Top rated 7 woods – Why You Should Carry One

The 7 wood has always been known as one of the easiest golf clubs in the bag to hit. With the perfect combination of loft and length of the club, most golfers have learned to trust their 7 wood on approach shots and even tee shots on a par 3.

The 7 wood bridges the gap between the irons and the longer fairway wood quite well. And since they have a lower center of gravity (COG), you’ll have an easier time getting the ball airborne. If 2023 is your year for a new fairway wood, you’re in luck.

We’ve tested numerous 7 Woods on some of the Best golf launch monitors and we have chosen some of the best options available. Although not all companies offer a 7 wood, there are some amazing options out there to help you hit straight shots and get the impressive distance.

Best 7 woods

Callaway Golf Epic Max Fairway Wood

The Callaway Epic Max Fairway Wood is a brand new option on the market and will help golfers get enhanced ball speed and forgiveness on off-center hits. Callaway has always been known for their wide range of fairway wood clubs in higher lofts, and we are glad they produced the Epic Max in the 7 wood loft.

The oversized head shape makes this a forgiving 7 wood choice. Artificial Intelligence has helped ensure that players are getting straighter shots and better turf interaction as well. The new Jailbreak technology makes the face of this club even hotter than before.

If you’re recreational golfer and have never had a 7 wood in your golf bag but you’d like to see what it can do for your game, the Epic Max is a great place to start.

Pros

• One of the best 7 wood options for golf ball speed
• It can be a good choice for  slower swing speeds
• Adjustable launch and spin

Cons

• Newer technology always comes at a higher price

TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Fairway

The TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Fairway is a great club if you are looking for distance out of a 7 wood. The SIM 2 Max has a brand new V Steel design to help improve turf interaction. In addition, you will see other TaylorMade technology like twist face technology and Thru Slot Speed Pocket that help with even more distance and speed.

One of the things golfers notice most about the SIM 2 Max fairway is that it can help increase confidence on long approach shots. The club is easy to hit with from the rough and the fairway and is available in a 21 or 24-degree loft.

Pros

• Great turf interaction on SIM 2 Max Fairway woods
• Impressive swing speed increases
• One of the best 7 wood options for distance
• High launch angle benefiting slow swingers

Cons

• Large clubhead style takes a bit to get used to

Cobra Golf Men’s Radspeed Fairway

The new Cobra Golf Radspeed Fairway woods have a brand new strategic weighting system to help increase speed and overall forgiveness in the clubhead. The new Hollow Split Rails technology means that you get more flex in the face of the 7 wood. As we have come to learn, it is this flex that gives golfers the distance they need on the golf course.

One of our favorite things about the new Radspeed series is that the 7 wood is so adjustable. Buy a standard loft, and then tweak this club to work specifically for your game.

Pros

• Carbon crown for reduced weighting
• Impressive ball speed for a 7 wood
• Adjustability is better than others on the market

Cons

• A larger club head style tends to be a better fit for the less experienced player

Callaway Mavrik 7 Wood

The great thing about the 7 wood is that it tends to be a good club selection for men, women, and senior golfers. The Callway Mavrik will be one of the best 7 wood choices when you need an alternative shaft to match your swing speed. Callaway allows for many different lightweight golf shaft options that improve off-center hits and increase the ball speed and average distance.

Like the Epic Speed line, all of the Mavrik clubs feature Artificial Intelligence technology and the overall Jailbreak functionality. The clean-looking leading edge provides plenty of launch. The club head is also adjustable to help you get the spin rates and ball flight that you need.

Pros

• Artificial intelligence technology
• Price has dropped since the initial release
• Easy to find in alternative golf shaft options

Cons

• Ball speed maybe a little faster on the new Epic series

Callaway Big Bertha B21 Fairway Wood

The Callaway Big Bertha B21 7 Wood is is one of the most forgiving fairway wood. If you have ever had any struggles with fairway woods, this should take them all away. The B21 is the easiest to launch of any of the Callaway fairway woods, and it will help with slices and overall distance technology.

If you need ball speed and forgiveness from tight fairways, the B21 is a great option to consider. Some golfers find that they keep reaching for this club to get them out of trouble, onto a green, or back in place after bad shots.

Pros

• Great turf interaction
• Technology built to preserve ball speed and distance
• Great looking fairway wood

Cons

• Not a great choice for a better player

Tour Edge Hot Launch E521 Fairway Wood

Tour Edge is known for its impressive forgiveness in golf clubs. If you want to hit straight shots with increased ball speed, look at the Hot Launch E521 7 Fairway wood. This is considered an extreme game improvement club to help the mid to high handicap golfer get the performance they need from the fairway.

The shallow face and offset design can help if you are trying to send a shot down a very tight fairway. One of our favorite things about the E521 fairway wood is that it has a very thin overall look to it. For the forgiveness that it provides, the overall size of the club head is going to surprise you.

The crown on the E521 is lightweight and helps the slower swinging player get some extra speed. Overall if you want a fairly priced smart addition to your long game, take a look at the E521 Fairway Wood.

Pros

• Offset technology
• Increased ball speed
• Fair pricing
• It works quite well from a fairway bunker

Cons

• Not much workability when trying to hit intentional draws and fades

Cleveland XL Halo Fairway Wood

If you want some of the newest technology on the market for hitting straighter shots with tons of distance, the new Cleveland XL Halo Fairway Wood is a great golf club to consider. Cleveland typically sits a few steps behind when it comes to ball speed, but the new XL Halo Fairway Wood helps bring them right back into the game.

The new Rebound Frame design gives the club a lower center of gravity. This helps to ensure great performance from the fairway but also from the tee box. Many golfers love to hit their 7 wood on a long par 3 or a golf course that has tight fairways.

The Cleveland XL Halo Fairway Wood makes a good choice for those with moderate swing speeds looking for extra forgiveness.

Pros

• Easy to launch
• Higher ball speed than other fairway woods from Cleveland
• Impressive MOI

Cons

• The newest option on the market may be hard to find one to try it

Callaway Women’s Steelhead XR Fairway Wood

Women golfers are even more likely than male golfers to put a forgiving and easy-to-hit 7 wood in the bag. With the 7 wood doing such a great job of replacing the long irons, it is good to take that 4 iron out of the bag and put the 7 wood in.

The Callaway Women’s Steelhead XR Fairway wood is known for its easy launch and faster ball speed technology. Women golfers tend to lack a bit in the club head speed department. Golf clubs are made lighter and with more jump off the face to help accommodate the female golfers.

Overall, this is a premium model offered at a very fair price for the female golfer.

Pros

• Made with high-end women’s graphite shaft
• Very easy ball flight
• Impressive modern looking design

Cons

• Not the newest model from Callaway

The Best 7 Wood To Carry Is…

Buyers guide

Hopefully, you now have a better idea of the 7 wood options available to you on the market. As we mentioned, not all of the Fairway woods offered on the market will come in the 7 wood loft. This is because a wide range of people choose to put a fairway wood in their bag instead of a 7 wood. Here are a few things to keep in mind when purchasing your next 7 wood.

Adjustability

Having some degree of adjustability in fairway woods is quite important. When you can adjust the larger head of the club to work better for your individual swing strengths and weaknesses, you will get better ball flight, more distance, and much more confidence in your overall golf game.

Not all 7 woods have adjustability; however, it is worth considering if you can find one. Most 7 woods are about 22 degrees, but you may find that 23 or 21 fits better with your specific player profile.

The only downside to adjustability is that it adds a bit of weight to the club, but this is not going to impact too many players. If adjustability isn’t important or you don’t like tinkering with your club, you can opt for a non-adjustable club model equipped with a stock shaft.

Golf shaft

The golf shaft you choose in your 7 wood will be a graphite shaft, and the flex should be the same as your irons. Although some golfers go to a stiffer shaft in their driver, most will keep things consistent with the 7 wood shaft. Fairway woods have a shorter shaft than drivers. This makes it a bit easier to swing and control, and should match rather closely to the irons in your golf set.

Pricing

The pricing of a 7 wood will range anywhere from around $150 to $300 or more. The higher-priced woods typically have adjustability and some of the new ball speed technology. A 7 wood is a valuable club that you will use from both the tee and the green. This is a club that makes sense to spend the money on as you will use it quite a bit throughout your round.

Frequently asked questions

Choosing a 7 wood from all the great options on the market can bring about quite a few questions. It makes sense to ask these questions before you purchase your club. Buying great fairway woods means you can have the technology that you need for the next 5-7 years without having to upgrade again.

Is a 7 wood better than a 4 hybrid?

A 7 wood is different than a 4 hybrid, but not necessarily better. Golfers that do well hitting irons should keep a hybrid in their bag; those that do well with fairway woods should save a spot for the 7 wood.

Overall, a 7 wood requires more of a sweeping type golf swing, where the hybrid requires you to compress the ball a bit more. Learning what type and level of player you are and what club you will hit best can take a bit of time and research.

Be sure to check out our post on 7 wood vs hybrid here.

What loft is a 7 wood?

A 7 wood is typically about 22 degrees of loft. The higher loft on the club makes it a very forgiving choice for most golfers. Some of the adjustable 7 woods will offer a range of loft from around 21 to 23 degrees. Overall the 7 wood is typically the highest lofted wood in a golfer’s bag.

Curious about loft? See our recent post on all the Degrees of loft on a golf club.

Can you hit a 7 wood from the rough?

A 7 wood is a great club to hit from the rough. Typically, fairway woods are not always the most forgiving when the ball is buried deep in rough, but with the 7 wood, you have enough loft to help you get out. Of course, it is smart to evaluate your lie and make sure that you can get out of it with a 7 wood, but for the most part, this is a good club choice from a first cut of rough.

If you are curious which club to hit out of the rough, or to take it your game to an even higher level, check out our recent post on picking the best Golf club for each shot. 

Thanks you for taking the time to visit AEC Info.  We invite you to check back often and let us know if there is a topic or swing tip you would like us to cover in future blog posts.