ToddKolbGolf
H7 Hummingbird Wedge Review: Bunker Shot Solution
The New H7 Hummingbird Wedge: Can This Club Save Your Bunker Shots and Flop Shots?
If you’re a weekend golfer who struggles with bunker shots and flop shots, you should know about the H7 Hummingbird wedge.
Without a doubt, the bunker shot and flop shot are the two toughest shots for golfers . . . especially casual players. More to the point, these are the golf shots that can sour a golf game and load your scorecard with regrettable strokes.
Enter the H7 Hummingbird wedge. This wedge is designed to help you get the ball up in the air and out of the bunker without spending hours of practice time examining your swing motion.
So does it work? And if so, why does it work?
I’ve tested the wedge for myself so I could offer you this candid H7 Hummingbird wedge review. Here’s everything you need to know about this new club from the perspective of a PGA teaching professional.
Why the H7 Hummingbird Wedge is Exciting for Weekend Golfers
First, let’s talk about the reason you struggle with bunker shots and flop shots.
Simply put, bunker and flop shots require a different motion than any other shot around the green. More specifically, these tricky shots require a more complicated motion.
A standard chip shot is fairly easy. You stand with your body square to the target, as if you’re about to hit a putt. You center the golf ball in your stance and swing straight back and through. The ball comes out low and lands easily on the green.
Flop and bunker shots are not so simple. When I teach these shots to my students, I give them a long list of instructions.
I tell them to aim to the left of the target (if they’re right-handed). I tell them to rotate the club face open. Then, I instruct them to swing out and across the body.
For students who can dedicate hours to practice and improvement, these directions are perfectly doable. But not all golfers have that luxury.
For amateur players who can only get out on weekends, these instructions are . . . a lot. Mastering bunker and flop shots requires you to perfect a new swing motion. That’s a tall order if you’re only going to have a few opportunities to practice that motion for each round you play.
This is where the H7 Hummingbird comes in. The design of this wedge allows you to hit bunker shots and flop shots without adjusting your swing motion. For many causal golfers, easier bunker shots mean a much more enjoyable game.
Here’s how it works.
Best Features of the H7 Hummingbird Wedge
I tested the H7 wedge for myself to see if the club does what it promises to do. I tried bunker and flop shots using the straight-back-and-through motion I typically only use for chip shots.
For every shot I took with the H7 Hummingbird, my ball came out super high and super soft. In fact, the first couple shots came out too high and soft . . . a complaint no one has ever heard a golfer make.
So, what accounts for these high, soft shots?
70-Degree Loft
The H7 Hummingbird wedge has an astoundingly high loft. Whereas traditional wedges typically have somewhere between 54-58 degrees of loft, the Hummingbird boasts an incredible 70 degrees.
As a golf instructor, I’ve seen the lengths players go to in order to increase loft in their bunker shots. In fact, I very recently watched a student dip his knees and flip his hands in an eager attempt to get out of a bunker.
So often, these efforts to manipulate the club face are subconscious. Unfortunately, they also make it way harder to hit a controlled and successful bunker shot.
Because the Hummingbird wedge already has a sky-high loft built in, you don’t have to do anything to manipulate the club face. You can swing the club naturally and still get the launch you need.
Huge Club Face
As I said before, you need to rotate the club face open when you’re hitting a bunker or flop shot with a traditional wedge. This move helps you get more loft, but it also creates a new problem. The rotation reduces the surface area available to the ball at impact.
In other words, opening the club face means decreasing your margin of error.
The H7 wedge has a massive club face. And because you don’t have to rotate it open, you have a much higher chance of getting the contact you need for a controlled shot.
Big Sole
There’s another reason I tell golfers to rotate the club face open when they’re trying to get out of a bunker.
By rotating the face open, they expose more sole to the sand. More sole means more bounce—a major win on the unusual “turf” of a sand trap.
The sole of the H7 Hummingbird is already huge. You don’t have to rotate the face at all, nor should you.
I tested the wedge for myself in a bunker. I swung the club straight back and through as if I were making a chip shot. Sure enough, the golf ball popped right out of the bunker. And I didn’t have to do anything special to make that happen.
Guiding Line
Now, this is the feature I love most from a coaching standpoint.
In my 25-plus years of teaching golf, I have seen players of all levels make the same inexplicable mistake. I can’t explain what causes it; I can only say it happens a lot.
Often, a golfer will complain to me that they’re always shanking their chip shots. If you struggle with this issue, too, you know how a shank can ruin the mood of an entire round. When you shank it once, a sort of fear immediately sets in. Is this going keep happening, hole after hole?
When I watch golfers who shank their chip shots, I notice the same glaring mistake. More often than not, they’re lining up their golf ball with the heel of their wedge. Then, when they rotate the club face, they expose the heel even more. Of course they’re going to shank it!
While I can’t explain why this happens so frequently, I do know these are smart golfers. So I have to assume something about their perception is just off when they set up their shots.
This is why I love the guiding line on the Hummingbird wedge.
The club face features a wide black line intersecting the center of the face. This black line creates a clear visual for ball position. As an added bonus, the thick line also trains the eyes to visualize that straight-back-and-through swing motion.
Is the Hummingbird Tournament Legal?
The Hummingbird H7 Wedge is USGA approved, and considered tournament legal to play.
The Verdict: Is the Hummingbird Worth It?
If your goal is to get more enjoyment out of golf and less frustration around the green, the Hummingbird is definitely worth it.
I have tried it personally, and I can attest that this wedge will help you hit those high, soft shots around the green. No fancy manipulations or swing motion required. Just square your body to the target, keep your club face in neutral, and swing straight back and straight through.
You’ll soon find those bunker shots and flop shots aren’t so intimidating anymore.
If you’re interested in learning more or purchasing this wedge, you can check out the H7 Hummingbird right here.
Let Me Know What You Think!
Have you tried the H7 Hummingbird wedge for yourself? Do you have any questions that aren’t answered here? Jump into the comments and share your thoughts!
For more in-depth golf tips, visit us at GreatGolfTipsNow.com. This golf instruction is completely free and packed with detailed advice to help you play better golf!
Does the Hummingbird wedge conform to USGA rules ?
Hello,
Does the Hummingbird wedge conform with USGA specifications?
Thanks,
Greg Schmidt
Our sources tell us it is in the works, but not yet…stay tuned.
Our sources say it is in the works but not yet confirmed…stay tuned.
I received my shovel…I mean my hummingbird wedge today. If there were no sand bunkers on golf courses my handicap would be 19 instead of 23. Hummingbird has 6 weeks to correct this or I’m sending it back. Will keep you posted.
Rob, great to hear, we will be waiting to hear back. Best of luck!
Well – buying from USA makes it even more expensive because of freigh, import duty, and VAT 25% in DK, so my question is:
When will I be able to get it somewhere within the EU? – I would appreciate to get it soon – with some luck I shall turn 77 years in a couple of months (Oct. 5th in fact), but I still find it interesting to have 1-2 rounds of golf per week and I have this strange feeling your Hummingbird might help me beat the fellows in my club!!
Look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards
Bjarne B. Hansen
Haekkelunden 13
DK-7000 Fredericia
Great question…we have not heard when it will be available in the EU. If we hear anything, we will report here…thanks!
I received Hummingbird H7 58* and 70* Wedge. After a couple rounds using both wedges, I am learning what distance to use both from for shots around green and bunker shots. If short sided in bunker or rough I feel confident using 70* wedge. In rounds, all bunker shots have come out good with both 58* and 70* wedges.
Does the Hummingbird 70 wedge conform to USGA rules? Can I play with it a my clubs tournaments
At this time the club is under review by the USGA. We will post more when information becomes available. Thanks!
Todd:
Great stuff. Thanks for all you do to advance the game of our fellow golfers! I just purchased the H7 Hummingbird for my friend Hymer’s 50th. Might you have some advice for him?
Newman
Jay, awesome! Hope you like the club….here is a great video we shot on chipping that is a good place to start https://youtu.be/Dz8NF59xh_0
Hope your game is coming along!
How much is this thing? And where can I get one?
Where to buy h7 humingbird?
Please contact me when the club is ruled legal.
Thank you,
Gary
Adam, thanks for reading. It’s $119, or you can get the 70 and 58 degree set for $199. Here is a link to buy:
https://golfknack.com/pages/hummingbirdwedge?utm_campaign=email&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=jordan&utm_content=dreamwedge
Hope that helps!
Mark, thanks for reading. Here is a link to buy:
https://golfknack.com/pages/hummingbirdwedge?utm_campaign=email&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=jordan&utm_content=dreamwedge
Let us know what you think of it!
Where is the H7 made?
Steven,
It is the brain child of a US designer, that we do know. Not sure of the exact place where it is manufactured.
Using the 7 in a bunker, do you still aim at the sand behind the ball?
Where can I find a discount code?
Chris, good question. Yes, you want to enter the sand just slightly behind the ball. The easy part about using the H7 is you have much more margin for error. Hope that helps!
Email us through our contact page info@usgolftv.com
Do you send to Australia
Hi Christine, thanks for reaching out! We got in touch with the wedge manufacturer to double check, and they do have international shipping for the wedges as well.
Here is the link to purchase if interested: https://golfknack.com/pages/hummingbirdwedge?utm_campaign=email&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=jordan&utm_content=dreamwedge
Hope that helps!
I have just purchased both wedges and they have arrived safely.
can you let me know if they legal in Australia as I never thought
it would be an issue
Thanks Anthony
Anthony,
It is our understanding they are working on the USGA approval. We will post an update when we know more…thanks!
Is this wedge available in Canada or would it have to be shipped in from Trumpland?
It is available for shipping out of the US, but you need to check the shipping rates.
any news regarding approval of this wedge ?
what is your personal opinion ? will it be a go or no go.
thank you.
The last we heard is they were waiting approval from the USGA….at this time, that is all we know.
Verner, the latest news we have is the company is waiting for USGA approval..
the humming bird h7 is truly amazing for bunker shots….I used my friends club on North Berwick course…where some of the pot bunkers are 7 feet deep ..I placed the ball in one and .it came out with ease…. in fact the easiest wedge I have ever used…. The downside is the paintwork….. I practised with 10 balls out of a bunker and the club looked the worse for wear. after just 10 shots…..the black paint was taken off all over the base of the club…..even the red on the humming bird had taken a turn for the worse with the metal underneath on display…….. a better paint job is required …. that is my only criticism … and if as you say its waiting for legalisation…. I can see every manufacturer going down this route…. its time for you to state that the humming bird h7 is the original 70 degree wedge…… its a winner….just make sure the paint on the club is improved …
Leon, Awesome! Thank you for posting and sharing your story….
What is the bounce on the 70• wedge?
Russ, that is a good question. We do not have the exact number but can say it is a lot.
Is the Hummingbird H7 70-degree wedge USGA approved and tournament legal?
Mike,
Our understanding is yes.
I have both 70 and 58 degree Hummingbirds. I want to love them, but I am struggling to. It seems like I need to take a much bigger stroke then I had thought to get any distance. Any tips, please?
Good question. With 70 degrees of loft, it does require a longer swing. The key is to make sure you are using them for only shots around the green.