5 Wood Vs 7 Wood – Which Club To Use And When
2 Clubs without much difference between them but the loft, while the 5 wood remains as the vastly more popular club in most golfers bags.
That tends to be because golfers tend to switch to Irons or Hybrids after the 5 wood but that is not a universal law.
Dustin Johnson was seen carrying a 7 Wood on the PGA Tour this year, so the club certainly has something to offer.
5 Wood Overview
The 5 wood is a club that is still vastly popular today, more generously lofted and easier to hit than the 3 wood, due to it’s shorter shaft length.
The 5 wood is one of the longer clubs in the game and it is more like a sledgehammer than a chisel when compared to other clubs like a 3 iron.
The 5 wood comes into it’s own when the ball is sitting up nicely on the fairway and when you hit it nicely, it can be a consistent way to get close to the green from around 200 yards back.
The large head brings forgiveness and consistency but if you struggle, you may see a slice.
With 18 degrees of loft, the club may be a bit loftier off the tee than other options but it is excellent for anyone struggling to get their 3 wood airborne consistently.
Its extra loft, makes it a better option for hitting for light to mid rough too, but makes sure you have a half decent lie first
7 Wood Overview
The 7 wood is somewhat of an anomaly, so close to 5 wood in terms of loft and distance but it isn’t used even half as much.
The 7 wood has 22 degrees of loft, 1 more than a typical 3 wood and we should see the average player hitting the club about 190 from sitting up nicely on the fairway.
For slow swingers, this one is going to be easy to get in the air and if your driver is set to 12 degree, you may skip the 3 wood and go with a 5 and 7 wood combination.
Again the large head adds forgiveness and the ball flight on the 7 is going to be higher, shorter and with less roll than the 5 wood.
The head of the club is larger too with a large sweet spot and the shorter shaft length makes the club more accessible to slower swing speeds.
A higher loft makes the club more workable from the light to mid rough too, unless the lie is particularly bad.
7 Woods are versatile and can be hit from tee, fairway and rough, if you struggle with long irons, this can be a great club to carry instead, although it admittedly does face stiff competition from the increasingly popular hybrids nowadays.
A lot will depend on how well you hit Woods vs Irons and Hybrids as to which clubs you carry, Woods are also easier to hit a draw or fade with for the better players.
5 Wood Quick Facts
Category – Longer Club
When To Use: From Fairway, Tee Or Light Rough
Average Distance: 195
Longer Hitter: 215
Shorter Hitter: 180
Typical Loft: 18 Degrees
Club Importance: 92/100
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
5 Wood Overview & First Impressions
The 5 wood is one of the nicest clubs to hit in the bag form the fairway, light rough and occasionally from the tee as well.
It has a large head with a manageable shaft length and a generous loft which results in a high long and straight ball flight.
When the ball sits up on the fairway is the perfect time to pull out the trusty 5 wood and it’s flight path is higher and we less roll than the club that is one up in the 5 wood.
The Average hitter will average close to 200 yards with a 5 wood so it is quite a long club in and of itself and the next club down the line with be a 3 hybrid , 3 iron, driving iron or even a 7 wood.
Common problems when hitting the club would a hook or a fade and it can be down to a number of issues from shaft length to shaft flex or just the swing mechanics of the golfer.
A D Type 5 wood might help to straighten out a 5 wood’s flight path or else some lessons.
5 Woods have slightly become less popular in recent times due to the hybrid clubs gaining popularity and even finding their way into the professionals bags these days. Still the 5 wood is an extremely popular club in almost every bag.
One Club Up – 3 Wood
A Slightly longer and lower launching club than the 5 wood, it is a staple is every golf bag around the world. It is also quite versatile being useful from the tee, fairway or the light rough.
One Club Down – 3 Hybrid
A common club that we see nowadays one down from the 5 is the three hybrid. Great for accuracy and distance from fairway and rough, it has a sharp leading edge for hitting from the rough, earning it’s name as the rescue club.
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,
5 Wood Selling Points
- Easy & Rewarding Club To Hit
- Long, Arching Ball Flight With Less Roll
- Great For Long Par 4’s And Par 5’s
- One Of The Most Popular Clubs In Many Bags
- Higher Loft And More Forgiving.
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 Are 5 Woods For?
The 5 wood is an excellent club for everyone to carry.
It is long, forgiving and easy to hit and it also covers key distances on the course.
The high arching stroke makes this club perfect for hunting the green on a long par 4 or on a par 5, it can be also be used from the tee for par 3’s or to lay up on a dog leg.
All in all the 5 wood is a key component in every bag.
Our Favorite 5 Wood – The Taylormade Sim Max
The Taylormade Sim Max range has a ton of quality features for distance, forgiveness and accuracy.
The Sim Max is not the latest model so you get it at a good price and it is competitive with any club in the game.
The sim max will ideally help high handicappers but the sim 5 wood will be perfect for intermediates.
Distance: 95/100
Accuracy: 94/100
Forgiveness: 94/100
Feel and Control: 91/100
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.
