Swing Path Question

[One Planer]

Played a quick 9 holes after work last night , after finishing out on the 9th I walked of quite confused

Last night I struck the ball as well as I have for a good while with my irons, however the woods were a different story.

Irons and wedges flew, pretty much, straight (No curve) to here I was aiming. Wedges - Thru - 3 iron all flying straight, if there was any curve to the shots it would have been a very, very, slight draw.

My woods however were I different kettle of fish altogether

Straight left. Again, no curve, just straight left.

With having no flight issues with any other clubs, even with a 3 iron, is it likely I'd let the ball position for my fairway woods and driver creep a little too far forward?

From my, very limited, understanding of what makes the ball do what thru impact, I would guess that the face angle and swing path are closely matched?

 

[bobmac]

Is the length of your driver backswing the same as your irons ?

 

[One Planer]

Is the length of your driver backswing the same as your irons ?

I'm pretty sure it is Bob, yes

 

[bobmac]

I'm pretty sure it is Bob, yes

It sounds to me as if you are out to in with the face square to the path.
That's normally caused by either a longer backswing or trying to hit it too hard, too early, or both

 

[One Planer]

It sounds to me as if you are out to in with the face square to the path.
That's normally caused by either a longer backswing or trying to hit it too hard, too early, or both

That sounds very familiar.

 

[Maninblack4612]

From my, very limited, understanding of what makes the ball do what thru impact, I would guess that the face angle and swing path are closely matched?

Spot on. It may well be that moving the ball back a little will help if all the other shots are going straight. Or, you may be aiming left. I had real problems pulling the longer ones until someone pointed out they were going exactly where I was aiming!

 

[the_coach]

If you think about the golf swing being on an inclined plane coming to meet the ball on a flat surface, with the analogy of the club head moving around 'centered'* point & swinging in a 'circle'*. (*analogy not precisely what actually happens)

Then the club head in the backswing, moves back, it moves inside & it moves up. Downswing it moves down, it moves outwards & it moves forwards. Impact. It then because of the circle like path on an inclined plane it has to move immediately after impact back inside. (because golfers stand to the side of the ball & ball target line & the inclined swing arc) Inside then in this case means leftwards before it moves up & finally around towards the ball/target line at finish.

So if you get the ball a ways forward, just, of where your club would be 'square' at strike, that means strike happens slightly later in the swing arc when the path is moving back inside, left. So club face past square to ball/target line when the strike takes place, face angle looking left but square to the leftwards (back inside) path, you get the ball going straight left, a pull.

Interesting that the mid/shorter irons hitting a draw (I'll take it it's a true draw starting direction right & coming back to target) If so it has to mean a path very near 0º or very slightly inside to out, pretty neutral.

So it could well be just down to the ball position, strike happening sooner in that swing arc (so strike slightly further back in stance) with the irons to draw or fly straight-ish. Ball further forward with longer clubs so the strike later in the swing arc when path going back inside, left, with face square to leftwards path.

Would be unusual for backswing length with longer clubs is exactly the same length as the mid & shorter irons, unless you're one of the few players that swing to 3/4's with everything, from the swings you've posted before that wouldn't appear to be the case. Often times players who think they swing everything to parallel at the top, don't, the longer clubs usually end up a ways past parallel.

Could be that in order to generate distance with the longer end of the bag you're putting a ways extra effort into the swing motion which often times means the upper body starts the downswing giving you a slight (given the ball flight you describe) over the top action which can lead to a pull. But not common for this to produce very consistent straight pulls alone, you'd likely be getting some differing outcomes with the flight & direction, which from what you describe isn't happening.