9 Iron Vs. 3 Wood Comparison Overview
Should you be using a 3 wood or a 9 iron? At the end of the day, you may find that you need both clubs to play your best round. That’s because the 9 iron and 3 wood are traditionally deployed in different situations.
While they aren’t necessarily interchangeable, you may have some questions about their performance factors. So to shed some light on these clubs, we tested them side by side and recorded our findings in the following article.
9 Iron Overview
On average, we were getting 120 yards of total distance with the 9 iron that we tested. This club will be your best friend on short approaches and is an essential club for anyone who wishes to improve their short game.
The 9 iron is known for providing towering launch. We found that it is especially useful on hilly greens or when you’re playing behind hazards on short approaches. Yes, the 9 iron does take some getting used to. It’s the shortest of the numbered irons so it can be jarring for some.
However, the 9 iron we tested allowed us to make par on tougher greens and it can help better golfers make more eagles. Overall, this is a performance iron that we think every golfer should learn to work with at some point or another.
3 Wood Overview
The 3 wood may not be as essential as a 9 iron but it may be useful for some players to use off the tee.
The average distance we were getting with the 3 wood we tested was about 280 yards. It was viable off the tee and the deck. However, be aware that if you are going to use a 3 wood off the tee, it will be a much shorter tee than you would use for a driver.
For this reason, turf interaction comes into play. This is a matter of sole design though and will differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. At any rate, we found that the 3 wood is a great replacement for your driver when you want a bit more spin and workability.
The 3 wood plays long and may be a good option on days when your driver doesn’t seem to be cooperating with you. It will help with your long game while the 9 iron is an essential club to tighten up your short game.
9 Iron Overview & First Impressions
When we tested a 9 iron against a 7 iron we were disoriented because we tested the 7 first. The shorter shaft and altered stance takes some getting used to.
When you need a higher loft than a 7 or 8 iron and on approaches within 120 yards, the 9 iron is an excellent.
If you’ve tried a 9 iron before without much success, it may have been a forged, players irons but don’t worry, the 9 iron also comes in a game improvement form which is focused on allowing beginners and high handicappers more forgiveness and consistency.
It’s also not surprising to see a pros ball land on the green and then spin off in a different direction as the better player has been able to add considerable spin to the ball thanks to the generous loft.
Because the 9 iron has a sharper leading edge, it can cut through the rough easily and is excellent if you do find yourself in trouble.
However, if you want easier putts, you will need to get familiar with the 9 iron. It offers robust spin control – just get used to the typically heavier head.
One Iron Down – 8 Iron
An 8 iron will cover an average of 130 yards and might not get used too often depending on what your swing speed is like.
One Iron Down – Pitching Wedge
The pitching wedge is even more generously lofted, workable and is used for distances just around the ground. Better players will be able to send the ball straight up into the sky.
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.
9 Iron Selling Points
- Good control
- Good feedback
- Good for hilly courses
- Very precise
- Good from rough or bunker
- Promotes accuracy
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
Who Are 9 Irons For?
Speaking objectively, 9 irons will be more useful to advanced players who can cover most of the fairway in one or two strokes on shorter par 5’s.
They are most helpful on short approaches and can really help out when you’re facing down a hilly or particularly fast green
Again though, no matter what your skill set as a golfer currently is, this is a club you will need to learn.
A 9 Iron to Check Out – Taylormade SIM2
We really liked the forgiveness of this 9 iron. It has a lot of pop too which is really what you want from your 9 iron.
Distance: 94/100
Accuracy: 96/100
Feel & Control: 95/100
Forgiveness: 92/100
Overall Score: 96/100
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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
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