There has never been a shortage of options at the top of the bag. Hybrids, utility irons, fairway woods, and 7-woods and 9-woods are replacing the traditional long iron. Some professionals are even using 7- and 9-woods. The usual explanation…
A MyGolfSpy study analyzing testing data from 2017 to 2026 found that swing speed issues with long irons stem from distance gapping rather than poor strike quality. Evaluating 495 tester-years, the study revealed that smash factor and strike consistency do not degrade with slower speeds, but distance separation between a 5-iron and 7-iron shrinks as swing speed decreases.
The distance gap between a 5-iron and 7-iron narrows by an average of 0.39 yards per lost mph of swing speed. Golfers swinging a 7-iron under 75 mph (roughly 90 mph driver speed) risk duplicating club yardages, with 42 percent of players swinging under 70 mph having less than a 10-yard gap, making hybrids or fairway woods better alternatives.
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