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Is the fairway wood the scariest club in your bag? It doesn't have to be! We've tested all the latest releases from the top brands to help you determine which fairway wood is right for your game. From the best off the tee to the most forgiving, this is your ultimate guide for 2026.
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00:00Is the 3Wood the scariest club to hit in your bag? Well, it doesn't have to be.
00:04Welcome to the Ultimate Fairway Wood Guide of 2026.
00:17We've tested all of the latest releases as well as some carry-on product from last year
00:21to help you determine which fairway wood should stay in your bag.
00:24We've tested all of the best models to hit from the T, the most forgiving models as well as those
00:28that launch the highest. And if you suffer from a wicked slice, stick around to find out which
00:33models will help eradicate that. Right, let's get into the video. Just a quick word before we jump
00:38onto the categories, and that is how we test here at Golf Monthly. We use the Golf Monthly
00:43Performance Lab here to get rid of any external factors such as wind, mud, and rain, and ensures
00:49that we can get the most accurate data using our Foresight GC3 Launch Monitor. That way we can
00:56really kind of categorize and standardize our testing before we then move outside. Obviously,
01:01full testing would not be complete if we didn't head out onto the golf course. So from in here,
01:06we then take everything outside so we can look at things such as turf interaction, sound and feel,
01:11as well as how workable some of these products are. Now, in order to showcase the complete ability
01:17of these heads, I have tested all of these in the shafts that I was fitted for from each manufacturer.
01:23For those manufacturers and brands where I couldn't quite get fitted, we've tried to
01:27kind of get the shafts that match closest to my spec profile, ensuring that we show off these heads
01:33to the best of their ability. Now, we all love smashing the big stick off the tee, but sometimes
01:37that can get us in a bit of trouble, and that's where having a strong fairway wood can really suit
01:44us.
01:44Now, we want something that probably launches a touch higher, but spins a little lower in order to get
01:50us down the hole producing a really high but penetrating ball flight. Now, there are a few
01:54fairway woods that I thought were really good in this category. They have typically a slightly
01:58deeper face and a further forward CG placement in order to really give us that high launch,
02:03low spinning ball flight. Now, the first of those is the Titleist GT2. Now, this is a carry-on product
02:09from last year and features some really cool technology, such as the seamless thermoform crown,
02:15and that's essentially weight saving on the crown. And it's been buffed over, so you really can't see
02:20the difference here at address, which I think is really cool. And that helps redistribute weight,
02:24placing it lower in the head. And with the Titleist GT2, you do have that forward,
02:28interchangeable weight placement that obviously gives you that really kind of strong, powerful
02:33ball flight and takes a bit of spin off the ball. Moving on from there, we've got the Strixon ZXI,
02:38which I absolutely love. Again, a carry-on product from last year. These are companies that release on a
02:43biannual cycle, producing a really, again, fast ball flight. This was one of the longest that I
02:49tested. And it's got this kind of drop step crown, which again, just lowers that CG placement. So you
02:55get that high launch, but my God, is this product quick. It's got this iFlex face as well, which
03:01basically acts like a trampoline face. So no matter where you're hitting it across the face, you're getting
03:05this real spring-like kind of feeling through impact. And that really shows on its ball flight.
03:11Now, the last one I kind of want to touch upon is the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond. I wasn't such
03:17a fan of the Triple Diamond last year. I didn't quite get the ball speed that I wanted out of
03:21it.
03:21And I actually saw it spinning up a touch more than the Max model. But this year, things are different.
03:26This sees a new step sole kind of design come into play, which I thought was amazing for turf interaction
03:31if you are to hit it off the deck. But off the tee, this thing is an absolute monster. Again,
03:36slightly deeper face
03:37than the Max model. So you can get that kind of one that launches high, slightly higher off the face,
03:42which obviously drops the spin as well. And it also features an AI 10 times smart face, which is
03:49Callaway's use of artificial intelligence essentially to make ball speed as quick as possible across all
03:55areas of the face, producing this variable thickness kind of technology. So you can kind of get away with
04:01a few miss hits here and there. But off the tee, this thing is a monster and there are none
04:05better
04:05than it on the market right now. OK, now best off the deck is a really important section for a
04:11wide
04:11range of golfers, whether that be advancing the ball down the hole or attempting to hit a par five in
04:17two,
04:17where you want that ball really towering with a decent amount of spins. You can hold the greens
04:21even when they firm up. Now, there are again a few models that again stood out to me as being
04:27particularly efficient when striking off the deck. And the first of those is the Mizuno JPX1. This is
04:33a brand new model for this year. Their driver features some really cool technology, but so does
04:38the fairway wood. I saw about just under 12 degrees of launch with this fairway wood and 123 feet
04:44in peak height, making it a really, really high ball flight with decent launch. Might not be so great
04:50into the wind, but this is a serious contender if you're someone who hits their fairway wood off the
04:55deck pretty regularly. Now, the next model that I found to be particularly effective off the deck
05:00is the Wilson Dynapower Carbon. Now, there are actually two different models in the Wilson Dynapower
05:05range, but the Carbon I just found to give me a touch of pop, but actually give me that launch
05:11and
05:12spin that is perfect if you're hitting the fairway wood off the deck. I found, again, this to be really,
05:18really effective when going for par fives in two, and that was down to the completely excessive
05:24spin and launch. Now, I did see a slight lack in distance here, but this was spinning just over
05:294000 RPMs, which is up to 1200 more than some of the competitors in this test, but that did make
05:37it
05:38exceptional when hitting off the deck. We saw around 12 degrees of launch to combine that
05:43with that spin. I was seeing a ball flight that just went up in the air and literally didn't want
05:48to come
05:49down. Right, lastly in this category, and I think the best for hitting off the deck, is the new
05:54tailor-made Qi4D Max. This is the largest kind of head of the new tailor-made range, has a 200cc
06:01head size instead of kind of the 180 that we see on the standard, and it's got that pulled back
06:06kind
06:06of stretch shape, which pulls back the center of gravity, and that larger head increases the MOI,
06:11meaning it's really forgiving, but equally just launches really, really high. It has the ball
06:15coming down with snow on it. It's got 13 degrees, I saw about 13 degrees of launch, and 127 feet
06:22of peak height, meaning there really isn't a green that this club wouldn't be able to help you hold.
06:29It has a 8g weight as standard, featured more towards the rear. Again, just pulling that weight
06:34back, increasing that launch, and it has, I think, a slightly shallower appeal at address. Again,
06:39confidence-inspiring and really enables you to help kind of sweep and hit that ball miles in the air.
06:49If you're enjoying this video, make sure you hit the like and subscribe button down below so you
06:53don't miss any future videos, and if you like any of the products in today's video, I'll put the handy
06:58links in the description box down below for the best prices in your area. Now, considering the difficulty
07:03many amateur golfers have when striking fairway woods off the deck, having a forgiving fairway wood
07:08is an absolute must for some. Now, everyone definitely would benefit from a fairway wood that
07:14is forgiving on toe hits, heel strikes, and especially those slightly thin when we're hitting it off the
07:21deck. So there are a few models that, to me, really stood out in this category. Now, the first of
07:26those,
07:27considering we just talked about the Qi4D Max in the easiest to launch section, it was actually the core
07:32head that I found to be really, really forgiving, and I think a model that will actually appeal to,
07:37again, a massive range of golfers. The head is, I guess, large enough that it's confidence-inspiring,
07:42but small enough that it will still appeal to some of the best golfers. I mean, we see some of
07:47the best
07:47golfers in the world actually play the core fairway wood models, Scotty Scheffler, Rory McElroy, just to
07:52name a few. So that says a lot about the potential and just how good this product is as an
08:00all-rounder.
08:01I found, personally, that this product is amazing on strikes that hit slightly lower on the face,
08:07and that's largely probably down to the speed slot behind the face that we've seen in TaylorMade
08:12fairway woods for a few years now. It just really helps maximize that ball speed, producing a really
08:17consistent flight and spin. Now, of course, a fairway wood forgiveness section wouldn't be complete if we
08:23didn't feature a Ping product, and that's where the Ping G440 Max comes in. Again, carry-on product from last
08:29year. Ping release every couple of years, but this product is still so relevant and so, so good on
08:35mishits. We see the carbon fly wrap kind of come over the top here, and that is a lightweight,
08:41essentially composite crown, which enables some weight redistribution. That to go along with the new
08:46free hosel technology that Ping introduced with this range. Ping, they've managed to create a face that's
08:52actually four percent taller, so while that doesn't necessarily come across down behind the ball and
08:57kind of give that really deep intimidating look, they've done that so you can create a touch more
09:02consistency and actually gain a bit of launch and spin on those strikes struck slightly lower on the
09:07face. Now, lastly, and probably the product that I thought was the most forgiving this year, and that
09:13is the Callaway Quantum Max. Now, this is just their kind of normal head, but again, I just found this
09:19to
09:19be absolutely amazing. It's actually quite a large head considering it is their core model, although it
09:25does sit really shallow, which I think is just amazing. It produces so much confidence when down
09:30behind the ball. That shallow face there really helps kind of get that ball airborne, and on those toe and
09:37heel strikes it features the same AI 10x face that we talked about earlier in the triple diamond model.
09:46That is through thousands of data collection points, thousands of strikes that Callaway have
09:52manufactured this face with variable face thickness in order to increase, maintain ball speed essentially,
09:58on mishit shots. Now, those of you with maybe a slightly higher handicap or new to the game may struggle
10:03with that over the top kind of big slicing left to right ball flight, at least for a right-hander,
10:08and there are a few models that you'll be pleased to know that can actually help you in this category.
10:14But if you are a more confident player who still suffers from that kind of bleed out to the right,
10:19again as a right-handed golfer, then you might want to check out the Wilson Dynapower Carbon.
10:25I just found this model to be, it features a really nice kind of squatted pear-shaped head,
10:31but it does just want to turn over a touch. So, if you're someone who wants that slightly smaller
10:37look, they don't want that stretch kind of weight, heel weighted head, then this is definitely a model
10:44you should check out. But of course, there are models designed specifically for those who suffer
10:49from a slice, and one of those is the TaylorMade Max. Now, it does feature an adjustable loft sleeve,
10:56so you can actually close the face in and make this upright even more to help that ball kind of
11:00turn
11:01over. But as you can see from my testing, I really struggled to start this even and keep this even
11:07straight. So, if you are suffering from a slice and that missed shot out to the right, then this is
11:12a
11:12fairway wood you're 100% going to want to check out. But the model that I found to be, I
11:17mean, just
11:18exceptional at starting the ball left and going left, which for me as a drawer of the ball isn't ideal,
11:24but that is the Cobra Optum Max. Now, this model actually has anti-slice CG positioning, so the
11:31internal mass is positioned slightly lower and closer to the heel to optimize kind of that face
11:37closure rate, getting you to kind of start that ball straight or all further left than you're typically
11:42used to seeing and hopefully eradicate that nasty slice that you may have. So, I hope you enjoyed this
11:48video and it's given you some really insightful information as to which of these new fairway
11:52woods may be best for your game. If I was to choose one based on its looks alone, I think
11:57the PHG
11:58Lightning Tour fairway wood looks absolutely superb and definitely a model worth checking out if you
12:03like that squatty ahead. Now, what did I think that was the fastest? Well, the Quantum Triple Diamond for
12:09me was up there with the fastest. I got just under 160 mph ball speed with a fairwood from the
12:13deck,
12:14so that is nothing to sniff at. I thought the QI-4D from my testing was actually the longest.
12:19I saw kind of that high launch low spin characteristic that I really like, so I saw really good distance
12:24out of that. Which one will I put in my bag? It would probably be between those two this year,
12:28probably the Quantum Triple Diamond or the TaylorMade QI-4D core. I just think they have
12:32the exact properties that I look for in a fairway wood. But what do I think is the most rounded
12:37fairway
12:38wood of 2026? Well, that's a different topic of conversation. I think the Cobra Optum X will be
12:43severely underrated this year and is a model that should appeal to a really wide array of golfers. It
12:49features some really cool technology, you get a nice high launch out of it, a decent amount of spin
12:55and pretty adequate distance to be honest as well. Not to mention it does come in about £70 cheaper
13:00than some of its competitors. So, will you play any of these fairway woods this year? Let me know down
13:05in the comments below if you're planning on testing any of these, making a change or will you stick with
13:10what
13:10you have in the bag? I'd love to know. But from me here at the Golf Monthly Performance Lab, we'll
13:14see you next time.
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