Best Fairway Woods 2020
A look at some of the best performing fairway woods on the market in 2020 – versatile clubs to suit differing golfing requirements.
Best Fairway Woods 2020
The fairway wood has evolved in recent years to be one of the most versatile clubs you can buy. With enhanced materials and technologies, they can help you find distance and consistency from the tee, they are also playable from the short grass and can even be effective from the rough or around the greens.
TaylorMade M6 Fairway Wood £269 £179 at American Golf
The SIM may be TaylorMade’s new model, but the M6 is still a top-quality club that will perform at a high-level for you – we actually rated it as our favourite fairway wood of 2019. Right now you can get it for less than £180 with a saving of £90 which is incredible value.
TaylorMade M2 Fairway Wood £229 £149 at American Golf
It may be a slightly older model of TaylorMade fairway wood, but it still performs at a high level, why do you think Brooks Koepka still carries his M2 fairway wood? Get £80 off this M2 wood now.
Mizuno ST190 Fairway Wood £279 £185 at Sports Direct
Mizuno has really stepped up its game in the metalwood market in recent times and the ST190, the previous generation to the ST200, are very high performers. Save yourself almost £94 on the ST190 fairway woods, available in 3 and 5 wood lofts.
Wilson Staff Launch Pad Fairway Wood £149 £117.99 at Amazon
The fairway wood is one of the hardest clubs to fill in the bag but take the stress out of that selection with this Launch Pad model from Wilson Staff. It will particularly help those players who struggle with a slice.
Ping G400 5 Wood $269.99 $179.99 at Worldwide Golf Shops
Save yourself $90 on the Ping G400 5 wood, launched in 2017. Ping makes great fairway woods and the G400, at the time, was the company’s hottest, highest launching fairway wood ever.
Callaway Mavrik Fairway Wood $299.99 $249.99 at Amazon
One of the best fairway woods on the market right now, the Mavrik fairway wood is available in different lofts and shafts – a really good deal below $250.
This is often the toughest part of the bag to fill. We know what type of driver we like the look and sound of and irons can soon be fitted into position but, if you’re able to find some insurance off the tee (and some of these might outpace your current driver) and/or some more lofted woods, then you can look at your home course through new eyes.
- Most Forgiving Fairway Woods
- Best Fairway Woods For Mid Handicappers
- Best Fairway Woods For High Handicappers
Below are some of our favourites.
WATCH: Best Fairway Woods 2020
The Best 3-Woods and Best 5-Woods On The Market
Titleist TSi3 Fairway Wood
(Image credit: Titleist)
Lofts: 13.5° (RH only), 15°, 16.5°, 18° (RH only)
+ Varied adjustability
+ Great for shaping and improved acoustics
– Lacks off-centre forgiveness
Titleist TSi3 Fairway Wood Review
This is more for the player who wants speed and accuracy. There is an adjustable weight track on the back – you can move to the heel, toe or keep it neutral – and they have moved away from simply moving it to the heel for a draw and toe for a fade etc They’ve now repositioned it to help with the CG placement so if you are more of a consistent striker, and you always hit it in the heel, you can now move the CG to move your sweet spot.
The beauty of the track is the attention to detail. They have worked with a screw vendor so in the space of just two clicks it will come all the way out and, two clicks later, it is back in place.
When you are stood over the ball it’s hard to decipher which is the TSi2 or the TSi3, both classic and smallish looking, which says a lot about the genius of the design as they offer different benefits.
US Pre-order at Worldwide Golf Shops for $299.99
UK Pre-order at Scottsdale Golf for £269
TaylorMade SIM Fairway Wood
RRP: £369 | Lofts: 14°, 15°, 19°
+ Driver-like feel
+ Very high launching
– Expensive
TaylorMade SIM Fairway woods Review
Joining the new SIM drivers are three fairway woods, the SIM, SIM Max, and SIM Max D-Type. The iconic V Steel design has been reinvented with the new 180cc SIM fairway with an 80g sole weight creating an extremely low CG that allows for increased ball speed, higher launch and improved forgiveness on low-face hits. It also features a new Zatech titanium face which is the first time TaylorMade has used this rare and ultra-strong material in a metalwood.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $399.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £329
TaylorMade SIM Max Fairway Wood
RRP: £269 | Lofts: 14°, 15°, 18°, 21°, 24°
+ Comes in draw-biased version
+ Contrasting crown makes it easy to align
– Larger size makes it more difficult to strike from the deck
The larger 185cc SIM Max steel fairway woods feature a C300 face material and is designed for higher launch and peak trajectories, with extremely long distance and improved playability. Finally, the oversized 190cc SIM Max D fairway has been optimised for forgiveness and golfers seeking a draw- bias design.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $299.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £229
Callaway Mavrik Fairway Wood
RRP: £269 | Lofts: 13.5°, 15°, 16.5°, 18°, 21°
+ Hot feel and high launch
+ Three models to suit different player types.
– No loft or lie adjustability
Callaway Mavrik Fairway Woods Review
Along with the standard Mavrik fairway that has generous heel camber for versatility, there’s the draw-biased Max model, which is a new shape that is larger and 30 per cent more forgiving than Epic Flash and has a lower leading edge for better results from the deck. There’s also a Sub Zero model that features a tour profile and adjustable front/back weighting.
Much like the Callaway Mavrik drivers, the Mavrik fairways also feature A.I.-designed Flash Faces specific to the three models, promoting optimum speed and spin. A high-strength C300 Maraging Steel face combined with Jailbreak maximizes ball speed.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $299.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £249
Ping G410 Fairway Wood
RRP: £275 | Lofts: 14.5°, 17.5°, 20.5°, 23.5°
+ Focus on forgiveness
+ Three models to suit different player types.
– Unorthodox looks may not suit your eye
This has a slightly shallower face than its predecessor the G400 and is designed to deliver higher ball speeds through a re-positioned centre of gravity closer to the face and sole. It’s estimated that it might carry an extra five yards over the G400.
All three G410 models feature an adjustable hosel with eight settings so you can change both your loft and lie and the emphasis is on stability and forgiveness.
The 3-wood comes with 14.5˚ of loft but can be adjusted to 16˚ and if that’s not enough you might want to think about the 5-wood and take a bit off it. There is also a 7 and 9-wood option.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $259.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £239
Mizuno ST200 Fairway Wood
RRP: £239 (TS version £279) | Lofts: 15°, 18° (TS version 13-17°)
+ Impressive ball speeds
+ Three models to suit different player types
– Dirt may gather in the sole
Mizuno ST200 Fairway Woods Review
As you might expect from Mizuno this is a great looker which sits and aligns perfectly behind the ball. And it’s powerful, really powerful. Any tests on this model and the stand-out comment is the really high ball speeds that it produces. This is done by using new titanium and high-strength alloys which is both stronger and more flexible than previous iterations.
Other than being explosive it is also a great all-rounder, being easy to launch from the fairways which might bring some par 5s more into range and the feel too is just what you’d like. Great club.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $169.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £199
Cobra King Speedzone Fairway Wood
RRP: £229 | Lofts: 14.5°, 18.5°, 22.5°
+ Rails aid turf interaction, especially from poor lies
+ Three models to suit different player types
+ Excellent value for money
– Limited improvements over previous generation
Cobra King Speedzone Fairway Woods Review
This club accounts for 80 per cent of Cobra’s fairway wood sales and is a great all-rounder. Cobra say it will work for anyone with a handicap of 5-25 and it’s quite high spinning but, with a good fitting, it should work wonders for you.
This might also be the best looking member in the family and it works beautifully through the turf – the hollow split rails flex more than solid rails which creates a 70 per cent larger sweet spot so it’s great for off-centre hits. They are also, interestingly, different depths depending on what model of the three – the standard here, Tour or Big Tour – that you go for.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $229.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £229
Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Fairway Wood
RRP: £199 | Lofts: 15°, 18°
+ Easy to hit
+ Excellent value for money
– Limited lofts and no adjustability
This focuses on what most of us need in a fairway wood and, as the name suggests, it really helps to launch the ball. The Hi-Bore crown lowers the centre of gravity and the cup face technology does the same as in the driver which is to deliver more speed across the entire face.
Another interesting aspect is that the ultra-light hosel and counter-balanced shaft design provides higher MOI and so more forgiveness. So there’s more weight in the hands for control.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $229.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £179
Honma TR21 Fairway Wood
RRP: £309 | Lofts: 15°, 16.5°, 18°, 21°
+ You’ll love the premium look and performance
– You’ll need to be a strong player to make the most of this
Honma have recently extended its premium performance line with the introduction of the TR21 family, TR standing for Tour Release, and this is aimed at the better player.
The sleek profile will also likely appeal to the low handicapper with the ability to further control your launch and spin with the adjustable sole weights.
Furthermore to the custom-fitting options a patented non-rotating hosel means the loft and lie can be altered without changing the position of the shaft’s spine so it remains in the six o’clock position when you’re making your adjustments.
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £309
Srixon ZX Fairway Wood
RRP: £249 | Lofts: 13.5°, 15°, 18°, 21° (13 and 21 both RH only)
+ You won’t struggle for distance with this club
– There’s no adjustability help here
Srixon say this is their most advanced fairway yet thanks to their ‘rebound frame’ technology. This provides a more efficient transfer of energy by focusing more energy into the ball. Put simply(ish) it works by layering alternating zones of flexible and stiff material which then transports the correct energy into the ball.
This comes in four options with the 3+ and 3 using a lightweight carbon crown to push the MOI up and increase forgiveness in the lofts where you may need it.
At address this looks classy, clean and simple.
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £249
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Fairway Wood
RRP: £279 | Lofts: 15°, 18°, 21°, 24° (24 RH only)
This easy-to-hit fairway wood features a shallower face, progressive lengths and an oversized Bertha shape to promote consistent contact and smooth turf interaction. The extra offset helps combat your slice while the advanced A.I. design promotes faster ball speeds across a wider area, so you can get away with a poor swing.
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Fairway Review
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $299.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £249
PXG O341X Gen 2 Fairway Wood
Similar to the PXG 0811x Gen 2 driver from PXG, the new fairway wood also has a multi-level, variable thickness carbon crown along with the Honeycomb TPE Insert which helps reposition weight around the head so that launch conditions are optimised while improving sound and feel. Additionally the eight weighted screws allow you to move significant mass around the head to create your ideal club in terms of head weight, spin and ball flight.
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £450
Callaway Epic Flash Fairway Wood
Like the Callaway Epic Flash drivers, the new fairway woods also have their new Flash Face Technology which is designed to give more ball speed to all levels of golfer. The product of an $8m super computer and Artificial Intelligence, the face is totally unique. The internal mapping consists of dozens of subtle ripples flowing from heel to toe. Though the size, height and configuration of the ripples appears random, they in fact work together. To go along with that, the clubs have Callaway’s Face Cup to produce high COR across a large area, as well as their Jailbreak technology to connect the crown from the sole to stabilise those two regions of the clubhead.
US Buy Now at Fairway Golf USA for $199.99
UK Buy Now at Scottsdale Golf for £199
Wilson Staff D7 Fairway Wood
New to 2019, Wilson Staff’s D7 crown comes with a layer of DuPont Kevlar sandwiched between two layers of carbon fibre to save weight. Thin-cast weight saving pockets are also featured along with a stainless steel face to improve distance. Given its modest retail price of £139 this is a good choice if the budget is a tad tight.
US Buy Now at Worldwide Golf Shops for $149.99
UK Buy Now at American Golf for £139
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