In the good old days of Golf, I carried a laminated or persimmon 3 and 4 wood in my bag and could get some really good distance (my average on the 4 wood was about 230 and I hit my record drive of 325 with a 3W). Since 2006, the only 3 wood I could hit satisfactorily with decent distance is a 980F (the only reason I don't have it now is because my current 7 wood is a beast). Although I can easily hit a 17 or 18 deg fairway wood off the deck, the main reason I carry only my current 7 wood in my golf bag (a Burner 2007) is because I have yet to find any one of them that equals or exceeds the distance I get out of it and I carry a lofted draw driver. If I really get on it and swing away, I can hit it 200 yards my record tee shot is 225 with it). I also have a Louisville Niblick Vanguard 21* persimmon 5 wood that I occasionally take out to the range and hit (I used it on the golf course with the 980F in the 2nd half of 2010). The bottom line is I love my 7 wood. It and my 5H are the 1-2 punch in my long game.

I have been using a 7 wood (20-21*) since 2006 and my opinion is they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. I hit it 10 yards farther than a 19H and the same distance as a 17H. There also is very minimal difference in lie angle and length between a 7 wood and 2H. I found out when I took up golf again in 2006 that I fared much better with a 7 wood vs a 3 iron hybrid. I'm pretty capable of hitting 200+ with a 21 fairway. You can hit a 21 fairway wood off just about any lie condition on the golf course. Also need to remember that 5 woods had a loft of 21* in the persimmon and early metal wood days. It is also not hard to work a 7 wood. I do a choke shot when the distance is in between it and a 5/26 hybrid.