Perhaps simple thing I'm not quite understanding (woods vs. irons)

[IlliniBoy]

Sorry for all the questions!  I hope that as I get better I can contribute more and ask less.

My understanding that a proper swing with an iron will come down on the ball, while I proper swing off the tee with a driver or woods will come "up" on the ball (or at least will come down on the ball at a much lower rate). Is the placement of the ball at setup the only thing that creates this difference?  Or is there something in the swing itself that should be different?

A related question is this: if a "driver swing" and an "iron swing" are basically the same except that the ball is further forward with the driver, what accounts for normal driver swings not being fat every time?  It seems like if your setup is the same every time, and if your normal setup results in a divot a little after the midpoint on an iron swing (just past the ball), then the result would be hitting the ground just before the ball on every driver swing?

Sorry if these are dumb questions.  I've been reading and watching all the videos I can find --- they are extraordinarily helpful --- but this isn't something I've seen discussed. 

[mvmac]

My understanding that a proper swing with an iron will come down on the ball, while I proper swing off the tee with a driver or woods will come "up" on the ball (or at least will come down on the ball at a much lower rate). Is the placement of the ball at setup the only thing that creates this difference?  Or is there something in the swing itself that should be different?

A related question is this: if a "driver swing" and an "iron swing" are basically the same except that the ball is further forward with the driver, what accounts for normal driver swings not being fat every time?  It seems like if your setup is the same every time, and if your normal setup results in a divot a little after the midpoint on an iron swing (just past the ball), then the result would be hitting the ground just before the ball on every driver swing?

Yes both swings are basically the same swing with some set-up differences.

[HonestyPolicy]

If you face a right handed golfer while he swings you'll see that the club head travels in what one might describe as the shape of a big letter C. There is a definite bottom to the C that is easy to understand even for the novice but the novice would also think that at the bottom of the swing is where you want the ball to be but seldom is that the case.

With a driver you want the bottom of the C to miss the ground and then contact the ball perched on the tee just past the bottom of the C while the club head begins it's way back up. With an iron you want to hit the ball just before the bottom of the C where the bottom of the C is just barely before the ground so that you are taking a shallow divot. The C (or swing) stays the same, but you effectively move the C by changing where you setup to the ball. So generically the Driver should be off a right handed golfers front left heal and a pitching wedge should be back in your stance somewhere before the right back heal.

I say generically because as you play more and get better you will find what it is that works best for you. It is very common to find a 5 handicapper that positions his ball differently than another 5 handicapper. Instructional videos, and text are designed to help the vast majority of people learn and improve but as you get better your instruction needs to be custom-ed to your swing (your C). Yes read, learn, experiment, and above all enjoy but eventually spend some time with a good instructor.

   

 

[IlliniBoy]

I get that it is true that the ball is hit at different points in the "C" depending upon the club.  What I'm wondering is, what creates the higher "C" with a wood or driver that allows the club to clear the ground at the bottom?  If the swings were absolutely identical, after all, the bottom of the C would catch turf every time.  Obviously that isn't true, and there must be some physical reason for it.  Is it the greater axis tilt?  Something else?