PRIOR TO THE PGA Professional Championship a few years ago, I visited
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler, runner- up Matt Fitzpatrick and 54-hole leader Ludvig Aberg. That should be a strong signal for you to get one, too. The 7-wood is super versatile and easy to hit from a number of lies, and I’m going to show you how to use one for three typical second shots – tightly mown grass, fairway bunkers and the rough. Give these tips a try and discover why this should be your new favourite club. – WITH DAVE ALLEN
power – and I found it! They handed me a 7-wood, and the first ball I hit carried 232 yards at an apex of 115 feet. The next few shots produced similar distances and flew even higher. I was sold. That extra height and stickiness on the greens is what makes the 7-wood such a popular club among tour players today. Consider this: At the Players Championship in March, 46 players (37 percent) used a 7-wood, including
the Titleist Performance Institute in California to have my equipment checked. I was hitting a lot of 230- to 240-yard second shots into the par 5s with little to show for it. I had no problem carrying my 3-iron that distance, but the apex height was too low to hold most greens (about 90 feet). I needed more loft and stopping
1. TIGHT LIES
Treat it like a 7-iron shot The 7-wood has a bigger head than its hybrid equivalent, and the centre of gravity is further back, which makes it easier to get the ball airborne. But like any other long-approach-shot club, you still have to resist the urge to try to help the ball up with a wristy strike or swinging off your back foot. Both those faults lead to fat and thin shots. Instead, approach the 7-wood the same way you would a 7-iron – both in terms of setup and swing. Centre your weight between your feet with your shoulders fairly level and the ball just forward of your sternum ( top photo, left ). From there, make a controlled, three-quarter-length backswing and focus on transferring your weight to your front leg on the downswing. Then rotate towards the target like you’re throwing a punch ( left ). This shift towards the target will bring the low point of the swing also forward, just ahead of the ball, which allows you to compress it like a mid-iron shot.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY J D CUBAN
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 53
JUNE 2026
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