7 Iron Golf Club Info – How to Hit a 7 Iron

Last Updated on February 3, 2024 by Matt Greene

For most of us, the 7 iron is the club we reach for when we need a confident, comfortable swing.

But what are the lofts, launch angles, distances and lengths of 7 irons in the modern golf bag?

Does your 7 iron meet the standards?

I've crunched the numbers for you. The average male golfer hits his 7 iron a total distance of 138 yards.

Why do you hit your 7 iron longer or shorter than 138 yards? Let's get into the reasons why and how to increase your accuracy and distance with a 7 iron.

What is a 7 Iron?

A 7 iron is a mid-iron golf club with a loft between 29-33 degrees. The 7 iron remains one of the easiest club to hit, and is the first club used in fittings and lessons with professionals to assess your swing.

The 7 iron's moderate length and medium loft makes it easy to hit airborne with decent distance for most golfers. 

What is a 7 iron used for?

A 7 iron is used for 6 main purposes:

1. Approach shots from 120-170 yards
2. Punch shots out of the trees
3. Chipping bump and run chips close to the ground
4. Fairway bunker shots
5. Assessing your swing at a lesson with a pro
6. Fitting your new iron set with a club fitter

Standard 7 iron length

The standard 7 iron length with a steel shaft is 37 inches while a 7 iron with a graphite shaft has a standard length of 37.5 inches. These 7 iron lengths work for golfers ranging in height from 5 foot 9 to 6 foot.  

How to hit a 7 iron

There are 7 keys to hitting a 7 iron well:

1. Start with a forgiving cavity back 7 iron - it is the easiest to hit style of iron head.
2. Play the ball between your front big toe and the middle of your stance.
3. 60% of your weight should be on your front leg.
4. Your hands should be ahead of the golf ball at address position.
5. You must hit down on the ball, not scooping it up.
6. Take a practice swing where you graze the grass lightly feeling the club bounce off the ground to get ready for the shot.
7. Try and leave a scuff mark the size of a dollar bill after the ball on your shot.

Ideal 7 iron launch angle numbers

Ideal 7 iron launch angle degrees range from 16 to 19 degrees for a fast swing speed to 17 to 21 degrees for a moderate swing speed. 

7 iron apex height explained

The apex height of a 7 iron is the maximum height the ball reaches above the ground. The ideal number will vary based on swing speed. 

The apex height will determine the angle of descent into the target. The angle of descent into the target is the angle the ball falls from the apex height into the target relative to the flat ground. 

Soften the apex height and angle of descent can negate the need for spin in order to stop the golf ball. If you combine a steeper angle of descent and higher apex height with a lot of backspin, that is when the ball rips back 20 feet or more for that cool back spin look. 

How far should a 7 iron go?

You may ask: How far should I hit my 7 iron? A 7 iron should go between 100 yards for a beginner and 200 yards for a professional on the PGA Tour. The average recreational golfers hits a 7 iron around 135 to 140 yards. The distance depends on the loft of the club and the swing speed. 

7 Iron Distance - Averages by Skill

• Beginner male golfers - 100 yards
• Male Mid handicappers - 135 yards
• Male Low handicappers - 165 yards
• PGA Tour Players - 172 yards

Average club head speed with a 7 iron

The average club head speed for a 7 iron for most male amateurs is 70 mph with a resulting carry of 135 yards.

The club head speed of your 7 iron depends on:

• Your strength levels
• Your swing mechanic efficiency
• The golf ball you use
• Your mobility
• The weight of the club in relation ot your swing characteristics
• The weight of the shaft
• The shaft material
• The type of head - cavity back, game improvement, blade

Matching 7 Iron Swing Speed to Shaft Flex

If you swing at 75 mph to 85 mph with a 7 iron, you will fit into a regular shaft most of the time seamlessly.

You can roughly match your swing speed to your shaft flex but always remember to check with a fitter because your transition and tempo may require a different shaft. 

7 Iron Distance Matched to Shaft Flex

The ideal smash factor for a 7 iron is 1.33 so we use 1.33 as a way to standardize all the numbers in the chart below. Remember that you will not hit every shot well and mor ethan likely will hit most shots with lower smash factor than 1.33. 

The chart shows rough estimates for distances matching to shaft flex with a 7 iron.

What swing speed with a 7 iron hits 150 yards?

A swing speed of 80 mph with a 7 iron will achieve 150 yards in distance. 

If you have a lower lofted 7 iron, your swing speed can be lower to hit 150 yards. If your loft is higher, you need more swing speed to hit 150 yards.

Average 7 iron Club Head Speed of PGA Tour Players

The PGA Tour players average club head speed with a 7 iron is 90 mph. That may not sound impressive but their priority is accuracy and consistent distances so there is no reason for them to smash the golf ball.

If they wanted to, PGA Tour pros could smash a 7 iron with 100 mph swing speed, but they don't need to. It doesn't serve any purpose for them because their swing is crafted to hit specific distances on command to hit the ball close to the hole, not as far as possible. 

PGA Tour professional male golfers hit their 7 iron 172 yards.

Professional ladies on the LPGA hit their 7 iron 141 yards.

Source: Trackman

7 iron distance averages on the PGA Tour

The average 7 iron distance on the PGA Tour is 172 yards of carry. Some PGA Tour pros average much higher like Rory McIlroy who hits his 7 iron 195 yards but the emphasis on the PGA Tour is to control consistent distances, not hitting long distances. 

Ideal trackman numbers for 7 iron

The ideal Trackman numbers for a 7 iron are:

• Attack Angle: -4.3°
• Smash factor: 1.33
• Launch angle: 16.3°
• Spin rate: 7,000 rpm
• Maximum Height: 32 yards
• Landing Angle: 50°

Source: Trackman

What happens hitting 105 mph ball speed with a 7 iron?

At 105 mph swing speed with a 7 iron, the ball will carry 215-220 yards depending on the smash factor of the shot. 105 mph with a 7 iron is very rare and mostly not necessary.

I tried to hit the ball as hard as I could with a 7 iron in this video on my Golf Sidekick Extras channel. 

I found that at 102 mph, the ball flies 207 yards, rolling out to 215 yards with a smash factor of 1.39. 

Ideal 7 iron back spin rates

The ideal 7 iron back spin rate for a fast swing is between 6,500 rpm and 7,000 rpm. Multiplying 1,000 by the number stamped on the bottom of the club can give you a rough guide to ideal spin, though most golfers produce 500-1,000 rpm lower than this calculation.  

7 Iron Ball Speed Chart

7 iron ball speed depends on swing speed, and smash factor. If you strike the ball well, the smash factor increases and so does ball speed. The opposite happens when you strike the ball poorly. 

The average swing speed of the average male golfer is 70 mph and ball speed of 95 mph, resulting in a carry of around 135 yards with a 7 iron.

7 iron bump and run guide

You can use a 7 iron to chip a golf ball close to the ground. Here's how:

1. I recommend that for every 1 yard of carry on a 7 iron bump and run, your ball will roll out 5 or 6 yards.
2. Judge if you can carry the ball onto the front of the green and have enough space between that spot and the pin to allow the ball to roll up. 
3. Read the break of the green because your ball will roll like a putt so it will take the break of the green. 
4. Narrow your golf stance and put more weight on your front leg.
5. Stand close to the golf ball in the same stance as a putt, raising the 7 iron more up on its toe. Yes, raise the handle like you're putting. 
6. Grip near the top of the grip - do not grip down. 
7. Pick a landing spot a few feet onto the green. The ball will roll out.
8. Use your putting stroke to chip the ball off the toe of the 7 iron onto your chosen spot. Imagine you are putting and be aggressive.

Here is a video on how to do the toe down chipping described above:

You need a lot of space between your landing spot on the green and the hole. Your ball will roll out. Use this video from my Youtube channel to understand roll out with the Rule of 12:

Final thoughts on the 7 iron

The 7 iron remains the favorite in the golf bag for millions including Tin Cup, Roy McAvoy.

He parred the back nine of a qualifying round for the US Open.

You can too if you learn from this article, and use your 7 iron to the maximum capacity as an all-round versatile golf club.