Johnson is just one of several elite players who carry a 7-wood. Adam Scott, Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann have 7-woods. Pat- rick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele use 7-woods for certain courses. JJ VanWezenbeeck, direc- tor of player promotions for Titleist, says the 7-wood in- creased in popularity among the game’s best for a few rea- sons. “Major-championship- type setups or courses with four par 5s bring in part of the experimentation,” he says. “But sometimes play- ers such as Max Homa put a 7-wood in play, get a win, and other players are like, Oh my gosh, this club can do so much.” The PGA Tour has al- ways been to some extent a copycat tour. A two-time major champion like John- son playing one catches the attention of other players, or someone will play with another tour pro and see him pull a club out and hit a shot he wasn’t expecting. “When they’re told it’s a 7-wood, it piques their interest, and that’s when we get the phone calls saying, ‘Hey, I played with so and so, and I’d like to try one.’ That happens a lot,” VanWezenbeeck says. Ease of use is another big reason. Although many would consider a hybrid easier to hit than a 7-wood, Kenton Oates, PGA Tour rep for Ping, disputes this. “The 7-wood is an easier club to spin than a hybrid,” he says. “It has a higher peak flight than a hybrid, and it’s more consistent for left-to-right ball flights, especially with how we tend to build them for our tour staff. We often build 7-woods an inch short- er than typical – 41 inches
SWING LIKE IT’S A MIDDLE IRON “One of the main mistakes players make with a 7-wood is setting up as if they were about to hit a driver – with a forward ball position and tilted shoulders,” says CJ Nafus, a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher. “You should set up with the same ball position as a middle iron, with the ball below the logo on your shirt. When you swing, keep your shoulders pretty level ( above ). The attack angle at impact should be level to slightly downwards.”
INSTRUCTION PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE BOYLE
42 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
MAY 2024
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