Must-Have Fairway Woods For Beginner and High Handicap Golfers
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In the hands of a beginner or someone with a high handicap, a fairway wood golf club can seem like a lifesaver.
Even if you manage to hit the Driver perfectly, you are still left with more than 200 yards onto every green, and even if you manage to hit it perfectly, it’s not always in the ideal lie.
It’s a place we’ve all been. The truth is that a fairway wood is a terrific club for getting you back down the fairway and near to the green, but it is also a challenging club to hit. It has been common practice for many years to use three woods with exceptionally low loft and low profile in an attempt to speed the ball down the fairway.
We now know that high-flying, large-headed clubs with low centers of gravity are more effective.
The best fairway woods for high and low handicappers alike may be found here. We’ll tell you which clubs we think are best for your game, and we’ll give you some advice on how to choose the right one.
What To Consider
Buying fairway woods for a beginner or a high handicapper requires a different set of criteria.
How do you know which fairway wood is best for you now that we’ve given you a wealth of information? How to get the greatest possible fairway wood for your game can be found here.
Price
Starting out as a golfer can be a pricey endeavor for those who are just getting started. A fairway wood that costs between $150 and $300 may seem affordable at first, but consider purchasing two or three of these at the same time.
If you’re on a budget, our recommendation is to choose a solid 5 wood you adore. Five woods are easier to hit than three woods, and although they won’t fly as far, they will get you started and out on the course with the equipment you require.
Beginner fairway woods that cost less than a lunch may function for a while, but they’re not going to last long. You’ll quickly outgrow those clubs as your skills develop and you begin to play more golf. So what we’re saying is that quality is more important than quantity.
Set Makeup
We’ve been asked this question a lot: Do I really need the 3, 5, and 7 wood? No, this is not the case.
It’s not uncommon for players to only have a five-wood on hand. Before recently, unless you had a fast swing speed, a three-wood could get you into more trouble than you needed.
However, as we have previously stated, distance in the wrong direction is of no use to a golfer. Because hitting a ball off the fairway can be more difficult than hitting one off the tee, it’s important to think about your fairway shots when shopping for fairway woods.
Take a look at how you’re doing on the golf course right now. For how many rounds would you utilize a 3-wood, 5-wood, and 7-wood simultaneously?
Don’t get a seven wood only to get started if you only want to use it once. If you find yourself using a three-wood off every tee because you struggle with your driver, then stick with that one for the time being.
Consider getting an adjustable 3/4 wood in case your Driver starts to improve.
When it comes to completing your golf bag, it’s up to you to decide what you need, but don’t think for a second that you need to have all of your woods in there; better players will tell you an additional wedge is more valuable than an extra fairway wood.
Forgiveness And Distance
Forgiveness is included in every modern fairway wood at the game improvement and extreme game improvement levels.
A club that can help you smash the ball farther and with greater accuracy can have a number of features that are easy to spot while looking for one.
- Center of Gravity: You’ll want a club with a low center of gravity that’s positioned towards the back of the clubhead.
- Large Speed Spot: This will aid shots that stray slightly from the center of the clubface.
- Carbon Fiber Crown: This lightweight carbon fiber crown is seen on several of the most forgiving fairway woods.
- Offset Club Head: An offset clubhead helps square the clubface during contact, reducing slicing.
- Lightweight shafts allow you to swing the club faster, generate more club head speed, and extend the distance you can go.
- Draw Bias or Draw Type: draw-type clubs have a slightly closed clubface that helps you strike the ball straighter. a step forward
- Off-Center Hits: Look for a club that allows off-center hits to be forgiven (similar to TaylorMade Twist Face Technology)
Adjustability
It’s not going to be the case that all fairway woods for high handicappers can be adjusted. In some cases, the clubface can be opened and closed, while in others, the loft can be altered.
A high handicapper’s golf swing is likely to evolve with time, making an adjustable club a great investment. Sometimes, you’ll struggle with a hook, while others you’ll be more prone to cutting it off.
When your golf game is shaky, an adjustable club head can help you strike the ball closer to the fairway.
Shafts
When you’re just starting off, it can be difficult to figure out what kind of shaft you need. In the beginning, you may need to slow down or maybe stop swinging altogether; later on, you may need to work on speeding up. Choosing the right shaft might be a challenge, but there are some fundamental rules to follow.
Senior shafts are recommended for players over the age of 60 who are new to the game. As a result, it’ll be easier to release the club and get a straight shot with it than other possibilities. Using a club that is too stiff for you will result in less-than-satisfactory results.
Inexperienced golfers often believe that a stiffer shaft is required to avoid a slice. If you’re trying to hit a hook, you’ll almost always require a stiffer shaft.
Regular flex fairway woods are a good choice if you’re hitting a seven iron at or below 150 yards.
Using a strong shaft when swinging a seven iron over 160 yards is recommended. Fortunately, the choice of shaft for fairway woods is much simpler because you only have to choose between flex, not steel, or graphite. All fairway woods, including beginners’ models, should have graphite shafts.
Brand
Forgiving golf clubs are made by some brands, whereas lower handicap golf clubs are made by others. Being aware of which manufacturers provide fairway woods that are more forgiving is a smart idea.
Fairway woods are a staple in the line-ups of Cobra, Cleveland, Callaway, and TaylorMade. The offset and higher launching options are the most forgiving of these manufacturers’ many product ranges.
Draw Bias Or Offset
High handicappers and novices generally choose fairway woods that are offset or have a draw bias. Because these clubs aid in hitting the ball straighter, it can make a big difference for those with higher handicaps and beginners.
Fairway woods, which are lengthy and difficult to control, make it tough to hit a straight golf ball at first. Draw bias and offset make it easier to get the ball to go straight when used together.
Top 5 Fairway Woods for Beginner and High Handicap Golfers
AT A GLANCE – THE TOP 5 FAIRWAY WOOD GOLF CLUBS FOR BEGINNER & HIGH HANDICAP GOLFERS (SEE ON AMAZON) | |
1. TOP PICK: Callaway Mavrik Max Fairway Wood | |
 | SPECIFICATIONS ⛳️ MAVRIK is the longest fairway wood that Callaway has ever made.
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WHAT WE THINK: | |
For beginners and those with high handicaps, Callaway will always be the best option. For those who want a club that is simple to hit, they add a high level of artificial intelligence and technology to their clubs. When it comes to getting the ball down the fairway, the new Callaway Mavrik Max Fairway is an extremely easy-to-hit club. The head of the Mavrik Max Fairway Wood is massive. High-handicapper golfers typically benefit most from using a club head with a large offset.
However, customers didn't like the Rogue fairway woods from Callaway that were released in 2019. On the Mavrik, those updates have been made.
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WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“I love this 7 wood. I tried to use my 3 wood and it’s the most difficult one.. so I decided to try out the 7 Callaway wood and I start hitting my balls better. I still top it sometimes but I think I will get better when I get used to it.. the loft of it helps me to get the balls to go higher than I use my free wood. I highly recommend it.” | |
PROS ✅ Long and very forgiving
| CONS ❌ Not recommended for golfer that hooks the ball and club head has draw bias |
 | SPECIFICATIONS ⛳️ Multi-material construction for low CG with 6-layer carbon crown, 450 stainless steel body, and 455 stainless face
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WHAT WE THINK: | |
A year ago, TaylorMade unveiled their M2 Fairway Woods. There are still some around, despite the fact that they are several years old. TaylorMade's M series golf clubs are among the best the company has ever made.
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WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“Wow! This club is really great. I have been out driving my golf partners when using this 5 wood off the tee and my fairway shots are not only longer than my old Taylor club, but more accurate as well. It's also a good looking club with the right weighting and balance. This one works so well I don't even use my Three wood anymore and using it off the tee box on moderate par 4 holes works great. I recommend this club and as I need to replace others will first look to the Taylor Made M2 series as the first choice.” | |
PROS ✅ Fair price point
| CONS ❌ Length is not so long compared to the new SIM Max golf clubs |
 | SPECIFICATIONS ⛳️ Multi-Material Fairway Wood Construction with Steel Body and Carbon Crown: Creates a 185cc head design where weight is positioned precisely in the head for ultra-low CG for explosive distance, high launch, and mid-low spin
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WHAT WE THINK: | |
Is distance a factor in your decision-making process?
TaylorMade merged their most recent distance technology with the vintage V Steel bottom in this club. In order to get past the hardest falsehoods, V Steel's bottom is used.
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WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“I have been looking to upgrade from an old 3 wood. I took this out to the range and it felt amazing! I hit my first 10 or so balls on the range with it and felt like I was ripping them without hardly trying. The trajectory looked amazing. I ended up swapping out to my driver (a TaylorMade R1, admittedly old from 2013) and found that I was hitting this club as far as my drives but much straighter. I have been unable to play my old 3 wood off the deck and this was a big reason for my upgrade. I had a bit of a struggle at the very first in hitting it without a tee but within a half-dozen shots or so, I was getting it up and out near, but still not quite up to, where I was hitting it off a tee. I have struggled with slices historically but most recently hooks. While there were some balls lost left and right on the range, there was not a single shot that would have been deemed unplayable on the vast majority of the holes that I play locally. If someone needs a con to this product, one thing that may bother some people is that the sound is a little clicky coming off the face but this has not been bothersome to me. Overall, this club was expensive but I feel it will fill a big gap in my current bag and help me have more scoring opportunities on par 5s and get the ball in play on shorter holes where I traditionally like to use a 3 wood off the tee. I would recommend this unequivocally to anyone in search of a newer generation wood.” | |
PROS ✅ Long distance ✅ High launching
| CONS ❌ Ball speed is not as high |
 | SPECIFICATIONS ⛳️ XL HEAD DESIGN: a bigger head means an MOI of 3,338 g-cm - our most ever in Cleveland Golf Fairway Wood. Add that forgiveness to a high launch from low-and-deep weighting, and you'll enjoy maximum distance with maximum fun.
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WHAT WE THINK: | |
New from Cleveland, the Launcher XL Halo fairway wood features a high MOI design. The Action Mass CB is one of Cleveland's more innovative features in this club head. For the first time, we've seen something like this, and it's really helped gamers feel like they can play Halo at a greater tempo and at a faster pace. Also included is a flex zone that will boost ball speed and distance with the new rebound frame from Cleveland Increased yardage can be achieved by stretching the face of the club head. The Hibore Crown Step, which has been used in past Launcher releases, aids in launching shots more consistently and at a higher rate of speed.
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WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“Loved the feel and accuracy. Always had trouble with the fairway woods. This club is everything as advertised.” | |
PROS ✅ Helps the club slide through the rough easier
| CONS ❌ Not recommended for high swing speed golfers |
 | SPECIFICATIONS ⛳️ ANTI-SLICE TECHNOLOGY: This technology has existed for years but is becoming more and more popular for recreational, new, and longtime golfers. The PGX Offset fairway woods feature an increased offset in the clubface.
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WHAT WE THINK: | |
That said, the Pinemeadow PGX Offset Fairway Woods are not the most expensive clubs in the world. Despite the fact that this is a low-cost club, it has received positive reviews and outcomes from beginners. The offset shape of the PGX Fairway helps to correct the slice that all beginners encounter. So, if you have success with one of these fairway woods, you may go ahead and stock your entire bag with them!
We think it's a great choice for people who aren't sure if this game is for them. Go to the range with a PGX wood and possibly an iron. You won't have to fork over a lot of money, and you may end up having this fairway wood in your bag for a long time. | |
WHAT CUSTOMERS THINK: | |
“Man I bought this club for a cheap club just to try and now it's my go to club. Hit it right down the middle of the fairway. Has lasted an entire season with no problems. Screw buying 400.00 clubs when I can get the same result if not better results from this little guy. I'm buying another one for a backup.”
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PROS ✅ Very low price point
| CONS ❌ Not the best feel |
Final Thoughts
All of the fairway woods on the market may be found to fit your game, whether you’re seeking for a better launch, the anti-slice fairway finder, or distance. Brands have taken note of the difficulties golfers encounter in locating a fairway wood that is easy to hit and with a predictable ball flight, and they have delivered!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which fairway woods do high-handicappers require?
At the very least, high handicappers should have one fairway wood in their bag, but most will have two in their arsenal. Five-woods are popular with golfers because they combine distance with forgiveness, making it easier for them to score and gain the forgiveness they need.
There is a bit of a learning curve with the three-wood and the seven-wood, respectively. Two fairway woods are a terrific option if you have room in your bag and the money. Start with a single wood, preferably a five wood, until you are confident in your fairway woods.
There are a variety of fairway wood lofts to pick from. Generally speaking, a three-wood is roughly 15 degrees, while a five-wood is around 19 degrees. Determine whether or not you have a hybrid of the same degree in your bag before purchasing a fairway wood.
Because your bag can only hold 14 clubs, it’s critical that the lofts of each one be different. Golfers’ ability to achieve their desired on-course results is directly related to their ability to adjust their loft.
If you can only pick one fairway wood, go with a 19-degree loft because it’s the best of both worlds.
Are adjustable fairway woods necessary?
Higher-handicappers and beginners alike will benefit greatly from adjustable fairway woods. Wood players can easily adapt their swing to the conditions on the course by using a fairway wood with an adjustable fairway.
These fairway woods are quite useful for players who are trying to improve their game or dial it in. By increasing the launch, they can be made more forgiving for shots that are either slicing or hooking.
Consider the advantages of an adjustable fairway wood over a non-adjustable fairway wood if you have the choice.
Is A 3-Wood necessary for beginners?
Although a 3 wood can be challenging to hit, most golfers eventually master it and use it regularly throughout their swing. Long-hitting fairway woods are a terrific alternative to the driver in golf. A rapid swing speed is required to get the most out of the 3 wood’s potential distance.
Higher handicappers and beginners are sometimes thought to have slower swing speeds, although this isn’t necessarily the case. A 3 wood might be an excellent starting point if you’re serious about improving your game and want to see if it’s a suitable fit for you.
