XXIO Prime Royal Edition Ladies Fairway Wood

(Image credit: Alison Root)

Golf Monthly Verdict

This is a high-end, luxuriously made fairway wood. It's packed with technology, and combined with its compact design, this is a confident-boosting club that delivers impressive accuracy, carry and distance, even on mishits. It's 'Royal' look with jewel-like inserts will also get women talking!

Reasons to buy

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Luxuriously engineered
+
Effortless to launch
+
Delivers notable carry and distance

Reasons to avoid

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Unsuitable for women with a moderate to fast swing speed

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By Alison Root

published 9 July 2025

From the moment I pulled it out of the bag, the XXIO Prime Royal Edition ladies fairway wood, which forms part of the latest range from the Japanese brand, makes a visual statement. With a rich, chocolate brown head accented by gold and bronze detailing, it is a premium looking club.

The graphite shaft is finished with gold ion plating and the refined Royal Edition branding adds a luxurious touch. Even the headcover is a standout - cream with gold piping and intricate embroidery, which wouldn’t look out of place in a designer handbag collection!

The overall styling leans towards the ornate, which may divide opinion. Personally, I prefer a more traditional blue or black aesthetic, like Titleist’s TSR1, but that’s a matter of taste. Ultimately what counts is whether or not the club performs as one of the best women’s fairway woods and I was keen to test the 20-degree 5-wood.

It’s engineered for moderate swing speeds and it did feel exceptionally light and well-balanced from the moment I gripped it. Of course, depending on swing speed, some women will find it too light.

It almost swings itself, with the ultralight SP-1300K shaft and aerodynamic shaping, which seemed to work well together to deliver speed. I didn’t fall in love with the fairway wood as quickly as the XXIO Prime Royal Edition hybrid or XXIO Prime Royal Edition driver, but after several hits, I felt more comfortable and it became effortless to launch the ball. I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt, it was probably me and not the club!

What really impressed me was the consistency across the face. The BiFlex face and expanded Rebound Frame technology clearly helps to maintain ball speed, carry and distance, even when I didn’t strike it perfectly. I also appreciated the very compact head shape, for example, more so than TaylorMade’s Kalea Gold fairway wood, as it gave me a great sense of control.

The ActivWing tech also deserves a mention as it seems to stabilise the clubhead from mid-swing through impact for a solid feel and satisfying sound, which ultimately gave me confidence after a number of fairway shots.

In short, the XXIO Prime Royal Edition ladies fairway wood delivers where it really matters. For golfers with a moderate swing speed looking for a forgiving, reliable, and easy-to-swing club, it’s a top-tier performer and well worth considering.

TOPICS

Alison Root has over 25 years experience working in media and events, predominantly dedicated to golf, in particular the women’s game. Until 2020, for over a decade Alison edited Women & Golf magazine and website, and is now the full-time Women's Editor for Golf Monthly. Alison is a respected and leading voice in the women's game, overseeing content that communicates to active golfers from grassroots through to the professional scene, and developing collaborative relationships to widen Golf Monthly's female audience across all platforms to elevate women's golf to a new level. She is a 16-handicap golfer (should be better) and despite having had the fantastic opportunity to play some of the best golf courses around the world, Kingsbarns in Scotland is her favourite.

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