We are past the unofficial end of summer (Labor Day) and it's time to offer our humble opinion on the Top Fairway Woods For 2013. The selection team for this list consist of 8 full-time club sales people that have at least 3 years experience in the golf industry and our most experienced rep has over 20 years of club sales experience. We are not golf professionals and do not have any affiliation with any of the equipment manufacturers. We are just regular golfers with handicaps that range from scratch to 25 that because of where we work get a chance to play with and test all the latest golf equipment. We also get a chance to talk to a lot of customers to get their feedback on the equipment and that also factors into the selection.
The fairway woods often gets overlooked because golfers always focus their attention on new drivers with the latest technology or even the ever easier to hit hybrids clubs. Next time you look at a golfer's golf bag more than likely what you will see is probably a fairly recent driver (1-3 years old) and some new hybrid clubs replacing the long irons.
But what you will probably also notice is that the fairway wood is probably older than any other piece of equipment in the bag. The perception has been the fairway woods have not changed much in terms of improvements and advanced technology. If you believe this then you are missing out on some of the most important equipment advances that may have more of an affect on improving your game.
Despite its name, today's fairway woods are designed for use not just on the fairway. New fairway woods are designed to be used off the tee when accuracy is more important than distance. They are designed to hit out of all lies whether you're on a tight fairway or in deep rough. It is a multi-purpose piece of equipment that can replace your driver on tight driving holes and because of the enhanced technology the new fairway woods still provide a ton of distance that can help you go after those long par 5 in two.
As a trickle-down effect from drivers, adjustabilty has made its way now into fairway woods. What used to be limited to just drivers is now available on a lot of the new fairways. Golfers can now make major adjustments to loft, face angle and lie angle to help them dial in the ball flight they are looking for. But it is not just adjustability that is new in the fairway category. New fairways are hot and produce a ton of ball speed and distance. They are also easier to hit and get up in the air because of the design and location of center of gravity.
Bottom-line is if you haven't replaced your fairway woods in the past 3-4 years then you are missing out on some of the most significant changes in golf equipment technology. Do yourself a favor and give some of these new fairways a try and you will see how these will help improve your game.
Our Picks for the Top 3 Fairway Woods For 2013 Season:
Ping G25 Fairway Woods
Just hands-down a top performer. This is not one of the adjustable fairways but based on our experience with it it does not need any adjustment. The G25 was just long and straight out of any lie we could hit it out of. Off the tee this thing was 5-10 yards longer than any other fairway we tried and will keep your driver in the bag on tight driving holes. Off the fairway and in the rough this fairway performed flawlessly. Among the better-looking sticks in this category; long, shallow face and low profile lets you know that when you sit the club down, you're going to hit it well; handsome black matte finish.
TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Tour Fairway Woods
This fairway wood is better served in the hands of a mid-to-low handicap player because it is not the most forgiving one available. What you lose in forgiveness you gain in adjustability, workability and distance. TaylorMade's second generation of the speed pocket along with a center of gravity that is low and forward produces a low-penetrating ball flight that cuts through the wind.
The shallower low-profile head is easy to hit off the tee but more importantly is easier to hit out of challenging lies and still manages to get the ball up with no noticeable loss of distance or control.
Callaway X Hot Fairway Woods
Probably the most balanced fairway wood of the group we tested. The Callaway x Hot Fairway Wood was the hottest and most complete total performance fairway wood we tested, combining a modern Warbird sole with a Forged Speed Frame Face Cup to produce significantly hotter responses all over the face. The low CG in the head also promotes a lower spinning trajectory for ridiculously long distance from the tee, fairway or rough.
Regardless of whether you are a low handicap golfer looking for more playability or a high handicap player looking for forgiveness and distance this fairway will meet your needs. We had no trouble hitting this out of any lie we could throw at it. The lower-profile head instilled confidence when hitting out of the rough or on tight fairways. Hitting off the tee was a breeze and this club was Long!
Best Of The Rest
Cobra AMP Cell Fairway Woods - One of the few fairways with adjustable loft where the 3/4 wood can be adjusted from 13-16 degrees allowing maximum customization. This was one of the longest fairways we tested and distance was consistent.
Titleist 913Fd Fairway Wood - This deep-face fairway wood produced a more boring trajectory with less spin. It was one of the most workable drivers we tested. It felt like you could hit a draw or fade on command with no loss of distance.
Nike VR_S Covert Fairway Woods - The cavity-back design on this fairway wood makes this a solid choice for golfers seeking more accuracy, forgiveness and help with getting shots in the air. If you can get over the cavity look, this fairway will perform for you.
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