3 Iron Vs 7 Wood – Which Club To Use And When

Both the 3 iron and 7 wood are clubs hit the ball around 170 – 200 yards, but they do it in different ways that will suit different types of golfers.

The 3 iron is the more popular of the two options and it is quite versatile from the tee, the fairway and even the rough occasionally. It offers precise, consistent and straight shots with plenty of workability.

The 7 wood is an optional used less frequently, its large head is more like a sledge hammer, than the precision tool 3 iron. It is great for easy launching, forgiveness and Mid to Long Range shots off the fairway.

3 Iron Overview

There was a time when a 3 iron was found in every golf bag in the world but that position is coming more under pressure now with Hybrids and Shorter woods getting better and better, offering a valuable alternative to the club.

On the surface the club is excellent for better players and for that reason it makes a lot of sense for improvers and ambitious golfers to wield a 3 iron.

The 3 iron is long and precise, allowing better golfers to target the pin accurately from a good distance away.

It is also great for better players to work the ball from left to right with a draw or a fade.

The 3 iron typically has 21 degrees of loft and hits about 180 yards for the average player, which is a distance that is shorter than conventional woods and similar to a 7 wood, which could be seen as a potential replacement for the 3 Iron.

The 3 iron is good off the tee, the fairway and light to heavy rough, its compact head cuts through the turf and longer grass effortlessly.

Hybrids have pushed long irons to improve a lot too, and we have 3 irons for players and for beginners with game improvement irons, centered on forgiveness.

If you can hit a 3 iron well, this can be an excellent club for your game.

7 Wood Overview

Tour pros Dustin Johnson And Tommy Fleetwood are known to carry 7 woods on tour from time to time so we know it is a club that is certainly worth considering.

If you hit a 5 wood well and a 3 iron poorly, then it might make perfect sense to carry the 7 wood or maybe consider using a hybrid.

For anyone with a slower swing speed, may choose to carry a 5 and a 7 wood instead of a 3 and 5 combination also.

For slower swings speeds, the 7 wood can be easier to launch and the shorter shaft easier to work with.

The 7 wood is a larger and wieldier head while the increased loft make the club better from the longer grass too while the better plays will be able to draw and fade.

The higher launch results in less roll when it lands too and you can target the green effectively.

A 3 iron is a precision club while many will wield a 7 wood very effectively. The key to deciding which of these clubs to play carry will come down to personal preference making trial and error your best option for finding the optimal solution.