Best Fairway Woods For High Handicappers 2024
The best of the best! We roundup the best fairway woods for high handicap golfers for the 2024 season.
For high-handicap golfers, choosing the right fairway wood can make a big difference in their game. In 2024, there are several top brands offering fairway woods with features that cater specifically to high-handicap golfers.
In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of the best fairway woods for high-handicap golfers, including new additions from Cobra, TaylorMade and Callaway.
Each of these fairway woods is designed to provide greater forgiveness, distance, and accuracy for high-handicap golfers, helping them improve their game and gain confidence on the course.
Best Fairway Woods for High Handicappers 2024
TaylorMade Qi10 Max Fairway Wood
The Qi10 Max is their most forgiving model in this new range. There is no adjustable hosel, which gives it a sleeker look and allows the freedom to optimise the weight distribution and lower the centre of gravity to deliver longer distances.
The infinity crown, made from carbon, also contributes to this, and TaylorMade says this is the highest MOI fairway wood they have produced. This very low CG makes it easy to launch, giving an extremely high launch that is optimised for carry distance. Other features are the Thru-Slot speed pocket to optimise ball speed on low-face hits and twist-face technology to straighten those less-than-perfect strikes.
The Qi10 Max has a slightly shallower head and a bigger 200cc head to help with confidence off the deck and tee.
Unsurprisingly, less-than-perfect strikes were not disastrous, and this is a reassuringly forgiving club. Both distance and direction were helped by the forgiving technology. Off the tee, I gained about 5 yards, which is what I would have expected.
PROS
- Clean looks
- Wide appeal
- Very Forgiving
- Great off the deck and tee
CONS
- Some may perceive the lack of adjustability as a negative
- RELATED: Read our full TaylorMade Qi10 Max Fairway Wood Review
RRP: £309
Shafts: Fujikura Speeder NX TCS 50 (S, R, A)
Lofts: 16°, 19°, & 22°
More information: TaylorMade Website
Wilson Dynapwr Fairway Wood
I hit the 3 wood 228 yards carry with wind removed, which isn’t too bad but to be honest with over 150mph ball speed I’d have liked to have seen a bit more.
Wilson have designed the Dynapwr fairway using artificial intelligence to calculate the variable thickness in the face to provide maximum speed and spin from all strike locations. It also features a weight on the rear of the sole which drags back the centre of gravity to increase MOI.
The result of this tech is an extremely forgiving fairway wood. I made sure to hit plenty of shots from a wide variety of face locations and none of the shots were unplayable. Wilson have done a brilliant job building a fairway wood that players can actually use and rely on.
PROS
- Classic shape
- Ball speeds remained high on miss-hits
- Plenty of spin to keep the ball in the air
- Great price
CONS
- Not the longest fairway wood
- Not adjustable
- RELATED: Read our full Wilson Dynapwr Fairway Wood review
RRP: £220
Right-handed lofts: 15°, 18°, 21°
Featured shafts: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red
More information: Wilson Website
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D Fairway Wood
Callaway is utilising their Ai technology, which this year uses data from real-world golfers. They use advanced machine learning to produce sweet spots around the face and claim the Max D model produces high launch and draw bias.
The Max D is built with a more upright lie angle and a neutral face angle to help with that right-to-left shot shape. It sits nicely behind the ball, and the face does not have a closed look to it as some might expect from a draw-biased wood.
Off the deck, it was confidence-inspiring and relatively consistent. Off the tee, being easier to launch it became more consistent and the distance was pretty much equal to my current fairway wood.
Off-centre hits were, as expected, very forgiving. I got decent distance with some pretty poor strikes.
Callaway, it seems to me, are describing this as their maximum forgiveness fairway wood, and I would agree with this. Despite this, I think it should be in the discussion for all handicaps. The head is a modern, classic shape. The three wood has an adjustable hosel and can therefore be tweaked to provide a perfect fit.
PROS
- Properly easy to fly high
- Extremely forgiving so great for mid handicappers too
- More great acoustics
- Love the looks
CONS
- Low profile head isn’t as confidence inspiring on tee shots
- RELATED: Read our full Callaway Paradym AI Smoke Max d Fairway woods review
RRP: £379
Shafts: Project X Cypher 2.0 | 40 G (LGT) | D2 & 50G (LGT, REG) | D2
MCA Tensei AV Blue | 60 G (REG | STF) | D3 & 70 G (STF) | D4
Right-handed Lofts: 15°, 16.5°, 18°, 21°
Left-handed Lofts: 15°, 18° & 21°
More information: Callaway website
Ping G430 Max Fairway Wood
The first thing I am looking for in a 3-wood is depth of face, and this sits really tight behind the ball. I instantly feel like this is something I am going to be able to launch easily due to the relatively low profile face. This suits me as someone who is primarily looking for a second shot club.
As with the driver the acoustics are hugely improved here. Ping say it is down to that carbon crown. Regardless of the reason they sound so sweet.
This is a massive tick in the box for me as in recent years this has been a negative for Ping versus some of the other manufacturers who have nailed their acoustics. This is well and truly put to bed throughout the G430 range of metals.
The max fairways prove themselves to be super versatile out on the course, I hit multiple tee shots and am able to flight it both ways. This gives it the edge over some of the lower spinning or draw biased products which tend to favour a right and left shape respectively. I actually like if off the tee, the flight is more penetrating than I am expecting and it is giving up nothing to other fairway metals.
PROS
- Really versatile
- Super forgiving
- Massively improved acoustics
- Great shaft options
CONS
- Not the longest fairway on test
- RELATED: Read our full Ping G430 Max Fairway Wood review
RRP: £350
Right-handed lofts: 3 (15), 5 (19) 7 (22)
Shafts: ALTA CB Black 55 / 65 / 70 or ALTA QUICK 35 /75 or Ping Tour 2.0 Chrome 65 / 75 / 85 or Ping Tour 2.0 Black 65 / 75 or Project x HZDRUS Smoke Red RDX 50 / 60 / 70 or Mitsubusi KAI’Li White 60 / 70
More information: Ping website
Cobra Darkspeed Max Fairway Wood
The Cobra Darkspeed series of fairway woods are some of the most stunning clubs I have seen. This series has something for everyone. The Darkspeed Max is their most forgiving club. The club has been designed to give a high draw-biased flight. It has an adjustable weight system for fine-tuning forgiveness and flight. The Darkspeed Max uses the Cobra PWR-BRIDGE and PWRSHELL H.O.T face technology which is being used across the board in this range.
This provides faster ball speed through a low forward CG location. The fairway wood has a carbon crown shell that removes weight from the upper part of the clubhead, which contributes to the low CG. The technology in the face uses machine learning to provide a multitude of hotspots across the face, leading to even greater forgiveness. This golf club has a really shallow face and looks so gettable, which is a confidence-inspiring feeling from a club that is historically the hardest to hit from the ground consistently.
I was interested to see if I actually got more distance with the forgiveness and slightly more loft, perhaps launching the ball more easily. The figures, however, showed the distance to be that expected with the loft when comparing it to other Darkspeed woods and, indeed, my own 3 wood. Off the tee, I gained around 5 yards, which is normal for me.
PROS
- Gorgeous looks.
- Forgiving
- Performed well from tee and fairway
- Extremely adjustable to get a great fit
- Sits square despite draw bias
CONS
- None
- RELATED: Read our full Cobra Darkspeed Max Fairway Wood Review
RRP: £279
Loft: 3W 15.5˚ (14°-17°), 5W 18.5˚ (17°-20°), 7W 21.5° (20°-23°)
Stock Shafts: UST MAMIYA LIN-Q M40X Red A, R and S Flexes.
More information: Cobra Website
Best Fairway Woods for High Handicappers 2024
For high-handicap golfers, the right fairway wood can make a significant difference in their game. With top brands like Wilson, TaylorMade, Ping, and Cobra offering fairway woods specifically designed for high-handicap golfers, there are plenty of options to consider in 2024.
With features like greater forgiveness, improved aerodynamics, and adjustable weighting, these fairway woods can help high-handicap golfers achieve greater distance and accuracy on the course. Consider your own preferences and skill level to determine which fairway wood is the right fit for you, and get ready to enjoy improved performance and greater confidence on the course.
How do we test fairway woods?
At National Club Golfer, we are passionate about producing accurate and thorough reviews and making sure our testing process is rigorous so we get a good understanding of how each club performs.
Each iron is hit with Pro V1 golf balls to allow us to collect launch monitor data with our in-house TrackMan and FlightScope. After this it is time to head out onto the golf course and test the clubs in practice and competition play. We do test them at a variety of golf clubs in our base of Yorkshire.
What is important when buying a fairway wood?
When buying a new fairway wood it is important to know what you want from that club to help you improve.
Most people are looking for more distance, each model is optimised for different things. Depending on your swing and your impact conditions, you may not actually hit the model that is advertised as the longest, the furthest. So if you want more distance, it is always worth giving different models a hit before you make a decision.
For most golfers, especially high handicappers, something that is more forgiving is going to yield the best performance. Most forgiving golf fairway woods have a slightly bigger club head with perimeter weighting for high MOI, which means a bigger sweet spot and off-center hits still perform well. They also have a center of gravity that is further back to help players get more height on their ball flight.
Do you want something that is draw bias? There are so many models out there to help with slice correction, it would be silly not to take a look if you see your ball disappearing into the right trees too often. A closed face and draw bias weighting can get you hitting straighter shots in no time at all.
Don’t forget about the shaft, either. Getting the correct shaft can help dial in your spin and launch angle and can also give you some extra distance. Having a club fitting or trying different options with your local pro can really improve the performance of your new fairway.
What handicap are forgiving fairway woods best suited for?
These types of fairway woods are ideal if you’re an inconsistent ball striker or struggle to get your fairway woods shots in the air. These clubs are not necessarily for high-handicap golfers, as fairway woods can be real hit-and-miss for golfers of all levels. Generally, the most forgiving fairway woods have a shallow face design which may not be ideal for golfers who use the fairway from the tee often.
They are also great for players with slower swing speeds as they can help golfers hit the ball with a higher launch, which these golfers can struggle with, especially in three woods.
What brand produces the most forgiving fairway wood?
All of the products in this most forgiving fairway woods 2024 article are picked from the brands that offer the most forgiving fairways.
Do any pros use forgiving fairway woods on tour?
Contrary to popular belief, PGA & DP World tour players do often play a forgiving fairway wood. This will vary from player to player as golfers want different things from their fairway woods, but if you check out Hannah’s what’s in the bag pieces, you will see forgiving fairway woods in there.
Tour players will often have two fairway woods in the bag, one low spin model that they might use as a backup club from the tee and another more forgiving model that will launch higher and land softer, more used for second shots into par 5s. Tour players consider small details like turf interaction and larger vs smaller head designs to manipulate the ball flight to what’s required. Amateur players should also think more about this and have a proper custom fitting!
Hannah Holden
Hannah Holden is the Equipment and Instruction Editor here at National Club Golfer. If you’re looking to improve your game, by changing your golf swing or upgrading your golf equipment she’ll have the answers.
As well as writing lots of features and reviews you can find her on our YouTube channel giving you insights on the latest rules, clubs and tips to improve your golf game.
Hannah is a member at Alwoodley golf club. You will either find her here or driving up and down the country playing in a variety of elite amateur events.
