I’ve heard a lot of different things about whether or not a driver swing should be the same as your iron swing. Some people say you should swing your driver like your 7 iron while others disagree. In this post, I’m going to be sharing my thoughts on whether or not your iron swing should be different than your driver swing.
Long story short, I do think the two swings should be slightly different. The swing itself should be pretty similar but the two things that should be different are the ball position and the angle you make contact. You’ll want to have the ball more forward with your driver and should be just inside your front foot. You’ll also want to make contact on the upswing with your driver and the downswing with your iron.
Most of the process can be sorted out with your stance and you don’t have to change anything major. Some people have different techniques but this is what’s worked for me. It might not work for you but it’s worth giving it a try. Let’s jump into the full details on what’s different and how to set it up properly.
Iron Swing
The way you swing your irons and driver should be pretty similar in a lot of ways. You’ll want to have a wide stance which will give you balance and a good foundation. The swing itself should also be very similar and that’s a good thing because it’ll make things much easier.
The main thing you’ll want to do with your irons would be to make downward contact with the ball. You’ve seen good players take divots with their irons but you’re not going to see that with a driver or fairway wood. That’s how you’re going to launch the ball up in the air and get the distance.
A lot of the changes can be made in the setup process and that’s going to let you make the same swing but will give you a different result. Here’s how you should hit an iron:
- Stand with your ball slightly forward of center.
- Put the center on your body over the golf ball.
- Move your hands slightly forward so your lead arm and club are in a straight line.
- Keep your body steady throughout the swing.
- Make sure you’re hitting slightly down on the ball.
I’ve tried a number of different techniques over the years and this is the only one that’s consistently worked. It’s not going to fix your game overnight but as long as you try it and practice a lot, you should see the results.
Driver Swing
The main thing with your driver is that you want to hit up on the ball. With your irons, you’re making contact on the downswing but it’s the complete opposite with your driver. If you hit down on your driver you’ll end up with low and very curvy shots. The good news is that all we need to do is change the setup.
I always struggled with slicing my driver and a lot of the reason was not hitting on the upswing. There were other factors but as soon as I fixed this, my shots were much straighter. Here’s how you should swing your driver:
- Stand with your ball inside your front foot.
- Put the center of your body in the middle of your stance.
- Tilt your back shoulder down and have 60% of your weight on your back foot.
- Keep your body tilted as you make your swing.
- Swing normally and focus on making contact on the upswing.
When you focus on hitting up on the ball it’ll force you to hit more from the inside. That’s going to help you control that dreaded slice and make your drives go much straighter (and longer). You’ll want to have your body behind the ball because it’ll make sure the bottom of your swing is also behind the ball. If that’s the case, the only direction your club can go is up.
The thing that’s really helped me is realizing your swing should be pretty much the same for every club. The only thing you need to change is the setup and the angle of your body. With your irons, you’ll want your body moving slightly forward through impact but with your driver, you’ll want your body to stay still.
Most people will probably try it, won’t get the results right away, and will go back to their old ways of golf. Don’t be that person. Put in the time and practice as much as you can and see your game improve.
Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!
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