Best Fairway Woods for Beginners
Have you just recently taken up golf as a hobby? If so, there are a number of ways to prepare yourself for a bright and exciting future. One major concern involves choosing the best fairway woods for beginners. What factors will you need to take into account? Are there any important features to look for? What are some of the best woods currently on the market? Let's take a look at all of these questions in greater detail. What is the Fairway Wood for You? A Closer Look at what to Consider
What defines a great fairway wood that is suited for beginners and novice golfers? In order to properly address this question, we have broken the answers down into a handful of sections so that you will be provided with the required insight and clarity when making an informed decision.
Tour Edge Exotics CBX 119Â Fairway Wood
Cobra King F9Â Fairway Wood
OUR Choice
Callaway Rogue Sub Zero Fairway Wood
TaylorMade M6 Â Fairway Wood Wood
Callaway Epic Flash Fairway Wood
Choosing the best Fairway Woods for Beginners
There are some considerations that should be taken into account before purchasing the best fairway woods for beginners
The Club Face
It can be argued that the size of the club head is one of the most important features of any fairway wood. Larger club faces will provide you with a higher margin for error; particularly if you have the tendency to mishit balls. In many instances, the face of the club will also contain tiny milled grooves. These are meant to provide an extra degree of traction and in many cases, they will increase the spin of the ball (not the backspin) immediately after contact. The end result of these attributes is the ability to achieve longer drives on the green. If you struggle with high handicaps, the size of the club head should never be overlooked.
The Length of the Shaft
We also need to take a quick look at a bit of physics before moving on. Due to the principles of inertia and angular momentum, longer shafts will provide your swing with more velocity before it makes contact with the ball. Once again, this is a great way to achieve longer drives. Some of the best fairway woods to use are those which are known for longer shafts. However, there is still a sight trade-off worth mentioning.
Some novice players might find longer shafts slightly more difficult to control. This could actually increase their handicap further. This is why it is a good idea to experiment with different lengths (and levels of flexibility) before deciding upon a specific make and model. This is normally possible if you visit a reputable golf club supplier.
The Centre of Gravity
The centre of gravity (COG) is another key element if you hope to enjoy success in the future. All physics aside, the centre of gravity associated with any fairway wood essentially represents its balance. However, the centre of gravity will also have an impact upon the moment of inertia (MOI). The moment of inertia involves how fast the ball will leave the face once it is hit. Many of the top fairway woods in 2019 have weights placed towards the lower and rear portion of the head. This helps to increase its momentum and therefore, you can expect longer and straighter shots.
Woods Versus Hybrids? Which is the Better Choice?
If you follow golf to any great extent, you might already be aware that there is an ongoing debate between woods and hybrids. Which is the better material for novices? The fact of the matter is that each is associated with many unique benefits. Describing all in complete detail would require an entirely separate article, so we will break it down as simply as possible. In the majority of cases, hybrids tend to slightly sacrifice distance for a greater sense of accuracy. Traditional woods are known for longer shots and yet, the resulting lie might not be as precise.
What About Spin?
The notion of ball spin was mentioned briefly earlier within this article. We should look at this concept a bit closer in order to appreciate how it relates to woods for beginners; backspin in particular. Backspin can be your best friend or your worst enemy. High rates of backspin are often preferred by experts, as it is associated with more rise during launch and the ball will stop quicker once it hits the fairway. However, too much backspin can also increase distances to the hole and actually increase your handicap. This is why many industry analysts recommend that you choose a fairway wood associated wit rather low levels of backspin. Let's also not fail to mention that less backspin will encourage the ball to roll forward after landing; allowing you to lower the pars associated with many tougher holes.
Loft Angles
Anyone who wishes to take full advantage of a fairway wood will need to take loft angles into account. This is another tricky area, as it is a bit more complicated than it may initially appear. Many novices believe that lower loft angles equate to straighter trajectories and therefore, further distances. On the contrary, you will want to add a few degrees to your desired loft angle (for instances, choosing a fairway wood which offers an angle of 23 degrees if you normally shoot a 21-degree loft). As this video points out, such a strategy will help immensely in terms of overall distance and accuracy.
An Adjustable Hosel
Speaking of loft angles, it is wise to purchase a fairway wood which offers you the possibility to adjust the hosel to different positions. You can therefore customise the configuration of the club to suit the mechanics of your swing. Another interesting point to make about adjustable fairway woods is that this type of "fine tuning" is a great way to diagnose and remedy any mistakes that you might be making. As a result, it is often possible to correct a small problem before it evolves into a bad habit.
All About Hands-On Testing
While the advice mentioned above is undoubtedly useful, the fact of the matter is that it represents nothing more than static information if you are unable to translate it into the real world. This is why you should always test different clubs before you make a purchase. This is also one of the factors which must be taken into account when searching for where to buy the best fairway wood. If you are able to access a facility which offers a launch monitor (displaying metrics such as direction and speed of the ball), you will be provided with an even greater level of insight when making an informed decision. Never forget that the top fairway woods have been engineered to exacting specifications, so a bit of experimentation will go a long way.Â
The Most Wanted Fairway Woods of 2019: A Look at the Best of the Best. Now that we have reviewed some basic parameters to examine when making an informed choice, it is a good idea to highlight the features associated with some of the best makes and models of 2019.
1
Callaway Rogue Sub Zero Fairway Wood
Callaway is a well-known manufacturer of golf clubs, so it only stands to reason that their Rogue Sub Zero model has made our list. The design of the Rogue allows for higher loft angles and lower backspin, so you can expect to achieve longer distances on the green. It also boasts a light and comfortable feel. This is important if you have had difficulty adjusting to the configurations of other clubs in the past. Other important amenities to highlight include:
PROS
CONS
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2
TaylorMade M6Â Fairway Wood
Otherwise known as the TaylorMade D-Type, the M6 fairway wood is known as offering a superior sense of forgiveness. This is arguably the most critical feature for novices, as they need time to adjust their swings in order to accommodate for a new club. A number of space-age materials are likewise employed within the M6, so you can rest assured that you are receiving nothing less than the top of the line. Some evidence of their attention to detail includes:
PROS
CONS
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3
Callaway Epic Flash Fairway Wood
One of the great aspects of the Callaway Epic Flash is that it is just as suited for seasoned players as it is for beginners. This arises in no small part to the sheer amount of innovation that has gone into its overall design. Let's take a quick look at some of its most impressive features:
PROS
CONS
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4
Cobra King F9 Speedback Fairway Wood
Often provided with the coveted "gold" status by many online review sites, the Cobra King F9 Speedback fairway wood brings a plethora of advantages to the table. Many of the features associated with this club involve high-tech levels of engineering and precision, so it is certainly one of the top models on the market today. Some of its most notable advantages include:
PROS
CONS
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5
Tour Edge Exotics CBX 119Â Fairway Wood
Like many of the other models presented in this review, the name of the game in regards to the Tour Edge Exotics CBX line is speed and distance due to a lightweight and balanced design. Loft angles between 13 and 21 degrees are offered and many features are able to be adjusted by the end user. A few additional advantages to keep in mind include:
PROS
CONS
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Callaway Rogue Fairway Wood
All of the models mentioned above are quite impressive. Thanks to the inclusion of cutting-edge technology and due in no small part to years of experience, beginners will rest assured in the knowledge that they can choose from a healthy selection. However, which of these variants has made it to the top of our list? We should once again return to the core tenets of a great wood for beginners:
- Adjustable loft angles.
- A greater degree of forgiveness.
- A lightweight and user-friendly feel.
The Callaway Rogue is associated with excellent levels of forgiveness and very long distances. It is also one of the easiest fairway woods for beginners to use. While it might not offer as many adjustable features, the fact of the matter is that its engineering and design should represent the ideal solutions for those who are looking to take their game to an entirely new level.
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