7 Wood vs 4 hybrid?

[Darth_Blader]

I used a 7w(21*) TM Vsteel and 20* A12pro hybrid last season.

After a full season of alternating them, the 7W wins out. It is just too automatic to take it out. I never have to worry about left, although with a Thump shaft I never had to worry about the left with the hybrid either. Very versatile club. Helps that it is a Vsteel too!

[markheardjr]

Switched from RBZ tour issue 4H to a tour issue Vsteel 21° 7W. I experimented and put a stubby little Oban Devotion tipped like 2" in it. I love it! Feels very solid, automatic from 205y +/-7y. The best part is coming out of the rough. The shorter stiffer shaft with the upright lie angle created by the shorter shaft has helped me get out of some thick cabbage. Also higher loft helps get the ball up out of the grass quick. If you watched Torrey Pines last week you saw the cabbage I play out of. (S.D. resident card holder.) I can hit out of that stuff better than those guys were doing with FWY woods, hyrids, long irons. You need a nice small rounded head with an upright lie and a short stiff shaft. Love it! Only complaint maybe is the swingweight is a tad light, so I had to tape it up. Hotmelt would have helped a lot but I don't dabble with that stuff much.

I go: 3W 14.5° - 265-245y, 5W 17.5° 240-220y, 7W 21° 220-200y, 4i 190y. I could probably play a 4W and knock the 3/5 into a single club but I hit them so good and I don't carry anything past a 56°. I don't want to carry my 3i, it's a 205y club and the 3W is better all day than that.

[parpar41]

[quote name='matchavez' timestamp='1423500258' post='10917481']
I think you're looking at swing style more than anything else.

A 7 wood will benefit a swing that's a bit more sweeping and "driver-like".

A 3 hybrid will benefit a swing that's a bit more compressing and "iron-like".

Go with the one that gives you better average contact. Take 11 shots, counting 10 of them. Of those 10, which had the better outcome? Remember, you have to live with the misses as well as the sweet shots.
[/quote]

Agreed.

I would add, a seven wood will usually be easier to hit than a hybrid with similar loft since the seven wood does not need quite as much swing speed.

Stated another way, not everybody has enough swing speed to hit a 21 degree hybrid as well as a seven wood.

[jman23]

[quote name='bobgeorge' timestamp='1423489327' post='10916337']
I'm considering going with a 7 wood or 4 hybrid. Both are in the 22-23 degree loft range. I know the shaft of most 7 woods are about 2" longer.

Anyone have any feedback or pros/cons?

Thanks!

For this type of club accuracy is more important than distance. I would go for a 21deg hybrid. Short shaft will give greater accuracy. Personally I just bought a 20 degree adams xtd ti for $60. The club feels heavy and well balanced.
[/quote]

[xarismata]

[size=4]I found 3 hybrid is close to 7 wood distance for my swing. It really depends on ones swing and trajectory. [/size]

[size=4]I use 4 wood(16.5 degree XCG4), 7 wood(21.5 degree G15 ) and just put 4 hybrid(23 degree Baffer DWS). Adams Peanut 2 hybrid in 22 degree was too close to 7 wood in distance due to hot trajectory with more roll. Well hit shots have 10-20 yards gaps in between.I will try to stick with this set up for this season.[/size]

[size=4]I am glad many people use Driver-4W-7W-4H set up than I expected.[/size]

[sirparalot]

I have been experimenting with the 7W as well. What I am finding is that it fills the same gap as my 3H but has a higher trajectory. I am rotating them currently based upon course and weather conditions. Windy and heavy rough is 3H, calm and lighter rough 7W.

[Night train]

4 wood.........7 wood.............24* and 27* hybrids..........G-25 6-U wedge..............54* and 60* Glides

Gaps pretty well for me with my subsonic SS

[pwrfade]

[quote name='bobgeorge' timestamp='1423493509' post='10916703']
[quote name='soap1984' timestamp='1423493260' post='10916671']
I echo what everyone else has said;,I replaced my 19 degree hybrid with a 7 wood(21 degree) and I'm a tad longer with the 7 because of the shaft length
If you hit the 3 & 5 woods well I'd consider a wood to replace the 4 but a 7 wood might be a stretch when you look at distances, your 4 iron may be closer to a 9 wood. What do you currently play as a 3iron?

Point is to gap with distances, I usually also base my distances on carry only.
[/quote]

I don't have a 3 iron. I currently hit my 5 iron 170-175. My 5 wood goes between 200-210. I'm looking to close the gap between 180-195 yards.
[/quote]

That said, I would look at a 9 wood or 4h - I have hit both - I am about a 12 handicap - the real real real weakness in my game and while there are many - the most overtly obvious one is my long iron/fairway/hybrid play - I have just purchased a Mizuno 850 hybrid and really like it and find it easy to launch which is usually not the case for me.

So I would test out the 850 hybrid - and compare it to one of the high lofted woods - in that I would look at something in the Callaway line - I find their 7 wood super easy to hit. If you like something there you may be able to pick something up on the cheap from callawaypreowned - they did just relaunch their Heavenwood - and there is the XR - you would want to hit both as the specs slightly vary between the two

[Nz Bear]

Picked up a powerbilt protract 7w about a yr ago. Best club in my bag.

[jmvargas]

[quote name='azgreg' timestamp='1423514539' post='10919191']
I'm really surprised at the number of 4w, 7w, 4h guys here. I thought I was one of a few.
[/quote]

...i'm another one of those but i also go 5h,6h,7h and forged irons 8-lw after..

[artica]

Just switched mine.

My problem wasn't the 7 wood wasn't good enough it just sometimes was too good. The difference between my 5 wood and 7 wood were extremely tight. I'm keeping the 5 wood and switched to a 4h. Both G30. My 7 wood is a jetspeed which I love so if the g30 5wood fails the 7 will replace it.

[rsk]

If you can use both, the next question is are you attacking the green? I believe the ball will roll less with hybrid. Hence, hybrid is suitable for attacking green and par 3 tee-off. The ball rolls more with wood. Hence, wood is suitable for laying up and par 4 or par 5 other tee-offs.

[URStillAway]

[quote name='rsk' timestamp='1428326516' post='11293507']If you can use both, the next question is are you attacking the green? I believe the ball will roll less with hybrid. Hence, hybrid is suitable for attacking green and par 3 tee-off. The ball rolls more with wood. Hence, wood is suitable for laying up and par 4 or par 5 other tee-offs. [/quote]

That may be true for you but a lot of people find the 7w launches higher and rolls less than the hybrid.

[bluedot]

If you play one course most of the time, you might want to take a look at the places where you would be most likely to have that distance.

If the shots in question are more about a higher trajectory, more carry, and holding a green, or are layups off the tee, then probably the 7 wood. If they are more about accuracy, or if you struggle with the longer shaft of a FW, then likely the hybrid.

[dog flog]

[quote name='pwrfade' timestamp='1428305002' post='11292751']
[quote name='bobgeorge' timestamp='1423493509' post='10916703']
[quote name='soap1984' timestamp='1423493260' post='10916671']
I echo what everyone else has said;,I replaced my 19 degree hybrid with a 7 wood(21 degree) and I'm a tad longer with the 7 because of the shaft length
If you hit the 3 & 5 woods well I'd consider a wood to replace the 4 but a 7 wood might be a stretch when you look at distances, your 4 iron may be closer to a 9 wood. What do you currently play as a 3iron?

Point is to gap with distances, I usually also base my distances on carry only.
[/quote]

I don't have a 3 iron. I currently hit my 5 iron 170-175. My 5 wood goes between 200-210. I'm looking to close the gap between 180-195 yards.
[/quote]

That said, I would look at a 9 wood or 4h - I have hit both - I am about a 12 handicap - the real real real weakness in my game and while there are many - the most overtly obvious one is my long iron/fairway/hybrid play - I have just purchased a Mizuno 850 hybrid and really like it and find it easy to launch which is usually not the case for me.

So I would test out the 850 hybrid - and compare it to one of the high lofted woods - in that I would look at something in the Callaway line - I find their 7 wood super easy to hit. If you like something there you may be able to pick something up on the cheap from callawaypreowned - they did just relaunch their Heavenwood - and there is the XR - you would want to hit both as the specs slightly vary between the two
[/quote]I tried using a 9 wood for a few rounds years ago. I hit too many balloon balls with it and it was pretty much useless on breezy days, so I gave it up. Plus, the novelty of hitting a wood that I could occasionally back up on a green wore off. Right now, I'm another 4W, 7W and 4H guy.

[pwrfade]

[quote name='URStillAway' timestamp='1428329601' post='11293789']
[quote name='rsk' timestamp='1428326516' post='11293507']If you can use both, the next question is are you attacking the green? I believe the ball will roll less with hybrid. Hence, hybrid is suitable for attacking green and par 3 tee-off. The ball rolls more with wood. Hence, wood is suitable for laying up and par 4 or par 5 other tee-offs. [/quote]

That may be true for you but a lot of people find the 7w launches higher and rolls less than the hybrid.
[/quote]

That certainly is the case for me - with my swing a 7 wood rolls out about 3 - 5 yards when i strike it correctly - the hybrid for me tends to roll out 2x that

[pwrfade]

[quote name='gr8blueheronbird' timestamp='1423529777' post='10920845']
[quote name='azgreg' timestamp='1423514539' post='10919191']
I'm really surprised at the number of 4w, 7w, 4h guys here. I thought I was one of a few.
[/quote]I am a 3.5.7 wood dude and no hybrids. My 3 wood is 13.5 and 5 wood is 18.5. & 7 wood is a TEE CG6 with 21* . I find this 7 wood much easier to hit than a hybrid. I just grip down on the grip when I need a yardage that a hard 4 or 5 iron won't get. I also hit some greenside shots with this 7 wood. Only 7 wood I could find with a stiff shaft.
[/quote]

I do wish more retailers would stock various 7 wood offerings in stiff and not just regular - I know that regs would outpace stiffs by a very large margin, but would it kill them to have at least 1 in a stiff for demo/testing in a simulator just to get a sense of the difference?!!? Then make it a special order - fine with that, but would at least like to have one to hit vs taking the leap and blind ordering - though it would not be the first time I blind ordered a club - just trying to get a little less impulsive that way....

[gambit]

This is timely thread. I have a 17* and 21* FWs and a 22* hybrid. I thought that the 7w and 22* hybrid would be close, but maybe not and worth a try to test on course.

[Spankapotamus]

3h was always sketchy for me. 4h was too at times. Just recently went to a 7w and couldn't be happier.

[SwingMan]

I carry a 7 wood - have an Adams TL 2014, but wanted one to match my Callaway BB V Series Woods -- so picked up a 22 deg 7 wood w Fuji 665 shaft at 41.5 inches to go with the 15.5 and 19 FWs. I need carry so the BBV with the light shaft and head help in the lower lofts.

I like the 7 wd when not too much wind in play - April 15 to Sept 1, and then Nov-March 1 when I need carry.

Will pick up something in a 22 Callaway XR Hybrid later for the wind, but want to see how the XR 25 Hybrid performs for my swing.

[craniac76]

I had a 5 wood and a 20 degree hybrid (couple years ago). The distance seems the same. The ballflight for the 5 wood is just a tad higher. But a hybrid is more playable from all lies. The 7 wood might be harder for some people to hit off the turf.

I can't get it when people say hybrid is for faster swinger. I've seen many female golfers have all hybrids in their bag and ditch the fairway wood. They raves that hybrid is so much easier to hit than a fairway wood.

IF you are a high handicapper, this club set make up will make your life easier.
Driver
Hybrid 20 degree
Hybrid 23 degree
5 to PW
Sand Wedge

For me personally I prefer something like the MP H4. "Hybrid/driving iron"....

[rafal]

7W is an important weapon for me, very versatile surprisingly. I has green holding ability that 3i lacks but suffers into the wind. I keep a 23 - 18 gap with 5W. 5W is also tipped to keep it low and make a pronounced gap with the 7W.