As the leader of the Golf Instructor team at Tell Me More Golf, I’m making sure you make the most informed buying decision. You’re on your way to choosing the Best Fairway Woods for High Handicappers!

These expert review guidelines are used by Tell Me More Golf’s review team:

• Distance
• Forgiveness
• Accuracy
• Launch

#1. TaylorMade Stealth Fairway Wood – Best Performance

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Different levels of golfers need different types of golf gear, and to find the best fairway woods for high handicappers our review team looked at distance, forgiveness, accuracy, and launch.

The Benefits:

The TaylorMade Stealth Fairway Wood comes in many loft options, and they all offer great performance. Just like the other Stealth clubs from TaylorMade, this fairway wood is very forgiving while still delivering impressive distances.

We really enjoyed the stock Fujikura shaft that had a great feel to it, and it also provided a very high and straightforward launch – making it one of the easiest to hit fairway woods. The dispersion was very tight, even on slightly thin shots, and the wide sole made shots on the fat side still come out hot. 

There are slightly limited shaft options available, but that can be solved with a custom shaft fitting. 

#2. Titleist TSR3 Fairway Wood – Longest Hitting

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The fairway wood is helpful for all handicaps since it allows you to hit long distances without using a challenging long iron. When looking for the longest hitting fairway woods, we hit multiple shots using a TrackMan and then averaged out the results.

The Benefits:

The Titleist TSR3 Fairway Wood is one of Titleist’s newest releases with plenty of new technology. This fairway wood was the longest hitting during our tests and delivered high ball speeds even on suboptimal strikes. 

The distance is handy for longer shots out on the course, and the full face grooves make alignment with this club more effortless than ever. There’s also plenty of adjustability to alter an undesirable shot shape, both when it comes to hooks and slices. This, combined with the great forgiveness, makes the TSR3 great for high handicappers. 

The only thing we didn’t like about this club was the weight sole. It’s very useful, but it sometimes doesn’t fit perfectly with the rest of the sole, creating a small bump. 

#3. Cobra LTDx Max Fairway Wood – Most Forgiving

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One of the most important factors for good golf gear for high handicappers is forgiveness. We believe that a forgiving fairway wood should have a tight dispersion on many different strikes and be easy to launch from a tee and the deck.

The Benefits:

During our review, we found that the Cobra LTDx Max was the easiest fairway wood to hit. It delivered accurate shots across most of the face, and getting the ball up in the air was no issue. 

The club was also consistently long-hitting, and the feel was one of the best out of all clubs we tried. The LTDx Max also uses a toe-weighting which provides a draw bias – making this club an excellent choice for a golfer struggling with misses to the right. 

The LTDx Max version was slightly shorter hitting than the other LTDx models, but the difference is negligible and will heavily depend on the golfer.

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#4. Srixon ZX Fairway Wood

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To find the best 3 wood for high handicaps, we specifically looked for clubs that were easy to launch. Compared to longer irons, fairway woods are generally easy to play with since they create higher spin, which keeps the ball in the air and results in longer shots.

The Benefits:

The Srixon ZX Fairway Wood is one of the best 3 woods for high handicappers because of the forgiving face. When reviewing this club, we were struck by how easy it felt to get the ball in the air. This allowed us to have a very smooth swing which promotes optimal control.

Other than that, the ZX Fairway was also very long-hitting, even on shots hit close to the toe or the heel. Like the rest of Srixon’s new gear, you can pick this club up at a very fair price. There are also many different loft options to suit your yardage needs. 

There’s no adjustability with the ZX Fairway, which might not be ideal for everyone. However, it’s also nice not to worry about using the “perfect” setting.

#5. Ping G425 SFT Fairway Wood

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Accuracy is essential in a good fairway wood, no matter the golfer’s handicap. Since the club will often be used to attack greens on shorter par 5s and longer par 4s, you need a fairway wood that remains straight on most types of strikes, which we’ve ensured through our tests.

The Benefits:

The Ping G425 SFT Fairway Wood uses toe-weighting, which makes the club promote a draw. This makes it great for higher handicaps, since they tend to struggle with right misses. The loft is also slightly higher than some competitors – making the launch easier and the club more forgiving.

The G425 SFT consistently delivered high ball speeds and long shots, and we really enjoyed the feel of the club. The impact sound is distinctive with a loud “cling” sound, which many golfers may enjoy, while some might prefer something more discrete.

Finding the Best Fairway Wood for High Handicappers – Our Buyer’s Guide

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The Key Traits of a Great High Handicap Fairway Wood

• Distance

The main reason for using a fairway wood is the distance it delivers out on the golf course from the deck and from the tee. That’s why a fairway wood needs to be long-hitting. However, distance is mainly a result of the club head speed. Since higher handicaps tend to miss the sweet spot more often, their fairway wood should deliver high speeds even on slightly missed shots. 

• Forgiveness

All golfers, including high handicaps and beginners, need forgiving golf equipment. A fairway wood should produce relatively straight shots, even when the center of the clubface isn’t struck perfectly. In this article, we’ve shown some of the most forgiving fairway woods that all launch easily and hit straight. 

• Accuracy

Since the fairway wood will be used instead of the driver on narrow holes or to hit approach shots, the club must be accurate. To find the most accurate fairway woods with a tight dispersion, we hit multiple shots using a TrackMan and then looked at the spread. 

Which Fairway Wood Is Best for You? 

• Swing Speed

Golfers with slower swing speeds need a fairway wood that produces a lot of spin. A higher launch is also crucial since that’s what many higher handicaps struggle with. All fairway woods come with graphite shafts that are easy to hit, but the flex you need can differ significantly.

• Where You Miss

Depending on where you tend to miss the golf ball, you’ll want a fairway wood that promotes a particular ball flight. For example, investing in a draw-biased fairway wood can be very helpful if you often miss to the right. 

Are Fairway Woods Good for High Handicap Golfers? 

Fairway woods are great for all levels of golfers since they fill the same purpose for everyone. Whether it’s a tight par 4 or a long transportation shot on a challenging par 5, having a great fairway wood will undoubtedly help you shoot lower scores.

Tell Me More Golf – Frequently Asked Questions

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What are the best fairway woods for high handicappers?

After our tests, we can confidently say that the TaylorMade Stealth Fairway Wood is the best fairway wood for high handicappers. 

What are the best fairway 7 woods for high handicappers?

7 woods are designed to be forgiving while still delivering great distances, which the Cobra LTDx Max Fairway Wood in its 7 wood version certainly does. 

What is the best 5 wood for high handicappers? 

To fill the gap between a long iron and 3 wood, a 5 wood is often used, so the TaylorMade Stealth Fairway Wood is still our top pick here as well.

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In this article, we’ve covered our top 5 best fairway woods for high handicappers. They are all excellent choices, but they each have specific strengths and are targeted at different swings.