Anybody medium-long hitters using a 7w?

[MelloYello]

I'm currently in an on-going mission to sort out my fairway situation. I've spent some decent money thus far, but I'm bound and determined to get it absolutely right so I don't have to look back over the next few years playing this stuff. Despite some turnover in the bag this year, I'm very much a set-it-and-forget-it type of guy. Sorting out my fairways is really the last step for me.

 

I like what I have but the 3w may be redundant. My tee clubs usually consist of a driver which I hit about 275-280 in good conditions and a fairway finder (5w) which goes about 230-ish off the tee. The 3w is often the odd man out. I just don't need it a lot of the time.

 

So I'm wondering if maybe the more practical combination might be a 5w & 7w?

 

I'm toying with a Titleist hybrid I got for $40 off the used rack and so far I like the forgiveness but I'm inconsistent with it. I think a 7w might be a cool thing to try. I've seen a couple guys on Tour use them.

 

Anyone out there doing something like that?

 

[Argonne69]

A 4w / 7w combination would likely be better. You have a 45+ yd gap between your driver and 5w.

[VNutz]

> @MelloYello said:

> I'm currently in an on-going mission to sort out my fairway situation. I've spent some decent money thus far, but I'm bound and determined to get it absolutely right so I don't have to look back over the next few years playing this stuff. Despite some turnover in the bag this year, I'm very much a set-it-and-forget-it type of guy. Sorting out my fairways is really the last step for me.

>

> I like what I have but the 3w may be redundant. My tee clubs usually consist of a driver which I hit about 275-280 in good conditions and a fairway finder (5w) which goes about 230-ish off the tee. The 3w is often the odd man out. I just don't need it a lot of the time.

>

> So I'm wondering if maybe the more practical combination might be a 5w & 7w?

>

> I'm toying with a Titleist hybrid I got for $40 off the used rack and so far I like the forgiveness but I'm inconsistent with it. I think a 7w might be a cool thing to try. I've seen a couple guys on Tour use them.

>

> Anyone out there doing something like that?

>

 

I don't do it currently, but I did so for quite some time, with distance numbers similar to yours. I've always been a lower ball hitter, so the 4w/7w combo has worked very well going back 20 some years. Some people are scared off by the stigma of a "seniors" club, but if it suits your game you can't argue with the results.

[blkjazz]

I went with a 4 wood (917 16.5) and 7 wood (917 21) earlier this year. I like both but absolutely love the 7 wood.

[MelloYello]

> @Argonne69 said:

> A 4w / 7w combination would likely be better. You have a 45+ yd gap between your driver and 5w.

 

Well, I don't think I want to totally get rid of both my 3w and 5w. My thought was maybe I'd get rid of the 3w (head) to fund the 7w and swap the shafts around a little to have a 18* option to hit tee shots and and a 21* option which would be a 2i/3i replacement.

 

My thing is, besides going all out with a driver, I just don't seem to ever actually need anything stronger than a 5w during rounds of golf. And TBH, the 45-yd gap is pretty easy to fill. I can always shorten the driver shots by hitting a spinny cut that lands at about 250. That's always in the arsenal for me. And if I ever really feel like going for a green from 250 out (which I would never do unless it was clear and open) I can simply hit driver off the deck. I tried that a few times recently and while it doesn't get much height it's a speedy, low bullet that goes straighter than any 3w I'm going to hit.

 

So I'm kind of at that point where any given shot I might hit with a 3w can be accomplished with something else I already have (and use a lot more).

 

 

[nitram]

Get you a 7WD. You'll never know 'til you give it a go.

[Z1ggy16]

Doesn't Keith Mitchell use a 7w? Dude is one of the longest on tour. I think more than anything it has to do with what flight you want to see, and the purpose of the club how your club delivery. My guess is he never uses it off the tee (or in very limited cases, like ultra long par 3's) and it's purely for par 5's. Maybe he's a big de-lofter of that club so he gets a nice penatrating flight but with enough launch to stop it quickly on greens. Maybe a long iron just wouldn't spin/launch enough for him.

 

It's probably one of those things you'll need to buy used off eBay and try it out for yourself, I've never seen 7 woods in store.

[Moo]

Medium-long? I hit driver 250 with ease and can push it to 270-280 when I need it. Don't know if that is medium-long.

 

I love my 7 wood. It gets play every round, while my 3 wood might get action every other round. Finding a 7 wood with a stiff shaft is more work, but they are out there.

 

I use the 915 F with the stock Diamana Blue shaft in stiff. I get an easy and fairly precise 210 out of it with no effort. I can push it up a little bit and get a bit more, but by gripping down I can get a nice high 195.

 

Is it more accurate than an iron? No, but I hit the 7 wood from ALL types of turf with a much, much higher success percentage.

 

After my wedges, the 7 wood is my favorite club. It's really worth giving a try and I do not miss the 3 iron.

[b.mattay]

I play a Sonartec GS Tour 19 degree at 41.5”, so kind of a 5 wood/7 wood combo following my M5 3 Wood at 13.5 degrees. I swing 118-119 for what it is worth, with a carry distance right around 300 with Driver. I absolutely love my Sonartec for coming into Par 5’s!

[Tree Levino]

I tried one for a minute (made a similarly titled thread). I hit a high ball and play in wind quite a bit. I hit it to the moon it just doesn’t work for my game. 19* hybrid is much better.

[cardoustie]

16/17 and 19/20 is a wicked fairway combo. Did it for years

 

The heavenwood v-series and g25 are my two favorites

 

Make sure you keep a 22h though. Hybrids hit many shots that you can't hit with fairways

[agood3putt]

I had a 21* TS2 7 wood that I gamed breifly but as others have mentioned and @balls_deep I just hit the thing too high. I dont play in windy conditions but it was hard to control distance out of not so good lies. Felt the hybrid of the same loft is a lot more versatile and can hit a mixture of different types of shots with it.

[ChipNRun]

> @Argonne69 said:

> A 4w / 7w combination would likely be better. You have a 45+ yd gap between your driver and 5w.

 

I have been using this combo for the past 7 years.

 

As far as "medium-long hitters" using a 7W, tour pros Jason Dufner, Keith Mitchell and Scott Stallings carry one. (By chance all are 21° Titleist models.)

 

In a September _Golf Digest_ article, Stallings says the 7W is a lot more versatile than a driving iron or a crossover.

 

[Tree Levino]

> @ChipNRun said:

> > @Argonne69 said:

> > A 4w / 7w combination would likely be better. You have a 45+ yd gap between your driver and 5w.

>

> I have been using this combo for the past 7 years.

>

> As far as "medium-long hitters" using a 7W, tour pros Jason Dufner, Keith Mitchell and Scott Stallings carry one. (By chance all are 21° Titleist models.)

>

> In a September _Golf Digest_ article, Stallings says the 7W is a lot more versatile than a driving iron or a crossover.

>

 

From memory though Scott hits a low ball and has crazy low launch. I remember watching his WITB with MC and he had the front of his irons grinded off a la Srixon because of how crazy his AoA was. If you need height in the long end of the bag it is a fantastic option

[bulls9999]

I have a Callaway Heavenwood (7-wood) and it's as my 5-wood, I think because I can get it up so high it just carries more, but it's so easy to hit. My 3-wood is getting jealous in the garage closet; I take it out for a spin on the range before play every now and then, but it never makes it onto the course. Last sunday, my 4 best shots of the day were all with the 3-wood.... 2 par-3's, a par-4 where I was in parallel fairway and went over a pond and a stand of trees and onto the green, pin high; another was 18th hole, 200 yrds to green, down wind, landed on front edge but rolled out to back of the green. I'm hardly ever on that green in 2. I wish I can find a hybrid that I can hit as easy as that 7-wood.

[ephmen]

Low ball hitter, love my 7 wood! Ping G25

[Titleist_PT23]

> @Moo said:

> Medium-long? I hit driver 250 with ease and can push it to 270-280 when I need it. Don't know if that is medium-long.

>

> I love my 7 wood. It gets play every round, while my 3 wood might get action every other round. Finding a 7 wood with a stiff shaft is more work, but they are out there.

>

> I use the 915 F with the stock Diamana Blue shaft in stiff. I get an easy and fairly precise 210 out of it with no effort. I can push it up a little bit and get a bit more, but by gripping down I can get a nice high 195.

>

> Is it more accurate than an iron? No, but I hit the 7 wood from ALL types of turf with a much, much higher success percentage.

>

> After my wedges, the 7 wood is my favorite club. It's really worth giving a try and I do not miss the 3 iron.

I also have a 21 degree 915 F with the same shaft. I only fly it about 200 though.

 

For me, I am about indifferent between fairway and hybrid at this loft. The fairway goes farther and higher and I like it more off the fairway or light rough. The hybrid, with the smaller head and shorter shaft, is better for recovery shots from bad lies /stances.

 

The 21 degree 915 F I have is tipped 1.5 inches, which Titleist said is there standard but it is more than what MRC recommends. The club actually feels quite a bit stiffer than the 16.5 degree with the same shaft but the ball flight is ok on the 21 degree for me (high but not too high). Although I don't have the swing speed to make height /spin a big problem.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

4w-7w-23* hybrid for me (or even a 9w sometimes instead of the hybrid)

The 7w is just so easy to hit from the tee or off the deck.

My 4w is 17*, my 7w 21*. I'm not hitting the 4w off the turf much these days, so I've been toying with the idea of a slightly stronger lofted club (e.g. 16* Tight Lies) for use daily off the tee.

But the 7w will stay.

 

Edit: and before back issues earlier this year, I'd have described myself as a medium-long hitter, with driver SS at 110mph+.

[Moo]

 

> For me, I am about indifferent between fairway and hybrid at this loft. The fairway goes farther and higher and I like it more off the fairway or light rough. The hybrid, with the smaller head and shorter shaft, is better for recovery shots from bad lies /stances.

>

> The 21 degree 915 F I have is tipped 1.5 inches, which Titleist said is there standard but it is more than what MRC recommends. The club actually feels quite a bit stiffer than the 16.5 degree with the same shaft but the ball flight is ok on the 21 degree for me (high but not too high). Although I don't have the swing speed to make height /spin a big problem.

 

I basically agree with your perspective on all these topics. I don't prefer hybrids, so I've found a fairway that works for me. The 915F head cuts through most anything fairly well, but of course it won't go through something like fescue.

 

I didn't know the specs for tipping the Diamana S+, but that makes sense. I find it to be an acceptable shaft for a fairway, but I could not play it in a driver. In the fairway it loads smoothly and it's very workable with the Titleist head. If I make any changes to the bag for next year, I might put an Evenflow Blue 75 on the 915F, as I love that shaft in fairways (again, could never play it in a driver).

 

What matters most is that you've found the combination that works best for you. I think the 915F is a fantastic club and you can get them in great condition for a song. They make a nice crack when you hit them on the screws too.

 

 

[dmeeksDC]

Definitely can get you great results but in my experience the stronger the player the more you have to find the right shaft to get the flight you want with a 7 wood. A lot of these clubs seem paired with shafts designed for players who need launch help with all clubs.

 

I put a tipped 72 gram stiff Accra RPG Z shaft in a Titleist 917 7 W (21 degrees) and that stopped the moonshots. Don’t need to hit this club hard. Stock swing and it goes high and long, will stop quickly on a green. I think one key is to swing them smooth like a 7 iron. If I get after it, it just goes higher, not really longer. I like it better than a hybrid or clunky driving iron and I’d only pull it if I found a hollow-headed iron like the p790, Cobra Forged Tec, Maltby TS1/TS2, Mizuno HMB, etc., that I could consistently hit as far. But I’m all woods and irons, no more hybrid.

[uglande]

Just pull the trigger on the 7 wood and then wait to make your next move after putting it through its paces. I love my 917 F2 4-wood and 7-wood. The 7 was my favorite club in the bag the past two seasons. It's not going anywhere.

[uglande]

> @uglande said:

> Just pull the trigger on the 7 wood and then wait to make your next move after putting it through its paces. I love my 917 F2 4-wood and 7-wood. The 7 was my favorite club in the bag the past two seasons. It's not going anywhere.

 

I agree with dmeeksDC, you'll generally want a lower launching (and probably heavier) shaft with a 7 wood.(I use Diamana White, 80g) to keep the peak height in the right window. And beware of some manufacturers whose 7 woods are designed to launch the ball to the sky. I like the Titleist 917 and there are several of these being played on tour.

 

[Stonewalled]

Ping G400. 7 and 9 wood. Love those clubs. First HIO this year with the 9 wood, 195 to centre, back pin. Going to be buried with that 9 wood someday:)

[bladehunter]

I play a 4 hybrid as a 5 wood spot. Why ? It goes the distance I need a 5 wood to go. I had the 410 3 hybrid and it simply went too far.

[kgk]

I did the 7 wood thing for a while. It went so high it was nearly unplayable in any wind. Was cool when calm though - I could hit that thing straight up in the air.

[RogerinNewZealand]

Bought 904f 22 degree a few months ago after trying lots of r11 r15 m1 and Adams Hybrids..... great club.

[ALIF]

21 degree 7 wood or 20 degree Ping G 700 4 iron depending on wind.

[slimreaper30]

i have a 7 wood, but like others said mine hits pretty high

[Argonne69]

> @MelloYello said:

> > @Argonne69 said:

> > A 4w / 7w combination would likely be better. You have a 45+ yd gap between your driver and 5w.

>

> Well, I don't think I want to totally get rid of both my 3w and 5w. My thought was maybe I'd get rid of the 3w (head) to fund the 7w and swap the shafts around a little to have a 18* option to hit tee shots and and a 21* option which would be a 2i/3i replacement.

>

> My thing is, besides going all out with a driver, I just don't seem to ever actually need anything stronger than a 5w during rounds of golf. And TBH, the 45-yd gap is pretty easy to fill. I can always shorten the driver shots by hitting a spinny cut that lands at about 250. That's always in the arsenal for me. And if I ever really feel like going for a green from 250 out (which I would never do unless it was clear and open) I can simply hit driver off the deck. I tried that a few times recently and while it doesn't get much height it's a speedy, low bullet that goes straighter than any 3w I'm going to hit.

>

> So I'm kind of at that point where any given shot I might hit with a 3w can be accomplished with something else I already have (and use a lot more).

>

>

 

Swapping shafts is definitely an option. Put the 3w shaft on the 5w, and you add a few yards. Choke down an inch and it's back to a 5w.

[Argonne69]

> @uglande said:

> > @uglande said:

> > Just pull the trigger on the 7 wood and then wait to make your next move after putting it through its paces. I love my 917 F2 4-wood and 7-wood. The 7 was my favorite club in the bag the past two seasons. It's not going anywhere.

>

> I agree with dmeeksDC, you'll generally want a lower launching (and probably heavier) shaft with a 7 wood.(I use Diamana White, 80g) to keep the peak height in the right window. And beware of some manufacturers whose 7 woods are designed to launch the ball to the sky. I like the Titleist 917 and there are several of these being played on tour.

>

 

So true. Good luck finding a used 7w with a stiff shaft. Most have high launching senior shafts in them. The OP sounds open to experimenting, so I'd take the 3w shaft, put it in the 5w, and then pick up a 7w head and put the 5w shaft in it to start.