Fairway Wood
Traditional fairway woods start at a number 2, and have been known to go all the way up to a number 15, although in modern golf, 3 and 5 are by far the most popular fairway woods. A 3 wood typically has a loft of 15° and a 5 wood has 19°, and they will hit your golf ball on average 210 yards and 190 yards respectively.
Although a fairway wood may have a similar loft to a long iron, they generally hit your golf ball further, as the club head is bigger. Fairway woods are often easier to hit than long irons, as it doesn’t get caught up in the grass, and is less prone to twisting.
As the name suggests, fairway woods are predominantly used from the fairway on the golf course, but many golfers use them from the tee on tighter holes, where it is more important to be accurate rather than to maximise distance.
As with other golf clubs, a general rule of thumb is the more spend the better product you get, so whatever standard of golfer you are, it’s worth stretching your budget as far as you can to get the most technologically advanced fairway wood possible
Low Handicap
As a low handicap golfer you may well already have the fairway woods which suit your game. It’s worth thought looking at the models which are designed to tour specifications which will give you benefits in terms of a more penetrating and controllable golf ball flight. Look for Tour or TP specs
Medium Handicap
As a mid handicap golfer, it’s likely that you are proficient with your fairway woods but there are a couple things to consider to help you improve.
If you are still using an entry level fairway wood then consider upgrading to a more advanced fairway wood from a top manufacturer which will enhance distance achieved and forgiveness. Look at offerings from TaylorMade, Nike Golf, Cobra Golf, Yonex, Callaway Golf and Cleveland to name a few.
If your swing speed has increased then check that the flex you are using is still suitable as a slightly stiffer flex could give you improvement in control and getting you hitting those par 5s in two more often.
High Handicap
As a high handicap golfer, you need to consider the components of your golf set and fairway woods are an important element. Most golfers will have a 3 wood and a 5 wood but also 7 woods are popular. You will find that the trajectory of a fairway wood is much higher than a driver and this will mean that the golf ball will land softly with less run. As a high handicap golfer you will find that fairway woods are very useful for second shots into the green (as you will not yet be driving the longest you can off the tee) and also for tee shots if your driver is not working during the round!
It is recommended that you start with at least one fairway wood and most golfers will have a 3 and a 5 wood. If you like fairway woods then also consider a 7 wood for shots into the green from around 170-190 yards.
With regard to model type, most fairway woods are made of steel which is fine as the heads do not need to be anywhere near as large as a driver head (which are mainly titanium). You can purchase some titanium or multi-material headed fairway woods which may be worth looking at if you need more clubhead speed or prefer a slightly larger head.
Fairway woods are available with both steel and graphite shafts but as this level graphite is recommended as the lighter shaft will enable you to get more club head speed and more distance.
Finally the recommended flex at this level would be regular for an average male golfer or if you are a senior or a lady then go for senior (or A flex) or lady (L) flex respectively.