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The fairway woods are second to the driver in terms of distance, producing longer, farther carry than irons. In fact, the woods can even be used as a substitute for the driver especially if you’re playing a short par 4 or a long par 3. Designed to be used on the fairway, as suggested by its name. The woods can help you bring your ball closer to the pin is as few shots as possible.
Despite being long distance clubs, the fairway woods are often easier to use than the long irons. But even then, they’re definitely not a one size fits all. Just like any other club, even the fairly simple fairway woods come in a variety of models that cater to different play styles and skill levels. In this guide, we’re tackling how to find the best fairway woods for mid handicappers, and discussing some of the hottest picks currently up for grabs.
The hybrids were first introduced by TaylorMade, and were touted as a rescue club. The intended purpose for this club species was to bridge the gap between woods and irons, which were immensely different in performance and ease of use. In many ways, hybrids marry some of the qualities of woods with irons. Therefore making the kind of like a middle-of-the-road option for golfers who need a more forgiving distance club.
The reason why the big fairway woods vs hybrids debate has dragged on for so long is because they’re incredibly similar. That’s not to say they don’t have their differences though. So what should a mid handicapper use?
Well, there are three main benefits to the hybrids that could be advantageous for a mid handicapper. These include:
Heavier heads that slow down your swing but increase the applied force
It works to cut through semi tall rough to help you manage a poor lie
Improved swing control that produces more accurate approach shots
Aside from that, it’s also worth mentioning that the hybrids of today are designed to replace more than just the irons. Some designs are calibrated with 15 degree lofts that make them comparable to the 3-wood. But that still doesn’t answer the question - should a mid handicapper forgo the woods in favor of the hybrids?
That depends. Hybrids can be reasonable distance clubs with substantial accuracy. However nothing really beats the distance that a wood provides on the fairway. Designed specifically for long carry approach, woods can cover longer distances than any of the hybrids at the slight cost of control.
Now the question - are you more interested in covering more ground or are you looking for a club that let’s you approach the pin with greater control?
Fairway woods come in a wide variety of models these days, and each one brings something unique to the table. And although some of the differences between models might seem marginal at best, even the slightest changes to a golf club’s construction, material, and overall design can significantly alter the way it functions and performs on the course.
Woods come in different lofts with lower loft angles indicated by the number of the club. To help you get a better understanding of the different loft ranges of the wood family, it would be best to get a picture of each club’s individual loft and how it matches up with the irons.
WOOD | LOFT | EQUIVALENT TO |
|---|---|---|
2-wood | 12° | - |
3-wood | 14° | - |
4-wood | 16° | 1-iron |
5-wood | 18° | 2-iron |
7-wood | 22° | 3-iron |
9-wood | 26° | 4-iron |
11-wood | 30° | 5-iron |
13-wood | 33° | 6-iron |
15-wood | 36° | 7-iron |
17-wood | 39° | 8-iron |
19-wood | 42° | 9-iron |
21-wood | 46° | Pitching wedge |
23-wood | 50° | Gap wedge |
25-wood | 55° | Sand wedge |
Keep in mind that some of these woods can be pretty impractical on the course, especially those that tread into wedge territory. For the most part, golfers will carry an 11-wood at max in terms of loft, since the shorter irons tend to be easier to manage than the longer ones anyway.
For beginners, the ideal wood should be no less than 17° since the lower lofts tend to be harder to hit. But if you’re a mid handicapper with a little more experience, then you should be able to experiment with some of the longer woods to find out how they can serve a unique purpose on the fairway and even around some of the rough.
Just like the driver (which is actually a 1-wood), the fairway woods require specific shafts in order to accomplish the purpose they set out to achieve. These clubs will usually come with longer shafts, and that’s because longer means farther distance. But then again, there’s the issue of accuracy. While an extended shaft might get you to launch your ball over a longer distance traveled, these clumsy shafts can also be harder to swing at full power.
Another thing worth considering is the fact that every golfer is a different height. As a general rule, mid handicappers should use a club length that marries control with distance. This is especially the case since you have more experience in order to manage your club’s movement. On average, a 3-wood should have a shaft length of about 43 to 42 inches. They become incrementally shorter as the loft increases.
Finally, there’s the topic of shaft material. While there are some minor variations, you’ll find that the most popular fairway woods use graphite for its lightweight construction and flexible performance.
A golfer can only legally carry 14 clubs in the bag. So that means you’re going to have to be strategic with the kind of clubs you choose to bring with you. A lot of the woods, hybrids, and irons overlap in terms of loft, distance, and performance. Therefore it really boils down to which ones work best for you. What you should aim for is optimal spread - giving you a club for every scenario you might encounter on the course.
As a mid handicapper, you should focus on packing woods that cover the most distance. So that includes your 3-, 4-, and 5-woods. Then you can choose to bring along a hybrid or two, before moving into your short iron territory. Not only should these clubs match your specific skill level, but they should also give you something to wield for every kind of situation you might face as you approach the pin.
There are a lot of factors that contribute to forgiveness. And although you might still be interested in a fairway wood that’s easy to hit, your status as a mid handicapper should give you some confidence to experiment with a wood that offers more versatility and shaping on the turf.
A low and back center of gravity can be great to help get your golf ball airborne. But now that you’re a little more skilled, there’s hidden beauty in a low flight ball. Overhanging hazards, poor weather conditions, and excessive wind can all make it a better choice to launch your ball low as you approach the pin. In these cases, a lower loft wood that launches at a slightly decreased angle should be a good choice.
Of course, there are other elements you can look into if you’re interested in forgiveness. The shape of the head for example, can change the width of the sweet spot. Larger heads with distinct shaping technology makes it possible for a wood to correct a mishit, helping you land your club face relatively square even if you weren’t able to line it up perfectly during the downswing.
Other things like a more flexible shaft can also improve your club’s performance with little effort from your end. The more a shaft flexes, the more power it can deliver upon impact. Keep in mind however that the more flex a club shaft has, the more prone it might be to torque which could mess up the way your club interacts with the ball during the hit.
Fairway woods can use three different types of material for its head. These are mostly metals that all offer some distinct benefit for specific types of golfers.
The most popular choice. Steel is often more forgiving than other materials and comes at a far lower cost. The drawback is that they can be relatively heavy. Which leads to a ‘pendulum’ effect that might not be too satisfying for a golfer who wants to be able to control and guide the shot.
Lightweight and durable. Titanium makes it possible for manufacturers to move the COG lower into the back of the head. Tighter shot dispersion is one of its best assets, but it also doesn’t feel too great in terms of feedback.
Various materials brought together to shape into a fairway wood’s head. Composite provides consistency and works to improve the trajectory of off-center hits, but it can be heavy. Also, mid handicappers might find it to be too forgiving.
As one of Callaway’s hottest fresh drops. The Mavrik Fairway Wood brandishes the title ‘the longest fairway wood ever made by Callaway.’ Forged from what the brand calls ‘exotic materials, the Mavrik’s face is A.I.-optimized, uniquely designed to match the loft of each model for maximum lift and distance. This works together with the club’s leading edge geometry that literally extends the club face’s leading edge to make launch easier and more forgiving.
But despite being relatively easy to use, the Mavrik does take advantage of your improving skill. Giving you several weighting options that let you choose your launch angle, spin rates, and draw bias to precisely meet your unique skill set and technique. It is lightweight and comfortable to hit. These clubs also boast comfortable feel that’s soft and satisfying without completely dampening valuable feedback.
The TaylorMade M5 Rocket Fairway Wood incorporates one of the brand’s latest technologies called Twist Face. Using a distinct face topography, these fairway woods perform seamlessly even for off center hits. Letting you produce consistent straight flight with minimal side spin regardless of where on the face you strike the ball. This works hand in hand with the club’s intuitive moveable weight that’s flush against the sole contour. This will allow a smooth turf interaction and greater versatility that mid handicappers often crave.
With the brand’s ingenious loft sleeve, the M5 Rocket lets players effortlessly adjust loft and lie angles to match their specific situation. So whatever the course might bring, you can be confident that the massive adjustment potential that the M5 brings will work to help you meet the conditions with a wood that’s both efficient and dynamic.
With a name like Baffler, it’s hard not to take notice of this stellar release from the ever popular Cobra brand. Incorporating an ultra low center of gravity and oversized rails, the Cobra Baffler XL is especially smooth on the turf. Clapping against your ball to produce supreme lift and penetrating distance. It gets the ‘XL’ in its name from the distinct sole anatomy that it incorporates, allowing reduced surface drag on the sole and leading edge for interference-free swing even on short rough.
Using a 20 extra grams of tungsten positioned deep and low into the back of the head, the Cobra Baffler XL squares off the club face upon impact to reduce side spin off of the turf. This results into distance shots that don’t only travel over extended carry, but also generate consistent hits that make it more satisfying to pull out the woods whenever necessary.
The fairway woods family will come in handy on almost any course. It allows you to close in the distance that your driver might have left behind. Intended for long distance approach shots, even the effortless hybrids can’t replace the kind of extended carry that the woods are known for. Therefore making them an indispensable member of the standard golf arsenal.
The top choice when choosing the best fairway woods for mid handicappers should offer distance, forgiveness, control, and versatility. And based on our research, the Mavrik Fairway Wood from Callaway brings all of these to the turf. Letting you take control of the shot without completely having to forgo the comfort and familiarity of the beginner woods you’ve learned to wield.
