Fairway woods are some of the most versatile clubs in the bag. They can be used off a tee for positioning, when struggling with driver, going for a par 5 in two, and even around the greens.
When in the market for fairway woods it’s important to consider head profile, as manufacturers offer variations - some may suit your eye more than others. For instance, low-profile heads, such as
Ping or
Callaway,
are designed for golfers who frequently find themselves hitting woods off the fairway, offering a design that facilitates getting the ball up in the air quickly. Conversely, high-profile heads, like TaylorMade Stealth and Qi10, cater to those who hit more shots with a tee, and typically result in a lower, more penetrating ball flight.
Distance is an important factor to consider when buying a new fairway wood. It’s essential to ensure a balanced gap between your driver and other woods to avoid having multiple clubs that go the same distance.
In professional golf, we have seen players like Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann, and Patrick Cantlay elect to put a 7 wood (or even 9 wood) in the bag for a variety of reasons including high flight and soft landing into greens, navigating thick rough, and proper distance gapping.