3 Iron vs 4 Iron: What is the Difference?

Written by Todd in Online Golf Instruction

There are many different golf clubs a golfer can choose from when picking the best 14 clubs for his or her bag.

There are a wide range of long irons, hybrids, utility irons, fairway woods and wedges to consider.  Ultimately, the golfer wants to set up a bag of clubs that provides enough distance, while eliminating any major gaps that force too many half or 3 quarter shots.

Ideally, the golfer will have a club for about every 10-15 yards of distance in their golf bag.

We often answer questions for golfers about the differences between clubs.  One that we often hear centers around the long irons in the bag.

The utility option is a great choice for those that like the long irons, but need some additional forginess!

3 Iron vs 4 Iron: What is the Difference?

The typical loft of a 3 iron is 19 degrees, while the 4 iron is closer to the 22 degrees.  On average, the 3 iron will also be about a half of an inch longer in length.  The lower loft and longer club will produce a further flying shot when compared to the 4 iron.

The 3 iron will travel a bit lower with less spin, resulting in more distance for the golfer. One that thing has changed over the years is that all irons typically have less loft than in the early 2000s.  Club manufactures have reduced the loft to help golfers believe they are hitting an 8 iron or similar club further.

Why Don’t Many People Carry A 3 Iron Anymore?

There are several reasons that include the following:

  • The lofts have changed making it more difficult to hit
  • There are quality options in hybrids and utility irons
  • Overall performance is easier to measure

Reason 1: The lofts have changed

Here is a great comparison to the two sets of clubs I have owned in the last 23 years.  I have played with the TItleist DCI 981s and the Titleist 716s.

Club Number3456789P
Titleist 981 (degrees of loft)2225283135394347
Titleist 716 (degrees of loft)1922252831353943

The Titleist 981s were released in 1998 and the 716s were released in 2016.  You can see that the loft of the clubs in the newer set are almost a complete club stronger across the board.  One thing they haven’t changed completely is the length of the club.  They have increased a bit, but not the total amount to the 1998 standard.

Think about this for a second. You head to your local driving range or golf retail store and test out a 7 iron.  You see you are carrying the ball 10-15 yards longer than your previous set.  You are immediately sold on buying the new set of irons as you can hit these new clubs further.  

The club manufacturers did this as marketing because the only thing most golfers paid attention to was the number on the bottom of the club and the total distance of the iron shot.  

What this ended up creating was a larger gap between the first wedge after the 9 iron and the traditional 56 degrees sand wedge.  This left a gap of around 13 degrees as golfers typically had to add a wedge around 48 degrees and 52 degrees to close this gap.

Reason 2: Other quality options

Golfers have many clubs to choose from in this same loft.  With the popularity increasing in the hybrids because of the ease to get the ball airborne and carry it a quality distance, more and more golfers gravitated to the hybrids and would remove their 3 iron, if one was even still in their set.

Recently, you will find an increase in the number of utility irons on the market as they are often numbered 2, 3 or 4 but have thicker bottoms and are easier to hit than the traditional one iron.  Back in the day, it wasn’t uncommon to see someone hit a 1 or 2 iron as well.  Now, you will mainly only find the 2 iron in the utility style long iron.

This increase in options has been good for the typical amateur golfer as the shots are easier to hit and the scores can decrease from the ability to hit better onger shots.  This is extremely helpful on the 2nd shot on a reachable par 5, a long 4 par or narrow, shorter par 4s where placement is more important than distance.

Reason 3: Easier to Measure

One’s ability to hit a certain club is now much easier to measure.  With the popularity of personal launch monitors hitting the golfing market, golfers are able to measure their own performance with each club in the bag.  Whether the golfer owns a SkyTrak, Mevo or Trackman, they are able to understand how far they hit the ball and the curve of the ball.  These devices will provide the following information:

  • Carry and Total Distance
  • Ball Speed
  • Spin Rate
  • Launch Angle
  • Spin Axis

This data is key in helping golfers understand their swing, understand the performance of each club and make adjustments as needed.

Here are the top 3 options to check out:

I purchased the SkyTrak several years ago and use it at the driving range and in my golf simulator setup.  The SkyTrak is an amazing addition to any golfers collection as far as game improvement and overall fun is concerned.  They are worth check out.  Here are some helpful resources:

Do you research and testing to ensure you have the right clubs in your bag!

3 Iron vs 4 Iron: Which One Should I Carry?

If you are debating between the two clubs, I would recommend the 4 iron or possibly replacing both with a hybrid, fairway wood or even an utility iron. 

There are many options that are often easier to hit than the traditional long irons.  They are worth testing out and you might be surprised how much it benefits your game.

If you struggle to swing your driver over 100 miles per hour, I would recommend the hybrid.  If you swing over 100 miles per hour, I would recommend checking out the utility irons on the market today.  I have been thrilled with my Titleist utility iron.  It is a game changer!

3 Iron vs 4 Iron: Benefits

There are some benefits of the 3 and 4 iron if you are able to generate enough swing speed and hit the ball on the center of the face.  The ball flight with a well struck, with plenty of club head speed 3 or 4 iron is like magic. 

The ball drives through the air, creates precision with the distances it carries and gives the golfer the ability to attack pins even from a further distance. When the golfer is swinging well, the long irons are another club in the hands where a golfer can score.  However, when the golfer is struggling the long irons quickly become a difficult club to hit. 

If you are someone that hits pure irons all day long, the long irons are a great option for the golf bag!  If not, maybe the hybrids are the way to go!.  There is no shame in transitioning to the hybrid options on the market today!

3 Iron vs 4 Iron: Next Steps

Find a way to measure your performance with your 3 iron and your 4 iron and consider the possible changes to take your game to the next level.  I would highly recommend purchasing a launch monitor or finding a place to use a launch monitor to ensure you have all of the right recruitment in your bag.  This includes driver, fairway woods and all the way to the wedges.

Another added benefit is the ability to crease your chart on the distances you hit each club in your bag.  Here is my sample chart:

ClubCarry Distance (100%)
2 Utility Iron210
4 iron190
5 iron181
6 iron171
7 iron163
8 iron153
9 iron143
P Club130
Approach Wedge118
SW Club105
LW Club90

The next step with your shot distance chart is to look at the distance you hit different length iron swings.  Here is another sample of a chart you can create:

ClubCarry Distance (100%)90%80%70%
PW Club11811010294
SW Club105979184
LW Club90827466
Build your own golf laboratory where you can practice and play 365 days a year!

Final Thoughts

Golf is a wonderful game and it is that much more fun when you can hit quality shots.  Oftentimes, golfers take the last set of clubs that are hand me downs or something they find at a garage sale.  Make sure you spend some time ensuring you have the right clubs for your game to help make the game even just a bit easier.  Golf is hard enough with the right equipment, ensure you have the right equipment so the game doesn’t end up so difficult that you don’t want to play.


We want golfers to enjoy the journey of every round, season and golfing career.  Get yourself in the game and enjoy every moment of it!  It is an amazing sport for people of all ages and ability levels to sprint time outside with family and friends taking on the challenge of golf!

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

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