3 Wood Vs 7 Wood – Which Club To Use And When
The 3 Wood and the 7 Wood are similar clubs with different lofts, distances, shaft length’s and situations they cater for.
The 3 wood is one of the most popular clubs in the game and also one of the longest, usually coming after the driver in most golfers bags. It is versatile from the fairway, tee and light rough.
The 7 wood has a higher loft and shorter shaft than the 3 wood making it perfect for those with shorter swing speeds and it is also a treat for anyone who hits their woods well.
3 Wood Overview
The 3 wood is long, versatile and if you hit it well, it can be a good to club in plenty of situations.
Most perfectly suited to launching the ball towards the green from a favorable lie on the fairway, the large head and massive face inspire confidence in the golfer to get the ball moving far and fast.
For many beginners, the may find the driver too hot to handle and will perform better with a 3 wood off the tee than with a driver.
Not as precise as a 3 iron, the 3 wood can get the ball in the direction of the green from an average of about 210 yards for most golfers, hence why it is so popular.
A common flaw with the 3 wood is a possible tendency to slice if the club is not fitted properly or the swing is breaking down somewhere.
The club is perfect from favorable lies in the light to mid rough too.
7 Wood Overview
The 7 wood is somewhat of an acquired taste, most golfers don’t carry one, but it is available and highly effective in a number of situations.
The 7 wood has recently been seen in the bags of Dustin Johnson and Tommy Fleetwood so we know it can suit every level of golfer.
While the pros are using it for its work ability and consistency for certain courses, high handicappers and beginners can also use the club to great effect.
The higher degree of loft makes the flight bath with the 7 wood higher launching and it lands with less roll to target the green more precisely.
Also the shorter shaft makes it easier to hit with for many.
Players with slow swing speeds who use a 12 or 13 degree driver might be better off with a 7 wood and 5 wood rather than a 3 and 5.
The sharper leading edge of the 7 wood also makes it more effective from the rough but it will have stiff competition from the hybrid clubs in this category.
The 3 wood is the longer club and its going to be in most golfers bags. Players with slower swing speeds, especially seniors, or those who hits woods well, will get a lot of utility in the 7 wood.
3 Wood Quick Facts
Category – Longer Club
When To Use: From Fairway, Tee Or Light Rough
Average Distance: 220
Longer Hitter: 235
Shorter Hitter: 200
Typical Loft: 15 Degrees
Club Importance: 94/100
7 Wood Quick Facts
Category – Long/Mid Range Club
When To Use: From Fairway, Light-Mid Rough, Tee
Average Distance: 185
Longer Hitter: 205
Shorter Hitter: 170
Typical Loft: 22 Degrees
Club Importance: 88/100
3 Wood Overview & First Impressions
A 3 wood is one of the most versatile and useful clubs in a golfers bag. It can be used off the tee, the fairway and from the light rough effectively.
The club is like a smaller and easier to wield version of a driver with a shorter shaft, higher loft and smaller face. For this reason many beginners who can’t hit their driver properly use the 3 wood off the tee for better shots and more consistency.
If your driver is not configured correctly for your game this is an obvious conclusion and a higher loft will also suit slower swingers.
The 3 wood is ideal to hit of the fairway too and can result in long and range strokes. A 3 wood wont be able to hit it as well as a hybrid out of the rough however.
The 3 wood is a must have in nearly every golfers bag.
One Club Up – The Driver
The driver is the next club up from the 3 wood. It is the strongest lofted, biggest headed and longest hitting club in the game. It is also one of the hardest clubs to hit effectively.
One Club Down – The 5 Wood
Typically have 18 degrees of loft, the 5 wood is similar to the 3 wood in many ways, often hit from the fairway and light rough. The 5 has a higher more arching flight path with less roll.
7 Wood Overview & First Impressions
The 7 wood should inspire confidence at address, the head is large, the loft is high and the shaft length is shorter than 3 or 5 wood.
Some golfers are going struggle to get Drivers and Woods into the air and if that is you, the 7 wood may be a lot easier to hit consistent high launching shots, it is a degree loftier than a 3 iron.
The 7 iron is more precise too, the higher flight, leads to less rollout and the increased loft leaves a sharper leading edge too, better for hitting from the rough.
On courses with dog legs, the 7 wood is easy to hit draws and fades with too for the better players, Dustin Johnson and Tommy Fleetwood have been seen wielding the trusty 7 on regular occasions recently.
The 7 wood is perfect from the fairway and if you don’t hit irons well, it can be just the ticket, useful in an array of situations and more precise than the 3 and 5 wood.
The 7 wood faces stiff competition from the Hybrids too, which can produce more consistently straight shots but aren’t as long and workable.
One Club Up – 9 Wood
The 9 wood is a club that we rarely see on the course with the pros but if you hit your fairway woods better than other clubs, it can definitely be an option, easy to hit, lofty and with a large sweet spot, the 9 wood can be a go to club for most players.
One Club Down – 5 Wood
The 5 wood is far more common than the 7 wood because of the distance it serves. It is a natural progression form the 3 wood and allows you to attack the green for a significant distance,
3 Wood – Selling Points
- Versatile Club – Tee, Fairway, Light Rough
- Can Be A Replacement For A Driver
- Easy To Hit & Forgiving
- Low And Long Flight Path
- Excellent Club For Beginners
7 Wood Selling Points
- Easy To Launch
- Shorter and More Manageable Than 5 Wood
- Can Add Work ability For Better Players
- Higher Shot With Less Roll
- Excellent For Those Who Struggle With Irons
Who Is The 3 Wood For
The three wood has a place in every golfers bag for beginner to tour professional.
The high handicapper is likely to get the absolute most out of this club as it can be a replacement for a driver for some and can be a good to club for many who can produce their longest, straightest and most consistent shots.
A 3 wood also covers crucial distances on the course, so having your 3 wood will naturally allow all players to hit any distance within their remit by carrying a 3 wood.
Our Favorite 3 Wood – The Callaway Rogue
Their are so many quality 3 woods out their for to chose from but we really like the Callaway Rogue.
It was first released in 2018 and was upgrade in 2020 to encompass even more of Calaways top features form distance, to the stability of the club at high speeds, forgiveness and accuracy.
The rogue 3 wood has plenty to offer golfers of all levels and is available at a competitive price.
Distance: 94/100
Accuracy: 94/100
Forgiveness: 94/100
Feel And Control: 88/100
Overall Score: 94/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Who Are 7 Woods For?
Unlike, sy a 5 wood, which will usually comes as part of a set and won’t turn any eyeballs, the 7 wood is a similar yet less popular club and for this reason, it is somewhat of a specialist club.
For someone with a slow swing speed and a 12 degree driver, a 5 and 7 wood combo maybe more suitable.
Seniors who can hit a 7 wood better than a 3 iron should consider a 7 wood.
Anyone who hits woods better than irons and hybrids can find great utility in the 7 wood and it also quite versatile.
The 7 wood can be hit from fairway, tee and light to mid rough. It has a shorter shaft and it is easy to hit consistently well with the large face and sweet spot.
It lacks the consistent straightness of a hybrid but it is also more workable and it feels great when you catch it on the sweet spot.
Our Favorite 7 Wood – Callaway Mavrik
Callaway is one of the top brands on the market and the Mavrik range, released in 2020, has something to offer every level of golfer.
From the ultra forgiving max to the super competitive sub zero and just the regular max, these clubs are made to increase distance, forgiveness and consistency with some of the lastest greatest and most modern golf technology.
Distance: 94/100
Accuracy: 92/100
Forgiveness: 94/100
Feel and Control: 90/100
Overall Score: 93/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Aidan Lehane here, I’m a Mid-low handicap golfer who has made tremendous progress in breaking 90 in just over 1 year of playing golf seriously.
I get out to the course or range as often as possible and review all the equipment I’ve come across on this blog.
