Fairway woods are the most versatile golf club in the players bag. If you’re looking for the best fairway club to hone shot accuracy on the greens, or hit the golf ball further for longer, then this buying guide is here to offer advice, hints and tips on which fairway wood is best for you.
New fairways on the market include the Callaway Golf Rogue Sub Zero Fairway Wood which features a carbon composite crown, combined with Jailbreak Technology and Hyper Speed Face Cup to promote high golf ball speed and even more distance. The Sub Zero has a lower spin configuration with a 5-gram weight screw in a more front facing position to help lower the CG and spin for even greater distances.
The TaylorMade M4 Fairway Wood has a large footprint and low-profile shape to make it easy to launch and easy to play. The sole is shaped for optimal playability and improved sound & feel.
The Cobra Golf King F8 Fairway Wood has been designed with a progressive Baffler Dual construction to provide improved performance from all types of lies. These pronounced rails allow the club to glide easily through any lie for improved turf interaction. To generate more club head speed, the fairway has 360° Aero technology, polymer Aero trips positioned around the perimeters of the head, which reduces aerodynamic drag for greater distance performance.
The fairway wood is similar in loft to irons, but golfers generally use it to hit the golf ball further thanks to it having a larger head and more power packed into the swing.
Fairway woods are used most on the on their namesake (the fairway), but sometimes golfers will play off the tee from tighter holes, where it is important to be accurate rather than trying to maximise distance.
More information about fairway woods and their uses on the golf course can be found by visiting one of our American Golf stores, where you can speak one-to-one with a PGA Pro, who will be happy to help with any questions you may have about any aspect of the game.
High-Handicap Fairway WoodsGolfers playing with a high handicap need a fairway wood in their bag. Most golfers play with a 3-wood and 5-wood, but 7-woods are also popular. A great deal of high handicap golfers find their trajectory off a fairway is much higher than that of a driver – meaning the golf ball will land softly. This should be kept in mind when it comes to picking clubs for the bag.
Another thing to note for high handicappers is that the fairway wood is useful for second shots onto the green, as well as for teeing off shots when the driver fails to get the job done with his or her driver.
Starting with at least one fairway wood in the bag is generally considered to be good practice. In regards to which model put in the bag, that is a choice solely in the hands of the player, though there are a good few options, including steel, titanium and graphite. Most golfers would recommend graphite when playing as a high-handicapper as it offer more forgiveness, but the choice is open.
Hybrids and Rescue clubs are often used to replace hard to hit golf irons, typically the 3, 4 and 5. Hybrids are far more forgiving and offer a consistency from the rough which makes them ideal for players working with difficult irons.
