Golfdirt

Golf Course Magic With the 7-Iron

April 12, 2008 – 5:33 pm | by Golfdirt

By Ray L. Walberg

If you have seen Tin Cup, a popular movie starring Kevin Costner, you should understand how important the 7-Iron is to the game. To the golf player, the 7-Iron is often thought of as the perfect golf club.

With only a 7-Iron and a putter, a golfer could shoot par on nearly any golf course. Now, using a 7-Iron as a golf drive will not result in drives of 300 yards, but long drives are not what the 7-Iron was designed to do. However, depending on the golfer’s strength, a quality shot with a 7-Iron can still go anywhere from 175 to 225 yards.

Following the drive using a 7-Iron, the golfer then makes the approach shot. Depending on the hole’s length, the golfer may want a full swing or cut the swing somewhat to adjust for the distance the ball will travel. This, again, depends on the distance desired in combination with current weather conditions which may require the golfer to put the ball either behind or in front of his or her stance. Depending on the stance, this move will either keep the ball low or give it slightly more loft.

As the golfer comes onto the green, s/he can use the 7-Iron as a wedge to chip the ball onto the green and can also flip the ball onto the green by closing the stance and hitting the ball in the back of the stance. The golfer will, of course, want to shorten the swing. Otherwise, s/he will fly the green, resulting in a lost stroke and possibly a lost ball.

Once the ball is chipped back onto the green, there is really little use left for the 7-Iron unless the golfer wants to use it as a putter. In fact, this was done in Tin Cup, but certainly isn’t advisable for the average player.

On short, par 3 holes, the 7-Iron is ideal and often the best choice. S/he can tee the ball up and hit it from the front or back of the stance. Depending on the hole’s length, the ball can be teed up higher for less distance but more loft. Yes, it can feel somewhat awkward for both feet to be in front of the golf ball. But, this allows the ball to be hit with more control and higher while also preventing the golfer from having too much swing, and flying the green.

The truth is, a nicely hit 7-Iron is beautiful to watch as the ball soars through the air in a majestic arc following the intended flight path. It lands gently on the turf and brings the golfer a big smile and one step closer to a great end result to the game!

Ray Walberg is a technical writer and writer of Alicante Golf, covering golf courses in and golf trips to Alicante, Spain.