Best Golf Fairway Woods For Beginners, High Handicappers & Average Players

Over the years, fairway woods have been kind of pigeon-holed. Most players view their fairway woods as a means of either hitting it off the tee in special circumstances or, of course, using them off fairway shots. But a good fairway wood should not be underestimated or underused.

If you are just starting to play golf, you should not overlook the usefulness of fairway woods. And if you are a high handicapper or an average player who has tried everything to improve but have hit a wall, a good fairway wood may be the unique solution you have been searching for.

But because fairway woods don’t get a whole lot of attention, they tend to be obscure and finding a good one can be difficult. But today, we are doing your homework for you. We have listed 10 of the best fairway woods for beginners, high handicappers and average players so let’s take a look.

1. Taylormade M6 Fairway Woods

Taylormade M6 Fairway WoodsTaylormade M6 Fairway Woods

What makes this club good for beginners and average players alike? Try the twist face which is actually angled to correct off-center shots! This club will make more of your off-center shots more straight and accurate.

It features a carbon fiber crown which makes it both lightweight and durable. This is a great club for closing the gap between your driver and your 3 wood as it allows for more loft and spin control on fairway shots and tee-offs.

Pros

  • The sole is substantial but lightweight
  • Good amount of “forgiveness”
  • Built-in cavity with a polyurethane insert improves ball speed

Cons

  • Does not include a head cover
  • Not great for high loft shots

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2. Pinemeadow PGX Offset Fairway Woods 

Pinemeadow PGX Offset Fairway Woods Pinemeadow PGX Offset Fairway Woods

We used the 5 wood PGX with a 19 degree loft factor. This wood also has a modified face that makes it much easier to make solid contact with the ball off the tee or on the fairway.

It is made from grade 431 stainless steel and looks nice with a matte black finish and neon green accents. The regular flex shaft allows for just the right amount of feedback as well.

Pros

  • Comes with head covers
  • Great for long shots up to 200 yards
  • Very affordable fairway wood

Cons

  • Accumulates scratches easily
  • Takes some time to adjust ball flight with this club

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3. AGXGOLF Men’s Magnum 3 + 5 Fairway Woods Set

AGXGOLF Men's Magnum 3 + 5 Fairway Woods Set AGXGOLF Men's Magnum 3 + 5 Fairway Woods Set

We tried the graphite Flex shafts of these 3 and 5 woods with a 15 and 18 degree loft and found them to be great not only for lengthy fairway shots, but for accurate green positioning.

These woods have a generously wide face but the low profile of the head allows for more control out of the rough. At our best, we were able to get about 190 yards off the tee as well.

Pros

  • Very affordable price for 2 fairway woods
  • Versatile off the tee and in the rough
  • You get straighter shots over regular 3 woods

Cons

  • The heads don’t feel very substantial
  • Not great for off-center shot correction.

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4. Mizuno GT 180 Fairway Wood

Mizuno GT 180 Fairway Wood Mizuno GT 180 Fairway Wood

This is an adjustable fairway wood that features 70 stiff Flex shaft. This is a great club for evolving games since the head is adjustable so it can adapt with your improving swing.

We got great distance with this 3 wood off the tee as well. On prime shots, we were getting 200+ yards out of it. It has a graphite shaft and you can adjust for loft pretty easily right on the course.

Pros

  • Adjustable weight and loft
  • Comes with a 1-year warranty
  • Great if you are having trouble making the ball fly true on fairway shots

Cons

  • Ball speed seems to drop off pretty quickly
  • A bit on the heavy side

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5. Taylormade M4 Fairway Woods

Taylormade M4 Fairway Woods Taylormade M4 Fairway Woods

If ball speed is your issue as a newbie or average golfer, this is a great wood to have in your bag. We used the stiff graphite shaft 5 wood with a 300 grade stainless steel face and were teeing off with virtually no letup in ball speed.

This club just sounds and feels great when you get solid contact. The cavity inside the head is what allows for such good ball speed and overall forgiveness. The acoustics are great too. You can really tell when you hit the ball square which is great for learners and veterans alike.

Pros

  • Features a fluted hosel for even better acoustics
  • Carbon fiber crown makes it lightweight
  • Good carry and loft

Cons

  • Not the best for more accurate green positioning
  • The shaft could stand to be a bit more weighted

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6. Callaway Rogue Fairway Woods

Callaway Rogue Fairway Woods
Callaway has created a very sturdy and grounded fairway wood with the Rogue. We used a 3 wood with a 15 degree loft with “Jailbreak technology.”

The steel bars that reinforce the mostly hollow head steady the club on impact and cause the brunt of the impact to be borne by the face – the way it should be. The result is very even weight distribution and a nice clean sound when you hit the ball square.

Pros

  • Comes in a variety of shafts
  • High quality 450 grade stainless steel face
  • Comes with head covers

Cons

  • A bit pricey
  • Not the most durable club

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7. Cleveland Golf Launcher Fairway Woods

Cleveland Golf Launcher Fairway Woods Cleveland Golf Launcher Fairway Woods

The HB in the title stands for HiBore which refers to the profile of the crown. We found this feature to be useful for low and long shots – great for approaches.

The Launcher HB also features a bonded hosel which does a good job of stabilizing the club upon impact and making the ball fly true to the angle of impact. The Cup face design also does a good job of maintaining high ball speed.

Pros

  • Comes in left and right-hand orientations
  • Torque is generous which makes for more forgiving swings
  • Very easy to hit off the rough

Cons

  • Feels a bit stiff
  • Doesn’t get good distance off the tee

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8. Callaway Epic Flash Fairway Woods

Callaway Epic Flash Fairway Woods Callaway Epic Flash Fairway Woods

This adjustable fairway wood can be used virtually anywhere. The hosel is also adjustable and makes the club more wieldy in the hand. This club also features a Jailbreak head that reinforces the face cup design with two steel bars.

The club is made of 455 grade carpenter steel but is surprisingly lightweight. We tried the 3 wood with 15 degree loft and found it easy even for the worst of us to get it under the ball and up to the heights we needed.

Pros

  • Shafts range from regular to extra stiff
  • Very nice Golf Pride grip
  • Adjustment wrench and head covers are included

Cons

  • On the expensive side
  • Doesn’t get a lot of distance off the tee

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9. Callaway Men’s XR Pro Fairway Wood

Callaway Men's XR Pro Fairway Wood Callaway Men's XR Pro Fairway Wood

This was one of the more accurate woods we tried in terms of green positioning. The deep face really lets you get all of the ball and allows for better control of carry and distance.

The sloped head design gives it a lower center of gravity and drastically reduces ball spin, which adds to the accuracy of this club. It was also very good with distance consistency which made it a reliable choice for a variety of shots.

Pro

  • Designed for good distance off the tee
  • Makes it easy to get under the ball for rough shots
  • Minimal flex

Cons

  • Takes a while to learn to hit right with it
  • Callaway doesn’t have the best customer service

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10. The TaylorMade RBZ

Last on our list is a golf novice’s dream. The RBZ lets you know exactly when you’ve hit an optimized shot with it’s “speed pocket” which provides good ball speed.

It comes with your choice of regular, stiff or senior shafts and a very handsome black/gold color scheme. But what makes it so great is the low profile, lightweight head that renders it very wieldy and forgiving for newbies.

Pros

  • Minimal spin
  • The stock grip feels good
  • An affordable TaylorMade fairway wood

Cons

  • Imparts a bit of bounce
  • Doesn’t sound very good

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Our Pick

We considered versatility as well as quality and ease of use in our decision. While all of the aforementioned clubs deliver on these criteria, some were a bit lacking in accuracy which can really be a problem when you are first learning or trying to improve your swing.

Of all the 10 fairway woods we tested, we found that the one that could be used in most instances and was easiest to pick up and rip with was the TaylorMade M4. It provides all the carry and loft you need with very minimal learning curve.

While the shaft felt a bit flimsier than we would like, it didn’t seem to affect the distance of our shots. This is a great club off the tee, in the rough and near the green. It is a very versatile fairway wood to have in your bag as an average player.

And if you are just beginning, you will find it easy to learn and intuitive with its high-quality acoustics and great sound. Check it out whether you are a novice golfer or just need to take a few strokes off your handicap!