Most golfers should select the 5 wood as it provides some additional difference with the potential to take some distance off by gripping down on the club. There are pros and cons to both clubs and the decision is ultimately based on the strengths and weaknesses of your game.
The great news about golf today is that golfers have plenty of options on what 14 clubs they will carry in their bag. Many golfers struggle with their long irons, but there is a solution!
There are plenty of options to replace those dreaded long irons that many struggle to hit.
When most golfers get to their 2, 3, 4 or even their 5 iron they struggle to get the ball up in the air and even if they do, it usually isn’t a solid strike and the lack of distance can be devastating.
Enter the 5 wood and 7 wood. These clubs continue to get better with technology and provide a quality option for golfers to have some comfort and a chance when hitting those shots over 175 yards.
The problem becomes when a golfer has to choose between a 5 wood vs 7 wood because they are running out of the options with the 14 clubs they can carry in their bag. This can happen if the golfers hasn’t eliminated enough long irons or chooses to carry an extra wedge to reduce gaps.
Which one should I carry a 5 wood or a 7 wood?
Here are the pros of both the 5 wood and the 7 wood
Top 3 Reasons to carry a 5 wood
- Easier to hit off the tee
- May have a greater yard advantage
- May be more versatile
Top 3 Reasons to carry a 7 wood
- Is shorter and has additional loft
- May be better out of the rough
- May be more precise
Below I will provide great details on the pros of each club.
5 Wood: Easier to hit off the tee
When comparing a 5 wood vs a 7 wood, the 5 wood is going to be easier to hit longer than the 7 wood off of the tee. The 5 wood club head will be slightly larger than the 7 wood providing some additional confidence for the golfer.
The 5 wood is about a half of inch longer and has on average 3-4 less degrees of loft which will help the ball travel further on a well struck shot when compared to a 7 wood.
5 Wood: May have a greater yard advantage
It is safe to assume that a well struck shot with a 5 wood will travel further. Many golfers carry a driver and a 3 wood and are debating on whether to add the 5 wood or 7 wood. The 5 wood will help keep the gaps to a minimum as it would be the next club in line to add to the bag.
If you go driver, 3 wood, 7 wood it may create a gap of a distance that you can’t hit. Unless you are good at gripping down on your 3 wood, you may struggle in a 10-20 yard gap between your 3 wood and 7 wood. This extra distance that the 5 wood travel makes it more of a logical addition to your golf bag.
5 Wood: May be more versatile
THe great news about the 5 wood is that it is easy to hit off the tee, out of the fairway and even out of the rough. Being able to grip down, take some distance off and hit it 10-15 yards shorter is something that the higher end golfer can pull off, which creates some excellent versatility in the 5 wood.
For many junior golfers the 5 wood is an excellent option, especially when playing longer courses. This versatile club will help the golfer hit more quality shots and more greens from that 175 to 225 yard distance from the green.
It can also be a great option off the tee box on those shorter, narrow par 4s where trouble is lurking everywhere.
7 Wood: Is shorter and has additional loft
If you are someone that just struggles to hit a quality 5 wood and get the ball flying high and far, then the 7 wood might be the best option. The shorter club and additional loft makes the club easier to hit for most.
It feels somewhat like a shorter iron in your hands, but carries the distance of a fairway wood and is great out of the loft. If you are someone that is struggling with the 5 wood and hitting it solid, a 7 wood is worth checking out!
7 Wood: May be better out of the rough
The 7 wood once again is shorter and has more loft. The more loft a club has, generally means it is easier to hit out of the rough. If you are someone that plays difficult course with long rough, the 7 wood is a great club to advance the ball down the fairway on those par 4s and par 5s when you have a drive that ends up in the rough.
The ability to hit down and get the ball advancing will save shots over the course of a round. If you try to hit the 5 wood out of similar rough, you might not have the same level of success.
7 Wood: May be more precise
The 5 wood can feel long and less accurate than the 7 wood. Once again because of the shorter shaft and the additional loft, the golfer is able to be more precise with the 7 wood. A quick comparison is a 5 iron vs a 7 iron, the 7 iron is going to be more precise than the 5 iron for a high percentage of golfers. Make sure you check out the gaps in your bag and take a strategic look to see what club is the best addition for your game.
Final Verdict: 5 Wood vs 7 Wood
Test out both clubs and see which provides the greatest benefit to your game. If you are someone that struggles with the 5 wood, then go with the 7 wood. If you are worried about the yardage gap between a 3 wood and 7 wood, then go with the 5 wood.
If you are able to hit a quality 5 wood, learn how to grip down on the club and take some distance off and you can have a club that becomes your go to club for all of those longer, difficult shots! The 5 wood is a quality club that is a comfort club for most. It is short enough and has enough loft, but still has the solid feeling of hitting a fairway wood to help many golfers!
Often times golfers make decisions based on the distance that a club will make the ball travel. Here is a summary on the distance difference between a 5 wood and 7 wood.
5 wood vs 7 wood distance
The 5 wood will fly further due to the extra length in the shaft and lower amount of loft when compared to a 7 wood.
The 5 wood is built to fly further than the 7 wood. The key is to ensure you do not have gaps in your clubs. If you have a 10-20 yard gap, it could lead to awkward shots at key times during your round. Make sure you check out below how to test it out and measure.
What To Do Next?
Step 1: Test It Out and Measure
The great news about playing golf in today’s golf world is the access to portable launch monitors at an affordable cost. I know that you are thinking that there is no way you could afford a Trackman and I understand. But did you know there are some quality launch monitor options in the 500 to 2000 dollar range that can provide with the following data:
- Ball Speed
- Carry Distance
- Total Distance
- Spin Rate
- Spin Axis
This is a big advantage when comparing clubs such as a 5 wood vs a 7 wood. Or determining what combination of wedges you should carry, a 52, 54, 56, and 60. These are the decisions that golfers need to make and why not use the technology to help us make those decisions.
If you visit any PGA Tour event you will see the majority of golfers using a launch monitor at some point throughout the week during their practice sessions. It helps with keeping your swing online and determining what clubs you are hitting the best!
Here are three launch monitors that I would recommend (Between 500 and 2000 dollars):
Step 2: Maybe Get Both Clubs!
Every golfer gets to carry 14 clubs, if you are someone that struggles with the longer irons, it might be time to eliminate all the way through your 5 or 6 iron. The quality of hybrids and fairway woods is rather impressive and worth considering. Some sets today are sold starting at the 6 iron.
Many juniors and seniors do not have the swing speed to hit the 3, 4 or 5 iron and would be better served with the fairway wood or hybrid that carries the right distance. This is a game changer and worth checking out.
Unfortunately, fairway woods and hybrids are often an afterthought for many. They spend a ton of time researching drivers and irons, but often don’t consider clubs such as a 5 wood or 7 wood.
Step 3: Assess Your Game – Be Honest!
Make sure you are honest with yourself on the assessment of your game. Oftentimes we can let our ego get in the way of changing to a fairway wood or hybrid because we feel that the best golfers hit the long irons. When you go out and shoot your best round of the year with your new clubs, it won’t matter that you were carrying 3-4 hybrids or fairway woods!
Recommended Fairway Woods (Callaway is the preferred brand!)
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:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.