9 Iron Vs. 9 Wood Comparison Overview
Looking to swap out your 9 iron or your 9 wood? All you gotta do is match the numbers, right? Wrong. Woods and irons don’t work like that. First of all, the lofts are all different. They are also used in very different situations.
In the following article you are going to be learning what clubs you can use to replace a 9 iron or a 9 wood and also when it is appropriate to use these clubs.
9 Iron Overview
A 9 iron can be replaced with a 9 hybrid or a 19 wood. However, you may not want to replace a 9 iron iron at all.
That’s because neither a 9 hybrid or a 19 wood will give you the kind of control you need on short approaches – the kind of shot that the 9 iron is ideal for. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to even find a 19 wood.
A 9 iron will help set you up for more birdies and eagles and is good to use from about 110 yards out from the pin. The loft of a 9 iron will be anywhere from 41 to 43 degrees and a decent one will provide you with good spin control.
Of course, this may be lost on new golfers but low handicappers will surely get a lot of use from a good 9 iron.
9 Wood Overview
A 9 wood can be replaced by a 4 iron or a 4 hybrid. It’s a fairly rare wood even though it produces about the same distance as a 9 iron.
Still, you give up a lot of workability with a 9 wood when compared to a 9 iron. You can use a 9 wood on short approaches but you will risk sailing the ball over and past the green. The 9 wood will typically produce a flatter trajectory than a 9 iron because of it’s weaker loft (usually 28 degrees).
Instead, 9 woods are best for covering short distances on the fairway or for getting out of short rough. Some people simply like the feel of woods over hybrids and a decent 9 wood will be more forgiving than a 9 iron.
The use of a 9 wood is somewhat limited while we would go as far as to say that a 9 iron is an essential club for all players.
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.
9 Wood First Impressions
9 woods look congenial to the play style of beginners and high handicappers with their large heads, generous lofts and sharp leading edge.
From the rough or when you want a bigger, more generous head than your mid irons and it offers an easy launch, distance and will consistently get you moving in the direction of the green
Even though they are pretty rare, it’s surprising that more high handicappers aren’t using this club, especially those with slower swing speeds who tend to hit their other fairway woods well.
Better players can benefit too, with the ability to work the ball with a draw or fade and the club is excellent from the fairway and light to mid rough.
While it’s comparable to a hybrid, the hybrid is likely to be more consistently straight, shorter but less workable.
One Club Up – 7 Wood
A club that came into the spotlight recently due to Dustin Johnson and Tommy Fleetwood carrying it in their bags. A lower, longer flight path with more rollout and actually a great option for slower swing speeds who could skip out on carrying a 3 Wood.
One Club Down – 11 Wood
A pretty rare club that is likely to balloon the ball off the tee but can be excellent for slower swing speeds with it’s easy launch and sharp angle of descent with less rollout too, making green targeting easier.
9 Iron Selling Points
- Good control
- Good feedback
- Good for hilly courses
- Very precise
- Good from rough or bunker
- Promotes accuracy
Benefits of a 9 Wood
- Large head
- Forgiving
- Produces high-arcing shots
- Will be ideal for slower swing speeds
- Great for rescue situations
- Good for short distances
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 are 9 Woods for?
9 woods should be used by high handicap players as an alternative to 4 or 5 irons and those who don’t like hybrids. They can also be very useful if you find yourself in the rough often.
Better players will also find use because of the ability to draw and fade the ball on tougher courses.
Just remember that you will lose out on some distance if you choose to replace 9 wood with a hybrid or iron.
This club is ideal for slower swing speeds who hit woods well and it’s shorter shaft makes it more wieldable for manageable distance for many.
A Good 9 Wood to Check Out – Taylormade M6
The M6 will help a bit with distance thanks to the extreme rear weighting. The M6 also has the Twist Face technology which imparts a slight curve to the face to help produce straight shots away from the sweet spot.
Distance: 94/100
Accuracy: 92/100
Feel & Control: 89/100
Forgiveness: 93/100
Overall Rating: 93/100
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