We are seeing more and more 7 woods being carried by professional players on both tours.
The 7 wood is a club that amateurs should consider adding to their bag as part of their 14 clubs. Overall, it is an easy club to launch high enough and far enough to make the shots that used to be hit with long irons easier.
There are many benefits of the 7 wood that we will get into below, but first to the main question for today.
What Club Would A 7 Wood Replace?
The 7 wood loft is around 21 degrees. The comparable long iron that it would replace would be either a 3 iron or a 4 iron depending on the loft of the irons. Overall, the 7 wood is a viable option due to the versatility it provides and the ability to hit it high enough to hold a green for many amateurs.
Is a 7 Wood Easier to hit than a 3 Iron?
Yes, many amateurs struggle with the long irons due to a smaller sweet speed. The fairway woods and hybrids of today provide a better option to hit shots higher and further when compared to the long iron of similar loft. The technology is impressive and should be consider by the majority of mid to high handicap golfers.
Why Should Golfers Consider a 7 wood?
Overall, it is an easy club to hit. The forgiveness and the low center of gravity makes it easier to launch it from a variety of lies. Below is a list of the benefits of using a 7 wood.
Benefits of a 7 Wood:
- Easy to hit
- Versatility from various lies
- Higher launching
Benefit #1: Easy to hit
If you haven’t tried out a 7 wood yet, it is a must test club. The 20-21 degree fairway wood with a shaft length of between 40-41 inches feels comfortable in the hands and provides a quality visual over the golf ball. As a result, the golfer can swing with confidence and feel the effortless swing that it takes to hit the ball solid and far. Overall, golfers should be focused on three things when hitting any shot.
- The ability to hit it solidly.
- The ability to start it on the target line with a predictable curve.
- The ability to hit it the distance and the height you need.
The 7 wood checks off these boxes and the technology of today makes it a quality option. I remember my first 5 wood as a junior golfer and how comfortable of a club it was due to the ability to launch it high and far. It was much easier to hit than the comparable long iron. Overall, with today’s technology in golf, the mid to high handicap golfers need to take advantage of these quality club options.
Benefit #2: Versatility from various lies
Whether you are in the fairway, rough, tee box or fairway bunker, you can use your 7 wood and swing it with confidence. The versatility of the club is difficult to match with a long iron. If you are thick rough, a 3 iron or 4 iron becomes really difficult as the club will want to twist unless you have a certain level of strength or swing speed to counterbalance the longer, thicker rough that you might face on some golf courses.
The golfer is able to hit the 7 wood with various shots. Whether you need to hit it like an iron with a slightly downward strike or launch the ball with a slightly upward launch angle, the club can produce different shots. The fairway wood is a great option for the golfer that has struggled with the long irons over the years and has struggled on the longer par 3s or the difficult approach shots on the 400 yard plus par 4s.
Benefit #3: Higher launching
The golfer that struggles on the long par 3s or the 180 yard plus approach shots due to a lack of height and the ability to hold the green might try out the 7 wood. The 7 wood shot gives the golfer a chance to hold a green. There is nothing worse than a shot that is hit solid but runs through the green and off the back of the green, resulting in a difficult next shot. The extra height with a 7 wood can give the golfer a putt on the next shot instead of a difficult chip shot.
Fairway wood vs hybrid
The simple breakdown for the difference between the fairway wood vs the hybrid in general is the following: the fairway woods will often fly further, but may not be as accurate as the hybrid. If you struggle with distance and height go with the fairway wood, if you want a combination of distance, height and accuracy, the hybrid is a great option.
Ultimately, the golfer should test out the different options and see what the results are and the confidence that is gained with one of the two clubs.
Next Steps: Test Out on a Launch Monitor
One of the best ways to get immediate feedback is through a launch monitor.
My favorite place to test out a variety of club options and potential swing adjustments is on my Skytrak. The data I receive with each and every shot is fantastic. This includes:
- Carry and total distance
- Launch Angle
- Spin Rate
- Spin Axis
- Ball Speed
I can spend all winter tinkering and training to improve my overall score. The launch monitor has been a game changer for my scores and overall improvement as a ball striker.
This data in combination with the shot tracer helps me visualize the shot I am hitting with key data at my fingertips.
Plus when paired with my TGC software I can play some of the most amazing courses in the world including Augusta, Pebble, Whistling Straits and St. Andrews!