4 Hybrid Vs. 7 Wood (Which One Should You Use?)

 

As golfers, we only have fourteen slots in our bag.

The USGA has determined that this is all that is necessary for a player to be able to get around the golf course in the lowest number of strokes.

This can make it difficult to decide which clubs to keep in the bag and even which clubs to use.

One battle that many golfers have is whether to play with the 4 hybrid or the 7 wood.

If you are trying to figure out whether the 4 hybrid or 7 wood is a better fit for your game, or which lie you should choose one over the other, we have you covered.

By the time you are finished with this guide, you will know exactly what 7 wood should be used for and exactly when to pull out the 4 hybrid.

 

4 Hybrid Vs. 7 Wood (Which One Should You Use?)

 

1. 4 Hybrid Vs. 7 Wood: Length Of The Club

 

The 4 hybrid and the 7 wood are built very differently.

As we go through our review of the differences between these two clubs, we will focus on many of the differences that you will see from one club to the next.

However, one of the most obvious differences is the length of the club.

The 7 wood is considerably longer than the 4 hybrid.

It’s important to remember that the woods in your bag are built for distance.

The hybrids are built for a mix of distance and precision and accuracy.

With a hybrid, the club tends to be more like an iron than a wood.

This means that playing the shots and even the way the club feels and looks will be a bit more like an iron.

The 4 hybrid will probably be just a bit longer than the 5 iron in your golf club set.

The 7 wood on the other hand will be closer to the 3 and 5 wood length.

The length of the club makes it more difficult to control, but it does help to increase distance.

With a longer golf club in play, you will get a wider arc and more overall distance.

If you have no trouble controlling your golf clubs like your driver and 3 wood, the length of the 7 wood will not be an issue.

However, since more golfers will have more luck with a shorter club, we have to call the 4 hybrid the winner in this category.

 

Winner: 4 hybrid

A shorter club length is almost always easier to manage and be consistent with.

 

2. 4 Hybrid Vs. 7 Wood: Accuracy

 

One thing that both the 4 hybrid and the 7 wood have going for them is the amount of loft they each have.

Clubs with higher loft are typically easier to control.

The accuracy is pretty good with both the 4 hybrid and the 7 wood.

Depending on the type of swing you have, you may find the 4 hybrid or the 7 wood more accurate.

Most golfers with more of a sweeping swing or a rounder motion will find that the 7 wood is more accurate and consistent.

Those who like to make contact with the ground and hit down and through their shots will find the 4 hybrid to be a better choice.

However, the bottom line here is that the 4 hybrid is shorter than the 7 wood, and that makes it considerably easier to control.

Control has a lot to do with the length of the club.

Players who have been around the game a long time know that it is much easier to hit your nine iron a few feet from the pin than it is to hit your 5 iron a few feet from the pin.

Accuracy is something that gofers should pay close attention to when choosing the 4 hybrid vs. 7 wood.

With these clubs in their hands, golfers are going to find they are typically trying to approach a par 4 in two.

The 4 hybrid and 7 wood are most commonly used on par 4s, where the second shot is a long distance to the hole.

This is why accuracy is so important.

You will want a club that can allow the ball to stop close to the target and leave you with just a short putt for your birdie.

We do think that the overall loft and spin on a 4 hybrid will make this easier for most golfers.

The 7 wood is excellent for a green with a large approach where you can run the ball up, but the 4 hybrid is generally more accurate.

 

Winner: 4 hybrid

A 4 hybrid is shorter in total length, and because of that, it is much easier to control and hit the ball close to the pin.

 

3. 4 Hybrid Vs. 7 Wood: Distance

 

Although it may seem like the 4 hybrid is winning in every category so far, there is no question that the 7 wood takes the distance category.

Even though the 7 wood is often very similar in loft to the 4 hybrid, it is designed with a much hotter face and lower overall spin.

This low spin helps the ball to roll when it hits the ground.

As long as golfers know that this is coming, it is very helpful.

You can land the ball in front of a green and let it roll up next to the pin.

In addition, you will be able to hit the 7 wood from the tee on particular long par 3s or even a dogleg par 4 that does not call for a driver from the tee box.

The distance that you hit your 4 hybrid will likely be about ten yards behind the 7 wood.

Of course, there are situations where players are more confident with their 4 hybrid as opposed to their 7 wood, and they will see the opposite in total distance.

However, when you compare the overall club characteristics and the design of the golf club, you are most likely to see the 7 wood traveling further than the 4 hybrid.

 

Winner: 7 wood

Remember that all clubs are limited in the distance they can provide by the way they are struck and the speed at which they are swung.

However, when you compare the length of the 7 wood as well as the low spin capabilities, it typically goes quite a bit further than the 4 hybrid.

 

4. 4 Hybrid Vs. 7 Wood: Hitting From The Rough

 

Sometimes you will come across a situation where your golf ball sits in the rough.

For the majority of average players, this will happen several times throughout the course of a round.

Hitting out of the rough is easiest with the 4 hybrid.

The way the hybrid is designed, it can very easily cut through the rough and fly right out.

However, the 7 wood is not entirely bad from the rough as long as the ball is sitting up properly.

With a 7 wood, your ball can be sitting up on top of the grass, and you can get plenty of yardages and overall distance.

However, when the ball is buried, the 7 wood does not have the same ability to cut through the grass and make significant contact with the ball.

Typically, the 7 wood head will twist slightly, and the ball will lose loft and end up with a shot that barely makes it out of the rough.

Hybrids have allowed the average golfer to not have to think or worry the next time they approach a ball in the rough.

Simply step up, take a look at what the lie looks like and take your regular golf swing.

Hybrids have changed the game of golf, but the biggest impact has been the ability they give golfers when hitting out of the rough.

 

Winner: 4 hybrid

The head of the 4 hybrids is designed to help launch the ball out of the rough quite easily.

 

5. 4 Hybrid Vs. 7 Wood: Hitting From The Tee

 

Are you one of those golfers that always hit a driver from the tee box?

Don’t feel as though this is necessary on every hole.

The club you hit from the tee box should depend on your strengths as a player and the total distance and layout of the golf hole.

For some golf holes, hitting a driver could mean blocking yourself out of your next shot.

Other times, there are days when the driver technology is just not working well for you, and you decide that you are better off with an alternative from the tee.

Overall, the 7 wood can work well from the fairway and the tee, but we like the performance from the tee.

Getting the 7 wood on a very low tee and setting up down the middle of the fairway will typically provide some great results.

For players who struggle with overall accuracy from the tee, the club could be a perfect choice.

One interesting point for golfers to consider is the fact that a golf hole may have once required you to hit a driver and then a 6 iron, or you could simply hit two 7 woods instead.

When you get really accurate and confident with certain clubs, you must consider your golf course management skills and decisions.

Don’t limit yourself or your golf game by thinking you must always use a driver from the tee box because this is not the case.

 

Winner: 7 Wood

The characteristics and design of the 7 wood set up quite well for a tee shot.

Golfers who struggle with the consistency of their golf driver can use a 7 wood instead and see much more beneficial results.

 

6. 4 Hybrid Vs. 7 Wood: High Swing Speeds

 

One of the big hot topics in the game of golf is swing speed.

Players with higher swing speeds can get more distance and sometimes lower scores.

High swing speed is a good thing for the most part, but it can lead to some poor accuracy of certain golf shots.

The good news about high swing speeds is that it can make it easier to launch a ball and get a higher overall ball flight.

Essentially, if you have a higher swing speed, the 7 wood will probably be the better choice.

Even if you end up having to hit out of the rough with your 7 wood, you will be able to do so if you have the right swing speed.

The lower swing speed players will enjoy the extra forgiveness of the 4 hybrids.

In addition, the 4 hybrid is slightly shorter in overall length also makes it easier for a slower swing speed player to swing the club around and get the ball headed straight.

High swing speed players will need to pay attention to spin and overall launch.

Golfers will have to ensure that the shaft they put into play is heavy enough and has low enough spin characteristics to keep the ball’s flight penetrating.

 

Winner: 7 Wood

Although the high swing speed player will see benefits with both the 4 hybrid and the 7 wood, the length of the 7 wood and ability for distance make it a really good match.

The high swing speeds that struggle to get a more penetrating ball flight, need to ensure that the shaft they have in place is the right match for their game.

 

7. 4 Hybrid Vs. 7 Wood: Low Or High Handicap

 

One of the major considerations for golfers when choosing a new club is their handicap.

For instance, many low handicap players will have long irons in their bag, whereas high handicappers may not have an iron that goes about a 6 iron.

The difference in the club set makeup for golfers with high and low handicaps is becoming even more noticeable.

With equipment advances and companies realizing which clubs work for certain players, the equipment options are endless.

Players with a lower handicap will typically gravitate more towards the 4 hybrid than the 7 wood.

This is done to help ensure that the lower handicap players can work the ball with the 4 hybrid.

If a lower handicap player has a little over 200 yards into a green, they can take out their 4 hybrid and try and hit a small fade to get it up close to the hole.

Higher handicap players are typically just looking to advance the ball as far as they can and as straight as they can.

This is what helps make the 7 wood a better choice for the higher handicap player.

When you need to work the ball, a club that is shaped and performs more like iron is almost always a better idea.

 

Winner: 4 Hybrid And 7 Wood

There is no clear winner in this category.

The golfers with the higher handicaps will probably find that the 7 wood offers more consistent and stable performance.

Golfers with lower handicaps will see that the hybrid can ensure the ball can be placed close to the hole on an approach shot to the green.

 

Conclusion: 4 Hybrid Vs. 7 Wood

Now that you have a much better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of both of these clubs, you can make some decisions for your golf game.

Although some players may carry both a 7 wood and a 4 hybrid in the bag, chances are it will make more sense to vary your golf club set a little more than this.

The 4 hybrid is a great choice for players looking to get the ball as close to the hole as possible.

With a club like this in play, you should be able to get the ball close to the pin and be just as accurate as you would be with a golf iron in your hand.

The 7 wood works well for golfers trying to advance the ball as far as possible.

Most of the time, a 7 wood has a very hot face that responds well to a good strike.

The ball will have a low spin on it and even roll for a while when it hits the ground.

This makes the 7 wood an excellent option for tee shots.

Overall, both the 4 hybrid and the 7 wood are great additions to a bag as they will offer some important benefits for players, but the key is to find the one that is the right fit for your game.