The best of the best! We roundup the best fairway woods that have been released for the 2023 season.
Eight of golf’s most significant brands introduced us to a whopping fifteen new fairway woods for the 2023 season, and our team has tested them all to let you know which one is the best fairway wood in 2023 to suit your game.
Introduction
Fairway woods are an important part of any golfer’s bag, and choosing the right one can make a significant impact on your game.
In 2023, there are several top brands to consider when searching for the best fairway wood. We’ll be taking a closer look at the top fairway woods of 2023 from some of the most trusted brands in the industry, including Callaway, TaylorMade, Ping, Cobra, and Titleist.
Each of these fairway woods is designed with unique features to help you achieve distance, accuracy, and overall performance on the course.
We’ve hit them in the sun, in the rain, abroad, at home, in the heat, in the snow, on the course and in a simulator room with TaylorMade TP5 golf balls using TrackMan to create honest reviews you can actually trust.
We have scoured through all the shot data we’ve collected and dove deep into the new technology to assemble our list of the best fairway woods 2023. Oh, and there’s more than that came from. We’ll also tell you the best budget fairway woods, best beginner fairway woods, best draw bias fairway woods and best fairway woods for high handicappers.
How’s that for a fairway wood bonanza?
Best golf fairway woods 2023
Callaway Fairway Woods 2023
Callaway have already made their mark on 2023 with the superb Paradym range of clubs, all their clubs have seriously impressed our reviews team.
The name comes from the word ‘Paradigm’ which has a few meanings. Callaway’s take is “a set of ideas or way of looking at something” a name that signifies thinking outside the box.
Currently, there are a grand total of 42 PGA Tour players among the top players in the world gaming Callaway equipment – most notably Jon Rahm and Danny Willett. In fact, Danny Willett slotted the Paradym fairway wood straight into his bag in February when it first came out!
Callaway Fairway Woods: NCG Favourite
Callaway Paradym Fairway Wood
Reviewed by Jack Backhouse
Callaway have drastically redesigned the construction of the Paradym so that it now features a forged carbon sole which has allowed them to move weight around in the head so it’s more forgiving and Callaway’s longest-ever fairway.
On average, I carried the 3 wood 234.8 yards, with my longest all the way out at 245 yards. My fastest ball speed was an astonishing 154.3mph which is thanks to Callaway’s jailbreak & batwing technology and their new AI-designed high-strength face cup.
Both of these new bits of tech allow the club face to flex more to produce hotter ball speeds from all strike locations. I didn’t make perfect contact with all of these shots but i’d be happy with all of the results out on the course.
PROS
- Neutral set up
- Crazy ball speeds
- It sits beautifully behind the ball
- Great selection of lofts
CONS
- There are no cons
- RELATED: Read our full Callaway Paradym Fairway Wood review
Right-handed lofts: 3w 15°, 3HL 16.5°, 5w 18°, 7w 21°, 9w 24°, 11w 27°, HVN 20°
Featured shafts:
MCA Aldila Ascent PL Blue 40g (Womens, Light)
Project X HZDRUS Silver 50g (reg & stiff) 60g (stiff)
Project X HZRDUS Black 60g (stiff & X stiff)
Premium shafts:
Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360
Lamkin ST Soft Undersized
More information: Callaway Website
TaylorMade Fairway Woods 2023
TaylorMade have produced a plethora of high-quality fairway woods over the years. They have consistently delivered some of the most innovative designs that the golf industry has ever seen.
The game’s very best choose TaylorMade as their preferred fairway wood, including the likes of Tiger Woods, Collin Morikawa, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda.
Similar to the Stealth range, this year’s Stealth 2 roster offers players three different iterations of the fairway wood: the Stealth 2, Stealth 2 HD and Stealth 2 Plus. The best part? Our reviews team have tested the lot so you can find the best new TaylorMade driver to game in 2023.
TaylorMade Fairway Woods: NCG Favourite
TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Fairway Wood
Reviewed by Tom Irwin
It is quite a big departure from previous TaylorMade fairway woods, that 200cc head is definitely bigger than we are used to seeing, and is ultra high MOI, as opposed to low spin. The therefore larger and more low-profile sole helps the club hug the ground at address and makes it easier to achieve a high launch.
It is a pleasure to keep flicking ball after ball away. It just seems effortless. Stealth HD has the highest MOI of any TaylorMade fairway wood and this really comes into play off the deck where it is super easy to flight shot after shot.
I don’t really want to stop hitting this club. It is super flattering. I am a pretty competent fairway wood player but this is so easy to use I can see it helping people who struggle with lofted woods from the deck.
I think this will HD 3 Wood will bring new players to TaylorMade, whose perception may have been that their tendency is to build super powerful, low spinning metals. Here is a club that is as easy to use as anything out there.
PROS
- Really easy to hit
- Extremely forgiving
- More great acoustics
- Love the looks
CONS
- Low profile head isn’t as confidence inspiring on tee shots
RELATED: Read our full TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD Fairway Wood review
Lofts: 16°, 19° & 22°
Shafts: Fujikura Speeder NX Red
More information: TaylorMade Website
Ping Fairway Woods 2023
Ping fairway woods are used by some of the best golfers in the world, and for a good reason.
Staffers include Tony Finau, Harris English, Cameron Champ and Corey Conners – all of whom are already gaming Ping’s latest G430 models.
Ping’s new roster of market-leading fairway woods includes the Ping G430 Max and Ping G430 SFT, each with their own unique characteristics that will suit every golfer’s needs.
In case you haven’t read up on Ping’s latest innovations, we’ve got everything you need to know about the Ping G430 line and why they might just be the brand’s best line-up yet.
Ping Fairway Woods: NCG Favourite
Ping G430 Max Fairway Wood
Reviewed by Tom Irwin
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 head in the Ping G430 max fairway wood is adjustable by a significant 1.5 degrees. The 3-wood on test is 16 degrees and I can crank that to 14.5. I think this is really advantageous in a 3-wood where, depending on course or conditions, I can see myself using this functionality. There is nothing worse than never taking your fairway out of your bag on a windy links for fear of losing it in a cross wind. This would allow you to knock the loft down on such a day and bring the club back into play.
As with the driver the fairways feature Ping’s ‘Spinsistency’ technology. This reduces loft low on the face. I like this, as my bad shot tends to be thin and it helps me maintain ball speeds from less than perfect strikes. I think the data demonstrates this tech and is possibly another reason I have always been drawn to Ping fairway woods.
PROS
- Really versatile
- Super forgiving
- Massively improved acoustics
- Consistent spin rates
CONS
- Not the longest fairway on test
- RELATED: Read our full Ping G430 Max Fairway Wood review
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 Fairway Woods 2023
Cobra manufacture all sorts of golf equipment, but their most innovative range of gear is their fairway woods.
This range of performance-packed and high quality woods rank as some of the best around, and are used by the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson on tour.
Cobra’s newest range of innovative and performance-packed fairway woods is the Aerojet line, which replaces the LTDx range from last year. It includes three different types of head, all of which our reviews team have tested: the Aerojet, Aerojet LS and Aerojet Max drivers.
Cobra Fairway Woods: NCG Favourite
Cobra Aerojet Fairway Wood
Reviewed by Tom Irwin
I think this tech achieves what it sets out to do. There are marked performance differences across the range from Max via this base product to LS, but the ball speeds throughout are tremendous. The hottest iteration is certainly the LS, but for me, there were some compromises in launch and workability. The Max is definitely easy to launch but retains thorough ball speeds. The Aerojet is a good compromise but leans more towards the LS as it produces a really powerful flight from the standard 15-degree head.
It feels really versatile, able to pick up of downhill and tight lies but also a club that you can dial up and open your shoulders with when required. I feel like you could step on it and get more out of it if the situation required it
I keep coming back to those looks, I mean, how classic do you want to be? The alignment is so pure you can just see the grooves and are able to match them up with the simple Cobra symbol on the crown.
PROS
- Exceptionally good looking
- Low spinning
- Very forgiving
CONS
- Still with the fat grips…
- RELATED: Read out Cobra Aerojet Fairway Wood review
Right-handed lofts: 15° 3, 18° 5, 21° 7
Shafts: Kai’Li Blue 60 R & S or UST Helium Nanocore 5F2
More information: Cobra website
Titleist Fairway Woods 2023
The brand’s latest TSR range of woods are designed to be the best for distance, whilst at the same time they also prove to be the most forgiving fairway woods that money can buy.
This line-up consists of the TSR1, TSR2, TSR2+ and TSR3 fairway woods – each with their own unique characteristics to suit different players’ demands.
Titleist Fairway Woods: NCG Favourite
Titleist TSR2 Fairway Wood
Reviewed by Hannah Holden
I’m not the biggest fan of fairway woods as I always feel they are going to be hard to launch. Straight away the ball flight I was getting on all my shots was excellent, even my mis-strikes had a really nice height on them. You can see across a range of strikes my launch angle stayed very consistent.
The club face was very efficient, I was getting great ball speeds and carry distances from my club head speed. My average carry distance came out at 213 yards, about 13 yards longer than my 5-wood which works really nicely in terms of gapping. It is easy to add or reduce loft with the adjustable hosel should you need to add or reduce some distance.
Compared to the TSR3, my off-centre strikes flew straighter, which is crucial for a larger section of club golfers. My spin also stayed high enough so the ball didn’t drop out of the air and lose crucial carry distance.
PROS
- Larger more confidence inspiring shape
- Fast ball speeds
- Easy to launch
CONS
- Bigger head isn’t as workable
- RELATED: Read our full Titleist TSR2 fairway wood review
Right handed lofts: 13.5°, 15.0°, 16.5°, 18.0°
Left handed lofts: 15.0°, 16.5° (13.5°& 18.0° Custom Only)
Titleist featured shafts: Hzrdus Red CB, Tensei AV Blue with XLink Tech, Hzrdus Black, Tensei 1K Black
Premium shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD UB, Tour AD DI, Tour AD IZ
More information: Titleist website
Best Fairway Woods 2023
How do we test fairway woods?
At National Club Golfer we are passionate about producing accurate and thorough reviews and make sure our testing process is rigorous so we get a good understanding of how each club performs.
Each fairway wood is hit with TP5 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 this across a variety of golf clubs in our base of Yorkshire.
What is important when buying a new 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 wood 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 drivers have a slightly bigger club head with perimeter weighting for high MOI. They also have a center of gravity that is further back to help players get more height on their shots.
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, 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 driver.
Conclusion
Choosing the best fairway wood for your game can be a challenging task, especially with so many great options available from top brands like Callaway, TaylorMade, Ping, Cobra, and Titleist.
With features like adjustable weighting, innovative face technologies, and superior ball speed, these fairway woods can help take your game to the next level in 2023.
Consider your own skill level, swing speed, and preferred play style to determine which fairway wood is the right fit for you, and get ready to enjoy improved performance and greater confidence on the course.
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