Equipment
Best fairway woods of 2024: Expert club fitters recommend the most versatile and forgiving options
Whether it be hitting approach shots into longer par 4’s and par 3’s, going after par 5’s in two, or just trying to hit more fairways off the tee — finding the best fairway wood of 2024 to fit your needs is a must as you fill your golf toolbox.
Looking at the best fairway wood playing field for 2024, we continue to see more fairway wood options from every manufacturer. What used to be a single model release has been expanded to three — and in some cases even four — driver D.N.A.-infused models to fit specific player types.
These new fairway woods impress us with their ability to utilize new technology and construction methods to go faster, and further, while also offering never-before-seen levels of forgiveness. It’s now easier than ever to find the right one that matches your swing.
That being said, ultimately the best way to find the best fairway woods for you is to work with a professional fitter using a launch monitor. The difficult part is a lot of people don’t have easy access to fitters, launch monitors, and club builders — so at GolfWRX — with the help of our panel of expert fitters — we have done a lot of the work for you to narrow down your short list of fairway woods to demo.
Best fairway woods 2024: The categories
We have broken our 2024 best fairway wood list into two categories.
- Best fairway wood for golfers seeking forgiveness
- Best fairway wood for golfers seeking versatility
We selected this format for fairway woods in cooperation with fitters because every golfer prioritizes one of these two elements, regardless of age, handicap, or sex. And for many golfers, forgiveness is the number one factor when selecting a fairway wood.
Most versatile fairway woods of 2024
Ping G430 Max
Ping developed Carbonfly Wrap in a bid to deliver more distance by positioning the CG closer to the face to maximize ball speed, resulting in higher, longer carries. The lightweight composite crown wraps into the heel and toe sections of the skirt, creating weight savings of 10 grams, which are reallocated to achieve the lower CG and increase ball speed. The composite also plays a role in the pleasing sound, while a tungsten backweight extends the perimeter weighting to ensure forgiveness.
For the full technology breakdown, check out our launch piece.
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max
Ai Smart Face — the centerpiece of Callaway’s Paradym Ai Smoke drivers — is also the key technology of new Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke fairway woods and hybrids. As with the drivers, the carbon chassis is lighter, allowing for 24 grams of weight to be redistributed throughout the head for enhanced launch, spin, and forgiveness. As utilized in Paradym, engineers leverage a tungsten speed cartridge to push CG low and forward.
For the full technology breakdown, check out our launch piece.
Titleist TSR2
TSR2 fairways feature the lowest CG in Titleist history for an all-steel construction designed to create speed and launch without excessive spin. New Open Hosel Construction created space for sizable improvements to key areas of performance by removing unwanted weight high and towards the heel.
For the full technology breakdown, check out our launch piece.
TaylorMade Qi10 Tour
The Qi10 Tour model uses a multi-material titanium-carbon construction and offers a more compact head shape, equipped with a moveable 50-gram weight in the sole for precise weight placement. By placing the sliding weight further back in the head, golfers can achieve a higher launch and more stability, whereas placing the weight further forward helps achieve a lower-spin and more penetrating ball flight.
For the full technology breakdown, check out our launch piece.
Titleist TSR3
Titleist’s adjustability-focused fairway wood is designed with a new, easy-to-adjust 5-position SureFit Adjustable CG Track System to fine-tune performance. It features the same Open Hosel Construction as TSR2 fairways. The TSR3’s CG has been positioned deeper, slightly lower, and closer to face center to provide easy, high launch with plenty of forgiveness.
For the full technology breakdown, check out our launch piece.
Most forgiving fairway woods of 2024
TaylorMade Qi10 Max
The Qi10 Max fairway wood heads use the company’s “Infinity Carbon Crown” that helped free up weight to be placed lower in the heads, helping achieve higher inertia and an enlarged face profile to boost ball speeds across their faces. Compared to the standard Qi10 model, the Qi10 Max has a larger front-to-back shape and shallower profile that’s designed for increased forgiveness and playability.
For the full technology breakdown, check out our launch piece.
Ping G430 Max
Ping developed Carbonfly Wrap in a bid to deliver more distance by positioning the CG closer to the face to maximize ball speed, resulting in higher, longer carries. The lightweight composite crown wraps into the heel and toe sections of the skirt, creating weight savings of 10 grams, which are reallocated to achieve the lower CG and increase ball speed. The composite also plays a role in the pleasing sound, while a tungsten backweight extends the perimeter weighting to ensure forgiveness.
For the full technology breakdown, check out our launch piece.
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max
Ai Smart Face — the centerpiece of Callaway’s Paradym Ai Smoke drivers — is also the key technology of new Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke fairway woods and hybrids. As with the drivers, the carbon chassis is lighter, allowing for 24 grams of weight to be redistributed throughout the head for enhanced launch, spin, and forgiveness. As utilized in Paradym, engineers leverage a tungsten speed cartridge to push CG low and forward.
For the full technology breakdown, check out our launch piece.
Cobra Darkspeed Max
Cobra’s draw-biased model is built for the player who needs forgiveness. Depending on the weight configuration, either greater forgiveness or more draw bias can be targeted. The draw-biased Max model is the most forgiving in the lineup. Here the weights are 12 and three grams and are situated in the rear and heel of the club to achieve the desired launch and ball flight.
For the full technology breakdown, check out our launch piece.
Titleist TSR2
TSR2 fairways feature the lowest CG in Titleist history for an all-steel construction designed to create speed and launch without excessive spin. New Open Hosel Construction created space for sizable improvements to key areas of performance by removing unwanted weight high and towards the heel.
For the full technology breakdown, check out our launch piece.
Again, we can’t thank the fitters enough for their time, and we hope that in your search for your best fairway wood for 2024, we can help you find it!
Best fairway woods of 2024: Meet the fitters
- Adam Rathe: Club Champion
- Adam Scotto: Club Champion
- Adam Seitz: Club Champion
- Aidan Mena: Club Champion
- Alex Dice: Carl’s Golfland
- Alex Praeger: Club Champion
- Ben Giunta: The Tour Van
- Blake Smith, PGA: True Spec
- Bo Gorman: True Spec
- Brad Coffield: Carl’s Golfland
- Brett Ott: Club Champion
- Brian Riley: Club Champion
- Cameron Scudder: Club Champion
- Carmen Corvino: True Spec
- Christian Sandler: Club Champion
- Clare Cornelius: Cool Clubs
- Dan Palmisano: Club Champion
- Dane Byers: Club Champion
- Darren Joubert: Club Champion
- Dennis Huggins: Club Champion
- Drew Koch: Club Champion
- Eric Touchet: Touchet Performance Golf
- Erik Gonzales: Club Champion
- Evan Morrison: Club Champion
- Gus Alzate: True Spec
- Jake Medlen: Stripe Show Club Fitters
- Jake Woolston: Club Champion
- Jake Wynd: Club Champion
- Jay Marino: Club Champion
- Jeremy Olsen: Club Champion
- Jim Yenser: Club Champion
- Joe Stefan: Club Champion
- Joey Simon, PGA: Club Champion
- Jonathan Kaye: Club Champion
- Jordan Patrick: True Spec
- Jordan Rollins: Club Champion
- Kevin Arabejo: Club Champion
- Kevin Downey: Club Champion
- Kirk Oguri: Pete’s Golf
- Kyle Lane: Club Champion
- Kyle Murao: Club Champion
- Marc Roybal: True Spec
- Mark Hymerling: Club Champion
- Mark Knapp: Carl’s Golfland
- Matt Miller: Club Champion
- Matt Rish: Club Champion
- Matthew Gandolfi: Club Champion
- Mike Martysiewicz: Club Champion
- Mike Weis: Club Champion
- Mitch Schneider: Club Champion
- Nicholas Barone: Club Champion
- Nick Sherburne: Club Champion
- Nick Waterworth: Haggin Oaks
- Preston Vanderfinch: Club Champion
- Rick Lane: Club Champion
- Rob Anderson, PGA: Club Champion
- Russell Hubby: Club Champion
- Ryan Fisher: Grips Golf
- Ryan Grimes: Club Champion
- Ryan Johnson: Carl’s Golfland Bloomfield Hills
- Sam Kim: True Spec
- Scott Sikorski: Club Champion
- Scott Felix: Felix Club Works
- Scott Trent: Club Champion
- Sean Pfeil: Club Champion
- Shaun Fagan: True Spec
- Steve Harrow: Club Champion
- Tad Artrip: Club Champion
- Thomas Mattaini: Pull the Pin
- Tony Rhode: True Clubs
- William Buse: Club Champion
- William Cho: NovoGolf
- William Fields: Club Champion
Join the discussion about the best fairway woods of 2024 in the forums.
- RELATED: Best driver 2024: Most forgiving driver
- RELATED: Best driver 2024: Expert club fitters recommend the best driver for your swing speed
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Whats in the Bag
Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)
- Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Prototype (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Utility: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 85 TX
Irons: Callaway Apex Pro (3), Callaway X Forged (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 130
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10S, 56-10S, 60-06C)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130 X
Putter: Odyssey Ai One Milled Eight T DB
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Hojgaard in the forums.
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Whats in the Bag
Rory McIlroy WITB 2024 (April)
- Rory McIlroy what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X
Irons: TaylorMade Proto (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9)
Shaft: Project X 7.0 (4-9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-K @59)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X3
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour
Ball: 2024 TaylorMade TP5x
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Spotted: Nate Lashley’s Ping PLD “Wolverine” putter
Ping PLD putters have been a very common site on profesional tours. Pros seem to gravitate toward the PLD line’s custom options and precision milling. We have seen the PLD line expanded over the years, but we haven’t seen too many, if any, large mallets.
This week we spotted a PLD putter in Nate Lashley’s bag that has a similar look to the old Ping Wolverine head shape. This putter is a large mallet with the famous “claws” on the outside and oval center that housed the alignment aid.
Nick’s putter has the PLD logo on the back but also looks like it might have an insert installed on the face. It is hard to tell but at the address picture, it looks like the face is a lighter material than the rest of the putters. The putter is center-shafted and should be face-balanced with a high MOI for stability and forgiveness on mishits. The sole is completely milled and has no markings of name or technologies that might be present in the head. A single white site line is on the top of the putter for alignment.
Nick’s putter is finished off with a chrome steel shaft and a Super Stroke Zenergy Flatso 2.0 grip in black and white.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic
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