right handed, make sure your right armpit stays closed. Pretend there's a towel under it or something and it can't drop out. You won't be able to come OTT/outside in if you do this.

Sure you can. You can throw your right shoulder out and over. It's less common, of course, but it happens quite a bit.

[threejack]

I have definitely completely revamped my thoughts about the swing and my actual swing. I can really feel the difference with an inside out swing now! I always though I kept my elbow in but now I really can feel it! I can actually see my club head going out to the right. I also realize now how much of the legs and hips it is. I feel like my arms hardly do anything!

[tshapiro]

I think of it this way...

I have 1 swing in that I always lead with my right hip to get my lower body and right side into the impact position.  Then, I swing through with my left arm.  This is my basic method for generating power as opposed to swinging all arms for shorter shots or all hips with my driver or any other deviation from my basic power source.

That being said, I use my basic swing to :

- power an iron swing - more upright, ball centered, downward blow

- power a driver - flatter setup, ball forward, slightly upward blow

- power a flop - ball centered, more wristy

- power a chip - ball back, open stance, weight and right hip preset forward

Same engine, different swing setups.

[Ranger]

In response to NAMKRATS  posting.....Funny that you brought this up on this thread about using the "same swing" with your driver. I had the same problem you are having. Even on my practice swing, with the driver I could see the club head track a bit out and then come in producing a great big slice. The reason I say funny you should bring this up on this thread is because learning that the driver swing should be the same swing as the irons is what helped me cure this. I am assuming that you don't have this problem with your irons. Okay, go to the range and study your iron swing. Observe what your club is doing throughout the swing, especially the back swing. Look at how you do your take away especially the angle of the club head throughout the back swing and then do the same with your driver and compare. For me, one thing I was doing with my driver that I wasn't with the irons is I was rolling my wrists over to the right way too much on the take away with the driver. When I stopped doing that, right away I noticed my club head was tracking in a straight line through the ball instead of an outside in track. I was shocked to hear Jack Nicklaus say that all his swings were the same with irons and his driver. So I went to driving range and did this exercise and my driving took a giant leap forward. My problem now is transferring it to the golf course. (working on that). Anyway, it felt really weird at first to swing my driver the same way as my irons, but I couldn't argue with the results. I was so excited with the results I had a hard time sleeping that night. Good luck and hoping for more sleepless nights.

[Dr. Slice]

Is your swing different with a driver as opposed to iron?

When i have an iron in my hand I'm concentrating a lot more on starting the hips first and maintaining the left wrist but when i have a driver i don't think of any of that and i just grip it and rip it.

I know this probably isn't the right way to go about it but my driving has always been the best aspect of my game. I usually hit about 10-13 fairways and my drives average about 275 yards or so.

I guess what I'm asking is if you are still supposed to "hit down" and what not on a driver like an iron

[saevel25]

Nope, my swing starts and feels the same, but the of course the driver will naturally be flatter than a wedge

[dkinser86]

I had actually come here to start a similar thread.

I've been fighting a bad hook with my driver.  I hit my irons great, straight with maybe a hint of a fade.  But I've been hooking the heck out of my driver.  Well, I made an adjustment where I kind tilt my shoulders a bit.  That seemed to put everything where it needed to be.  I don't really swing any different, its all in the setup.

Does anyone else set up differently for a driver compared to everyone else?  If so, how?

[ChrisAnder]

Originally Posted by fairwaysngreens

Should the driver and iron swings be the same, or is the driver swing a bit more flat?

Great Question!  This changed by golf life forever!

I learned from tapes and books from Bobby Jones, H. Haney, and others that irons and fairway woods must be struck on a descending blow, BUT the driver should bottom out on a somewhat flatter plane (longest club) with ball across from the front heel, and strike on an upward path (thereby combining a high launch angle with LOW spin).

I read it explained it this way.  When you strike down on the ball with the driver you will hit low shots with more spin (thereby decreasing distance).  If you add loft to your driver, you add even more spin.  It explained that " The optimal backspin for Driver is between 2,200-2,800 RPM, launch angle between 11-14 degrees, and Smash Factor 1.3-1.5 (ball speed/club-head speed)."  I found the best way for me to achieve this was indeed with the flatter upward driver strike.

Hope this helps!

Cheers!  C.A.

[ChrisAnder]

By the way...the swing speed data quoted above was from a book called Precise Golfer by Brian Morris, Sr.

Cheers!  C.A.

[joekelly]

When hitting iron shots, is the ball really compressed into the turf?

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by joekelly

When hitting iron shots, is the ball really compressed into the turf?

No.

[golfclone]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but your swing with the driver off the tee has to be a bit different than your swing with a 7 iron off the fairway, correct?

If not, I just don't see how you wouldn't be hitting down on your tee shot with the driver, which is bad, right?   Some say you should hit the ground 2 or 3 inches in front of the ball on your 7 iron.  So even if your ball position on your drive is 2 or 3 inches forward from where you would hit your 7 iron, you would still be giving your drive a descending blow, correct?

I'm thinking that on your drive, your swing should almost bottom out 2 or 3 inches behind the ball so the clubhead is actually ascending into the ball on the tee, right?

Help clarify this for me please!

[cooke119]

Irons you hit down on to get it up, yes, hit the ground in front of the ball. With a driver or fairway wood you sweep the ball. Play the ball more forward in your stance with a driver to hit the ball on the upswing of the club.

[onephenom]

Originally Posted by cooke119

Irons you hit down on to get it up, yes, hit the ground in front of the ball. With a driver or fairway wood you sweep the ball. Play the ball more forward in your stance with a driver to hit the ball on the upswing of the club.

I don't know where the thread is on here, but pro golfers hit the driver about 1 degree down, rather than the common belief of hitting the bowl up.

Basically, all that should change is the setup. Wider stance, tilt a bit back, and hit it like a 8i, not like you need to hit a 400 yard drive. Same smooth wing as any other club.

[Mordan]

Originally Posted by onephenom

I don't know where the thread is on here, but pro golfers hit the driver about 1 degree down, rather than the common belief of hitting the bowl up.

That was an average figure, not that all pro golfers hit 1 degree down.

For instance I've seen trackman figures for Rory and he was hitting up with his driver 2.7 degrees.

So not all hit up, but there are certainly a good number that do.

[loadwire]

Originally Posted by onephenom

I don't know where the thread is on here, but pro golfers hit the driver about 1 degree down, rather than the common belief of hitting the bowl up.

Basically, all that should change is the setup. Wider stance, tilt a bit back, and hit it like a 8i, not like you need to hit a 400 yard drive. Same smooth wing as any other club.

This is what my instructor told me a few weeks back - just stance and ball position should change, swing should be the same.

[joshray]

I've been spending a ton of time working on my irons, and hitting down on the ball this season.  I'm getting much more consistent iron shots, but my driver started fading.  I am not a big hitter, but I usually put it right down the middle of the fairway with my driver.  Yesterday I was out golfing, and on the last hole, after hitting another fade from the tee box, I decided to use my old swing (before I started hitting down) and it went perfectly straight, and about 30 yards longer than I'd been hitting all day.

I'm not sure if you're supposed to use different swings, but I know that it made a huge difference for me.  I went and hit a bucket of balls after my round to see if I could do it again, and I was able to consistently hit my driver straight.  For me, I bring my driver around on a flatter plane and it works.  With my irons, I have to bring it back pretty steep in order to hit down on the ball.

I'd love to hear some feedback from others to see if there's any science behind this, or if I'm just crazy.