The primary purpose of the 7 iron is to hit shots that range from 130 to 180 yards for most golfers. It can be used out of the fairway, rough or fairway bunker. In addition, the 7 iron can be used for a bump and run chip shot around the greens.
If you are new to the game of golf, you might be wondering what to do with the 14 different golf clubs you get to carry in your bag.
The rules of golf allow a golfer to carry 14 total clubs. A typical set up might look like the following:
- Driver, 3 Wood (2)
- 3 Hybrid (1)
- 4-9 Irons (6)
- PW, GW SW, LW (4)
- Putter (1)
Some of the most common clubs golfers will find themselve utilizing are the mid irons and this is where the 7 iron falls into the bag.
What is a 7 iron used for?
Overall, the 7 iron is often an easier club to hit for the beginners and one that gets the ball in the air pretty easily and will travel a decent distance. When many instructors are giving lessons, a 7 iron seems to be a popular club for a golfer to begin with because it is in the middle as far as distance it will travel and the length of the shaft.
Helpful Post: How to hit a 7 iron (Keys and Tips)
How much does a 7 iron weigh?
The average 7 iron will weigh around 422grams or .93lbs. The club feels pretty light in a golfer’s hand. The overall weight and flex could be impacted by whether there is a steel shaft or graphite shaft in the club.
How long is a 7 iron?
The average 7 iron is 37” in length. For comparison, most drivers are around 45 inches in length, while a sand wedge is around 35 inches in length.
What is a 7 iron used for: Approach Shots
The first place you will often use a 7 iron is for approach shots between 130 yards and 180 yards. This will depend on your swing speed. Many beginner golfers will be closer to the 130-150 range with their iron.
The 7 iron has a medium ball flight and the golfer will typically play a slight draw or fade with the club. As the most difficult shot to hit in golf is the perfectly straight golf shot.
On these approach shots the goal is to get the ball on the green. One of the keys is to have realistic expectations for yourself when hitting the shot. Anything inside of 30 feet is actually a really good shot for an amateur golfer.
Did you know that the average proximity to the pin on the PGA Tour from 100 yards is 18 feet? So if you can hit the green from between 130-150 yards, work on two putting, take your par and go to the next hole.
How to hit a 7 irons straight!
Of course, on occasion you might hit the ball inside of 10 feet. At this point, make sure you give yourself a legitimate chance to walk away with a birdie!
The approach shot with a 7 iron is often from the fairway or the rough. Keep in mind if you are coming out of the rough, the ball will not spin as much, which means you will need to allow for some additional roll once the ball lands on the fairway or green. Out of the rough, make sure you play the ball slightly back to ensure you are hitting the ball first and not allowing the longer grass to interfere with your shot.
If you get stuck in a fairway bunker, do not panic. In fact, you might consider going to a 7 iron even if you have 200 yards or more left. The 7 iron has the perfect amount of loft to often carry over a lift and enough loft to give the golfer confidence they will be able to advance the ball down the fairway.
Go ahead and dig your feet in slightly, keep your lower body stable and hit the ball first. If you normally carry your 7 iron 150 yards, you might want to consider that you might not be as far out of the bunker. Go ahead and make the adjustments with your club selection if you are trying to carry a hazard or hit the green.
What is a 7 iron used for: Bump and Run
The 7 iron is often a go to club for the bump and run shot. This is a shot around the greens where you are either on the fringe or just barely in the rough. The golfer will make putting like motion, but with a 7 iron in their hand.
The ball will fly in the air for a short time before running towards the hole. It is the most basic chip shot in all of golf and great one to become an expert at. If you can hit this shot at a high level, you have a chance to occasionally hole the chip shot and make a birdie or save your par.
Chipping with a 7 irons (5 Tips)
The key on this shot is to keep it simple and allow the ball to roll towards the hole. Make sure you read the green and have an idea of what direction the ball will break
How to read golf greens (9 Steps)
Key Tip For All Irons: Know How Far You Hit Your Irons!
I would highly recommend each golfer create a distance chart like the sample below:
| Club | Carry Distance (100%) | 90% | 80% |
| 2 Utility Iron | 210 | ||
| 4 iron | 190 | ||
| 5 iron | 181 | ||
| 6 iron | 171 | ||
| 7 iron | 163 | ||
| 8 iron | 153 | ||
| 9 iron | 143 | ||
| P Club | 130 | 123 | 115 |
| Pitching Wedge | 118 | 110 | 102 |
| SW Club | 105 | 97 | 91 |
| LW Club | 90 | 82 | 74 |
This might be the most important information you can use to help you play quality golf. I have heard so many stories and have seen it first hand where golfers completely over estimate how far they hit each iron.
They hit one 7 iron 165 yards one time and think this is their carry distance. So they step up to a 165 yard shot, hit the 7 iron and end up in a bunker. They blade it out of the bunker and are looking at a double bogey as their reality. Instead, if they had the right club and hit the 6 iron, their chance of hitting the middle of the green would increase greatly!
How can you create your own chart?
Option 1: I would highly recommend a launch monitor!
These portable devices can be used at the driving range, golf course or set up in your home net or golf simulator. These devices are game changers not only on being able to map your bag and know your distances, but they also provide quality feedback after on every shot and provide the following information:
- Carry Distance
- Spin Rate
- Launch Angle
- Spin Axis
- Total Distance
- Ball Speed
This information will help you map your bag, decide on which clubs are best for your game, develop a stock shot and much more. I love using my SkyTrak 365 days a year in my golf simulator setup.
The process for mapping your bag can looking something like this:
- Hit 5 shots with each club in your bag.
- Log the carry distance and total distance for each shot.
- Eliminate any outlier numbers (poor hits or low spin rates).
- Take the average and create a map of your bag.
If you visit any PGA Tour event you will see plenty of golfers utilizing their launch monitors. While most can’t afford a Trackman, there are some very affordable options in the 500-2000 dollar range. I own the SkyTrak and think the world of it.
Here are the top 3 options to check out:
Option 2: Use a Driving Range or Open Field
If you can’t afford a launch monitor at this time, here is another option.
- Find an open driving range or open field
- Take 10 balls of the type of golf ball you play
- Pick a target and either walk it off or use a rangefinder.
- Hit 10 shots with each club in your bag and take an average.
- Your rangefinder can help you get a specific distance.
Go ahead and create a chart of each club and their carry distance like the one above.
Final Thoughts: Improving Your Distance Control
If you can improve your ball striking, have great information on how far you have to hit a shot and then have an accurate distance chart, you will be on your way to more enjoyable golf and lower golf scores!
Take the time to practice and get better, get the right technology tools and understand your distances. Commit to the process and watch your game improve!
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.