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Hannah Holden has put this year’s best fairway woods through their paces and ranked them across a number of categories
I have tested 17 models of this year’s hottest fairway woods across a number of categories. So which came out on top in each and, more importantly, what will she be gaming this year?
You can watch the video above, or continue reading to find out…
Best fairway woods 2022: Methodology
Fairway woods are probably the most difficult clubs to put in the bag, as they need to do a number of things and do them well.
They are also, for many, incredibly difficult to hit given the length of the shaft relative to the size of the clubhead.
This makes getting a custom fitting and putting your options through thorough testing even more important. For this test, I’ve put 17 models through their paces using a Titleist Pro V1 golf ball and state of the art TrackMan technology to help give me consistent, high quality, and accurate results.
I tested each wood off the tee, off the deck, and both on and off the golf course, so you can head to your next fitting much more informed about which model will suit your game.
All three Rogue ST woods are impressive performers. Unsurprisingly the Max D was the most draw bias. It also had the highest ball flight and spun the most. In terms of distance, it was hard to split the LS and the Max models, with just 0.1 yards between them.
Best Fairway Woods 2022: We ranked 17 – so which came out on top? | National Club Golfer
The Max took the crown averaging 222.3 yards. This was the longest average carry distance in the test. I loved the consistency of the Max, especially in terms of front to back dispersion.
RRP: £299
Cleveland Launcher XL Halo
This wasn’t the longest, but the distance was very consistent. My misses were also remarkably consistent, leading to me having the smallest dispersion in the test with this.
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The lightweight nature of this also made this easy to get in the air. I was hitting nice, high-launching shots which would be perfect for golfers who struggle to get enough hang time.
It has an oversized head which inspires confidence, and added offset helps straighten out a left-to-right shot shape.
RRP: £219
Cobra LTDx
Both the LTDx woods sit great behind the golf ball and the looks of these models have drawn the most compliments from playing partners. Like the driver range, these were seriously impressive. Both models boasted powerful distance and tight dispersion.
The ball flight was fairly neutral but did give some right to left shot shape assistance. The spin was slightly on the low side which worked nicely with my high ball flight but might not be for every golfer.
RRP: £249
Honma TW747
These look incredible. I love the classic design and found it to inspire confidence over the ball. This was one of the lower-flighted woods in the test, which really suited me as I have an excessively high ball flight already.
My favourite feature was just how good the front to back dispersion was, while the distance was another tick in the consistency box, which gave me great confidence when I had hazards to carry. A fine fairway wood all-round.
RRP: £299
Ping G425
There are three models in the G425 range. Although the LST carried the furthest it was the Max model that I found the most consistent and impressive. Spinsistency was the key storyline when these were launched, and the Max model easily had the most consistent spin in the test.
This helped me have a consistent front to back and left to right dispersion and, like the driver counterpart, made this model one of the most forgiving in the test.
RRP: £299
Srixon ZX
A classic-looking fairway wood that looked great behind the ball. This was the only model that I tested in a 5-wood and for this reason it ended up as one of the shortest, though in reality a 5-wood carrying 198 yards on average is very long. I expect the 3-wood would be an absolute rocket.
I really liked the way I could control this as the small nature of the clubhead made it easy to work the ball both ways. The smaller sizing also made it more versatile from various lies.
RRP: £239
TaylorMade Stealth
Much like the driver range, there are a number of models with distinct properties. The Stealth is larger, more forgiving, and draw biased. Overall, the distance and dispersion was great with this, while the Stealth+ was noticeably more workable and more left-to-right biased in terms of ball flight.
The Stealth+ model also ended up being a few yards longer but I found my distance control wasn’t as consistent, giving me a longer front to back dispersion. One of my favourites of 2022.
RRP: From £279
Titleist TSi3
Titleist woods always look fantastic, and these are no different. I love the gloss black finish and the compact shaping of the TSi3 model really suits my eye. I found the smaller size very workable and an advantage for someone like me who prefers hybrids to larger fairway woods.
The standout factor here was the distance. In fact, the TSi3 was one of the longest woods in the test. The smaller shape did affect the dispersion though with the TSi2 being the more forgiving.
RRP: £279
Wilson D9 and Launch Pad
I tested two models from Wilson, the D9 and Launch Pad. The D9 was the longest of the two models, I found this really easy to hit and a very consistent performer. It also had a very neutral dispersion down the target line.
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The Launch Pad had some of the best front-to-back dispersions in the test, making it great for distance control. It also had very consistent spin which made it very easy to control. At this price point, very much worthy of consideration.
Perhaps not the most important category given a fairway wood is generally a gap filler and you want it to play shorter than your driver. The Callaway Rogue ST Max, Titleist TSi3 and TaylorMade Stealth Plus were all equally impressive here.
Callaway Rogue ST Max
Titleist TSi3
TaylorMade Stealth Plus
Most forgiving
It Cleveland Launcher XL undoubtable had the smallest dispersion in the test, while it is no surprise to see Ping also performed well here. The Callaway Rogue ST Max also impressed in this category.
Cleveland Launcher XL
Ping G425
Callaway Rogue ST Max
Most draw bias
If you’re after something that tames your slice, the straight-flight technology in Ping’s G425 SFT is the best we have tested. This was closely followed by the Wilson Launch Pad and the TaylorMade Stealth.
Ping G425 SFT
Wilson Launch Pad
TaylorMade Stealth
Best feeling
Feel is always going to be subjective. The Titleist TSi3 has that classic soft player feel to it, but Callaway’s Rogue ST Max and the Cobra LTDx just feel so solid. Make sure you find a club you’re happy hitting.
Callaway Rogue ST Max
Cobra LTDx
Titleist TSi3
Best looking
I love a classic looking wood and the simple gloss finish of the Titleist and Honma stole the show for me here. I was surprised by how much I liked the styling of the Cobra LTDx, but the compact shaping of the TSi3 edges it.
Titleist TSi3
Cobra LTDx
Honma TW757
Best Value for money
It’s always hard to beat Wilson when it comes to value for money. They are constantly raising the bar when it comes to top-level performance without increasing their price tags. Perfect for those on a budget.
I’m not going to hide the fact that the 3-wood is not my favourite club in the bag.
In fact, in recent years, I have been known to carry three or four hybrids just to avoid having to put one in play. It is evident though that the larger club head is much better for distance which really helps when trying to reach long par-5s in two.
I put the Titleist TSi3 in play late last season as it perfectly bridged the gap between wood and hybrid for me. The small compact club head really suited my eye, I found it versatile off a wide variety of lies, and I found myself reaching for it more and more out on the golf course.
The distance is very impressive and I found it very consistent off the deck. However, I found the off-centre strikes to be quite penal, especially off the tee.
The Cobra LTDx was a strong contender, but the dispersion and distance didn’t quite match my desires.
So into my bag goes the Callaway Rogue ST Max.
The consistency I have had with this has really helped me feel more confident, both off the tee and off the deck.
The larger shaping makes it slightly less versatile but the reliability is crucial on tight tee shots when my driver would run me into trouble.
The owner of the most delicious swing in the golf media industry, Hannah spends her days talking into a camera about equipment to help you make an informed decision on your next purchase.
Hannah, who joined NCG in 2019 after briefly flirting with a career in architecture, plays for Yorkshire Ladies and is the manager of the England Golf Yorkshire Girls Under-18 squad.
Away from golf, Hannah likes cuddling her dog, exercising, and cooking. (Not at the same time.)
