Driving iron vs 7-wood

[27x10.5]

I'm considering ditching the driving iron for maybe a Ping 7 wood, anyone messed around with both?

 

Course I used to play had a lot of tight driving holes with too many hazards and I would hit my driving iron off the tee about 7-9 times, new course it almost doesn't make sense to carry it so I was thinking the 7 wood would be a little more versatile out of thick grass.

 

I tried a 7 wood once and it went very high but I figure the right shaft could correct that

[Joelsim]

Hybrid instead?

[bigmoneyp]

7 wood is usually going to go higher and the driving iron should be a more penetrating flight.

[NorthMNgolfer]

For me the Driving iron (16* M2 LIFT) is longer and much lower flight then the 7 wood I tried (Epic 7 wood). I was looking for a club off the tee for those tight holes or a certain layup yardage on short par 4's so the driving iron won out for me. But from the fairway and odd lie the 7 wood was a very easy club to hit. But it was way to high off the tee box for me to be usable.

[Ri_Redneck]

I play my 7w at 20* (more close to 3i loft instead of driving iron). Compared to a driving iron (or 3i for that matter), it flies higher, stops quicker and is easy to play out of thicker grass. Whether it will work well for you depends on how and where you play and the conditions of the day.

 

BT

[LoopySwing13]

Drastically different clubs if you ask me. One designed to fly high and land soft. One designed to go low and roll. You can alter the DI clubs to land softer but really depends what you need more, high/low and roll/stop.

[Shrinkwr4p]

I'm considering ditching the driving iron for maybe a Ping 7 wood, anyone messed around with both?

 

Course I used to play had a lot of tight driving holes with too many hazards and I would hit my driving iron off the tee about 7-9 times, new course it almost doesn't make sense to carry it so I was thinking the 7 wood would be a little more versatile out of thick grass.

 

I tried a 7 wood once and it went very high but I figure the right shaft could correct that

 

I use a GBB Heavenwood. It goes long and straight but it's a liability in the wind. Into the wind I find it hopeless. It just balloons - so on those days I replace it with a 19* hybrid

[mcs4]

In my opinion, a 7 wood is the least reliable out of heavy grass out of all of the options, and likely to launch the highest/most easily for the typical player. I think you would mainly choose a 7 wood (1) if you needed max height and launch, (2) if the driving iron launches too low and you don't like hybrids, or (3) if you are very confident with your woods and therefore think you would be more confident with a wood regardless of launch.

 

I carried a 7 wood for a while when I was younger, despite a naturally high ball flight, because I was much more confident with my woods than irons and there weren't many options back then (neither hybrids nor driving irons were common), but these days I find utilities to be more versatile.

[Valtiel]

The biggest factor is confidence and how you hit the different club types. As you can see below I have 3 different options in the "3-iron" spot; a driving iron, hybrid, and 7 wood. As is the norm, the 7-wood flies the highest and spins the most, the driving iron has the flattest ball flight and is the most accurate, and the hybrid sits between. For me personally, I lean towards the driving iron because modern DI's are just so damn accurate and forgiving a long with being stupid long due to these hollow, springy designs. I often carry both the DI and the hybrid as the hybrid is easier to shape, particularly turning it over, elevate, and get out of the rough if necessary. If you're comfortable with Driving Irons I think you'll always find more fairways than with an equivalent fairway wood, but that all comes down to confidence. You'll always find more fairways and generally hit better shots with whatever you're more confident with.

[27x10.5]

I pretty much have no need to hit driving iron off the tee at the new course, and would never hit 7 wood off the tee either. I already carry a hybrid at 23*, next club is 17.5* wood then driver. Dropping the driving iron leaves me nothing up top, I never have the need for a lower lofted 3 wood...I can get 250 out of the 17.5* and if I'm outside that I'm not going for it. I figured maybe 7 wood would give me something to advance the ball from thick grass...maybe another hybrid is the route to go.

[Chuck905]

I would equate a 7 wood to a 3 iron replacement and a 5 wood to a 2 iron replacement if you are doing apples to apples.

 

Somebody mentioned that a 7 wood is a liability in the wind being the highest club out of a hybrid, UDI and 3 iron (highest to lowest launching).

 

Personally, I hit a 3 iron high just enough with spin and it works for me. I find UDI are a touch higher than my 3 iron but have a flatter trajectory than a hybrid. I don’t like hybrids because they launch too high, look ugly and tend to go left.

 

[ChipNRun]

Not quite your situation... but I carry a 7W in summer - denser rough and gentle breezes - but switch to a 3H for fall - thinner rough and higher winds. (3H launches noticeably lower)

 

Maybe you should keep both, but just put 7W or di in bag for a given course.

[RogerinNewZealand]

Looks like 19/20 degree is the 7ish level , bought the XHot 2 5 wood at xmas 19 degrees,

a great overall club to have from Tee or off the turf. But a Steel shaft will give excellent accuracy !!

Trusty 3 iron Hogan Apex Plus is handy too have in the bag,add a 85gram graphite shaft

if thats what you prefer?

[Tex1986]

It depends on what you need the club for. I’m typically not trying to land softly on greens from 210+ yards away so I prefer hybrids and irons. I have always been a high fader so woods just launch super high and don’t work well for me.

 

I game 13 clubs currently which include a 17* hybrid and a 20*3 iron. Depending on the course my 14th club is either a 20*hybrid if there’s gettable par 5s or a 3wood if there’s specific tee shots or a random 600 yard par 5.

[VNutz]

As those above have said, it's all about what you want to use it for. I've bagged a 7w for a long time as my 225ish club, it was great going into greens but sometimes could get loose off the tee. Put a driving iron in the bag this year and it's great off the tee, but not as easy into par 5s. So a little give and take based on what you need.

[Hit em good]

I alternate between both. A ping G25 7w, and Mizuno MP Fli Hi 21°.

 

The clubs do different things for me. The 7w is a fairway wood that gaps between my 3w and 23° hybrid.

 

The Fli Hi is a long iron replacement, very straight and accurate, but about 10-15 yds shorter than the 7w.

 

I love them both. I'm going with the 7w right now, because of my set make up, with the 23° hybrid.

 

If/When I go back to a more traditional set, with longer irons, the Fli Hi will make a re-appearance.

 

Hit em good

[FirePro]

what driving iron are you comparing the 7 wood too? any driving iron that I would play would go a lot farther than a 7 wood. then again I have never hit a 7 wood but if a 5 wood goes 235 im assuming a 7 wood is in the 200 yard distance range? if you hit your driver in the 290 range?

[matchavez]

I tried a 7 wood once and it went very high but I figure the right shaft could correct that

 

You'd be missing the point. A 7-wood is supposed to go high. Getting a low flying shaft you'd probably be disappointed in the lack of rollout.

 

One of our guys swears by his 7-wood, but really it's what you want out of it. The point you made about no longer needing a driving iron... maybe that's the case, but they are very different. If you are between a 17 fw and a 23 hy, you'll probably prefer a 20 hy over a 20 fw.

 

It's all about the ball flight you want.

[xarismata]

PING G15 was my first 7 wood(21.5*) and I liked it. It didn't hit the ball too high but the directional control wasn't the best because shaft was too soft for me.

 

So, I bought a TEE E8 7 wood(21*) but I hated the club. The BASSARA shaft was too light, no feel while hit the ball too high. Before I resell the club I have decided to try one more time with the ROGUE shaft that came with E8 beta 4 wood with proper tip trim.

 

It is one of my most reliable club in the bag. It does hit the ball high but not too high. I can hit it almost as long as my 4 wood from fairway with more confidence, but when I tee it up I could hit it too high if i'm not careful. I hit 7 wood about 200-220 usually.

 

I believe a right shaft is key once again for 7 wood for spin and trajectory control.