5 Best Fairway Woods For Mid Handicappers
Having old trusty 3 wood or 5 wood on the fairway can sometimes be the difference between a terrible game and making par. Unfortunately, the variety of fairway woods available to the modern-day golfer is absurdly wide, making choosing the right one for your brand of swinging challenge.
After analyzing almost all the available fairway woods on the market, I have come up with this comprehensive breakdown of the ones I liked the best and why they might suit your game.
Please note that these are merely suggestions based on my opinion. The TS2 Model Fairway Woods tops my list of fairway woods as it offers better scope for customizations and helps you have a more incredible swinging speed.
Since good fairway woods that suit a player can be used for multifaceted functions in the hands of the right player, let us get down to the comparisons.
Let us take a quick look at the best fairway woods for mid-handicappers without wasting any more time.
Top 5 Fairway Woods for Mid Handicappers Recommendations
- Titleist TS2 Model Fairway Woods – Best Overall
- Callaway Mavrik 22 Fairway Wood Golf Clubs – Best For Pros
- TaylorMade SIM Model Fairway Woods – Best For Loft
- Cobra Radspeed Fairway Wood – Best For Swing
- Mizuno ST-Z Model Fairway Woods – Best For Beginners
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5 Best Fairway Woods for Mid Handicappers Reviews
Our short review of the best fairway woods can help you hit the ball easier. For more details about the fairway woods, click on the image or the button below.
1. TS2 Model Fairway Woods by Titleist – Best Overall
The TS3 and the TS2, differing in shape and forgiveness slightly, are two premier fairway woods by Titleist, which offer extreme modifiability of loft by several degrees, depending on the model. These are titanium-faced woods that can reach extremely fast swing speeds without any damage to the crown.
The long handles and hybrid-like construction make them forgiving in the event of mishits and are very approachable clubs. While being in the medium range price-wise, these are highly favored candidates by mid-handicap golfers who want to improve their game.
The titanium crown shifts the club’s weight while swinging, giving you more distance than traditional fairway woods while maintaining the same swing speeds and loft.
When stuck in situations like the rough green, these clubs can improve your game where getting the ball airborne is an issue.
Pros
- Lightweight and high swing speeds
- Traditionally shaped clubhead, with a big clubface
- Modifications in loft angles, length
- Low spin, higher control, and ball speed
Cons
- A low center of gravity may be off-putting for some golfers
- The traditional clubhead shape is not suitable for most modern golfers
The bottom line: This club is the best for almost all golfers, from mid handicap to low handicap players. Its variability, modification ability, and solid fundamentals make it a great choice for professionals. I have used the TS2 Titanium Fairway Wood for my tee shot many times, and it has never failed me.
2. Callaway Mavrik 22 Fairway Wood Golf Clubs – Best for Pros
The classic Callaway fairway wood has been a staple in the golf kits of professional players to mid-handicap casual golfers. This new club by Callaway, called Mavrik, is the epitome of club design from the masters of the craft.
Like a modern-day masterpiece, the Mavrik boasts of its predecessors’ features and much more. It stands on the shoulders of all the previous designs Callaway has perfected.
This club is the most forgiving and easy-to-play club by far. If you are not confident in your game, you can appreciate the clubhead design, which ensures minimal snagging while swinging and extremely fastball speeds when hit perfectly.
This fairway woods also eliminates spin, which always tends to introduce a certain uncertainty and chaos to the loft and trajectory of your ball.
Pros
- Easy to launch a ball, get the ball airborne
- Easy to achieve long distances, accuracy in distance
- Swing speed extremely high due to the light frame
- Custom shafts and different functions, versatile
Cons
- Slightly pricey but well designed
- Lacks changeable weights and loft angles
The bottom line: The Mavrik 22 Fairway Wood Club is a club designed for beginners, but its usage is not limited to them. The Mavrik Max version offers even more fine-tuning before your shot and is an excellent choice for beginners looking into golf seriously.
3. TaylorMade SIM Model Fairway Woods – Best for Loft
The TaylorMade SIM Fairway Wood is an extremely premium wood club with a hybrid-like construction, including top-notch ZATECH titanium and compositing with carbon, making them durable yet nauseatingly fast.
TaylorMade is well known for its clubs and other golf products. This latest release continues an old series of clubs called “Shape in Motion” or SIM, centered around satisfying swing speeds with considerable heft behind the ball.
Their clubs have adjustable, twistable faces, with loft degree options up to two degrees and a smooth, sleek finish. The build is tough and sturdy and hits better off-center. The club design is unique and is a patent of TaylorMade, and the clubhead does improve trajectory and distance.
Pros
- A V-shaped club plate improves shot speed
- Allows straight shots and unparalleled accuracy
- Mistimed launches are also forgiven
- ZATECH titanium is highly durable
Cons
- This is the most expensive club on this list
- Requires more maintenance as compared to other clubs.
The bottom line: The TaylorMade SIM is the club to pick up if you’re an intermediate skilled player, slinking down from mid handicap to a lower handicap, and are much more established in the game. The fact that this club is a very big investment turns off many potential buyers of this club. However, this club is more forgiving than the traditional fairway woods and has more versatility. Its lower center of gravity and very low weight make it a much more surgical option, better in the hands of someone whose hands are accustomed and able to adjust to such a setup.
4. Cobra Radspeed Fairway Wood – Best for Swing
Cobra is renowned for its emphasis on a player-oriented design by professional players, specifically for a more skilled cadre of players. A pro golfer founded the company, and hence all of its clubs have been tailor-fit to suit the needs of slightly lower handicap players.
This, however, does not mean the club is not appropriate for any other player. The Radspeed model provides excellent interaction with the pin and ball on tee shots or other clear fairway shots and very high ball speeds, which help to cover large distances off the rough.
The club has a flexible build, as opposed to every other club on this list which is very sturdy in their build. This boosts speed exponentially, but the tradeoff is a loss of accuracy, which can be compensated by better placement of shots and avoiding spin.
Spin may be helpful for certain players who depend on an unstable loft, and this club can give such players an advantage as the chances of putting a spin on the ball is much higher due to the flexion of the shaft.
Pros
- CNC carbon fiber face for satisfying contact with the ball
- Modifiable weight in the club for different playstyles and shots
- Large distances possible
- Better for players that depend on spin
Cons
- Slightly more expensive than other clubs in the same bracket
- Requires more expertise to pick up due to spin factor
The bottom line: Cobra Radspeed Fairway Wood requires a certain base skill to pick up instead of Callaway Mavrik in the same price range. This is less forgiving on mishits for aerial ball and loft shots, as the wrong spin could drastically reduce your distance and air time. This much said, the club is of an excellent build. Even with all the flexibility, it feels solid in your hands and has a heft to its shot, meaning that good shots on the tee or fairway can be exploited for great distances.
5. Mizuno ST-Z Model Fairway Woods – Best for Beginners
Mizuno is an underrated Japanese manufacturer of quality, world-class golf clubs that outperform several other brands by a mile. One of the most affordable clubs for its level of quality on this list, the Mizuno ST series is a favorite for many amateur golfers.
A very versatile club, the Mizuno ST series has been valued for its different modes and variations allowed and available in a single club. The Mizuno ST-Z plays like a fine-tuned machine with adjustable loft angles, weights, and shaft modifications.
Although heavier than the other clubs on this list, it provides a dependable and forgiving swing ability, making tee shots easier to perform. It is a must-have on a tight par-5 course, as it could easily be your club for the approach shot or your third shot.
Pros
- Affordable, quality, and premium finish
- Carbon Fibre crown with a titanium finish for solid contact
- Adjustability galore can adjust loft angle, weight, shaft, etc
- Weight embedded in club increases ball speed from turf
Cons
- Not enough options for use other than from the fairway or tee shots
- Not forgiving for off-center hits, although better than many pro clubs
The bottom line: The Mizuno is a tool for those well attuned to their own needs and play style in golf but have difficulty digesting the high prices for many different branded clubs. It provides speed but requires shot accuracy, which practice can improve. It is a must-pick for those moving up from mid handicap to low handicap, as it is a club that demands practice from your end and will undoubtedly improve your game if you adjust to its nuances.
A Buying Guide To Fairway Woods
Out of the several factors and parameters that must be kept in mind while buying a club in general, the one paramount factor to consider when it comes to fairway woods is the shaft sturdiness and the ease of swing.
The shaft sturdiness, or the amount of flexion it can tolerate, varies dramatically from club to club and company to company. This inadvertently affects the amount of spin your club can generate and the maximum speed you can swing the club.
The higher the speed at which the club can be swung, the lesser loft angle you require the club head to be at, meaning getting the ball airborne needs an accurate and very fast hit, but if done well, it will deliver a tremendous amount of distance.
The material of the shaft, the clubhead crown, and the wood used inside are crucial when deciding the above factors. So often, people do not read about the materials used in making the club and buy it solely because of a lighter price tag.
My friend with whom I hit the local club fairly frequently had a mid-swing clubhead ejection once because he bought a cheap off-brand club with balsa wood stuffed in its clubhead under a metal crown to enable unnaturally fast swing speeds.
This kind of fraud is pretty common as people know that many people are looking to get into golf the easy and fast way. Please remember that a club is a piece of art, and the quality of your clubs greatly affects your game.
I would not go as far as to say the clubs decide your game, it is most definitely your skills and decision-making that do, but at the same time, a good club does assist greatly in doing exactly what you want the club to do.
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FAQs
Here are some answers to questions about the most forgiving fairway woods for mid-handicappers.
Should I Change My Club If I Cannot Hit With It?
How Do Fairway Woods And A Hybrid Play Differently?
Should I Try The Club Before I Buy It?
In Conclusion
I think the Titleist TS2 is the best fairway woods for mid-handicappers. It is the most balanced contender out of all the ones we talked about. They are the most approachable and forgiving clubs in their price point and will suit the play style of a mid-handicap player.
