9 wood curiosity

[gibsonsg4]

Thinking about swapping over to a 9 wood in a replacement slot for a 4 iron - anyone have experience doing this and the setup needed to match the gapping?

 

curious on it to help with longer 200-205 yard shots into long par 4’s/3’s and short par 5’s - but not sure if it will typically go further than a 4 and leave a gap to 5 iron

 

as a left hander seems my only options are a g440 and GT1 

[GolferTodd]

I would suggest getting a fitting. Bring your 4 iron and compare the data between the 9 wood and the 4 iron. Also can get fitted for the right shaft, Im assuming high launch is what your seeking for soft landings on greens. 

[SwingBlade]

7 minutes ago, GolferTodd said:

I would suggest getting a fitting. Bring your 4 iron and compare the data between the 9 wood and the 4 iron. Also can get fitted for the right shaft, Im assuming high launch is what your seeking for soft landings on greens. 

Ditto...

 

Would only add that I was quite surprised at how long, accurate, and utterly forgiving the 440 9W is with the Chrome 2.0 75 S.  
 

For me it's between the 4i & 5i depending on gripping down.  It's a question of lower flight vs higher flight and less runout.  

[eric61]

1 hour ago, SwingBlade said:

Ditto...

 

Would only add that I was quite surprised at how long, accurate, and utterly forgiving the 440 9W is with the Chrome 2.0 75 S.  
 

For me it's between the 4i & 5i depending on gripping down.  It's a question of lower flight vs higher flight and less runout.  

I see you're going 4W, 7W, 9W. Are you playing all of those at their stock lengths and lofts -- or how are you doing them? And what's the gapping look like? 

[Mr.Peabody]

3 hours ago, gibsonsg4 said:

Thinking about swapping over to a 9 wood in a replacement slot for a 4 iron - anyone have experience doing this and the setup needed to match the gapping?

 

curious on it to help with longer 200-205 yard shots into long par 4’s/3’s and short par 5’s - but not sure if it will typically go further than a 4 and leave a gap to 5 iron

 

as a left hander seems my only options are a g440 and GT1 

 

PXG makes a left handed 9W.  I am right handed, but the PXG Black Ops 9W is what I play.  To me there is nothing else in my bag that flies like the 9W.  So even if a different club goes a similar distance, it is with a completely different ball flight.  I smile whenever I get myself in range to use my 9W.

[alittleoverpar]

I carry a 25 degree fairway.  It has 11 on it so I guess it's an 11 wood, but the loft is in the same range as a 9 wood.  I deal with the gaps in the upper part of my bag by gripping down on my other fairways to take off distance.  The high lofted fairway is a real weapon.  For those of you who haven't tried one I suggest you do.  I was buried in 3 inch rough this last weekend, 185 yards out on a short par 5.  I just took a normal swing with my 11 wood and popped the ball right out.  It landed on the green like a wedge.  There is no way I could have hit that shot with any other club.

 

[Erik_A]

You could potentially adjust shaft length to dial in your distance.  

[stratgolf]

14 hours ago, gibsonsg4 said:

Thinking about swapping over to a 9 wood in a replacement slot for a 4 iron - anyone have experience doing this and the setup needed to match the gapping?

 

curious on it to help with longer 200-205 yard shots into long par 4’s/3’s and short par 5’s - but not sure if it will typically go further than a 4 and leave a gap to 5 iron

 

as a left hander seems my only options are a g440 and GT1 

 

Don't hate the idea, but suggest you get fit to work out whether it will carry long enough to fill that spot in your bag. You may end up needing a 7 wood instead.

[SwingBlade]

11 hours ago, eric61 said:

I see you're going 4W, 7W, 9W. Are you playing all of those at their stock lengths and lofts -- or how are you doing them? And what's the gapping look like? 

With the Chrome 2.0 75S I believe they come 1/2" below standard length.  Use Standard lofts, except I set the 4W to 5W with the hosel depending on the course.  Gaps are about 15 and Adjust by gripping down 1" to 2". They are so easy to launch I'm still kinda amazed.  

[Streuner]

it comes down to gapping and targetory. 9woods are giving the ball a very high curvature, nice if you want it to stop on a certain spot, bad as soon as there is some kind of wind. sure, the shaft will have an influence, but this will need a fitting even more. 

[aquapig]

My set up is 4w, 7w, 9w, 5i...

 

Gaps work well for me. 9 wood replaced my 200-205 yard 4i...7 w goes 215-220. 

 

I hear a lot of folks talk about how if there is any wind at all, then 9w is a no go. I'm a high ball hitter and I can definitely hit my 9 wood high into long par 3s and par 5s, but Ive also learned flight it down when needed. I play in Florida and it's often blowing on my course. Never much of an issue with the 9w.

[NZ315]

Same setup as @aquapig works well for me too. Never could get along with hybrids 

[huskerturf]

Patiently/impatiently waiting on one I ordered last week.  Figure it’s a fun experiment.  I have a 4 wood that is maybe 240-ish and a 7-wood that is 220-ish.  I figure if this gives me 200-ish then it’s cool.  I like hitting the ball high and found the 7-wood to be so much easier than hitting a 3-iron.  If this replaces the 4, I’m happy because I’m not practicing enough (and I’m getting older) to really maximize those clubs any more.  Why make things harder?

[Urb]

TSR1 or GT1 hybrid.  They look and play like a compact, slightly tall fwy.  They launch a little lower, so more controllable.

 

I don't like the mega floaty ball flight from 7 woods.

[shart6]

On 6/23/2025 at 9:34 AM, gibsonsg4 said:

Thinking about swapping over to a 9 wood in a replacement slot for a 4 iron - anyone have experience doing this and the setup needed to match the gapping?

 

curious on it to help with longer 200-205 yard shots into long par 4’s/3’s and short par 5’s - but not sure if it will typically go further than a 4 and leave a gap to 5 iron

 

as a left hander seems my only options are a g440 and GT1 

 

As I’ve aged and lost a little clubhead speed, my 4 iron lost some height. I put a 9 wood in the bag and got the height back. It goes 180 and so far no gap problems with the 5 iron.

[Tinkerer]

Alternate option might be a 5H, a 180 yard option that fits that same gap for me

[crichm]

Lefty here.  On a whim, I bought a barely used ladies tsr1 9w and put in a tensei 75 white stiff after seeing a few posts here with guys using heavier shafts on that model with success. I've had 3 rounds with it and it is becoming my favorite club from 200-205... launches high without ballooning, lands soft and gets through the rough better than a 4/5 iron or hybrid, IMO. 

 

I have been a hybrid guy for many years. But, I am now trying figure out how to rework that end of the bag around this club because I like it that much... Good luck. 

[bluedot]

On 6/23/2025 at 12:34 PM, gibsonsg4 said:

Thinking about swapping over to a 9 wood in a replacement slot for a 4 iron - anyone have experience doing this and the setup needed to match the gapping?

 

curious on it to help with longer 200-205 yard shots into long par 4’s/3’s and short par 5’s - but not sure if it will typically go further than a 4 and leave a gap to 5 iron

 

as a left hander seems my only options are a g440 and GT1 

100% you need to get on a monitor.  If I had to bet, I’d bet that a 9 wood would replace your 5i, but that’s based on MY experience.  FWIW, I also replaced my 4 hybrid with a 7 wood; it’s been a long, long time since I carried a 4 iron!

 

I haven’t hit the GT1, but my 7 and 9 woods are G440, and they are great clubs.  I’m as confident with the 7 wood as I am with any club in the bag; really, really useful club.  And hitting the 9 wood out of a fairway bunker is crazy easy.  

[mshills]

On 6/23/2025 at 12:34 PM, gibsonsg4 said:

Thinking about swapping over to a 9 wood in a replacement slot for a 4 iron - anyone have experience doing this and the setup needed to match the gapping?

 

curious on it to help with longer 200-205 yard shots into long par 4’s/3’s and short par 5’s - but not sure if it will typically go further than a 4 and leave a gap to 5 iron

 

as a left hander seems my only options are a g440 and GT1 

I don’t hit it as far as you do, but here is my setup after driver:

5w G425 Max

7w G425 Max

9w G430 HL

6h G440

7i on down G440

 

The 9w is my favorite club in the bag (other than driver.) I am an adaptive player, and I can hit shots with the 9w that remind me of shots I used to hit before I got injured. From 💩 lies in the rough, from fairway bunkers, and our #11 par 3 over water, it’s just tremendous. 
 

I wouldn’t add one blind though — get a brief fitting not to choose the head (I’d be all over the G440 but I am a world class Ping Ho) but to get the shaft length and hosel set for the right gapping. A stronger player has a lot of options here — a 9w on a stout FW wood shaft is a sweet setup.  Good luck!

[Kmac]

The 9w intrigues me as well. I have not had a 4i in the bag for a long time, usually it was a hybrid till I started getting hooky with them. Added a 7w this year and easily is my favorite and best club now. The 5H could easily get taken out by a 9w but its so hard to find one without a really soft shaft so then I have order one and risk someone seeing it, lol

[bluedot]

18 hours ago, Kmac said:

The 9w intrigues me as well. I have not had a 4i in the bag for a long time, usually it was a hybrid till I started getting hooky with them. Added a 7w this year and easily is my favorite and best club now. The 5H could easily get taken out by a 9w but its so hard to find one without a really soft shaft so then I have order one and risk someone seeing it, lol

A. I wouldn’t worry too much about the 9w being seen; they’re showing in bags of Tour players now, and good players know that.  And who cares what chops think?

 

B. If you like your 7w, you’ll love a 9w.  As to the shaft, the Ping stock shafts are really good; I’d be surprised if you found an S to be too soft.

[DJDJ]

My lowest iron is a 6. My 9 wood can go between 180-195 and I can get it into low earth orbit. It lands like a pitching wedge from 190. It’s so much more effective for me at holding greens than an4i and 5i. Also on our hardest hole I usually have 180 in over a giant tree. I had no chance with a long iron of clearing the tree and holding the green. Now, no problem 

[mshills]

24 minutes ago, bluedot said:

A. I wouldn’t worry too much about the 9w being seen; they’re showing in bags of Tour players now, and good players know that.  And who cares what chops think?

I think his concern is the same as mine — no problem once it’s in the bag, but how do you go all incognito on the delivery to the house? 😏😎

[DJDJ]

7 hours ago, mshills said:

I think his concern is the same as mine — no problem once it’s in the bag, but how do you go all incognito on the delivery to the house? 😏😎

What is this your first day as a human? Get it delivered to the office 

[CozBMB]

I started using a 9w this year and love it.  I’m a 4 index, 110-115 driver swing speed, and the 9w for me is so much better from the rough than my 4 iron was.  I go from a 27 degree 5 iron to 24 degree G430 9w with RDX Red X flex shaft.  With no wind it’s about a 210 carry.  Nice thing vs a 4 iron is that it lands at such a steep angle the total distance is close to the carry distance.  I was getting too much roll with the 4 iron.  I’d say if you use your 4 iron off the tee a lot and want rollout then 9w might not be a great replacement, but if you’re like me and want it for approach shots into the green it’s a better option.  My opinion but that’s been my experience so far this season.  

[Kmac]

8 hours ago, bluedot said:

A. I wouldn’t worry too much about the 9w being seen; they’re showing in bags of Tour players now, and good players know that.  And who cares what chops think?

 

B. If you like your 7w, you’ll love a 9w.  As to the shaft, the Ping stock shafts are really good; I’d be surprised if you found an S to be too soft.

Yeah like below, for A its not the being in the bag part, I dont care what the other wankers think. And for B its when I want one, I want it now and all the 9w's in stores have senior flex shafts in them. My 7w was the only one any of the stores in the area had with a stiff shaft. And I do love it.

7 hours ago, mshills said:

I think his concern is the same as mine — no problem once it’s in the bag, but how do you go all incognito on the delivery to the house? 😏😎

 

54 minutes ago, DJDJ said:

What is this your first day as a human? Get it delivered to the office 

That really isnt an option or I would. I've done that before when it was more feasible. So that leaves "oh I had that one already"

[bluedot]

11 minutes ago, Kmac said:

Yeah like below, for A its not the being in the bag part, I dont care what the other wankers think. And for B its when I want one, I want it now and all the 9w's in stores have senior flex shafts in them. My 7w was the only one any of the stores in the area had with a stiff shaft. And I do love it.

 

That really isnt an option or I would. I've done that before when it was more feasible. So that leaves "oh I had that one already"

Whenever possible, I order clubs through the pro shop at my club; they are delivered there, so stealth mode is in effect.  If that’s not possible, I have them shipped to a nearby pack-and-ship place that charges me $10 for the service.  Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES do I have golf clubs delivered to the house!

[Kmac]

1 minute ago, bluedot said:

Whenever possible, I order clubs through the pro shop at my club; they are delivered there, so stealth mode is in effect.  If that’s not possible, I have them shipped to a nearby pack-and-ship place that charges me $10 for the service.  Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES do I have golf clubs delivered to the house!

Last part made me LOL. 

 

I'm new to the club this year so I keep forgetting about that option. I might do a 9w from the club that just shows up there one day AND I just remembered Callaway is there this weekend. 

[jarediogolf]

I’m currently playing a 22.5* Cobra F7 7 wood (labeled as a ladies 5-6 wood) got an X-stiff shaft in there.  
Came across this ladies 7-9 wood the other day and it’s on the way. Already have an x-stiff Kuro Kage Silver with cobra adapter in the closet ready for it. Didn’t know this existed!

Might adjust them down to play 21.5* and 24.5*. 

[Built4Muni]

Have the G440 9 wood (24*)and it’s pretty great. Play it with the 425 7 wood at (20.5) and the 4 wood at (17). After the 9 wood I go 6H turned down to (28.5*) then 6i on down. Pretty versatile and works well for the course I play all the time.