9 Wood vs 9 Iron – Which Club Is Better To Carry

So, you hit your woods well but struggle with your irons. Perhaps the answer is to simply switch the iron for the same numbered wood, could this help your game?

Unfortunately, it does not work this way with golf clubs – these clubs are very different in many ways. I will share everything that I’ve learned about the differences between the 9 wood and the 9 iron.

If you keep reading to the end I will help you to understand which one is better to carry for you to help improve your game.

What is a 9 Iron and 9 Wood?

9 wood and 9 iron differ in shaft flex, shaft length, loft, and weight. Due to its loft of 28°-29°, 9 wood offers a lesser spin on the ball.

Its shot has a mid-high trajectory with an average distance of 130-150 yards. A 9 iron offers better ball spin and control over the ball flight. Its loft varies between 41°-43°.

The average distance of 9 iron is 100-120 yards. A 9 wood is better in terms of distance and 9 iron is better in terms of controlled ball flight.

9 Wood vs 9 Iron – An Overview

A 9 wood has a longer shaft of 40 inches, usually graphite, with a bigger clubhead. Its loft varies between 28°-29°. A 9 wood covers an average distance of 130-150 yards.

Whereas a 9 iron predominantly has a steel shaft. Its length is 36 inches. It has a loft of 41°-43°. The average distance of a 9 iron is 100-120 yards.

The Main Differences Between A 9 Wood vs 9 Iron

9 wood and 9 iron differ in shaft flex, shaft length, loft, and weight. A 9 wood has a graphite shaft of 40 inches. In comparison with a 9 iron, a 9 wood offers a lesser spin on the ball.

Its loft varies between 28°-29°. A 9 iron has a steel shaft of 36 inches. It has a loft of 41°-43°. The average weight of a 9 wood is 360 grams, and the average weight of a 9 iron is 434 grams.

How Does the Loft Compare?

The loft of 9 wood varies between 28°-29°. The loft of a 9 iron varies between 41°-43°.

The ball flight changes due to these degrees change in the lofts of the two clubs, and if the ball is hit properly you’ll see a much higher ball flight on the 9-iron.

How do their distances compare?

A 9 wood covers an average distance of 130-150 yards. Whereas the average distance of a 9 iron is 100-120 yards.

This distance is based on a pure and solid contact of the club with the golf ball. Depending on your skill and experience you might not hit this distance each time.

Loft & Distance Comparison Table

To help see the differences between these two clubs I’ve put together a distance comparison table:

Club

Loft

Average Distance

9-Wood

28°-29°

130-150 Yards

9-Iron

41°-43°

100-120 Yards

When To Use A 9 Wood?

You would use a 9 wood to attack the pin from a shorter distance. It gives a reasonable distance of up to 150 yards with a good ball trajectory for approach shots.

It offers good backspin and reduced sidespin on the ball. This minimizes the chances of slices and hooks.

It is also useful in the semi-rough as the clubhead shape helps it cut through longer grass more easily. PGA professional Pete Styles also adds that the 9-wood is great for golfers who struggle with shanking their irons.

When To Use A 9 Iron?

The 9 iron is one of the best clubs for an approach shot. Its high loft provides the ball with a much higher trajectory. It generates a high spin on the ball. It is quite useful from the rough.

Additionally, it overcomes obstacles and hazards easily in the fairway and around the greens. If you’re like me you can also use the 9-iron from around the green to play bump and run chip shots.

This is harder to play with a 9-wood. The 9-iron is also easier to hit than the longer irons in your golf bag as referenced by Golfible in their 9-iron summary.

Which club is Better Off The Fairway?

Golf Irons

Where you have that important fairway approach shots to the green the 9 iron is better than the 9 wood.

The reason is that 9 irons have a higher loft, produce better ball spin, and its easier to control the ball flight. The average distance of a 9 iron is between 100 and 120 yards. Iron shots are easier to hit and more accurate than fairway wood shots.

What’s Better From The Rough?

Both the 9-iron and the 9-wood have their own merits.

As referenced by the Golf Storage Guide the 9 wood is a great choice when you are in semi-rough, but it does not help in very long grass and deep rough as the clubhead may get caught up and slowed down.

However, 9 iron is helpful in deep rough, wet areas, and long grass because of its higher loft. It also can cut through long grass due to the leading edge of the iron.

Which Club Is More Accurate?

Iron shots are easier to hit and more accurate than fairway wood shots. The 9 iron has a higher loft, optimum ball spin, and produces a controlled ball flight.

Its higher ball trajectory is useful around the greens as it can land softer on those tricky raised greens.

Which Club Is Easier To Hit

The 9 iron is easier to hit because of its short shaft length and higher loft. The setup and stance for the ball are straightforward.

Swing curvature is not complex. Furthermore, iron shots are easier to hit and more accurate than fairway wood shots.

Pros And Cons & Characteristics Of A 9 Iron Over A 5 Hybrid

9 Iron

A 9 iron offers better ball spin and control over the ball flight. Its loft varies between 41°-43°. The average distance of 9 iron is 100-120 yards.

Pros

  • High backspin
  • Better accuracy
  • Controlled ball flight
  • Easy to hit in semi-rough, long grass, and wet rough
  • High trajectory
  • Better feel

Cons

  • Less forgiving with any off-center shots

5 Hybrid

A 5 hybrid has a loft of 27°-32°. It covers an average distance of 170-200 yards. It was said by experienced Golfer Nick Lomas that the 5 Hybrid clubs can help with promoting consistency in your game.

Pros

  • Forgiving nature
  • Compatible with a low swing speed
  • Medium trajectory
  • Promotes consistency

Cons

  • Less feel of the shot
  • A slight change in swing technique (Hybrid swing of wood and iron)

Pros And Cons & Characteristics Of A 9 Wood Over A 7 Wood

Both fairway woods have slight differences in their shaft material, length, loft, and weight.

9 Wood

A 9 wood offers a good spin on the ball. Its shot has a mid-high trajectory with an average distance of 130-150 yards.

Pros

  • Shot accuracy
  • Optimal spin
  • Consistent approach shots around the greens.

Cons

  • Beginner’s club and less feel for experienced golfers.

7 Wood

A 7 wood covers a farther distance than a 9 wood. It has good performance around semi-rough. Its loft is between 21°-25°. It covers an average distance of 170-200 yards. Jonathan Wall on golf.com wrote about how the 7-wood could be a great choice for golfers of all abilities.

Pros

  • Forgiving nature
  • Compatible with a low swing speed
  • Medium trajectory

Cons

  • Less spin if compared with 9-wood
  • Might cause problems with swing curvature

What’s The Difference In Shaft Length

The shaft length of a 9 wood is 39-40 inches and the shaft length of a 7 wood is 40-41 inches.

Which Is Easiest To Hit?

Typically a 9 wood is easier to hit because it has a shorter shaft length and higher loft degree than 7 wood. It has a mid-high trajectory with an average distance of 130-150 yards.

The 9 wood is also a good choice around the green as it can be helpful for chip and run shots, but it would be very rare for professional golfers to carry this club.

Popular YouTube golf content creator James Robinson reviews the 9-wood in this video:

What Gives Most Accuracy, Feel, and Control?

Shorter shaft lengths and higher lofts are always easier to hit, therefore they can be better for accuracy and control. Out of the two fairway woods, the 9 wood offers better accuracy and higher ball spin making it better on the greens.

Top Choice for 9-Iron

TaylorMade SIM 2 and the Callaway Strata irons are the top choices for average or beginner golfers. They are designed with modern technology with an incredibly forgiving nature, and so helping those off-center shots get closer to the target.

Pros

  • Solid Feel
  • Higher launch angle and trajectory
  • Better accuracy
  • Forgiving nature
  • Compatible with a mid-low swing speed

Cons

  • It has a low spinning profile and is harder to control around the greens
  • TaylorMade could be expensive for newer golfers

Top Choice for 9-Wood

TaylorMade M6 and Callaway Mavrik Max 9 wood are the top choices for high handicap golfers. They all have higher launch angles promoting softer landings. The Mavrik Max has a very forgiving clubface helping off-center shots.

Pros

  • Large sweet spot for off-center shots
  • Higher launch helps promote ball flight
  • Clubface technology promotes better distance

Cons

  • Ideally, these are suited to golfers with higher swing speeds.
  • Minimal roll might cause problems if looking for longer distances.

Conclusion

Golf Iron Hit

So, the 9-iron and the 9-wood are very different golf clubs. They have different lofts and shaft lengths. They are also designed to be used in different ways.

Just because they have the same number doesn’t mean they have the same function. This is different from the way that hybrid clubs work, with these the number in front of the hybrid does correspond with the iron.

Therefore, a 9-iron is comparable with a 9-hybrid. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the different ways that these two clubs can be used, and hopefully they have shown you which one would be most suited to your game.

If you are looking to continue learning and improving your golf why not check out our other article on the inside-out golf swing and how it can help you strike the ball better every time.