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The 7 wood has not always been a club that you will find in every golfer’s bag, but things are starting to change.
Like other major trends in the golf equipment space, the adoption of 7 woods on the PGA Tour has increased the appetite for these clubs, even among amateur players.
A good example to illustrate this is the 2025 Masters, where about a third of the 95 golfers who started the week carried a 7 wood.
Indeed, the golf world has noticed the rise in use of this club, especially among all players, underscoring the 7 wood’s versatility and effectiveness at the highest level of the sport.
Interestingly, five years ago, only a handful of golfers played 7 woods on the PGA Tour. But as we speak, about 25 percent of tour golfers have at least one in their bags.
It is reducing catching up fast with the amount of players using a hybrid and 2- or 3-iron. In fact, studies have shown that modern golf ball technology and club design allow for higher lofted clubs without creating excessive spin.
So, if you are among those who have noticed an increased usage of 7 woods or just want a club to fill that space in your bag, we are here to help you make the right choices.
Read on to find more about the new trend and if the 7 wood is ideal for you.
Why Is the 7 Wood Gaining Popularity?
There are many reasons that most golfers are starting to use the 7 wood as opposed to the past. Here are just a few notable ones:
1. Lower center of gravity and faster swing
The typical 7-wood has either 20 or 21 degrees of loft. This design fits between a 3-iron and a 4-iron in most player sets.
While a majority of 4-hybrid clubs have a similar loft, fairway woods usually have a lower center of gravity than hybrids and irons.
This encourages a higher launch angle with the same loft. Another interesting thing about fairway woods is that they are usually built with graphite shafts and are somehow longer than a similar-lofted hybrid or iron.
This means that the player can swing them much faster. So, the beautiful combination of the lower center of gravity location, faster swing, and impressive forgiveness makes 7 woods irresistible for any player.
2. Modern golf ball technology and club design
There is also another thing that plays a huge role in the major shift.
As golf balls changed and golfers became more open-minded about their golf gear, a shift took place. You see, today’s golf balls spin differently.
More manufacturers create their clubs to create low spin. This makes the ball spin less, so does the head. In the end, everything has been low spin.
What it means is that you can use more loft now without necessarily overspinning and ballooning into the air.
3. Appreciation of higher lofted fairway woods
For many years, having several headcovers in your golf bag was frowned upon by low-handicap golfers.
There was also a stigma that high-lofted fairway woods were only suitable for recreational golfers, who usually struggled to hit long irons.
Things have changed, though. Noble elite ball strikers on the PGA Tour, including Sam Burns, Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark, Sepp Straka, and Patrick Cantlay, are usually spotted with a 7-wood.
4. Influence of PGA Tour players
A significant percentage of average players have come to use 7 woods because they see pro players carrying them in their bags.
As you know, the PGA Tour has always been a copycat tour (at least to some extent).
For instance, a two-time major champion like Dustin Johnson playing a 7 wood catches the attention of other players.
Or, someone will play with another tour pro, and you see him pull a club and hit a shot you weren’t expecting.
And when you ask, you are told it is a 7-wood. It will definitely pique your interest. This has been the case for many golfers.
5. Ease of use
Another reason why the 7 wood has been hugely popular these days is because of ease of use.
While some may consider a hybrid to be easier to hit than a 7 wood, some top golfers will differ.
PGA Tour rep for Ping, Kenton Oates, was once quoted saying that “The 7 wood is an easier club to spin than a hybrid.”
The reason is that it has a higher peak flight than a hybrid. Besides this, it is more consistent for left-to-right ball flights.
Why 7-Woods Might Be Ideal for Your Game
There are several respected golfers who have won championships with their 7-woods.
For instance, the world No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, showed up at Quail Hollow for the PGA Championship with his TaylorMade Qi35 7 wood.
So, you can also rely on your 7-wood to advance the ball out of the rough. Here are a couple of reasons why you should try the 7 wood:
1. The Juice Lies in the Rough
Yes, you can try your best, but always remember that it is inevitable not to get the ball in the rough. Sometimes, the ball just ends up in the thick stuff.
So, during those times, most people will hit a 3-iron out of these lies, enabling them to get the launch, distance, and spin needed to reach the green.
However, you can also rely on your 7-wood to seamlessly deliver consistent performance out of any lie, thanks to its superb construction.
2. Sometimes Don’t Be Scared to Take a Headcover Off on a Par 3
There are a number of quality golfers who have shown that the 7 wood can come in handy even on a par 3.
For instance, Scottie Scheffler took advantage of his 7 wood to get to hole 16 at Torrey’s South Course.
As you know, hole 16 can play more than 230 yards into a stiff breeze that comes off the Pacific Ocean. So, most players would just go for a 3-iron, but Scottie was able to swing within himself with his 7-wood.
3. Let it Come Through for Those Long Par 4s
The very last thing you will want to experience is to hit an impactful driver center cut and be left with just a long demanding second shot.
It doesn’t matter whether it is an amateur or a tour professional; choosing a club that is easier to hit, more playable, and with a smaller margin of error is a relief.
Like most golfers, you will not want to stand over a 3-iron to get the perfect strike and perfect line only to end up with meager results.
So, you can take advantage of 7 wood’s forgiveness, versatility, and high-launch capabilities to make birdie or par a much more realistic score on the dreadfully long par 4’s.
4. The 7 Wood Is Versatile
Having too many clubs that do the same thing or offer the same distance is one of the dreadful mistakes that most amateurs make when choosing what to carry in their bag.
The good thing with the 7 wood is that it can hit any number of different distances from virtually any lie.
This is possible because of its lofts and shorter length shaft.
As noted earlier, some quality 7-woods, like the Qi35, have a modified center of gravity location, creating efficient energy transfers between the ball and the face at impact.
This design allows for a ton of playability and versatility from the tee and off the deck.
5. The 7 Wood Is a Year-Round Golfers Club
It doesn’t matter whether it’s the hard and fast summer conditions or wet season; a reliable 7 wood will always win. Soft greenside areas as well as fairways require maximum carry. You need reasonable clubs.
Have you asked yourself why all long clubs seem to go the same distance in the winter? Well, there is a reason for this. You see, the lower loft of long irons causes the ball to launch lower.
The reason is that the soft course conditions and the cold air don’t drive the ball to fly far, thus stopping quicker.
So, you will need more carry in these conditions. Likewise, in summer you need high launch and spin of the 7 wood. This will increase the angle and cause the ball to stop faster.
6. The Texas Wedge
You may already be aware that many tour players will use their fairway wood when nestled up against a collar by the green.
Some can also use the 7 wood to help the golf ball leap a little indentation, getting it rolling faster.
The good thing about such a shot is that it is super easy to execute. What you need to do is use your chosen 7 wood, like the Qi35, just like a putter.
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that the 7 wood has and will become as mainstream as azaleas or dogwoods at major tournaments like the Masters at the Augusta National.
Its rise has been attributed to adoption by tour players, its ease of use, lower center of gravity, modern ball and club design, and appreciation of higher lofted fairway woods.
We understand that convincing some players to switch to a 7 wood is not necessarily easy.
But the truth is that the 7 wood has several advantages that make it better than an iron or hybrid.
With its longer shafts and larger head, the 7 wood launches higher, spins more, and is more forgiving.
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