Fairway woods are an essential for most golfers and so finding the right one for you is crutial. As a club used both off the tee or on the fairways, it’s important to find one that provides you with the most confidence. They can almost be one of the more challenging clubs to hit so the importance of selecting the right one for you and your game is imperative.
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Like all other clubs there are different types of fairway woods designed specially to mean the needs of different types of golfers. Of which are the fairway woods designed for added forgiveness, something all amateur golfers should be looking to take advantage of.
In this article we explore which fairway woods will provide you with the most distance without compensating on accuracy and most importantly, forgiveness. The NCG have reviewed all the latest offering from some of the biggest brands in golf to bring you a comprehensive list.
Most Forgiving Fairway Woods 2025
Wilson Dynapwr MAX Fairway Wood
Throughout testing the club produce a really nice, straight ball flight from decent lunches. For me this club prevent the perfect elevation. It didn’t balloon the ball in the air like some other fairway woods I tested but still exuded enough elevation for a sufficient carry.
Wilson have included a big tungsten weight at the back of the club head to ensure this. A rear weight of 12g ensures golfers can utilise a more forgiving and easier high launch club.
Overall, the Wilson Dynapwr MAX fairway wood offers a great value for money option. A really forgiving club that delivers straight ball flights consistently from a playable club. Most of us golfers tend to keep our fairway woods in our bags and can be one of the least used clubs. So, having an easy to hit wood in the bag is a sensible option.
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PROS
- Plenty of forgiveness
- Pleasing high ball flight for attacking the greens
- A versatility wood that can be used off the ground and tee
CONS
- Not as quick as other models
- RELATED: Read our full Wilson Dynapwr MAX Fairway Wood review here.
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Lofts: 15°-24°
More information: Ping UK / Ping US
Callaway Elyte Fairway Wood
The NCG team loved the Callaway Elyte driver and the fairway woods are equipped with a lot of the same tech. So, I was confident going into the testing that this would be a quality performing 3-wood.
From the first strike I saw a jump in ball speed from what I am typically accustomed to even on off-centred strikes. The first shot I hit wasn’t a clean strike by any stretch of the imagination and I still experienced an increase of 2mph ball speed which highlights the strong forgiveness of this Callaway fairway wood.
There is plenty of adjustability available to golfers with this Callaway fairway wood as the loft, lie angle and weight can all be effected to suit different swing types.
Additionally, the acoustic of the Callaway Elyte is very desirable. It produces something of click and thud sound of the club face.
Overall, I think this is another fantastic fairway wood option from Callaway. Across the board I think the brand produce some of the best fairways on the market and I woulds say they are some of the most underrated.
It feels like an easy to club to hit and swing. You get great feedback off the face of the club and is top performing club.
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New for the DS-Adapt range is a new hosel system, FutureFit33, which makes it the most adjustable fairway wood ever made. Brands are eager for golfers to get fitted for the clubs more so than probably ever before. This hosel system makes fitting more accurate and suitable than previously possible.
More than any other brand, Cobra are pushing a low and forward centre of gravity in their fairway woods. Which you can feel as it resembles the feeling of a mini driver more than a fairway wood.
Overall, I think this is a great option for longer hitting golfers. Throughout testing I found it to be completely playable and could see its use out on the course. This was yet another Cobra club that I enjoyed to hit from this year’s release.
PROS
- Fast club face
- Compact profile
- A highly adjustable fairway wood
CONS
- None
- RELATED: Read our full Cobra DS-Adapt LS Fairway Wood review here.
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Again it goes back to player preference. This is a great fairway wood to use off the ground but doesn’t deliver enough distance to use off the tee.
For me, I loved testing out this club. The big, high rainbow ball flight was a perfect ball flight for me. I’m someone who wants to hit their driver a lot throughout a round so there is no real need for me to have a fairway wood in the bag to hit off the tee. Therefore, I would always tend to put a fairway club in the bag that I am comfortable hitting onto a green rather than chasing down a fairway – this is perfect for that.
PROS
- High launch
- Compact, sleek head shape and profile
- Produces a rainbow ball flight
- Consistent and tight dispersion
CONS
- I found the distance to be down
- RELATED: Read our full Srixon ZXi Fairway Wood review here.
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PROS
- Has a traditional feel
- Looks clean
- Easy to hit and a great fairway finder
CONS
- Isn’t as long hitting as other fairway woods
- RELATED: Read our full Takomo Ignis fairway wood review here.
Available: Now
RRP: £259 / $259
Shafts: Hzrdus Smoke Red RDX
Lofts: 15°, 17° and 21°
More information: Takomo website
Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Fairway Wood
The Cleveland Launcher XL Halo fairway has a very shallow face and a head that’s so big the ball feels almost small at address. Whether you love fairway woods or hate them, standing over the Launcher XL Halo gives you the feeling you will easily get the club on the ball.
Like most players, fairway woods can be really hit or miss for me. Sometimes I have no issue hitting great shots, and other times, I really struggle, often just carrying it so my golf bag looks nice with matching headcovers. The Halo, however, gives me a refreshed feeling over the ball, as if all of my striking issues might disappear.
Cleveland has moved the centre of gravity low and further back in the head, which makes the Halo really forgiving and easy to get airborne. This might not make it the longest fairway wood out there, but when consistency is the biggest issue golfers face, these high launch high carry characteristics are exactly what we need.
