long hybrid VS. 7 wood ... pro's / con's & your preference

[inthehole]

I have a couple long hybrids (17° & 19.5° lofts) & don't find them particularly easy to hit (I do like a 4h though).     I'm thinking about going old school & trying a 7 wood.   It always surprises me how well I hit my 5 wood off the deck, so I think a 7 wood might be a viable option for me.    Or maybe the 7 wood is simply obsolete with how good todays hybrid technology is.

Just was hoping to get some information from those more experienced than I as to how their 7 wood compares to say a 2 or strong 3 hybrid before I buy one ... thanks !

[tx_basser]

My 7W has never left my bag since I started using one in the early 90's.  I've tried the longer hybrids, but 7W is still my go to club from 175 to 185 yards.

[Bullitt5339]

I carry a Burner 7 Wood instead of a 3 hybrid.  It's one of the most reliable clubs in my bag.  I have a tendency to hook my hybrids every once in a while, but not so much with the 7 wood.  It's my 200 yard go-to club.

[bradsul]

I also started carrying a 7W last year and it hasn't been out of my bag since my first range session with it.  For some reason I'm really accurate with the 7W to the point where I am very confident in hitting and sticking greens at 220-230yds with it.  I never had that kind of confidence or accuracy with my 3H.

I scored a 9W a few weeks ago in a used club bin clearance and I've been knocking it around on the simulator and I think it'll be grabbing a spot in my bag as well.  I'm going to re-shaft it with the same shaft as my 7W before the season starts.  I'm hoping for similar success replacing the 4H with the 9W, it's looking good on the simulator but we'll see on the course.

[BuckeyeNut]

Modern hybrids are better from the rough..............my 2 cents.

Lofted woods/hybrids are a wash from a good lie in the fairway, but from an iffy lie in the rough......I prefer the hybrid/rescue club.

[mdl]

17˚ and 19.5˚ are more in the 4w and 5w range.  A 7w is more likely to be in the 22˚-23˚ range, replacing the 3i or maybe even the 4i in some modern strong lofted sets of irons.  If you want to replace the 19.5˚ you can just get a 5w.  I have a 19˚ hybrid that I replaced my 5w with, and I love that club and will often choke up on it and leave my 3i in the bag as well.

I've never hit a 7w, and the 5w I replaced with my 19˚ 2h was crappy and old and not set up right for me at all, so that's not necessarily a comment on my preference for hybrids.  I love my 2h, but my best playing buddy, also around a ~10, absolutely loves his 7w and swears by it even from spots and distances he probably shouldn't.

[Domenic]

I was wondering the same thing. I feel hybrids offer versatility, as hybrid meaning something powered by more than one source, so you've got interaction, forgiveness, etc. whereas woods have more raw distance but less versatility.

[evan01]

Interesting answers on the degree of loft. I have a 910h19* and a 21*  Isn't the idea that the 19* would replace  the irons of the same loft and they are just easier to hit?  My new 5 iron is 27* of loft and someone gave me a new 910h 27* same loft which will go farther?

[Jmdmbike]

I put a 7 wood in the bag last year, replacing my 20 degree 3 hybrid. The 7 wood is definitely staying in the bag. The higher lofted fairway is easier to hit consistently for me than a lower lofted hybrid. Also had a tendency to hit hooks with many hybrids, which isn't a problem with the 7 wood (21.5 degree loft). I still carry a hybrid at 23 degrees, which works well. I find the 7 wood to be a reliable club off the tee or fairway, and I'll typically get 190 - 200 out of it. I still have my hybrid option if I need it for a bad lie that doesn't suit a fairway wood, but overall for me the 7 wood is simply easier to hit consistently than a 19 or 20 degree hybrid. Definitely worth a try.

[Mr. Desmond]

The size of many hybrids these days is almost fairway-wood like, so I don't mind carrying a 7 wood, although I think shaft length is an issue.

Some manufacturers make a 42-42.5 inch 7 wood. I think 41 inches was standard not too many years ago and I like my 7 wood to remain around that length.

The 7 wood gets up higher than a hybrid and cuts through rough as well as most hybrids these day - of course, it all depends on club head size. The smaller the head (especially from heel to toe), the better it cuts through the grass. It's a compromise of forgiveness versus workability and playability.

[Vinny29]

I carry both 5 and 7 wood Callaway Steelhead iii with steel uniflex shafts and love them. Pulled my hybrids out of the bag and haven't looked back. The 7 wood is money from about 180 yards and I hit my 5 wood about 200. Both have a nice high trajectory and land soft, easy to hit off of the deck. The 7 wood works well out of the rough also as long as it's not too thick in which case I would use an iron anyway.

[WUTiger]

Quote:

...  Or maybe the 7 wood is simply obsolete with how good today's hybrid technology is. ...

Obsolete means "out of date" or "no longer in use." OEMs still make 7Ws, and people buy them. If you have trouble hitting hybrids, Hs don't seem that good for you.

Some people have trouble hitting hybrids. I ran into several senior golfers last season who had dumped hybrids for higher lofted FW. And, other people really like hybrids. Whatever works...

There are trade-offs between FWs and hybrids. Hybrids are "easier to hit" for some people because they have shorter shafts, but have almost flat faces. But, FWs have curved clufaces - bulge and roll - which spins toe and heel hits back toward center.

Also, the OEMs have been revamping the fairway woods recently. Check out the 7W - you might find something you like.

I had trouble with hybrids at first, but eventually found two models which I could hit - Edge Tour and Adams Idea Black with R-flex shafts (the low offset cut down on hooks I had with other hybrids). I have stayed with the FWs, however, because I need extra distance.

Edit = clean up grammar.

[Leftygolfer]

I've always preferred the 5 and 7 wood to hybrids.  I have a ping g5 7 wood (I think its 20 degrees).  I've owned hybrids and just don't get the same hieght and seem to be very hook prone.  But it is all preferance.

[inthehole]

thanks guys - picked up a Nickent 7w - hope to try it out this week - supposed to be warm enough to play - YES !!

[Bullitt5339]

After my round today, I have to restate how much I love my 7 Wood.  It saved me at least 3 times today out on the course.

[erock9174]

I currently game a Superfast 2.0 7w.  I have a slower swing (fw in the 70's) so it feels much better than trying to use a 3 hybrid which I have always struggled with.

Granted only one round with it, hit it twice off the tee on doglegs and once from the fw.  Off the tee it was money..  From the fw had a slight push.

It's a bit long for me at 42.75" but I grip down and it works.

Right now though I have a pretty large gap between the 7w (195) and my 4i (165) and thinking of adding an RBZ 5 hybrid which on the monitor went on average 180-185 for me.

Let us know how the Nickent 7w worked out for you.

.

[inthehole]

hit about 50 balls with the new 7w yesterday at the practice field with my winter coat on ... tough to get a true feel for it, but so far, lets just say I like what I see - can't wait to see how it does on a real course !

[inthehole]

I was surprised to see on another thread that a fellow sandtrapper hits his 3h farther than his 7w.     Granted, it's a few degrees stronger, but with the shorter shaft & less mass in the head, I'm surprised to see that.

Is this common knowledge that the 3 hybrid will hit longer than a 7 wood ??