11 Wood Vs. 6 Iron – Choosing the Right Club For Your Game

Tournament play only allows you 14 clubs in your bag. For a lot of players, this is a problem because they like to use a lot of different clubs for different situations.

Maybe you have had to make a decision between an 11 wood and a 6 iron, but probably not as the 11 wood is extremely rare to see on the course.

The 11 wood is high lofted with a large head and face offering high launching shots in the direction of the green without the precision or workability of a 6 iron.

The 6 iron on the other hand is very popular because of the precision with which you can attack the green from and the high loft allows it to cut through the rough effectively too.

There are pros and cons to both of these clubs but in the following comparison, we will be helping you sort through the differences so you can choose the right club for your bag.

Overview of the 11 Wood

The 11 wood is a big and forgiving fairway wood that is mostly seen as a replacement for a 5 iron, 5 hybrid or 6 iron, but it is extremely rare.

In fact, you may have caught Michelle Wie earlier this year when she switched out her 5 iron with an 11 wood. Still, 11 woods aren’t very common.

You should definitely try to get the hang of your longer irons before you permanently switch out your 6 iron for an 11 wood.

However, if you are a senior player, slow swinger or a beginner, an 11 wood certainly has tempting advantage. For instance, you get almost effortless launch out of this kind of fairway wood from the rough or the fairway.

They are typically high-lofted and have very large heads which could be a boon for slow swing or beginner players. Better players should also be able to work the ball with a draw or a fade and the club hits about 155 yards on average.

Overview of the 6 Iron

6 irons are typically used to great effect by mid to low handicap players who are looking for more accuracy to pin hunt on approaches. Better players will also be able to get a stupid amount of distance and spin from this iron.

The better testers in our party all love their 6 irons (keep in mind that they are all from different brands). 6 irons are great to use when you want a soft landing – especially on fast greens or you want to stop the ball dead with some back spin.

The 6 iron is considered a mid-iron but better players can get still upwards of 200 yards out of this club, while the average distance may be closer to about 155 yards.

That’s why you will sometimes see players actually tee off with a 6 iron. This type of iron typically has a higher sweet spot to benefit players who like to work the ball to an acute degree. It offers a good blend of control and distance for better players but high handicappers will also need to get proficient at using the club unless they want to swap it out for a hybrid or high lofted wood like the 11.

Irons come in various styles too for different players so if you are a beginner, get yourself a game improvement club.

Overall, you are probably not going to get a lot of use out of a 11 wood unless you have a slower or even moderate swing speed but its also got competition from the new breed of hybrids.

The 6 Iron is an all round club that you will most likely need to get used to and is useful from all lies within it’s preferred distance.

11 Wood Quick Facts

Category – Rare, High Lofted Wood

When To Use: From Fairway Or Light To Mid Rough

Average Distance: 155

Longer Hitter: 170

Shorter Hitter: 120

Typical Loft: 31 Degrees

Club Importance: 82/100

6 Iron Quick Facts

Category – Mid Range Iron

When To Use: From Fairway, Tee Or Light To Heavy Rough

Average Distance: 150

Longer Hitter: 190

Shorter Hitter: 130

Typical Loft: 31 Degrees

Club Importance: 94/100

11 Wood First Impressions

The 11 wood has a large, forgiving head that looked great at point of address and if you’re not used to seeing them, the high loft of the 11 wood can look a bit strange.

The 11 wood is more of a blunt object than the 6 iron, it can get the ball moving in the direction of the green without too much workability.

The 11 wood would be a great choice if you find yourself in a tight lie or if you require easier distance. The high loft cuts through the rough and has a high arching flight to target the green with an up and down flight path, without too much rollout.

The clubs also got a shorter shaft and is more manageable than some of the longer woods.

We found the versatility to be lacking. While you will typically get better average distance out of an 11 wood than a 6 iron, it doesn’t do much other than that.

It doesn’t have the consistency of a hybrid or the precision of an iron, meaning it nearly also misses out on inclusion in the 14.

Again, it’s great for getting out of the rough or tight lies but for us, that’s not enough to keep it in our bags.

One Wood Down – 9 Wood

A 9 wood will surely play longer, lower and with more rollout than your average 11 but suffers from the same performance limitations as an 11 wood. Another rare club to see.

One Club Up – 13 Wood

A huge loft, large head and a higher ball flight that might put a divot in the green when landing. Again, very rare but great for those who love to hit fairway woods.

6 Iron First Impressions

A 6 iron can do a lot for your game – if you know how to work one.

They also come in various styles from game improvement to players blades and they’ve also gotten quite a bit better as technology has advanced if you need to learn.

6 irons are best used on approaches that require a soft landing or any time you need a good combination of distance and workability.

A lot of players struggle with creating long and accurate shots but those who master their 6 irons have a better go of it. Many players will also take to a 6 iron easily, so it comes down to personal preference as with every club.

If you have no idea what you’re doing when it comes to working the ball, a 6 iron is still useful for precise, high arching shots.

It also cuts the turf really well for shots from the fairway and from the rough and it has a long face with a big sweet spot.

However, we really like the fact that 6 irons have such great launch angles. You can get over entire trees if you have to. So in addition to moderate distance and acute control, the 6 iron is a decent rescue club too.

One Club Down – 5 Iron

A 5 iron will play longer than a 6 iron and is great for when you don’t want your shot to balloon too high and it will have a bit more roll into the green too.

One Club Up – 7 Iron

11 Wood Benefits

  • Easy, high launching distance
  • Large head
  • Good for beginners
  • Good for slower swing speeds
  • Good rescue clubs
  • Good for getting out of fairway bunkers

6 Iron Benefits

  • Good for players with fast swing speeds
  • More workable than hybrids and woods
  • Comes in different styles for all levels
  • Good shot shaping and spin control
  • High launch
  • Good from the rough, fairway and tee.

Who are 11 Woods for?

11 woods would benefit beginners and high handicap players – especially if they miss the fairway often.

They play about as long as 6 irons on average too so they are a viable replacement but they also face stiff competition these days from Hybrids.

Slow swing speeds like Juniors, Seniors and Ladies will do very well with these clubs, especially if they hit woods better than hybrids and irons.

As always, it is going to be decided by personal preference.

An 11 Wood to Check Out – Titleist Tsi1

The Titleist Tsi1 11 wood has an adjustable hosel so you can reign in the loft if you need to. It yields really nice distance too thanks to the high-flexing face.

Distance: 92/100

Accuracy: 90/100

Feel & Control: 88/100

Forgiveness: 91/100

Overall Score: 92/100

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Who are 6 Irons for?

The 6 iron should be in the bag of anyone who can call themselves a low handicap player who like to work the ball but it’s also a club that is going to be in most bags and it comes in styles where some are more workable and some are more forgiving.

6 irons should be part of your repertoire if you want to get close to the pin and they are great when you can see the whites of the eyes of the green as such.

They are great to have on mid range approaches from a variety of different lies.

A 6 Iron to Check Out – Callaway Mavrik 6 Iron

The Callaway Mavrik 6 iron is about the most generous 6 iron you are likely to play.

For anyone working on accuracy, we recommend using the Mavrik, which also comes in a max forgiveness and pro version depending on your level.

It’s got the top level technology thatyou would expect from one of the worlds leading brands.

Distance: 93/100

Accuracy: 90/100

Forgiveness: 95/100

Feel and Control: 89/100

Forgiveness: 92/100

Overall Rating: 94/100

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