Best Fairway Woods: The Definitive Guide

Are you looking to add some new clubs to your set this year? Is so you may be looking for the best fairway woods.

There’s a couple things to keep in my mind when making your purchase and I’ll show you what’s most important — plus you’ll see my top picks.

Ready?

How To Pick A Perfect Fairway Wood

There are a couple things to consider before buying your new fairway wood and they are:

  • What are you going to use the club for
  • Loft
  • Head materials

The first thing you need to think about is how you are going to use your new club. If you plan on hitting tee shots with it, you’ll want a 2, 3, or 4 wood. Also, you can replace your long irons with a fairway wood too; here’s what wood you’ll want for each iron:

  • 5 wood for 2 iron
  • 7 wood for 3 or 4 iron
  • 9 wood for 5 iron
  • 3 or 4 wood to reach par 5’s in 2 strokes

Next, you need to consider the loft of the club. Loft helps get the ball into the air by creating backspin when the head makes contact with the golf ball. The slower you swing, the higher the loft you will need — it will help with the distance and height. Here’s a chart for recommended lofts:

 

Lastly, you need to look at the materials that make up the head. There are a few options, which include:

  • Steel: This is the most popular because it’s cheaper and durable
  • Titanium: Titanium is light weight. So clubs with big heads tend to be made from this material. Titanium head’s tend to hit balls farther and higher – they cost more, though.
  • Composite: Like titanium, composite is very lightweight and reduces the effects of bad contact. Like titanium, however, these clubs tend to be expensive.

Luckily almost every fairway wood on this list lets you choose between different woods (3 wood, 5 wood, 4 woods) and different lofts — this way every skill level and need is met. Let’s take a look at them now.

Callaway Great Big Bertha Epic Sub Zero *Top Pick*

Company: Callaway

Price: $$$

Rating: 5/5

Big Bertha is a line of clubs from Callaway and they’re very high quality and high performing. You can get a Big Bertha driver, hybrid, and, you guessed it, fairway wood. This product is lightweight, durable and will add distance and height to all your shots. Some of my favorite features include:

  • Maximum forgiveness which decreases the effects of bad shots
  • Hyper Speed Face Cup increases ball speed
  • Adjustable launch for more control over you shots
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Also, you can choose between a 3, 4 or 5 wood and different lofts. This club isn’t cheap and will cost around $279. If you have that to spend I definitely recommend this product — you’ll love playing with it.

Take A Closer Look AT The Callaway Big Bertha Epic Sub Zero


TaylorMade M1 Fairway Wood

Company: Taylormade

Price: $$$

Rating: 4.9/5

The Taylormade M1 is another club skilled golfers will love to have. Like all quality clubs this one is expensive — it’ll cost around $249. You get what you pay for in life and in this case you’re paying for quality. You’ll like that the M1 comes with a:

  • Thin composite face that increases ball speed and reduces the weight of the product
  • Sliding weight on the face which enables you to control every shot
  • Multiple flex option for all skill levels and ages (youth all the way to seniors)

I once bought a new club and it broke by hole 5 the first time I used it; I wasn’t happy. That won’t happen with this piece of equipment. It will last many rounds and deliver each and every time.

Take A Closer Look At The Taylormade M1


TourEdge Exotics E8 Beta

Company: Tour Edge

Price: $$

Rating: 4.7/5

The Tour Edge Exotics E8 Beta is perfect for beginners and intermediate players — the price reflects that ($89). Even though the cost is low it still performs pretty well. If you decide on this club you’ll like that it comes with a:

  • Center of gravity perfect for golfers that swing fast
  • Multiple flexes and lofts making it perfect for all ages
  • Steel body for added durability

Any entry level golfer would be very lucky to play with the E8 Beta. I wish I had it when I first started out.

Take A Closer Look At The Tour Edge Exotics E8 Beta


Cobra King LTD Fairway Wood

Company: Cobra King

Price: $$$

Rating: 4.8/5

The Cobra King LTD is one of my favorite fairway woods for many reasons. First off, it has a really sharp design and one you’ll be happy to play with. Secondly, it performs – you can expect to launch the ball with this club. That’s because it features:

  • Spaceport technology that allows for maximum forgiveness
  • Adjustable loft so you get complete control (it’s like you have 5 clubs in 1)
  • Speed Channel that increases the distance and height of your shots

The LTD isn’t cheap and will cost around $249. For some that will be too high for one club; others will gladly pay for all the extra benefits. If you value low scores, and your game, you should consider this fairway wood.

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Take A Closer Look At The Cobra King LTD


TaylorMade M2 Fairway Wood

Company: TaylorMade

Price: $$$

Rating: 4.8/5

The Taylormade M2 is a lot like the M1 but it’s a little less expensive. It’s still fairly pricey, though, at around $199. Like all high priced clubs you can expect top level performance. That’s because it comes with a:

  • Low center of gravity that launches golf balls
  • Fluted Hosel that improves responsiveness and feel
  • Speed Pocket that enlarges sweet spot

There are a ton of options to choose from too – multiple woods and multiple loft settings. No matter how you want to use this club you’ll find one that works perfectly.

Take A Closer Look At The TaylorMade M2


Titleist 917 F2 Fairway Wood

Company: Titleist

Price: $$$$

Rating: 4.9/5

The Titleist 917F2 fairway wood is the most expensive item on this list and one all good golfers will want. You get a lot of control with this club and there are many adjustable features. This video explains it:

 

Pretty cool, right? It also comes with:

  • Active Recoil Channel 2.0 that increases ball speed
  • Very forgivable on off center hits
  • Perfect for all skill levels and ages

If you have over $300 to spend and want top notch performance, you should definitely consider the 917F2.

Take A Closer Look At The Titleist 917F2


TaylorMade AeroBurner Fairway Wood

Company: TaylorMade

Price: $$$

Rating: 4.8/5

The Taylormade AeroBurner is fairly priced at $149 and is a club all golfers love. I really like how lightweight the AeroBurner is – this really let’s you swing fast and launch the ball. There are some other nice features too, like a:

  • Massive sweet spot
  • Superalloy face materials for added durability and more pop
  • Alignment aids to help with accuracy

Like many of the clubs on this list there are a lot of options to choose from. Whether you want to use this wood to 2-shot par 5’s or as a 5 iron, you’ll be covered.

Take A Closer Look At The TaylorMade AeroBurner


Cobra King F7 Fairway Wood

Company: Cobra King

Price: $$$

Rating: 4.9/5

Here we have another high quality Cobra King product and this one, the F7, will cost around $239. If you can’t afford that there are a few other products on this list that will better suit your budget. If price isn’t a problem, I know you’ll like the:

  • Smart Pad technology that keeps the head square for solid contact every time
  • Stainless steel face that is very durable and effective
  • My Fly technology that let’s you adjust the loft for added feel

Also, you can change weight positions on the face for even more control – if you want high launches put the weight towards the front and if you want low spin put the weight towards the back.

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Take A Closer Look At The Cobra King F7


Tour Edge Hot Launch 2

Company: Tour Edge

Price: $$

Rating: 4.7/5

The Tour Edge Hot Launch 2 is one my favorite, less expensive fairway woods on the market – it’ll cost around $129. That’s not bad when you consider what you’re getting, like:

  • 450SS hyper steel construction that’s very easy to swing and creates good contact
  • Rear sole weight creates high launches
  • Multiple flexes and lofts

Usually cheaper products aren’t for high level golfers but this club is good for them, as well as all others. If you want to save a little, without giving up too much in the performance department, you should select this club.

Take A Closer Look At The Tour Edge Launch 2


TaylorMade RBZ Fairway Wood

Company: TaylorMade

Price: $$

Rating: 4.8/5

If you’re looking for a low cost TaylorMade wood this year, the RBZ may be perfect for you. I’d recommend this club for entry level players and intermediates. What makes it so perfect for them is the:

  • Speed Pocket technology that increases swing speed
  • Low center of gravity that helps easily put the ball in the air
  • Lightweight shaft that is very responsive

I have friends that swear this club added 20 yards to their shots. Not bad for just $99!

Take A Closer At TaylorMade RBZ


Callaway XR 16 Fairway Wood

Company: Callaway

Price: $$$

Rating: 4.9/5

Last on the list comes from a familiar name, Callaway. The XR 16 is one my favorites and will keep your shots nice and straight – it’s very forgiving. Also, it features:

  • Large sweet spot for easy contact
  • Aerodynamic design for fast swings and increased ball speed
  • Over 7 different loft settings so you get the exact club you want

The reviews on Amazon are fantastic too – everyone loves this club and the performance it provides. If you want to read what others have to say about the XR, click below.

Take A Closer Look At The Callaway XR 16


Hit The Links This Year With Quality Clubs

Golf is a beautiful game when you’re playing well. When you’re not? It can be very, very frustrating. In order to put yourself in the best position to make good shots you need to purchase quality equipment. No matter your skill level, budget or age there’s a fairway wood here that will help you this season.

If you have any questions about what you’ve read, comment below and I’ll make sure to respond as fast as possible. You can let your friends and family see by sharing on social media too.

Are you ready to crush some shots this year?