5 Wood vs 5 Iron – Which Club Is Better To Carry

5 Wood vs 5 Iron – Which Club Is Better To Carry

If you are new to golf and looking to buy your first set of clubs, you might look at the numbers of the irons and woods and think that they are completely interchangeable – that the 5 wood and the 5 iron perform the same and have similar characteristics.

Unfortunately, this is not the case, and they are very different clubs, and have very different functions and uses. If you get this wrong on the course you could find yourself in some serious trouble on the course, shooting some very high scores!

Well don’t worry, I’m here to help and I’ll explain everything you need to know about these clubs, when to use them, and which golfer they are best suited to.

What are the differences between a 5 wood and a 5 iron?

The 5 wood and 5 iron differ in shaft flex, shaft length, loft, and weight. Due to its loft, the 5 wood offers less spin on the ball. Its shot has a medium trajectory with a longer distance.

A 5 iron offers better ball spin and control over the flight, it has a higher loft and promotes a higher trajectory than a 5 wood. The 5 wood is better in terms of distance and 5 iron is better in terms of controlled ball flight.

Golf bidder has explained the differences well on their YouTube channel here which is worth a watch:

5 Wood vs 5 Iron – An Overview

A 5 wood has a longer graphite shaft with a bigger clubhead. Its loft varies between 20°-22°. A 5 wood covers an average distance of 190-210 yards.

Whereas a 5 iron generally has a steel shaft. Its length is shorter with a slightly smaller clubhead. It has a loft of 26°-28° as detailed in an article by Golf Span. The average distance of a 5 iron is 160-180 yards.

If you’re interested in finding out more about golf, the Golf Monthly reader forums have some excellent debates. They discussed these two clubs in a recent post.

How do the lofts compare – 5 wood vs 5 iron?

The loft of 5 wood varies between 20°-22°. The loft of a 5 iron varies between 26°-27°. The ball flight changes due to this gap in the lofts of the two clubs. Meaning the spin, distance, and trajectory of the ball will be very different.

Distance Comparison

A 5 wood covers an average distance of 190-210 yards for mid to long hitters as referenced in Golf Link. Whereas the average distance of a 5 iron is 160-180 yards.

This distance is subject to the pure and solid contact of the club with the golf ball, with beginner or less experienced golfers hitting the ball a shorter distance than more experienced players.

Loft & Distance Comparison Table

Club	Loft	Average Distance
5 Wood	20°-22°	190-210 Yards
5 Iron	26°-28°	160-180 Yards

When do I Use A 5 Wood

The best time to use a 5 wood is from the fairway or in the semi-rough. It’s easy to hit off the deck, and can also be used off the tee for longer par 3’s.

When playing shorter par 4’s, some golfers use a 5 wood from the tee box if they want to have greater accuracy over the ball position on the fairway. Low handicap golfers use it on par 5’s to hit greens in regulations in two shots looking for those eagle opportunities. Higher handicap golfers also use the 5 wood on long par 4’s where they might struggle to hit greens in regulations in 2 shots.

Given that when the ball is hit properly, it covers an average distance of 190-210 yards this club is perfect for all of these uses.

When do I Use A 5 Iron

The best time to use a 5 iron is generally from the fairway, in the rough it can be a little harder if the grass is longer, the other best place to use the 5 iron is from the tee box when playing par 3’s. It covers an average distance of 160-180 yards.

5 iron is used for medium trajectory-controlled approach shots. It offers a better ball spin around the greens. This club is appropriate for shorter par 4’s and longer par 3’s.

What’s Better Off The Fairway

If you are looking to hit the ball a longer distance, with a mid-low trajectory ball flight, then the 5 wood is the best option. However, if the aim is to have a more controlled ball flight, with a shorter distance, and being able to land the ball more easily onto the green then the 5 iron is a better option.

Today’s Golfer highlighted these benefits in an article and emphasized the benefits of the 5 iron in being able to control the ball better onto the green from distance.

What’s Better From The Rough

If your golf ball is in the semi-rough or 1st cut grass, both clubs are good to use. However, the higher loft of the 5 iron is a better option in deep rough, wet areas, and long grass because the leading edge makes it easier to cut through this longer grass from distance.

If the rough is not too heavy, and you need to hit the ball a longer distance then the 5 wood will provide better results.

Which Club Is More Accurate?

Both clubs are accurate and useful, obviously depending on your skill level with the golf club. Higher handicap and less experienced golfers lack accuracy but can’t always blame the club!

Generally, the shorter the shaft length of a club, the easier it is to control the direction of the ball. Therefore, to have a controlled ball flight with accuracy the 5 iron is more accurate.

Which Club Is Easier To Hit Well

The design and technology used in the modern fairway woods mean that they are very easy to hit. Even for beginner golfers. These clubs have a larger head that helps maintain good balance when swinging through the ball.

The sweet spot on the 5 wood is also generally larger, and these clubs are usually more forgiving with off-center shots. The 5 wood is easier to hit than an iron.

Pros And Cons – 5 Iron vs 5 Hybrid

5 Iron

A 5 iron is a shorter club, usually part of a set and has a loft of 26°-27°, and covers an average distance of 160-180 yards.

Pros

• Controlled ball flight
• Better roll of the ball
• Useful in semi-rough and wet rough
• Mid-low trajectory
• Better feel due to shorter shaft length

Cons

• Longer irons can sometimes be harder for newer golfers to hit well.

5 Hybrid

A 5 hybrid can be used in place of the 5 iron, is usually bought separate from the main set, and has a loft of 27°-32°. It covers an average distance of 170-200 yards. It also has a slightly longer shaft length than the 5 iron.

Pros

• Forgiving nature
• Better ball flight
• Compatible with a low swing speed
• Better ball spin
• Good in thick rough to rescue poor shots
• High trajectory

Cons

• Less feel of the shot due to the longer shaft
• A slight change in swing technique compared to an iron, hitting through the ball not down.

Pros And Cons – 5 Wood vs 3 Wood

5 Wood

The 5 wood can be bought as a set of woods with a driver, or on their own. It has a longer graphite shaft with a bigger clubhead. Its loft varies between 20°-22°. The average distance of a 5 wood is 190-210 yards.

Pros

• Longer distance coverage
• Good in semi-rough
• Better approach shots
• Hit frequent greens in regulations
• Better spin
• Forgiving for off-center shots

Cons

• Harder from the deep rough
• Not ideal for golfers with a low swing speed
• Average golfers may struggle with longer woods.

3 Wood

The 3 wood which can also be bought in a set of matching woods or on their own has a slightly longer shaft than 5 wood. Its loft varies between 13.5°-16.5°. The average distance of a 3 wood is 200-235 yards.

Pros

• Great option off the tee box
• Longer distance
• Technology in the clubhead leads to more consistent shots
• Recommended for high swing speed

Cons

• Poor performance in the rough due to clubhead size
• Low ball spin and hard to stop on the green.

What’s The Difference In Shaft Length

There is no fixed length of shafts in fairway woods, although they will generally step up in length with the 3 wood the longest, and each wood getting shorter as the number gets higher.

Therefore, the 5 wood has a shaft length between 41-42 inches whereas the average length of a 3-wood shaft varies between 43-45 inches.

What is the easiest fairway wood to hit?

When comparing the 3 wood and the 5 wood, the 5 wood is easier to hit than 3 wood. It has a shorter shaft making it easier to control, and a slightly higher loft than 3 wood making it easier to get the ball airborne.

However, the difference between the distance covered by the 5 wood will be much shorter, by around 15-20 yards.

What Fairway Wood Gives Most Accuracy, Feel And Control?

In the comparison of the 3 wood and 5 wood, the 5 wood has better accuracy, feel and control than 3 wood. The shorter shaft and slightly higher loft than 3 wood and can give good confidence to the golfer when preparing their shot.

The 5 wood also generates less side spin which reduces the chances of hooks and slices. This means you can get better control with the 5 wood.

Top 5 Iron for high handicappers:

The Titleist T series, particularly T400 or the TaylorMade Stealth 5 iron are among the best for mid-high handicappers. There are several reasons why these would be the best choice and I’ve listed them below:

Pros

• Longer distance
• Forgiving due to larger sweet spot
• Better control and feel
• Accuracy due to off-center shots not being punished through club design.
• Good for golfers with a mid-high swing speed

Cons

• Not great if you have a very low swing speed
• Low spinning profile means control onto the greens is harder.

Top 5 Wood for High Handicappers:

The Cleveland Launcher Turbo and the Callaway Mavrik Max series have the best fairway woods. These are both very forgiving 5 woods that will help an average golfer’s game:

Pros

• Higher launch angle
• Higher ball speed
• Forgiving clubface
• Suitable for golfers with a slow swing speed

Cons

• Non-adjustable clubheads
• Low spinning profile meaning controlling onto the green is difficult
• Difficult to shape the ball for better golfers.

So, if you were thinking of upgrading your clubs, or buying your first set hopefully this article has helped you understand the main differences between these clubs.

The 5 wood and the 5 iron are not interchangeable. The 5 iron, which is usually part of a set is a long iron and can only be switched out for a 5 hybrid if you find the iron hard to hit. However, the 5 wood is a very different club from the iron and the hybrid, it is a much longer club, with a larger clubhead, and the ball travels much further when hit.

You can have each of these clubs in your bag at the same time but the 5 wood and the 5 iron are used in very different situations. If you’re looking to further improve your game, why don’t you check out some of our other articles.