4 Wood Vs 3 Wood Distance (Best Club Explained)

What is a 4 Wood Golf Club?

The 4-wood is a golf club that has 16 degrees of loft. A 4 wood is not as popular as the 3 wood and 5 wood, but still has a lot of features that can boost your golf game.

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Compared to the 3 wood which has a loft of 13 degrees, the 4-wood club has a higher loft of 16 degrees.

The higher degree of loft on the 4 Wood makes it swinging easier and also and adds more height to the golf ball.

The 4 wood together with 7 wood can be used to replace your old driver 3,5,and 7 wood. This gives you more space for adding another hybrid iron or extra wedge to your golf club collection.

4 Wood Vs 3 Wood Club (Comparison Chart)

	4 Wood	3 Wood
Used For	Hitting higher airborne shots 200 yards from the fairway.	Hitting 215 yard shots from the fairway
Shot Difficulty	Medium	Medium to Difficult
Material	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel
Loft	8 - 16 degrees	8 - 16 degrees
Length	42 inches	42.5 inches
Weight	198g \| 0.44 pounds \| 0.19kg	208g \| 0.46 pounds \| 0.21kg
Distance	195 - 215 yards	210 - 230 yards

When to Use a 4 Wood

The 4 wood can be used as an alternative to the 3 and 5 wood combination. Many golfers have a 4 wood in their bags specifically to address the gaps in the distance on course. For everyday golfers, the 4 wood carries greater significance.

If you want to hit a shot off 225 yards, then 4 wood is a good choice. It is a better fit in contrast to other clubs from distance gap points.

In my experience, it’s quie uncommon for a golfer to hit off 290 yards with the 3-wood club. There is a gap in distance between one wood club and the other.

In the 4 wood, the distance goes about 20 yards less than the 3 wood and is considered a much better fit. If you are looking for a club that offers versatility and distance gaps, then 4 wood is a choice to put in consideration.

Many players struggle with getting the right shot with the 3 wood; however, the case is not similar for the 4 wood.

With a 3 wood, the ball has a greater spin-off than the 4 wood. The loft of 4 wood provides more confidence to the players by giving a greater sweeping motion.

The 4 wood has more loft and a shorter shaft that gives a solid shot. The greater loft helps to keep the ball in the air for a longer time. Instead of carrying a 3 wood and a 5 wood individually, it is a better idea to carry a 4 wood that is a combination of both.

4 Wood Loft

The 4 wood is equivalent to the 1 iron golf club with a 16 degrees loft. The lie is 58 degrees, with the head material being made of stainless steel. The length of the 4 wood is 43 inches. The 4 wood also comes under the category of a fairway wood.

Golfers use a fairway wood on the fairway as it is easier to control and can be shot in the air without using the standard tee. The 4 wood is also considered to be the hardest one to find among all the fairway woods.

The loft of 4 wood makes it easier to hit the shot off the course and gives the chance to add another wedge. This helps in saving the strokes around the greens. 4 wood with its added loft adds more distance on the course, and the height of the shot is also increased.

4 Wood Distance

The distance covered by each club is dependent on several factors. This includes:

Weather: The weather conditions have a lot to do with the shot made. The loft and distance covered can be greatly affected if it is a windy day.
Speed of swing: Greater the speed of the swing, greater is the distance covered on the course.
Loft: The angle of each wood club is unique. The potential of the loft of a club can be increased with a greater angle of the clubface.

There are three types of golfers on the course and the distance covered by the 4 wood varies with each hitter.

A short hitter can cover 175 yards on the course with a 4 wood.
A mid hitter can hit a shot that goes off 200 yards.
A long hitter can also cover the same distance of 200 yards as the mid hitter.

4 Wood Length/Weight

The average length of a 4 wood is 42.0″ making the club about 1 inch shorter than a 3 wood. The shorter length of the 4 Wood makes them easier to swing compared to a 3 wood.

In terms of weight, a 4 wood weighs about 10 grams more weight on the head than the 3 wood. The greater weight is a positive as it helps get the ball airborne on fairway. It also gives you more flexibility over your shots.

Attacking the Green Using a 4 Wood

Some people find it difficult to hit off the green with the 4 wood. The use is often limited to three times in each round. This can be because of the overall distance covered by the course. If you are playing on a long course, then using a 4 wood isn’t a bad idea.

The 4 wood works smoothly off the deck and can easily cover about 225 yards. The greater distance off the tee is also due to the increased accuracy of the shot with the 4 wood.

For example, on a course that’s 6630 yards long; using a long wood works fine. The 4 wood gives more attack par 5’s or maybe a few par 4’s.

Differences Between 4 wood and 3 Wood

A 4 wood is preferred over a 3 wood as it launches a higher shot and the distance covered on the field is the same. On the tee, 3 wood can give you perfect distance coverage at times.
The 4 wood is easier to hit in contrast to the 3 wood, and there is no such loss of distance on the course. Many golfers find themselves playing more comfortably with a 4-wood due to its long launching, and it is easy to play off the deck.
The 3 and 5 wood are often replaced by the 4 wood to add another wedge. The 4 wood is a combination of both 3 wood and 5 wood. 4 wood is also easier to hit, and you don’t lose much distance off the course.
For the fairway woods, the 4 wood and 3 wood are considered equally useful by golfers. The difference in distance is much small, about 5 to 7 yards.

4 Wood Vs 2 Hybrid

The 4 wood gives more yards on the course than the 2 hybrids, but the 2 hybrid is easier to hit than the 4 wood. The 2 hybrid gives more control on the course. For some golfers, the swing of the shot is an important factor, and the 4 wood supports the swing of many golfers quite well.
The low lifted 2 hybrid offers more consistency and is more playable in shots. The shots are also played accurately by the golfers. A 4 wood might give you extra distance but getting the right shot is more important than the distance.
The hybrid can be played in a similar manner like the iron; that’s why the shots are easily made. The 4 wood is longer than the 2 hybrid and rolls more than the 4-wood due to its increased length.
“More loft” is an important factor to consider on course. The 4 wood mostly comes in the 17 degrees range varying for each manufacturer. However, it is harder to hit off the 2 hybrids on the deck than the 4 wood.
For amateurs, 4 wood is the most obvious choice as the tests have revealed so if you are a beginner, then go for a 4 wood. On the rough, the 2 hybrid works fine and gives decent shots with greater control.

4 Wood Vs 3 Hybrid

When comparing these two golf clubs or switching from one to the other, the primary concern should be filling the distance gaps and not the lofts of each. The 3 hybrids easily fill the gap and offer flexibility to add a gap wedge.
The 4 wood, on the other hand, has more altitude to offer and it can be hit as far as one can try. The 3 hybrid offers more versatility in the shots and is a fine replacement for the 5 wood.
The 4 wood adds more angle and distance of about 60 yards on the field. The 4 wood can also give straighter shots than the 3 hybrids if you want to get more elevated shots than 4 wood can do a suitable job.
Off the tee, the distance off the tee covered by 3 hybrids is short compared with the 4 wood. Since both the 4 wood and 3 hybrids are not terribly apart in the distance, they can be used accordingly off the tee and on the fairway.

4 Wood Vs 2 Iron

The 4 wood and 2 iron can have a significant difference in the distance, depending on the shot played. The 4 wood can be hit over 230 yards, and the 2 iron can cover a maximum of 2 iron on courses. It depends on the accuracy of the shot to determine the distance covered.
The difference in distance can also be taken as an advantage as both clubs can be used according to the conditions. The 2 iron has around 18 degrees which are close to the older 1 iron.
The 4 wood is often used as an alternative to the 1 or the 2-iron depending on the course and the shot. Only a few clubs can fill in the gap between the 4 wood and 2 iron, for example, the 19* hybrid.
If you have to choose between both the clubs, then you should go for the one that you are more comfortable with. You can fill the distance gap by adding a wedge.

4 Wood Vs 4 Iron

The 4 iron works the same way as a hybrid. This means that it can result in high shots and can cover more distance on the course. The 4 iron mostly has a graphite shaft and greater soles to keep it from digging in the course.
The 4 iron is more stable of the rough than the 4 wood. The 4-wood club gives more power to the shot and also adds the distance. It is easy to hit a 4-wood club off the fairway or on a light rough. In terms of accuracy, the 4 wood is said to take the lead.

Best 4 Wood Golf Clubs

Ping Rapture v2 4 wood is easy to hit and can be listed among the 4 best wood clubs. It can be bought on eBay for around 50 USD.
Callaway XR pro 4 Wood has great performance and gives great shot off the tee. The shot lands with a flat flight and is easy to stripe off the deck.
2015 Adam Tight Lies works perfectly for low profile off the tee and on the fairway. It has a long shaft and a great overall outlook.
G25 can be hit both high and low, which is a definite advantage. It can cover around 240 to 2660 yards depending on the shot made.

Quick Tip: A 4 wood is not always the best choice. 3 Wood Vs 5 Wood