7 Wood Vs. 4 Hybrid – What’s The Better Club And When To Use

“The 7 wood and 4 hybrid clubs are viable alternatives to the long irons. But you have to know when to use them and what their strengths and weaknesses are.”

Gone are the days when you would simply have to power through your long irons. Now, if you aren’t great with the long irons, you can simply replace them.

Two viable replacements for your difficult long irons include the 7 fairway wood and the 4 hybrid.

While 7 woods are certainly less popular than 4 hybrids, pros like Dustin Johnson insist on having one in the bag for the distance and versatility that they offer.

4 hybrids are widely available and are even included in some complete sets.

But what are the specific pros and cons of each club and what situations and play styles are they best-suited for?

Find out in the following comparison article.

7 Wood Overview

“The 7 wood has a familiar look to your driver at point of address. It produces high flight and can come with an adjustable loft sleeve.”

Your typical 7 wood will be set to 22 degrees but these days with adjustable loft options, they can range from 20 to 30 degrees.

The 7 wood is a great play for slow swingers because it’s very easy to get the ball up in the air with this club.

It has a different look at address than a 4 hybrid but if you like a bulkier head that’s similar to your driver, a 7-wood would be a good choice.

You can expect an average distance of about 185 yards with a 7 wood but shorter hitters may only get about 170 yards.

That’s about a 10-15 yard gain from your typical 4 hybrid. 7 woods are also a bit more versatile than 4 hybrids as they are viable options from the tee, fairway and the rough.

4 Hybrid Overview

“The 4 hybrid is certainly the most versatile hybrid and some players can use it off the tee. In general though, you are better off using it for your second or third shot from the fairway.”

4-hybrids are designed to be much easier to hit than a 4-iron. If you are struggling with your long irons a 4-hybrid is highly recommendable.

They tend to have wide faces and generous sweet spots.

4 hybrids are also great from the rough so if that’s where you find yourself very often, a 4-hybrid would be good to have in the bag.

4 hybrids are generally set to 21 degrees and are meant to replace your 4 iron.

In general, you can expect about 170 yards from your 4-hybrid but faster swing speed players would probably be able to get 180+ yards from a 4-hybrid.

4-hybrids are very congenial for players with moderate to slow swing speed players though. So if you’re swinging from 175 mph or slower, a 4-hybrid might be a better choice than a 7-wood.

“A lot of it comes down to what you like to see at point of address. The 7-wood and 4-hybrid clubs perform very similarly and the biggest difference between them is how they look at address so in the end, it may come down to personal preference.”