Best Fairway Woods

Getting the right fairway woods into your golf bag is a very difficult thing to do. What make it more difficult is the new technology, innovations and new design. If you do not change your fairway 5 or 3 wood in three or four years you will no longer have the best fairways in your bag. This Guide will help you understand some of the critical differences of the most advanced fairway woods on the market and give you an idea of where to start and choose your best fairway 3 wood.

If you are looking to get a bargain then be sure to check out our last year Best Fairway Woods of 2019.

Along with compiling a list of this season’s best fairway wood, we explain the different parts of the golf club and how you can find the model that is best for your game.  

9.8
Srixon ZX Fairway

Srixon ZX Fairway

In the long run, versatility is priceless. In terms of distance and speed, ZX Fairway Woods are unbeatable, providing ...
$149.99
9.6
Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Fairway

Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Fairway

Tired of duffing your Fairway Woods shots? Because these Fairway Woods have Gliderail tech that helps improve turf ...
$139.99
9.6
Tour Edge Exotics C721 Fairway Wood

Tour Edge Exotics C721 Fairway Wood

Dual Carbon wings help optimize CG for an extremely high M.O.I. that increases stability on impact. 10g adjustable ...
$138.99
9.5
Titleist TSI2 Fairway Wood

Titleist TSI2 Fairway Wood

The TSi2 Fairway Wood brings high launch, incredible speed, and forgiveness to the course. It features faster ball ...
$279.99
9.6
Cobra Radspeed Draw Fairway

Cobra Radspeed Draw Fairway

Radial Weighting Technology-Radial Weighting is the strategic placement of weight relative to the CG to optimize speed, ...
$149.99

Top 10 Best Fairway Woods for 2022

Srixon ZX Fairway

The ZX Woods were created with one goal in mind: to be fast. Srixon’s innovative Rebound Frame Technology helps the ZX Woods create greater clubhead speed and distance. Rebound Frame Technology works by overlaying alternate zones of flexibility and rigidity that work together to concentrate more energy into the ball when it hits the ground. It’s one of their key features. As a result, more ball speed and distance off the tee have risen.  By focusing more energy into the golf ball, Rebound Frame’s unique structure increases ball speed and distance on every shot, especially center-face impacts which makes them uniqually different from the hybrid clubs. If you enjoy the look of a long iron, you’re probably better off with a hybrid.

9.8/10 Read review
Last Amazon price update was: March 12, 2024 8:48 pm
× Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com (Amazon.in, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, etc) at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Fairway

Launcher XL Halo Fairway Woods are built with Gliderail technology to improve turf interaction and keep you from duffing your wood shots. An oversized head, low CG and Rebound Frame help you hit the ball easier off the deck with more higher launch. The XL Head Design is the biggest head in a Cleveland fairway yet, creating maximum distance with forgiveness. Twin rails run along the sole of the golf club to straighten the face through impact for ideal contact. The Rebound Frame increases ball speed and distance through alternating zones of flexibility and rigidity on the face.

9.6/10 Read review
Last Amazon price update was: March 12, 2024 9:46 pm
× Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com (Amazon.in, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, etc) at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Tour Edge Exotics C721 Fairway Wood

For those who want more accurate flight control and amazing clubhead speed. The new SureFit CG Track Technology allows for improved CG adjustability, as well as the new Active Recoil Channel 4.0, which produces a consistently higher, faster launch and better swing speed and ability. I recommend the Tour Edge Exotics C721 Fairway to everyone who believes in technology and wants to improve their game off the tee.

9.6/10 Read review
Last Amazon price update was: March 12, 2024 10:32 pm
× Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com (Amazon.in, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, etc) at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Titleist TSI2 Fairway Wood

Titleist TSI2 Fairway Wood

The Titleist TSi2 fairway delivers a superb combination of distance and forgiveness that players of all handicap levels should consider. Steady performance to be reassuring, and the appearance to be unbeatable, precise in hitting the sweet spot. 

ATI 425 Aerospace Titanium in face creates a long, straight, stylish and incredible sounding driver, perfect combination. Face delivers more ball speed at every point of contact. It’s used by many golfers on the field.

9.5/10 Read review
Price history
×
Price history for Titleist TSi2 Fairway Wood
Latest updates:
  • $279.99 - January 17, 2023
  • $299.00 - November 8, 2022
Since: November 8, 2022
  • Highest Price: $299.00 - November 8, 2022
  • Lowest Price: $279.99 - January 17, 2023
Last Amazon price update was: March 12, 2024 9:38 pm
× Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com (Amazon.in, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, etc) at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Cobra Radspeed Draw Fairway

Cobra’s RADSPEED Draw Fairway Wood is made with heel-biased internal Radial Weighting and a back weight for medium spin, low spin, maximum forgiveness and slice-correcting flight. 16g of heel-biased RAD weighting and a 7g weight in the back delivers medium spin for higher launch and increase forgiveness. A pleasure when you hit the large sweet spot. A new carbon fiber material is 30% thinner and 6g lighter, allowing for more flexibility to move weight towards the heel to increase draw bias. From one round of golf to the next this club offers an adjustable club head which can be transformed into a custom fit.

The carbon fiber crown adds more weight to the high side of the head to allow for a lower center of gravity that creates high launch after impact and more precise shots. Deeper Dual Baffler Rails for excellent stability and it increases flexion on the leading edge which makes the players feel confident. An Infinity edge face design expands the milled area by 95%, increasing the max ball speed zone which is exactly what you need.

9.6/10 Read review
Last Amazon price update was: March 12, 2024 6:36 pm
× Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com (Amazon.in, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, etc) at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Ping G425 LST Fairway

ping g425 lst fairway wood

The PING G425 LST fairway wood is pear-shaped rather than round, and it’s a little smaller than the rest of the series. For someone who loves his 3 wood to look like a conventional 5 wood, it’s a delight. With three dots, a new alignment assist replaces the now-familiar turbulators found on earlier versions. For me, this is a wonderful shift and good for, low handicappers, mid handicappers and high handicappers. The matte coating, which is included on many of PING’s latest gadgets, gives the device a sharp appearance while decreasing glare and makes it different from other clubs. Pleasantly surprised for use on mid handicapper player types.

Price history
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Price history for Ping G425 LST Fairway
Latest updates:
  • $249.00 - January 12, 2023
  • $339.00 - November 7, 2022
Since: November 7, 2022
  • Highest Price: $339.00 - November 7, 2022
  • Lowest Price: $249.00 - January 12, 2023

Callaway Epic Speed Fairway

The new Epic Speed Fairway brings a new era of swing speed to the golf world. The new artificial intelligence Jailbreak Velocity Blades system stiffens the body like previous versions of the traditional shape, while now improving stability in the horizontal and torsional directions for exceptional ball speeds across the hot face. Every face is uniquely designed using advanced A.I. to put greater emphasis on center and off-center strikes similar to the Callaway Epic Max fairway wood.

High strength C300 Maraging Steel is flexible, yet strong with Face Cup technology for better spin and consistency across the face to hit the sweet spot and good for high handicapper players. Using artificial intelligence, Callaway did a great job and was able to install jailbreak bars and a high-performing crown to increase the performance of the fairway woods.

Testers discovered two equally tempting packages in Callaway’s new-look Epic Max and Epic Speed: one oriented toward those who require a little more forgiveness and another for the better player looking for a piercing launch. The Epic Max and Speed are in the high class on the market.

There’s also a Sub Zero model that has a tour profile and adjustable front and back weighting. It’s in the class of top fairway woods on the market, a reliable option made for playing golf, built to maximize forgiveness, especially good for mid handicapper players.

Price history
×
Price history for Callaway Epic Speed 3 Wood (Left-Handed, Cypher 40G, Ladies)
Latest updates:
  • $269.99 - January 7, 2023
  • $189.06 - January 5, 2023
  • $201.68 - January 5, 2023
  • $189.06 - January 5, 2023
  • $201.68 - January 3, 2023
  • $224.09 - December 29, 2022
  • $269.99 - November 27, 2022
  • $199.99 - November 22, 2022
Since: July 21, 2022
  • Highest Price: $269.99 - July 27, 2022
  • Lowest Price: $163.19 - November 21, 2022
Last Amazon price update was: March 12, 2024 6:25 pm
× Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com (Amazon.in, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, etc) at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

TaylorMade Sim2 Max D Fairway Wood

With the TaylorMade SIM Max-D Fairway, you can get a combination of explosive distance and forgiveness. The V Steel sole design has been redesigned with adjustable loft to provide precise and consistent turf interaction and engagement while also increasing versatility from any lie with a low center of gravity making it one of the best from TaylorMade SIM Max fairway wood editions. It’s good for low handicappers, mid low handicappers and high handicapper type of players.

The SIM Max-D, which comes with draw bias and twist face technology for straighter shots, uses revolutionary flash face technology curvature with corrective face angle on off-center blows to reduce side spin and improve accuracy, the V Steel sole design, makes it the right fairway wood for your game.

The combination of the draw bias low center of gravity on this TaylorMade SIM fairway wood and the V-STeel technology has led to much better turf interaction, and it’s used by most high handicappers. High loft options with a softer shaft and there you go, you have height. With standard loft options and a tour-level/weight shaft, you’ve got a canon.

At impact, a Speed Pocket technology flexes, lower center, generating amazing ball speed off the face for improved player performance on this TaylorMade SIM fairway wood. Even if it doesn’t have the ZaTech Titanium face technology with it’s low center of gravity, this golf club is still one of the best out there. Players like Tiger Woods made a transition to this popular line of new clubs woods and that def makes them one of the best fairway wood on the market, and you know it’s not the only reason to get them. Best value for the cash and great difference from other fairway woods.

9.6/10 Read review
Price history
×
Price history for TaylorMade SIM2 Max D Fairway Wood
Latest updates:
  • $176.24 - January 16, 2023
  • $249.99 - November 8, 2022
Since: November 8, 2022
  • Highest Price: $249.99 - November 8, 2022
  • Lowest Price: $176.24 - January 16, 2023
Last Amazon price update was: March 12, 2024 8:35 pm
× Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com (Amazon.in, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, etc) at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Titleist TSI3 Fairway Wood

titleist tsi3 fairway wood

A mission to solicit speed from every detail of the driver, embarked on by a collection of uniquely-gifted R&D minds. The “TS” project is a peerless pursuit of ball speed, swing speed where every micron and milligram matter. It’s a great fairway wood to use it on the golf course with it’s traditional shape and speed pocket tech. Playing golf with them is so satisfying and precise on these new clubs.

Our new Speed Chassis is the result of a two-year mission to deconstruct the driver and then design greater speed into every detail that makes it different from other models of fairway woods on the market. Now available in two designs, each born to bring the future of Titleist speed to your game.

9.6/10 Read review
Last Amazon price update was: March 12, 2024 8:48 pm
× Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com (Amazon.in, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, etc) at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Mizuno ST-Z Fairway

ST-Z woods combines a throwback profile with the MAS1C face, Mizuno’s most powerful to date. This balanced approach to low spin performance and stability is unique to fairway woods. Both the 3 wood and 5 wood feature an adjustable hosel to offer 4 degrees of adjustable loft sleeve and face angle variation with speed pocket technology for lower spin on the short grass.

Features optimized club face with CORTECH multi-face thickness made from multi material construction, delivering Mizuno’s thinnest and hottest Fairway face yet. Low Center of Gravity, increased forgiveness for better spin vs MOI performance. Compact Wave design lowers mass for enhanced MOI and lower Center of Gravity. It’s best value for the money and great alternative.

What are the most important parts about our new fairway woods?

when to use a fairway wood

As the longest club you will likely be hitting from the ground, they must be high launching and forgiving. Players use fairway woods to maximize distance and forgiveness. Fairway 3 wood or 5 wood are great for par 5. Sometimes fairway 3 wood off the tee box is better then driver golf clubs and it is more forgiving and better performance on the short grass.

Make sure you are understanding things like loft, lie, lower center of gravity, head weight or swing weight, shaft and grip partners will help you to build the perfect forgiving fairway wood for your game. Loft and the low center of gravity work together to provide and spin conditions of your golf ball when you strike it. Number of the fairway wood is higher with higher loft, 5 wood with have the very high loft. So 5 wood with higher loft will be great for distance. A lower, further back center of gravity will do the same. Less loft and further forward center of gravity will create a more penetrating ball flight than can be used to create more pure distance to head straight to the target line.

The lie of your fairway will influence the directional control you have with that club and the head weight will allow you to return that club to the golf ball more efficiently and the ball jumps off ground very easily. Matching your delivery pattern with a complementary shaft and grip will help you strike the golf ball more effectively and get your best performance more often.

Distance or Forgiveness?

Generally speaking, the larger and higher lofted the fairway is the more it will be built for forgiveness and higher launch. These models can be perfect for vast majority of golfers that use their fairway woods almost exclusively from the ground. Lower lofted models, tour versions, and fairways with a more forward center of mass will often produce more distance off the tee but not as much accuracy from all over the course. Begin first with how you will use your fairway then build your fit around these two ideas. 

head shape
There many head sizes. Source 2ndswing.com

How do I know when I have found my best fit?

Fitting a fairway wood should not be a distance contest. Remember, you want your excellent fairway wood to go a specific distance every time. You also should be testing your most forgiving fairway wood from both the ground and the tee if you think you’ll be using it from both places. Better players use it from both places with high accuracy. Don’t be seduced by the club that goes the furthest. Do you need to buy a fairway? This is definitely a personal preference.

Instead, take a look at which clubs are the most consistent and then build those to fit the gaps in your golf bag. With fairway woods, you are going to want to swing in a more sweeping motion just like a driver. Keep in mind that you will likely hit a longest fairway wood further from a tee than from the ground and being able to add versatility to your golf bag can be an advantage once you find the proper setup.

Conclusion:

Many times the fairway woods section of the golf bags has the oldest golf club in that players bag, apart from possibly the putter. This is often due to the fact that once players use a fairway wood, they have a hard time letting it go. Technologies like face cup, speed pockets, flash face, jailbreak technology and other innovations is what make them better from last year. It may be, but a fairway woods are tools all-its-own and they should be considered as such.

 

Paul Liberatore
Paul Liberatore

As the Founder of Golfers Authority Paul Liberatore Esq. has spent the last 7+ years writing about the best golf equipment or instruction from the top golf instructors in the world. He has been a contributing writer for Sports Illustrated Golf and GolfWRX. After graduating with honors from Purdue University, he realized that he had a passion for the golf business and the law. When he's not practicing law, or creating golf content on YouTube, he can be found on his syndicated Behind the Golf Brand podcast both on Apple and Spotify talking with the most prolific leaders in the golf industry. 

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