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An arc is an arc.

The only reason you're hitting "down" on an iron swing is because the ball is on the ground as opposed to a tee and it's further back in your stance.

The "descending blow" is simply a byproduct of this.
Say that the bottom of your swing arc is Zero. This position would likely be used when hitting, say, a 4iron. That is to say that the 4-iron clubface strikes the ball at the "0" point of the arc. A 5-iron might make contact at the "minus .5 point", (because the ball is slightly further back(, the 6-iron might be minus 1 and so on.

A driver is struck either level or slightly on the upswing because it's on a tee and the ball is positioned further forward in the stance. So a driver might be struck at the "plus 1 or 1.5" point on the swing arc.

A divot is also a byproduct of hitting a ball early in the swing arc using a descending blow which is the result of moving the ball further back in the stance. A divot is not a "goal".

There is no difference between a driver swing and a 9-iron swing other than ball position and the natural difference in swing plane due to club length. But they are both arcs.

Now, there are specialty shots such as "pinching" a ball to gain backspin, bunker shots and certain other types of shots which require a more upright backswing and more of a "chopping" motion, but for standard shots, they're basically all the same.

Someone mentioned Nicklaus earlier in this thread. That brought to mind an instructional tape of his I once watched, (and still have somewhere), called "Golf My Way". There is a segment in this tape where he addresses this very issue. The segment includes a comparison of Nicklaus' wedge swing, short iron swing, long iron swing and driver swing. It is presented in a manner in which the screen is segmented into quadrants, each with one of these swings displayed and all four are triggered simultaneously. As one watches the sequence, it is quite obvious that all four swings are identical. In fact, this excercise is the entire point of the segment and Nicklaus himself points this out.

The only difference, as I stated earlier, is that shorter clubs will bring the golfer closer to the ball and create a smaller arc while a driver will bring him further from the ball and produce a larger arc. And, once again, the relationship of the clubhead striking either downward or upward is dictated by ball position.

But the swings are all the same.

If you don't believe this, then I suggest you find a copy of that tape and see for yourself.


-JP