If you are someone that is looking to utilize the club more off of the tee, the 7 wood would be the better option. If you are someone that wants the greatest versatility from a variety of lies, the 4 hybrid provides great flexibility out of the fairway, rough or fairway bunkers.
Are you someone that struggles with long irons and needs a different option?
Are you losing swing speed and have difficulty holding greens with even mid irons?
Well, we have good news for you on the equipment front! The game of golf has changed quite a bit in the past decade. This is great news for amateurs and especially those that might lack some swing speed.
The quality of the woods and the hybrids improve and get easier to hit with each new rendition.
Many sets of clubs are now sold with only a 5 or 6 iron and up. If you are someone that has a great set of irons that you hit well from 7 iron on up, but struggle with the mid to long irons, we would highly considering checking out clubs like a 7 wood or 4 hybrid.
These two clubs provide great versatility in approach shots, both out of the rough and off the tee.
Below, I will provide the benefits of both clubs and then help answer the question of whether you should go with the 7 wood or the 4 hybrid.
7 Wood vs 4 Hybrid, which one should I carry?
Below, I will dive into the following topics:
- The benefits of a 7 wood and 4 hybrid
- Who should use a 7 wood or 4 hybrid
- How to measure what option is best for you
- BONUS TIP: How go gain more speed!
The Benefits of a 7 wood and 4 hybrid
The 7 Wood Benefits
The 7 wood is a couple of inches longer than the 4 hybrid and can provide that little bit of extra swing speed if needed in your game and allow you to hit the ball further.
The thickness of the club allows for comfort when the ball is teed up on the first shot of the hole. The 7 woods are designed to help you hit the ball higher and further resulting in more hit greens and the increasing the chances of holding the green.
As golfers get older and lose swing speed, more and more approach shots take place in the 150-200 yard range. With the mid to long irons, it can be difficult to launch the ball high enough and far enough to hit a green and then hold it.
As green complexes become more and more difficult and greens firm up, the extra height in ball flight is key to help you shoot lower scores. The 7 wood will provide this for golfers.
If the debate is between a 7 wood or mid to long irons, for many amateurs the 7 wood is the better option.
The 4 Hybrid Benefits
The 4 hybrid might be one of the most versatile clubs in the bag. This club can be hit off the tee, the fairway, the rough and even the fairway bunkers. The overall ability to launch the ball and get it up in the air is rather simple and so much better than a long iron.
90% of golfers have difficulty or lack the swing speed to hit long irons and this is even more difficult in thicker rough, but the hybrids of today’s game can be a true game changer.
Similar to the 7 wood, the ability to launch the ball higher and further will serve the majority of amateur golfers well.
I would recommend having several hybrids in the bag and several fairway woods. If you carry a driver, 3 wood, 5 wood, 7 wood and a 3 hybrid, 4, hybrid and 5 hybrid and then carry a 7 iron thru pitching wedge, a sand wedge and a lob wedge that totals 13 clubs and provides great options. Of course you then have your putter as your 14th club.
Who should use a 7 wood or 4 hybrid?
Every player, more than likely, would benefit from at least one hybrid in the bag. However, some golfers may carry up to 6-7 hybrids or fairway woods to give themselves the advantages they need and to maximize their 14 club setup.
Check out this chart below:
| Senior | Average | Low Handicap | Tour Pro | |
| Driver Swing Speed | 91 and Below | 91-101 | 102-112 | 113-123 |
| Driver Distance | 210 and Below | 210-235 | 235-275 | 275-300 |
| 3 Wood Distance | 200 | 220 | 230 | 243 |
| Hybrid Distance | 190 | 205 | 215 | 225 |
| 4 iron Distance | 170 | 185 | 195 | 203 |
| 5 iron Distance | 160 | 175 | 185 | 194 |
| 6 iron Distance | 150 | 163 | 173 | 183 |
| 7 iron Distance | 140 | 153 | 163 | 172 |
| 8 iron Distance | 130 | 143 | 153 | 160 |
| 9 iron Distance | 120 | 131 | 141 | 148 |
| pw Distance | 110 | 121 | 131 | 136 |
| sw Distance | 90 | 100 | 110 | 120 |
| lw Distance | 70 | 80 | 90 | 105 |
Check out which category you fall into above and check out the advice we have on the number of hybrids and/or fairway woods you should carry.
- Tour Pro: (1-2) 3 wood and a hybrid/5 wood.
- Low Handicap: (2-3) 3 wood, 3 hybrid, 5 hybrid
- Average: (3-4) 3 wood, 3 hybrid, and 5 hybrid
- Senior: (5-7) Combination of fairway woods
7 Wood vs 4 Hybrid: How to measure what option is best for you
In today’s golf world, there are now affordable golf launch monitors that every golfer can have as a part of their golf setup to ensure they are using the best equipment and keeping their swings on track.
With today’s topic, I would highly recommend measuring the difference in swing speed and ball speed with the different wood and hybrid options, also checking out launch angles and side spin.
Being able to make your own conclusions on club options in your golf bag before hitting the course will go a long way in helping your experiment and have your game reach its full potential.
With anything in golf, we recommend testing it out for yourself. We know that every golf swing is slightly different and that golfers have different expectations and budgets.
As a result, we highly recommend testing products out for your game and your swing. This is now affordable and can be done! We live in an amazing time!
There are three excellent options in today’s market that allow you to measure your swing at the driving range, in a net, or in a home golf simulator. These versatile options below give you instant feedback and the information you need to experiment and see what works best for your!
I would recommend one of the three launch monitors listed below:
I personally use the SkyTrak Launch Monitor and am able to use it in my golf simulator setup in my garage and take to the driving range or course.
The real time data on ball speed, spin rates and spin axis gives me the feedback I know to test out different clubs and setups on my drivers or what clubs I am hitting the best.
The affordability of these products is rather impressive and if you are serious about improving your game, you have to check these out!
BONUS DRILL: GAIN SPEED
Let’s face it, regardless of the current state of your game we all want more speed. It has become very clear the need for speed in the golf swing and there are ways to add speed! The analytics on all levels of golf show how important speed and additional speed are in reducing golf scores.
The additional speed with hybrids and fairway woods will give you greater height and distance.
It is time to start training for some additional speed. This is a drill and training protocol that I would highly recommend.
SPEED DRILL: Increase your swing speed through overspeed training
- Check out SuperSpeed Overspeed Training Protocols
- Train every other day for 10-15 minutes.
- See a 4-6% increase in swing speed as early as the first training protocol.
The number one thing that has helped me gain significant distance is the SuperSpeed Training System. This overspeed based system where you train every other day for about 10-15 minutes with different swing sticks can help you increase your swing speed by 5-8% which can be 20-30 yards. Who wouldn’t want an extra 20-30 yards. Plus it helps improve your mechanics.
SuperSpeed Golf – Use Discount Code Golfjourney365 for some savings!
The analytics are pretty clear on the importance of speed in the game of golf. Would you rather hit your approach shot from 130 yards of 160 yards?
The answer is pretty simple! We know that over the course of time, we will hit shots from 130 yards much closer than from 160 yards, whether we are an average amateur golfer, a scratch golfer, or a PGA Tour member!
The key is having shorter approach shots, so we can hit the ball closer to the hole and then make more putts! Speed is king in the game of golf! Make sure you check out SuperSpeed Golf!
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Here is the reality…in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.
I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
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.