2 October 2026 · 9 min read
Golf club types and numbers explained: driver, wood, hybrid, iron, wedge, putter
Wood, hybrid, iron, wedge, putter: what the number on the club tells you, how much loft stands behind it and why a 7-iron is not the same at every maker.
A golf set has five kinds of clubs: woods (the 1-wood is the driver), hybrids, irons, wedges and the putter. The number on the club tells you how steeply the face is tilted. The higher the number, the more loft, the shorter the shaft, and the higher and shorter the ball flies. How many degrees stand behind a number is up to the maker. That is why you compare clubs by loft rather than by number. The figures below come from Ping (as of 2 October 2026), Golf Monthly, Golf Post and the PGA of America.
What kinds of golf clubs are there?
The Equipment Rules of the R&A know three forms: wood, iron and putter, distinguished by shape and use (R&A, Equipment Rules). In a set you find two groups more: the hybrid and the wedges. The PGA of America counts the wedges among the short irons. The table shows what you use each kind for:
| Kind | Numbers | What you use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | 1 to 11 | 1-wood (driver) off the tee on par 4s and 5s, 3-wood to 11-wood for long shots from the fairway |
| Hybrid | 2 to 7 at Ping | replaces a long iron and, in most situations, a fairway wood |
| Iron | 1 to 9 | low numbers for long approaches, 5-iron to 7-iron are the middle irons, 8-iron and 9-iron the short irons |
| Wedge | PW, GW, SW, LW | short approaches and bunkers |
| Putter | many shapes | on the green |
What the number means: loft, length and distance
Behind the number stands the loft, the angle of the face to the shaft. It decides how high and how far the ball flies (Golf Post). With the irons the loft rises with every number and the shaft gets shorter. In the G440 iron set from Ping each step is 3 to 5 degrees more loft and 0.5 to 0.75 inches less length. The last column shows how far players with a handicap of 15 hit the clubs on average:
| Iron | Loft in degrees (Ping G440) | Length in inches (Ping G440) | Total distance at handicap 15 in metres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-iron | 19.0 | 39.25 | 170 |
| 5-iron | 22.0 | 38.5 | 155 |
| 6-iron | 25.5 | 37.75 | 148 |
| 7-iron | 29.0 | 37 | 141 |
| 8-iron | 33.0 | 36.5 | 134 |
| 9-iron | 37.0 | 36 | 124 |
| Pitching wedge | 42.0 | 35.5 | 111 |
The distances are total distances including roll, not carry. The data come from Shot Scope, Golf Monthly published them and removed outliers. The metres are converted from yards and rounded. From the 4-iron to the pitching wedge there are around 59 metres at handicap 15. You measure your own ladder in the simulator, and the table of the tours and the handicaps is in Club distances in golf.
Why a number does not carry the same loft everywhere
The number is a label, not a measure. Ping's 8-iron has 33.0 degrees. For the same model Ping offers two more lofts: Power Spec with 31.5 and Retro Spec with 34.5 degrees. With the 4-iron it is 18.0 and 20.0 instead of 19.0 degrees. Ping calls the Power Spec variant an option to boost iron distance, and the Retro variant one for more precision and a higher trajectory.
With the wedges it is similar. Golf Post gives 44 to 48 degrees for the pitching wedge, but writes that in modern iron sets it is often only 43 or 44 degrees. Ping's pitching wedge has 42.0 degrees. Two 7-irons from two makers are therefore not the same tool. Look at the data sheet and compare the loft.
Woods: driver and fairway wood
Woods are numbered from 1 to 11. The 1-wood is the driver, it is played almost only off the tee on par 4s and 5s, and the 3-wood to 11-wood serve for long shots from the fairway (PGA of America). They got their name from the past: they were made of hardwood such as persimmon, today they are made mostly of metal. In the Ping G440 MAX the line looks like this (driver, fairway woods):
| Wood | Loft in degrees | Length in inches |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | 9.0, 10.5 or 12.0 | 46 |
| 3-wood | 15.0 | 43 |
| 4-wood | 17.0 | 43 |
| 5-wood | 19.0 | 42.5 |
| 7-wood | 21.0 | 42 |
| 9-wood | 24.0 | 41.5 |
On these Ping models the loft can be adjusted on the club by 1.5 degrees up or down. The 5-wood has 19.0 degrees, like the 4-iron in the table above, but at 42.5 against 39.25 inches it is 3.25 inches longer. That is how you can read the difference between wood and iron: at the same loft the wood has the longer shaft and a different shape. Which loft to choose for the driver is in Which driver loft suits you.
Hybrid or rescue: is that the same thing?
A rescue is a hybrid under another name. According to Wikipedia TaylorMade marketed its hybrids as Rescue clubs, and the source names no difference in build. A hybrid replaces a long iron and, in most situations, a fairway wood, which has more clubhead speed and more roll. The line from Ping:
| Hybrid | Loft in degrees | Length in inches |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid 2 | 17.0 | 40.75 |
| Hybrid 3 | 20.0 | 40.25 |
| Hybrid 4 | 23.0 | 39.75 |
| Hybrid 5 | 26.0 | 39.25 |
| Hybrid 6 | 30.0 | 38.75 |
| Hybrid 7 | 34.0 | 38.25 |
The 3-hybrid has 20.0 degrees at Ping and so sits at the loft of the 4-iron with 19.0 degrees. The number therefore does not show which club replaces which, the loft does. When the swap pays off is in Iron or hybrid, and how to hit a hybrid in Hitting fairway woods and hybrids.
Wedges: what P and S mean
P stands for pitching wedge, S for sand wedge, as in the abbreviations PW and SW. Then come the gap wedge (GW) and the lob wedge (LW). Golf Post gives these usual lofts:
| Wedge | Abbreviation | Loft in degrees | What for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitching wedge | PW | 44 to 48 | full approaches, longer chips |
| Gap wedge | GW | 50 to 52 | closes the gap between PW and SW |
| Sand wedge | SW | 54 to 56 | bunker shots, short approaches |
| Lob wedge | LW | 58 to 62 | high, short shots around the green |
The G440 iron set from Ping includes a wedge with 47.0 degrees and two more with 52.0 and 56.0 degrees. Golf Post writes that the gap wedge has become important since the lofts of modern iron sets have got stronger. Bounce and the choice of wedges are explained in Wedges: loft and bounce explained.
The putter
Under the Equipment Rules a putter has a loft of at most 10 degrees and is built mainly for the green. According to the PGA of America putters come in all shapes and sizes. How to choose between blade and mallet is in Choosing a putter: blade or mallet, and what is different about putting in the simulator in Putting in the golf simulator.
Which clubs belong in the bag?
You may carry up to 14 clubs, and you put the set together freely (PGA of America). The PGA of America describes a beginner set with driver, 3-wood, the 5-, 7- and 9-iron, pitching wedge, sand wedge and putter, so with 8 clubs. Which gaps you fill later is shown by your distance ladder. Prices and the penalties for more than 14 are in Beginner golf set: which clubs you really need, the carrying gear in Golf bag and trolley.
The PGA of America calls a PGA Professional who can fit clubs the ideal way to buy clubs, and advises trying everything before you buy. Which length suits your height is in Club length by height, what a fitting measures in Golf fitting in Switzerland.
How to get to know your clubs in the simulator
Take one club from each group: the driver, a hybrid or a wood, the 7-iron, the pitching wedge. Hit 10 balls with each and read carry, peak height and landing angle on the launch monitor. That shows whether there is a gap between two clubs or whether two do almost the same job. How to read the values is explained in Understanding launch monitor numbers.
Golf simulator for beginners shows the course of the first hour, the venues with coaching are under indoor golf training, and you find the nearest bay on the map.
Frequently asked questions
What do the numbers on golf clubs mean?
The number is a step on the ladder of loft, the angle of the face. In Ping's G440 irons the 7-iron has 29.0 and the 8-iron 33.0 degrees. With every number the shaft gets shorter and the ball flies higher and shorter. The degrees are set by the maker.
Which irons are there in golf?
The PGA of America lists irons from 1 to 9 plus wedges. The 5-iron to 7-iron count as middle irons, the 8-iron, the 9-iron and the wedges as short irons. Low numbers serve long approaches. Ping's G440 set starts at the 4-iron and ends at the pitching wedge.
What is the difference between a wood and an iron?
The rules distinguish the two by shape and use. At the same loft the wood has the longer shaft: at Ping the 5-wood has 19.0 degrees and 42.5 inches, the 4-iron also 19.0 degrees but only 39.25 inches. The 1-wood is the driver for the tee shot.
What is the difference between a hybrid and a rescue?
A rescue is a hybrid under another name. According to Wikipedia TaylorMade marketed its hybrids as Rescue clubs, and it names no difference in build. A hybrid replaces a long iron and, in most situations, a fairway wood, which has more clubhead speed.
What do P and S on a golf club mean?
P stands for pitching wedge, S for sand wedge, as in the abbreviations PW and SW. Golf Post gives 44 to 48 degrees for the pitching wedge, for full approaches, and 54 to 56 degrees for the sand wedge, for bunkers and short approaches.
Sources
- R&A: Rules of Equipment, Part 2 Conformance of Clubs (drei Formen Holz, Eisen, Putter; Putter mit höchstens zehn Grad Loft)
- PGA of America: First Swing, Golfer's Guide (Holz 1 bis 11, Eisen 1 bis 9 plus Wedges, 14 Schläger, Anfänger-Set, Fitting)
- PING: G440 Eisen, Lofts und Längen (Eisen 4 bis PW, Wedges 47, 52 und 56 Grad, Power Spec und Retro Spec, Stand 2. Oktober 2026)
- PING: G440 Hybride, Lofts und Längen (Hybrid 2 bis 7, Stand 2. Oktober 2026)
- PING: G440 MAX Driver (9,0, 10,5 und 12,0 Grad, 46 Zoll, Stand 2. Oktober 2026)
- PING: G440 MAX Fairwayhölzer (Holz 3 bis 9, Lofts und Längen, Stand 2. Oktober 2026)
- Golf Post: Der grosse Wedge-Ratgeber (Loft, Kürzel und übliche Lofts von PW, GW, SW und LW)
- Golf Monthly: How Far Do Amateur Golfers Hit Their Irons (Shot-Scope-Daten, Gesamtdistanzen in Yards nach Handicap)
- Wikipedia: Hybrid (golf) (Rescue als Markenname von TaylorMade, Hybrid als Ersatz für lange Eisen und Fairwayhölzer)