Woods vs. Irons

[O.B.Left]

Interesting questions 3Putt.

I think that there is ideally what Homer termed a "Sameness" amongst wood and iron swings , amongst all swings really , speaking very generally. The differences primarily attributable to the relative lever length and corresponding changes to ball location vis a vis low point. That said iron swings are typically a little shorter and there are specialty shots or procedures typical for some clubs more than others. Teeing a ball in front of low point for a long ball or holding off a little punched approach for instance. Machine adjustments to your bread and butter , everyday , basic motion.

The answers to your questions can be explained nicely via the Geometry of the Circle. Balls played further back of low point will tend to have a steeper Angle of Attack. Homer defined Snap , Random Sweep and Full Sweep Release types which also effect the Angle of Attack when employed intentionally or otherwise. Your shallow angle of attack is without doubt a (geometric) result of your procedure.

Shorter levers switch ends easier than long ones. A short iron will square up quicker , easer than a long iron. Manufacturers adjust for this fact by designing shorter clubs to sit square further back of low point , what Homer termed "hooked face". With their built in back of low point address position and the associated steeper Angle of Attack, shorter irons really like to be hit down on. Some current drivers are designed to square up for balls played forward of low point ....."slice face" I guess you could call it. With a designed in negative Angle of Attack if thats the right terminology. These "straight away" positions are unique to each manufacturer or each model of club and can only be determined through trial and error.

A player using the Aiming Point Procedure can move his Aiming Point back and forward along the Arc of Approach to alter the manner in which his club switches ends. YOu can aim at a point several inches prior to contact along the Arc to trick yourself into squaring the face of a driver up faster, for instance.

There's a lot that can go into the geometry of a shot but put plainly an iron is designed to be played back of low point and therefor its arc or clubhead path is still Down and Out to low point through and after Imact. Disparity between Path and FAce determining ball curvature. But this is a learned thing and contrary to the "seems as if" false logic of Steering the iron's Clubhead towards the hole through Impact ......which'll give you those divots that point left of the hole, if you make a divot.