7 Iron Distance | Loft | Length (The Complete Guide) | Golf Storage Ideas (2024)

What is a 7 Iron Golf Club Used For?

The 7 iron golf club is classified as a mid-iron golf club and has a loft angle that ranges between 29 degrees to 33 degrees. The 7 iron can be used for a variety of shots which include off the tees and reaching long par 3s.

The 7 iron offers versatile shots to the golfers and therefore is suitable for both beginners and professional golfers. It is an easy club to learn and can offer trajectory and distance greatly to the users. It is easy to hit 100 yards once you get comfortable using it.

In order to improve the shots made with 7 irons, there are several steps that you can follow in order to get more accurate shots. It is better to point your body at the target and transfer your weight at the front leg for better shots.

Moreover, it is ideal for playing the ball with a 7 iron by placing it in the middle of your feet. For experienced users, it is even easier to get used to the 7-iron golf club. The faster speed of the clubhead helps in covering more distance on course than the beginners.

To increase the consistency of the shots made with the 7 iron, it is better to keep more weight on the front leg when the ball is being set up for the shot.

Your backswing should reduce by half to the current swing speed and put down your arms as if they are dropping down on the ground.

What Degree of Loft is a 7 Iron?

The loft angle of each iron club varies for each manufacturer; hence, there isn’t a fixed loft angle. However, an average loft angle of the irons can be considered. The manufacturers even have changed the loft angles over the course of time.

For example, previously the 7 iron was known to have a loft angle of 38 degrees, but it is now being replaced with a 34 degrees loft angle in the 7 iron. The loft angle greatly affects the distance; hence, with an increased loft angle, the manufacturers claim that it covers more distance on the course.

The typical angle for a 7 iron is approximately 34 degrees. The loft of the club is much stronger if the cavity is large; hence the club is more forgiving. The design of the golf club is based on the idea that stronger lofts help in achieving greater distance on the course.

However, for someone who likes to focus more on the shots than the distance, a weaker loft does the job as it has a smaller cavity and the golf club is less forgiving in contrast to the stronger loft. The main issue with an iron is that for every bent degree of angle, a degree of bounce is lost by the club.

What is the Average Swing Speed for a 7 Iron?

The swing speed for a 7 iron can vary between 80 to 83 mph. If the golfer is a flipper, then the swing speed will be greater than a player who plays square to square. To cover a distance of about 160 yards with a 7 iron, a swing speed of 86 mph is needed.

A standard device for measuring swing speed doesn’t measure the speed of the clubhead, but instead, it measures the speed of the ball. The speed of the clubhead is a fixed calculation since the actual speed of the club heads is greater than the measured speed.

The device uses the number from the ball speed to generate a value for the speed of the clubhead. This is why the actual speed of the clubhead is greater. The mph can be about 3-4 greater in real if you’re playing accurate shots with your 7 iron.

With a greater loft angle, the speed of the clubhead is also greater due to the smash factor potential. If you’re covering an average distance of about 165 yards to 170 yards, then there is a likely chance that your swing speed varies between 86 to 88 mph.

Hitting a 7 Iron 150 Yards

With an accurate shot made with the 7 iron, the golfer can easily cover a distance ranging between 145 yards to 150 yards. The golfer can find the distance covered on the course to be short if his shots are not being consistent and accurate. This can affect the game flow.

With a 7 iron, one disadvantage can be losing control over the shots if the ball has a lower flight. If you change your swing speed from a hard swing to a smooth swing, then the distance of the shots might be compromised, but the accuracy is greatly increased.

To increase the distance covered on course with the 7-iron golf club, several factors need to be put into consideration. There are a few variables like the wind, temperature, and the loft angle that decide the distance covered by the club.

For covering approximately 170 yards on the course, the hole should be uphill along with strong wind and an open stance. This can increase the yardage much easily. The distance can also be increased with a higher trajectory.

What is the Average 7 Iron Ball Speed?

The loft angle of the golf club greatly affects the speed of the ball. This means that it’s possible to get a greater ball speed with a low loft angle. It is possible to get a ball speed of 110 mph with the 7-iron golf club if the golfer makes an accurate shot.

Due to different loft angles for the 7 iron of each manufacturer, the ball speed also varies accordingly. If the golfer can’t get a land angle on the 7-iron golf club, then it’s not very effective. To get the right shot, the 7 iron should then be adjusted and fixed.

For each manufacturer, the ball speed with the 7-iron golf club is different. For example, with the Mizuno MP15, the ball speed can be 110 mph with the 7 iron while for the TaylorMade M4 it can go up to 120 mph.

What is a Good Smash Factor for a 7 Iron?

The average smash factor for a7 iron can range between 1.4 and 1.5. The smash factor has a direct link with the distance covered on the course and the swing and ball speed of the golfer. A higher smash factor can also result in less control over the distance covered along with the distance gaps.

The fractional smash factor can be lost to different variables like the sound, heat, backspin, and compression. In the opinion of some golfers, the smash factor doesn’t affect the distance and is simply a ratio of the ball speed and the club speed.

Each shot made with the 7 iron is based upon what the golfer puts into it. The different factors can be the spin, launch speed, speed of the clubhead, face angle, etc. However, none of these factors have anything to do with the smash factor of the golf club.

If the smash factor of the 7-iron club is high for a golfer that means that his ball speed is also high; however, the other metrics like the spin, face angle are hosed. This can cause an inconsistency in the shots made as the ball is moving at a greater rate.

The smash factor can often affect the gapping with the irons. With the increasing loft angle of the club, the smash factor is also likely to increase. Often the devices used for measuring the smash factor don’t record the exact smash factor. Instead, the system only measures the ball speed and takes an estimate of the smash factor of the golf club.

What is the ideal spin rate for a 7 Iron?

The spin rate can be estimated by 1000 rpm into the number of the club. The ideal spin rate for a 7 iron is 7000 spin rates. This number is adequate if the launch of the ball is not too high. The launch and spin need to match in order to get an ideal spin rate.

With a 7 iron, the golfer can have more carry than a rollout. A spin rate varying between 6000 and 7000 is good for a 7-iron golf club. Different factors should be put into consideration to judge the spin rate for the golf club. This includes the launch angle along with the ball speed, apex, distance gaps, etc.

1000 into the swing speed is not considered an accurate measure for calculating the spin rate as it just gives an average and doesn’t form a good baseline. With a well-placed shot, the 7 iron can have a spin on the lower side with a shallow attack angle. A steep angle on the other hand, will generate more spin.

What is the ideal Launch Angle for a 7 Iron?

The launch angle of a 7 iron club can range between 23.5 degrees to 25 degrees for an average golfer. Professional golfers can expect a launch angle of 16 degrees. Releasing the ball early can help in lowering your launch angle.

The launch angle can be almost half of the loft angle on the golf club. Therefore, for a 7-iron golf club with a loft angle of 35 degrees, a launch angle of 17 to 18 degrees is suitable if the ball has a good impact with the golf club. The launch angle is easily attainable in this case.

The launch angle can vary according to the different courses and the shot played. The backspin numbers can vary differently for each type of ball used. The numbers can go really high if a distance ball is used.

What is the Standard Length of a 7 Iron?

The standard length of a 7 iron is 37 inches on steel and 37.5 inches with the structure made of graphite. For women, the standard length of a graphite golf club is 36.5 inches, and for steel, it is 36 inches. The standard lengths are set from the shaft weights of the golf club.

The length for the golf club should be chosen according to the grip that suits the golfer. For a golfer with average height, an iron golf club with a longer length should be preferred, so the golfer doesn’t have to bend over the club.

The length for the shaft of the golf club can be trimmed to improve the grip. Epoxy should be placed in the tip of the shaft, and then the tip should be inserted in the hosel. It should be ensured that the tip is all the way in.

If the golfer wants to keep the 7-iron length at 37.5 inches, then the shaft should be trimmed to approximately 37.35 inches. For golfers who have a tall height, the inches of the golf club can be increased to 1.5 inches longer than the standard length of the 7-iron golf club.

How Far Can You Hit a 7 Iron?

Since the 7 iron is the most used golf club by many golfers, a lot of them are concerned about how far a 7 iron can be hit. On an average of golfers ranging from beginners to experts, the average distance covered on course for men is 120 yards while for women it is 80 yards.

Since the 7-iron golf club for each manufacturer varies, the distance covered also varies accordingly. For each different brand, the 7-iron golf club has a different loft angle; hence, the distance is also likely to change.

If the golfer swings the ball out well along with hitting it high fades, the 7-iron golf club can cover a distance of 160 to 165 yards. The Sterling 7 iron golf club, for example, can cover a distance of 183 yards to 187 yards.

With the swing on the golf club dialed in, the shots made with the 7 iron can be more consistent. If there is a shaft lean on impact, the ball flight can be penetrating. At a reasonable estimate, the 7 iron can also cover a distance of 160 yards with about 4 yards on the rollout.

7 Iron Distance

The average distance of a 7 iron golf club is 172 yards. The distance covered with a 7-iron golf club varies with the different factors. With no wind and a high uphill shot, the golf club can be used to cover a distance of 172 yards. If the golfer doesn’t try to hit the ball too hard, the distance can be controlled easily on the golf course.

There can be a variance of about 10 to 15 yards depending on how well the shot is played every time. The gap can increase with longer golf clubs. One specific yardage number can’t be pinned to any golf club since it is likely to vary every time the golfer plays.

Average 7 Iron Distance on the PGA Tour

Since PGA tours are done by professional and well-experienced golfers, the distance covered using each golf club also varies accordingly in contrast to an ordinary golfer. With a club speed of 90 mph, a ball speed of 120 mph along with a 1.33 smash factor, the distance covered can go up to 172 yards.

The height covered by the ball can be around 32 yards. The distance covered is because the golfers swing the club much faster, so the average ball speed also increases in a similar way. If these numbers are applied to the swing speed of an average golfer, the golfer will struggle to get the ball in the air for the maximum distance.

With an exceptional and comparable swing speed, even the ordinary golfers can chase the PGA style figures. The LPGA’s average swing speed for drivers which is around 94 mph is close to the swing speed of many golfers.

How to Hit a 7 Iron

Getting consistent shots with the 7-iron golf club is quite easy if the golfer practices well and knows how to play his shots. If the ball is hit straight every time, the golfer can easily get yardage of 160 yards to 170 yards. With the following steps, the 7 iron can be hit well.

1. The golfer should put the ball in the middle of the stance for the 7-iron golf club.
2. The idea of hitting the ball with the iron golf clubs is so that the contact is first made with the ball and then the ground.
3. The head level of the golfer should be high as he swings the ball.
4. The divot should be checked before to ensure that the ball is being contacted before the ground. The shape of the divot should also be checked to ensure the aim on the target is set perfectly.
5. The golfer should continue to practice until the contact with the ball, and the ground is made consistent, and the shape of the shots is well understood.

How to Hit a 7 Iron Off the Tee

For hitting a 7 iron off the tee, the golfer shouldn’t have a totally different approach:

1. The ball should not be teed absurdly high, and the golfer should give himself a perfect lie. The swing shouldn’t be changed due to teeing up the ball.
2. For accurate shots, the ball should be teed low so that the golfer can get the bottom of the ball touching the grass.
3. The tee shouldn’t be done above the grass, and it could be set up in front of an existing tee to use it as a guard against a fat shot.
4. With the iron golf clubs, the ball shouldn’t be hit up, but instead, the golfer should hit the ball down.
5. The golfer can get a perfect spin if the contact is nicely made between the golf club and the ball.

How to Hit a 7 Iron Straight

• To hit the 7 iron straight, the backswing should be made more stable so that the golfer is able to control the swing of the shot and hit the golf club straight.
• The golfer often faces a lack of stability due to the back leg locking on the top, which should be controlled.
• The position of the right should be kept similar throughout in order to maintain it when going back.
• A head cover or towel can be placed under the outside of the right foot in order to give the golfer the feeling that he is swinging back against something. This would help in maintaining the knee reflex during the backswing.

How to hit a 7 Iron 200 yards

In order to hit a 7 iron 200 yards, the golfer should have a swing speed of 130 mph. Delofting the 7-iron club into a 4-iron club or 5 iron club can help in getting yardage of up to 200 yards with it.

For professionals who carry interchangeable weights, they place lighter weights in their puts for slower green and prefer heavier weights for a quicker green.

Delofting the iron golf club doesn’t mean that its angle should be decreased by 7 degrees as the golfer will not be able to hit the ball really high. Having a good swing speed and ball speed can help in easily covering 200 yards on the course.

The ball should be hit with a descending blow while the hands are ahead of the ball while there is an impact. The professionals, however, prefer delofting when they are willing to control the trajectory of the golf club.

7 Iron Vs 9 Iron

• The 7 hybrid is easier to hit than the 9-iron golf club. However, there are some golfers who prefer iron golf clubs over the hybrid as they are more comfortable with it although the hybrids have been designed as a replacement for the iron golf clubs.
• If the club has a lower loft angle, it is more difficult to hit the ball high. However, by number, the hybrids and golf clubs have the same numbers, but the design of the hybrid club is what makes it different.
• For an amateur golfer, it is difficult to hit the ball high with the 9 iron as it needs good swing skill to hit the ball with consistency. The hybrids were made to address this problem faced by the golfers.
• Being thicker than the conventional iron golf clubs, the golfer finds it easier to hit it with the 9 iron than the 7 iron.
• Often golfers seem to cover the same distance with the 7 iron as with the 9 iron as there can be a fitting issue with length or flex.

7 Iron Vs 3 Hybrid

• The 3 hybrids should be preferred over the 7 iron in certain conditions. This is when the golfer is playing from an uneven surface or from the rough and sand.
• If the golfer is playing downwind and wants to land the ball softly, then he should choose the 3 hybrids over the 7-iron golf club.
• Since hybrids are most forgiving, they can be used for consistent and accurate shots if the golfer is having a bad day on the course.
• The stance for the 7 iron and the 3 hybrids can be kept the same, but the ball should be positioned farther back with the hybrid to get a downward hit.

7 Iron Vs 5 Iron

• If the 5 iron is lofted a bit, the loft angle of both the 7 iron and 5 irons is the same, which is 27 degrees.
• Having the same loft angle means that both the iron golf clubs have the same length and also cover the same distance on the course.
• The spin of the 7-iron golf club is quite less in contrast to the 5-iron golf club.
• The shaft of the 5-iron golf club can is an inch shorter than the 7-iron golf club; hence, it has a tighter dispersion.