Back To Top

Best Fairway Woods For High Handicappers 2026

We take a look at some of the best fairway woods for higher handicap golfers

Best fairway woods for high handicappers
(Image credit: Future)

The best fairway woods can often become the favorite club in the bag for players.... if they can hit them. Yes, they aren't the easiest clubs in the world to hit but thankfully many manufacturers realize this and thus create very user-friendly options to cater towards the higher handicappers out there.

For those with high handicaps, it's crucial to find a fairway that is forgiving for off-center strikes, because that forgiveness will limit the damage from poor strikes and help you grow in confidence as a result.

Sam De'Ath
Sam De'Ath

Sam graduated from Webber International University in 2017 with a BSc Marketing Management degree while playing collegiate golf before stints on both the EuroPro Tour and Clutch Pro Tours. Now with over 14 years of experience within the industry under his belt, Sam heads up the testing and review team at Golf Monthly for fairway woods, hybrids, wedges and golf balls.

The Quick List

Best Fairway Woods For High Handicappers

Top pick

TaylorMade Qi4D Max Fairway Wood

(Image credit: Future)

Specifications

Lofts: 15°, 18°, 21°, 24°
Adjustable Hosel: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Extremely forgiving on off-centre hits
+
Inspiring footprint behind the ball
+
High launching and spinning

Reasons to avoid

-
Doesn’t produce the distance of the other Qi4D models

Our top pick in this guide goes to the TaylorMade Qi4D Max, a club that is specifically engineered for high handicappers who struggle with consistency and confidence when using fairway woods. Its massive 200cc head is the largest in the Qi4D family, providing a generous hitting area and a shallow face profile that sits flush to the turf. This oversized footprint acts as a significant visual aid at address, making the daunting task of hitting a 3-wood off the deck or from the tee feel much more inviting.

Performance-wise, the Max delivers effortless launch and high-level stability. By pushing the center of gravity low and deep with an 8g rear weight, TaylorMade has created a club that gets the ball airborne quickly, even for players with slower swing speeds. For high-handicap golfers who tend to strike the ball all over the face, the high MOI (Moment of Inertia) design ensures that off-center hits remain remarkably straight, minimizing the dramatic hooks or slices that often lead to lost balls.

Although the Max lags a little behind both the core model and the low spin 'LS' model in terms of total distance, it is worth it for the trade off in dispersion for the high handicap golfer. The consistency off the face leads to a tighter landing zone, both side to side and back to front, leading to more consistent performance. For the average golfer, this club serves as the ultimate safety net, prioritizing straight-line accuracy and ease of use over pure, low-spin power.

Best off the tee

The Titleist GT2 Fairway Wood on a green background

(Image credit: Future)

Specifications

Lofts: 13.5°, 15°, 16.5°, 18°, 21°
Adjustable Hosel: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Shallow face sits flush to the ground
+
Provided increased ball speed over previous model
+
Classic Tour-refined look

Reasons to avoid

-
Limited shelf appeal

How does the GT2 help higher handicappers? Well, in testing, we found it to be high launching and low spinning, meaning it combines the best of both worlds to get the ball airborne and far. Not only was there an increase in ball speed, but the L-Cup face design provided great stability, even on miss-hits low on the face.

Looks-wise, the GT2 fairway wood has a much more shallow face, which is something that will really help inspire confidence to those who struggle with launching their fairway woods. What's more, the tour-refined shape meant there was less curvature on the heel and toe compared to previous models.

Overall, if you’re in the market for a fairway wood that’s forgiving when hitting into greens and gives you a boost of speed and distance from the tee, we would recommend the Titleist GT2, with its broad appeal something that the higher handicapper will love!

Best feel

Callaway Quantum fairway wood

(Image credit: Future)

Specifications

Lofts: 15°, 16.5°, 18°, 20°, 21°, 24°, 27°
Adjustable Hosel: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
The shallow face will instil confidence
+
Consistent spin and carry numbers
+
Effortless launch from the fairway

Reasons to avoid

-
Face graphics and topline could be a little cleaner

Following the success of the Ai Smoke and Elyte families was going to be no small feat, yet the new Quantum range rises to the challenge by blending a fresh aesthetic with Callaway’s reliable metalwood performance. While the look has evolved, the same high-level output and reliable results they have come to expect from previous flagship models, especially in relation to forgiveness and feel.

The defining innovation for the 2026 season is the Step Sole Design, a feature so effective at improving turf interaction that we don't think there is a fairway wood on the 2026 market with better feel at impact. This refined sole allows the club to glide effortlessly through various lies, be that tight fairways or the first cut of rough, ensuring a clean, crisp sensation at impact that sets a new standard for feedback and playability from the deck.

Getting onto the technical stuff, the integration of Speed Wave 2.0 technology and low-forward tungsten weighting optimizes launch windows while protecting ball speed on common low-face misses. Although the busier crown graphics and face visuals may divide opinion among traditionalists, they do their job as alignment aids at address, and even at that, some may enjoy the look - looks are subjective after all. In summary, Quantum Max provides an impressive balance of high-launching power and stability that will suit a vast spectrum of players whilst delivering a beautifully pleasant feel.

Most forgiving

Ping G440 Max Fairway Wood Review

(Image credit: Future)

Specifications

Lofts : 15°, 17°, 19°, 21°, 24°
Adjustable Hosel: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Carbon crown creates a more solid feel
+
Produced consistently fast ball speeds
+
Deep face will inspire confidence off a tee

Reasons to avoid

-
Low launch, high spin combination may limit distance output

We absolutely adored the performance of the Ping G430 fairway wood last year and thus were very excited to see how the G440 would perform in comparison.

The first notable change is in the looks category. Ping have never been known for making the best looking golf clubs but they get marked up in the aesthetics department with this latest entry. This is mainly thanks to the new Carbonfly Wrap featured on all of the G440 family of drivers and woods - this was previously only reserved for the LST from the G430 range. I wasn't so keen on the blue colorway on the sole of the club, but one can argue the sole of the club gives little impact to the overall looks considering we don't see it as we swing.

In terms of performance G440 has kept much of what made the G430 so great but from my testing I struggled to find an area in which their were any significant improvements. I did absolutely love the 4 wood however - this can become a really valuable weapon for a wide range of golfers that typically struggle with hitting a high ball.

Best value

Wilson 2025 Dynapwr Max Fairway Wood

(Image credit: Future)

Specifications

Lofts: 15º, 18º, 21º
Adjustable Hosel: No

Reasons to buy

+
Produces exceptional launch
+
Performed well from a variety of lies
+
Clean classic looks

Reasons to avoid

-
Lacks adjustability through a bonded head

Although it doesn't have the same firepower nor dashing looks as the Carbon version for the same family, the Dynapwr Max fairway wood presents excellent value for money for those who don't want to splash the cash on a premium model.

Despite the slight downgrade on looks compared to the Carbon, the Max still sits very nicely behind the ball which will inspire confidence for those who need it at address. The look remains a serious upgrade on the previous Dynapower Max wood which didn't really suit my eye.

The Dynapwr Max is far more forgiving than the Carbon model, with mishits not being obviously punished. This is thank in part to the 12g weight positioned towards the rear of the sole, pulling the CG down and back to create a high-launching head with plenty of stability. It doesn't tick every box, however, with spin levels very high during our testing meaning it won't suit those who have high clubhead speeds. Nevertheless, if accuracy and forgiveness are what you’re searching for, then you’ll be hard-pushed to find a club as playable as the Dynapwr Max fairway wood in 2025.

Best adjustability

Cobra Optm Max Fairway Wood Review

(Image credit: Future)

Specifications

Lofts: 15.5º, 18.5º, 21.5º, 24.5º
Adjustable Hosel: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent performance from the fairway
+
Large and inviting footprint
+
Strong slice correction

Reasons to avoid

-
Slight loss of distance when used from a tee

As the most forgiving member of the Optm family, it is specifically engineered for high-handicappers and anyone battling the consistency bug. Its oversized, rounded footprint and shallow face profile are designed to look unmissable at address, instilling the confidence needed to launch the ball high and long from the tee, the fairway, or even the first cut of rough.

The Optm Max has earned our best adjustability label for 2026, taking the handle from last years Cobra DS-Adapt thanks to a weighting system that actually moves the needle on performance. By utilizing interchangeable 14g and 3g weights across two ports, one in the rear and one in the heel, golfers can drastically alter their ball flight. Shifting the heavy 14g weight to the heel position creates a significant draw bias, helping the clubhead release faster through impact to square the face and neutralize a slice - a miss that plagues a lot of high handicappers.

To aid you further with launch and ball flight, the new FutureFit33 hosel allows players configure their club in 33 different settings to find the perfect balance between high launch and penetrating ball flight. This helps produce a really solid feel as well whilst generous distance was on offer during testing.

Best off the deck

TaylorMade Qi4D

(Image credit: Future)

Specifications

Lofts: 15°, 18°, 21°, 24°
Adjustable Hosel: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Impressive ball speed
+
Confidence-inspiring footprint
+
Performs well from the fairway and a tee

Reasons to avoid

-
Some golfers may seek more spin

As far as 'well-rounded' fairway woods go in the 2026 market, it is very hard to beat TaylorMade's Qi4D core model - I even described it as one of the most complete woods I've ever tested in my review. Although the Max version may be better suited to higher handicappers, those with a little more confidence in their long game could be better served opting for the core model, especially if they want top performance off the deck.

Building on the foundation of the previous Qi35 models, this model features a refined 185cc head with a sleek 'infinity' carbon crown and a redesigned Speed Pocket that preserves ball speed on low-face strikes, leading to more consistent performance from strikes that aren't struck as well as they could be. It produces a penetrating flight with stable spin rates, averaging around 2,800 rpm, making it equally effective for aggressive tee shots and soft-landing approach shots into par-5 greens.

What makes this wood so good off the deck is partly down to the adjustability on offer, notably the 4° loft sleeve that allows golfers to precision-tune loft, lie, and face angle for a truly personalized ball flight. If you struggle to get the ball in the air with your wood when hitting from the fairway, tuning this loft up will help you achieve better results.

Best looking

PXG Lightning fairway wood

(Image credit: Future)

Specifications

Lofts : 15°, 17°, 18°, 21°, 24°, 27°
Adjustable Hosel: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Adjustable weighting to help dial in ball flight
+
Thinner face produces impressive ball speed
+
Progressive face geometry provides tight dispersion on mishits

Reasons to avoid

-
The straighter sole camber may not suit everyone's eye

PXG has officially graduated from the 'new kid on the block' phase, now maturing into a legitimate disruptor that now stands toe-to-toe with the industry's established goliaths. Their 2026 lineup is a testament to this evolution, spearheaded by the Lightning Tour fairway wood. This model easily secures the best looking title in our guide, thanks to a striking, high-strength carbon fiber crown and a premium finish that looks as fast as it feels. PXG clubs have divided opinions in relation to their looks in the past, but no longer.

For the everyday player, the standard Lightning fairway wood is a club that will deliver both consistency and versatility. Tailored specifically for the high-to-mid-handicapper, its square, shallow face and generous footprint take the anxiety out of long approach shots. By utilizing that same high-strength carbon crown, PXG’s engineers moved the weight lower and deeper to help create an incredibly stable platform that provides a a trusty feel that will provide extra confidence to the user as well as a high-launching ball flight.

The real magic, however, lies in the tech you can't see. The introduction of Progressive Face Geometry acts as a built-in GPS for your golf ball, providing necessary corrections on off-center strikes to keep your dispersion remarkably tight. Pair that with PXG’s signature three-port precision weighting system, and you have a club that allows you to dial in your preferred flight, or finally fix that recurring miss, with precision.

Best for slicers

Callaway Quantum fairway wood

(Image credit: Future)

Specifications

Lofts: 15°, 16.5°, 18°, 21.5°

Reasons to buy

+
Extremely easy to launch from the fairway
+
Confidence-inspiring footprint
+
Strong draw-bias to correct a slice

Reasons to avoid

-
High spin may reduce carry distance for some

As the most forgiving fairway wood in the Quantum family, the Callaway Quantum Max D is specifically engineered as a weapon for golfers who struggle with a chronic slice or lack the confidence to get the ball airborne from the fairway - a problem that plagues far more than just a few players. Its design features an elongated head and a noticeably shallow face that sits slightly closed at address, providing immediate visual reassurance for players prone to a left-to-right miss.

The Max D utilizes strategically placed internal weighting to actively combat a slice. The weight and CG is distributed lower and further back toward the hell which encourages the club head to release more easily through impact, promoting a right-to-left ball flight and a higher launch angle. In testing, this resulted in a high, stable trajectory that helps amateurs find the fairway more consistently while maximizing carry.

Beyond its slice-correcting capabilities, the Quantum Max D is a versatile weapon which allows the head to glide effortlessly through various lies, including the rough. By offering a blend of high-launching power and significant draw bias, it stands out as an option for those looking to eliminate their slice and improve their long-game consistency.

How we test fairway woods

When it comes to Golf Monthly's testing procedure, we use the same ethos and methodology for all golf products to make sure they are as insightful, honest and comprehensive as possible. We attend product launches and meet with experts to understand new technology in new products first.

Specifically for fairway woods, product testing is headed up by Sam De'Ath, supported by deputy editor Joel Tadman. Sam has competed professionally on the EuroPro and Clutch Pro Tours and has extensive knowledge on golf equipment. Joel is also a competitive low handicap golfer, and both are able to test equipment thoroughly before delivering honest and insightful reviews to a wide golfing audience.

TS3-fairway-testing-web

Joel Tadman during a fairway wood testing

When it comes to our actual testing of clubs, we first try them in a controlled environment, which usually takes place on an indoor simulator at Foresight Sports, with premium balls and the GCQuad launch monitor. This allows us to dig into and test the unique selling point of each club - for example, if a fairway wood claims it promotes high launch, our launch monitor data will prove this to be true or not. We'll also compare it to competing models on the market to really see if it stands out from the crowd in these particular points of performance. Testing inside also allows us to collect critical data in other realms of performance including distance, speed, dispersion and more.

After thorough testing indoors and after gaining a decent understanding to how the club performs, it's out onto the golf course for our second part of testing. In our view it is vitally important to do both and we will continue to test the irons extensively so they have been comprehensively put to the test in a variety of conditions and situations. Testing indoors in a controlled environment is one thing, but taking each club out into the wild to see how they perform in real life conditions often makes or breaks a club in terms of our final verdict. Doing this, across multiple rounds of golf across different styles of courses and in different conditions allows us to get a full understanding of how a club performs as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each. Once done, we've comprehensively tested each club in a range of conditions and environments which then allows us to deliver our informed, bias-free verdict of each fairway wood.

Sam hybrid testing

Sam De'Ath heads up our fairway wood testing as well as hybrids, wedges and putters

(Image credit: Future)

The trust we've built amongst our readership across years of club testing is a trust that was are very proud of. It has built through our talented review team, full of passionate players of the game, simply calling it how they see it when they review a piece of golf equipment. No brand gets preferential treatment over another, nor can a manufacturer 'buy' a good review. Instead, we stick to our goal of delivering informative, impartial buying advice to our readers at a time in which the game is only becoming more and more expensive to play.

What to consider when selecting a new fairway wood

Let's take a look at some of our top things to look out for when purchasing a new set of fairway woods...

Loft

First you need to figure out the gap in your bag where the fairway wood is going to go. Therefore you need to know how far your driver goes, and then your longest iron or hybrid. Knowing this will dictate the ideal loft for your fairway wood, or woods as you might decide to carry more than one. Most golfers will carry a 3 wood, but it's worth considering a 5 wood too, and if you struggle with longer irons and aren't a fan of hybrids, you might want to think about adding a 7 or even a 9 wood to your bag.

Forgiveness

Manufacturers create different models for different levels of player so it makes sense that some fairways are more forgiving than others. The bigger brands will produce a range of woods with different head sizes and shapes which are designed for golfers of varying skill levels. If you struggle to consistently find the sweet spot, then a larger head will work for you, whilst if you are a better player and your strike is more consistent, then forgiveness won't be a priority and workability will be your main requirement.

Adjustability

Adjustability has become a popular design feature in fairway woods of late, with golfers having the ability to dial in loft, moveable weights or shaft fittings. Therefore have a think about how important this is to you because a golf clubs performance can be changed with a turn of a wrench these days. Alternatively if you like to keep things simple, go for a non-adjustable model.

Versatility

Fairway woods are tricky to get right because they have to do so much, and fit properly into a setup. They need to work off the tee, in the fairway, from different lies and some like to use the club around the green as well. As such we recommend properly testing some models and getting a custom fitting because this will tell you if the club suits your game, and whether the club is versatile enough for how you play golf.

Looks

There's no shame in admitting that looks are important when choosing a golf club. We all like to have clubs which look good in the bag, but more importantly you have to like how a golf club looks as you stand over the golf ball. The fairway wood is one of the most difficult clubs to hit so having one that gives you confidence when you look down over the ball is important. As such pick a few models and see how they look down by the ball and in different lies.

Budget

Be aware of your budget. You can go for more premium models or you can opt for cheaper designs. Wherever you fall in budget, this guide will present you with good advice on buying a new fairway wood.

FAQs

What are fairway woods?

Fairway woods are versatile distance clubs that are designed to be hit from the tee, off the fairway and even from light rough, similar to a mini or small headed driver but with slightly more loft and a shallower face.

Traditionally, the size of a driver head ranges from roughly 440cc to 460cc, whereas a fairway wood often is from 140cc to 180cc. Fairway woods look similar in appearance to drivers but have smaller heads.

Fairway wood faces are much shallower than a driver, which keeps the COG (centre of gravity) lower, helping you to get the ball airborne.

Fairway woods are more forgiving than long irons and almost every Tour player puts one or two fairway woods in the bag.

What fairway woods should I carry?

From rocket 3-woods to soft-landing 11-woods, we help you decide!

This depends on three factors.

First, what ability level are you? Fairway woods are more forgiving than long irons, so if you are a beginner or a high handicap player we’d recommend putting as many fairway woods in the bag as possible, providing the lofts and gapping are correct. If you are a better player, then which woods you carry will depend on the following two factors.

Loft and gapping is the next point to mention. Fairway woods have to be able to fill the gap in the bag from the driver to your irons. Therefore, knowing how far you hit each club gives you insight into which yardages you need to fill with fairway woods. The best way of doing this is on a launch monitor with an experienced PGA professional or custom-fitter.

The final factor is the type of golf course do you play on? If you play a lot of links golf, then you’ll likely need to hit lower penetrating shots, whereas inland or parkland golf requires you to hit shots that fly higher and land softer on the fairway or green. Fairway woods are definitely more suited to target parkland golf rather than fast-running firm linksland golf.

The same logic applies to playing golf in windy conditions. Fairway woods are usually designed to give higher launch which makes them difficult to control in the wind, especially when compared to long irons or driving and utility irons.

What loft should a fairway wood be?

Manufacturers offer a range of fairway wood head styles and lofts, ranging from super-strong three woods at 13.5° to 7,9 or 11-woods which are designed for golfers who struggle to launch mid and long irons and want more confidence inspiring equipment to hit the ball further.

Each golfer is different, in their physical fitness, ability and approach to the game. A wide range of fairway wood lofts can provide options for senior players, women and juniors who want alternatives to hitting longer irons. Many established Tour winners have carried 7-woods when course conditions required high flying soft-landing ball flights on key par-5 holes and at long par-3’s.

Sam De'Ath
Staff Writer

Sam has worked in the golf industry for 14 years, offering advice on equipment to all levels of golfers. Sam heads up any content around fairway woods, hybrids, wedges, putters, golf balls and Tour gear.
Sam graduated from Webber International University in 2017 with a BSc Marketing Management degree while playing collegiate golf. His experience of playing professionally on both the EuroPro Tour and Clutch Pro Tour, alongside his golf retail history, means Sam has extensive knowledge of golf equipment and what works for different types of golfers.

With contributions from