7 Wood Golf Club
Published By Lawrence Smelser Last Updated on January 20, 2022 by Editorial Staff
Many golfers will tell you the clubs they have the most difficulty hitting are the long irons. Both 3-irons and 4-irons can be a very hard club to hit for amateurs that aren’t close to scratch golfers.
Using a larger headed club such as a 7-wood club can help players make cleaner contact and have more desirable outcomes on the course. This article will highlight the 7-wood and its different characteristics.
What Is A 7-Wood Golf Club
A 7 wood golf club is in the wood family and has more loft than a three or five wood making it a lot easier to hit. It is a strong replacement for someone who struggles hitting their long irons or hybrids.
The head on the 7-wood is big and it has a larger sweet spot for hitting off different kinds of lies including hard ground and in the rough. It is very forgiving and usually an inch shorter than a standard 5-wood which also helps make it simpler to hit.
What Loft Is A 7-wood Golf Club
The typical 7-wood loft degree is 21 to 22 for men. Some are available as high as 27 degrees which are more commonly found in women’s clubs.
Having this loft helps golfers get the ball up high in the air and land softly on greens.
An 18 degree 5-wood or 15 degree 3-wood will have a lower ball flight and a higher rollout. Controlling the distance around the pin will be much harder than using a 7-wood.
7-wood Distance Chart
Depending on how far you can hit the ball, a 7-wood can range from 170-230 yards for golfers who are men. Typically for women, it travels between 120-170 yards.
Another factor is how high or low a golfer tees the ball and how hard or soft the course is. They can get even more distance depending on the rollout of the ball.
What Length Is An Average 7-wood Golf Club
Most seven woods are between 40-42 inches long. The shorter the length, the easier it is to hit.
The 7-wood is also about 10 grams heavier when it comes to sole head-weight versus a 5-wood. This helps get the ball out of fairway sand traps and lifts the ball higher into the air.
When To Use A 7-wood Golf Club
The 7-wood is a very versatile club that can be used in many different situations around the golf course. Below are some scenarios where it would be suitable to use the club.
- If you’re on the tee and need an accurate drive on a tight fairway.
- When a golfer is in a fairway bunker with a decent lie and needs to lift the ball out.
- If you’re in the fairway and are sitting around 200 yards out and you need to clear a body of water.
- When you need to land the ball softer on the green than a 5-wood.
- From the rough and you need a club that will help get loft on your shot cleanly.
- Around the green on a flat surface and you want to chip it low and not have the ball get caught up on the fringe.
What Golf Club Does A 7-wood Replace
The seven wood can replace six different clubs including the 2-iron, 3-iron, 4-iron, 3-hybrid, 4-hybrid and 5-wood. Depending on the golfers length, they can use it to replace one of those clubs.
Replacing a 5-wood with a 7-wood will sacrifice some yardage but if a golfer can hit the 7-wood better then the tradeoff can be worth it.
A 7-wood at 21 degrees can replace a 2-iron. One with 24 degrees can help replace a 4-iron.
7-wood Vs 3-hybrid
Many golfers will tell you that a 7-wood is much easier to hit than a 3-hybrid and that’s why they carry one. A 7-wood vs hybrid has many differences.
A 3-hybrid is usually 19 to 21 degrees in loft with a 7-wood coming in at 21-22. There are 7-woods that can be found at 20.5 degrees.
Someone with a lower handicap and a faster swing speed might prefer a 3-hybrid thanks to its distance.
A golfer with a higher handicap and who has trouble making solid contact would probably prefer a 7-wood.
7-wood Vs 4-hybrid
From the fairways if you like a little more bite on the green, a 7-wood is the right club.
A 4-hybrid is better from hitting out of the rough.
Most 7-woods are about two inches longer than 4-hybrids.
For golfers who have trouble battling hooks off the tee, the 7-wood will be easier to swing versus the 4-hybrid.
7-wood Vs 3-iron
The 3-iron is arguably the most difficult iron to hit. For high-handicappers a 7-wood is a better club to hit.
The 3-iron will have a low trajectory and is ideal for hitting low stingers.
With a 3-iron, it is easier to shape shots such as a fade or draw.
The 7-wood will fly high and most likely straighter.
Hitting a 3-iron off the ground is much more difficult than hitting a 7-wood due to its forgiveness. It works very well as a fairway wood as a result.
Both clubs are usually found lofted at 21 degrees so if you’re better at hitting long irons or better at hitting woods then the choice shouldn’t be too hard.
5-wood Vs 7-wood
A 5-wood will have a lower trajectory flight and a lot more rollout making it difficult to control once it lands on the green.
A 7-wood will spin more and have a high ball flight making it easier to stick it closer to the pin compared to the 5-wood.
Five woods are built a couple inches longer than 7-woods so they are more difficult to hit and there is more room for error.
The 5-wood is going to go farther since it is usually found around 18 degrees versus a 7-wood that is lofted around 21 degrees.
If you’re looking for driving distance off the tee the 5-wood is a better option. If you’re on a tight and short par-4 then the 7-wood is usually the preferred club.
How To Use A 7-wood Golf Club
The following video by Ali Taylor Golf explains different ways to use a 7-wood and when it is appropriate to throw one in the golf bag.
Taylor describes the 7-wood as being a great club but he knows many golfers who don’t like adding it to their set of clubs because it’s known as an “old man’s club”.
He says those golfers need to get over it and swallow their pride. They should use it if it benefits them because it can be a great tool to help lower scores and perform better.
He shows in the video the trajectory of many golfers who hit their long irons. It is low and has less carry than golfers who use a 7-wood.
The long iron low trajectory isn’t ideal when trying to clear bunkers or ponds on the way to the hole. He shows how much better the ball flight and distance is with the 7-wood.
Best 7-wood Golf Clubs
Best 7-wood for men: Callaway Rogue
We selected the Callaway Rogue 7-wood as our recommended choice for men thanks to its many features mentioned below including it being 21 degrees.
- The Rogue promotes a high, straight and long ball flight thanks to its large sweet spot which makes it easy to make good contact.
- The wood features a Triaxial Carbon crown that promotes forgiveness and helps add long distances to swings.
- The Jailbreak technology added by Callaway has two steel bars that stiffen the body of the club and makes the ball speed increase while springing it powerfully off the face at impact.
- The Boeing Aero Package design of the club head makes it aerodynamic through the air and light which helps golfers get faster swing speeds.
- Callaway added a 455 stainless steel face with face cup technology that helps golfers still have good results with off-center hits.
- Internal wave technology and a low center of gravity increases low ball spin, helping for better rollouts.
Best Womens 7 Fairway Wood Golf Club - Cobra F-max Superlite Fairway Wood
The Cobra F-Max Superlite Fairway wood was our pick for an ideal women’s fairway wood thanks to its many features.
- The club is 27 degrees and is made for right-handed golfers.
- Cobra made the wood only 16 grams which helps achieve fast swing speeds.
- An offset hosel helps players square the face when making contact to help hit straighter shots.
- A forged 455 steel face with an insert helps provide a high trajectory on shots allowing for smooth landings.
- The weight on the back of the clubhead makes it super forgiving.
- The crown alignment helps make it easy on the eye and not distracting when setting up shots and aiming down the fairway.
- Many users said they gained distance when switching over to this club.
Conclusion
It is ultimately up to a golfer if they prefer a 7-wood over a long iron, hybrid or 5-wood in the bag. The 7-wood is more forgiving than these clubs on mishits and promotes a softer landing than other woods.
If you make mistakes often and need a good club to hit from longer distances then the 7-wood is an excellent choice. These clubs are also handy for low-handicappers. Make sure to comment on your experiences with 7-woods.
Lawrence Smelser - Staff Writer
Lawrence Smelser is part of the Golfible editorial staff and is a freelance golf writer. Smelser has covered the PGA Tour and most recently the 2019 Masters. He holds a journalism Bachelor's degree from Texas A&M and a Master’s journalism degree from the University of North Texas