The Best Fairway Woods of 2019

By: Golfshake Editor | Fri 01 Mar 2019

2019 has been a busy year for new fairway woods following the introduction of many fresh models for the season. For golfers, there are many options to consider, but the main question is which these most benefit your game, and which specifically should interest you? We have taken a look at the releases, bringing them together into one place, sharing the key information and reviews from Ryan Rastall, to deliver the Best Fairway Woods of 2019.

Mizuno ST190 & ST190TS Fairway Woods

Mizuno’s new fairway woods are geared towards speed and feature many of the same technologies as their new drivers. A new wide Wave soleplate has been introduced widening the COR area to the bottom of the face producing higher ball speeds and more powerful ball flights. A new high-energy HT1770 face has been made deeper allowing the face to flex more also increasing the ball speed. An ultra-lightweight carbon composite crown has allowed Mizuno to more 4g of weight lower in the head promoting higher low-spin ball flights. A ST190 TS model is also available which differs from the standard ST190 head as its adjustable. Loft can be moved anywhere between 13 to 17 degrees and is designed to produce lower spin for stronger ball flights. ST190 TS is right hand only.

Specifications

Right Hand Lofts

15°, 18° (ST190 TS is right hand only)

Left Hand Lofts

15°

Shaft Options

Fujikura Atmos (regular, stiff and X-stiff flex)

RRP - £279

Find out more on Golfshake by clicking here, or visit the Mizuno website by clicking here.

Callaway Epic Flash & Flash Sub Zero Fairway Woods

The Epic Flash fairway wood features much of the same technology seen in the new Flash driver and the new face is still the main talking point. Created with a new super computer using machine learning Flash Face, as they’re calling it, has enabled Callaway to create variable face thickness patterns on their face inserts. Increased ball over all areas of the face is the result along with improved feel and sound over previous models. Jailbreak Technology has continued on from the Rogue fairway woods with the bars stiffening the body placing more impact load on the face for faster ball speeds. There is a new OptiFit Hosel which is shorter and lighter than in pervious models and that has allowed Callaway to take that weight and reposition the centre of gravity making it easier to launch.

There is also a new Sub Zero model which as all the same features as the Flash, but Callaway have added adjustable weights to the sole of the club. A 14g and 2g weight can interchanged to adjust the launch, spin and trajectory to your liking. The SubZero also has a slightly more compact profile and unlike the Flash the face has groove lines running all the way along it. As with all SubZero models it is aimed at the higher swing speed, higher spin golfers.

Golfshake View

Specifications

Right Hand Loft Options

13.5°, 15°, 18°, 20°, 21°, 23°, 25°

Left Hand Loft Options

15°, 18°, 20°, 21°

Shaft Options

Project X Even Flow Green (Light, regular and stiff flex)

Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue (Regular, stiff and X stiff flex)

Project X HZRDUS Smoke (Stiff and X stiff flex)

RRP - £269

Find out more on Golfshake by clicking here, or visit the Callaway website by clicking here.

PXG 0341x Gen 2 Fairway Wood

PGX say that the new Gen 2 version of the 0341x fairway wood has a 2mph ball speed gain over the previous model. This has been made possible by a variable thickness carbon fiber crown and a weight-forward design working together to reduce energy loss over the previous model. Adjustable weights in the head still remain a significant feature and eight of them give you a large amount of movable mass that can be adjusted to change ball flight characteristics. Alongside this an adjustable hosel can also change the loft +/- 1.5 degrees to optimise the trajectory. Lower spin is also noticeable over the previous model and the weight forward design has helped achieve this along with improving distance and accuracy. Gen 2 fairways woods are also fitted with a honeycomb TPE reducing the mass of the dampening structure allowing for more weight to be repositioned in the sole of the club for easier and better launch. The face is constructed of a high-strength steel and variable face technology is used to gain faster ball speeds.

Specifications

Loft Options

2 - 13° / 3 - 15° / 5 - 18° / 7 - 21°

Shaft Options

Custom fitting only

RRP - £425

Visit the PXG website, by clicking here.

Cobra King F9 Speedback Fairway

Cobra have now incorporated their CNC Machine Milled faces into the new F9 Speedback fairway wood. It’s the first of its kind to feature a CNC milled face and Cobra say that a 2.5 MPH ball speed gain has been achieved over a traditional hand polished face. Cobra have also continued to use their rail system on the sole to improve turf interaction and the heights of the rails differ between the heads to account for varying attack angles. There is also a 15g weight in the back of the head to promote higher ball flights and this can be interchanged with heavier or lighter weights to adjust ball flight characteristics to your preference. A MYFLY 8 adjustable hosel gives golfers a choice of eight loft settings and a new feature called Smart Pad works alongside keeping the face square at address regardless of the loft setting. Cobra Connect still features giving you statistics and data through an app downloaded to your smartphone.

Golfshake View

Specifications

Left Hand Lofts

3-4, 5-6 and 7-8 (custom only)

Right Hand Lofts

3-4, 5-6 and 7-8

Shaft Options

Fujikura ATMOS Blue 7 - (regular and stiff flex)

UST Helium (4F2) – (lite flex)

RRP - £219

Find out more on Golfshake by clicking here, or visit the Cobra website by clicking here.

Ping G410 Fairway Wood

Centre of gravity is the big change in Ping's new G410 fairway wood. Compared to the previous model it has been moved further forward in the head for better ball speed and the move has also improved stability and forgiveness. There is a high density tungsten weight at the rear of the sole increasing MOI and further improving the stability and forgiveness. The face is made from a C300 maraging steel and is very thin allowing more flexing creating better ball speeds, shot height and distance. The 8-lobe Trajectory Tuning adjustable hosel offers eight settings with adjustments in loft from +/- 1.5 degrees and lie adjustments up to 3 degrees flatter than standard. Two other heads are also available in the fairway wood line-up. A SFT version which has more heel weighting and lighter swing weight to promote right to left ball flights and the LST version which has a slightly smaller head and the CG positioned further forward for lower spin aimed at the higher spinning golfer.

Specifications

Right Hand Lofts

14.5°, 17.5°, 20.5°, 23.5°

Left Hand Lofts

14.5°, 17.5°, 20.5°, 23.5°

Shaft Options

PING Alta CB 65 Red - (soft regular, regular, stiff and X-stiff flex)

PING Tour - (regular, stiff and X-stiff flex)

Project X EvenFlow Black 85 – (6.0 and 6.5 flex)

Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 70 - (regular, stiff and X-stiff flex)

RRP - £275

Find out more on Golfshake by clicking here, or visit the Ping website by clicking here.

TaylorMade M5 & M6 Fairway Woods

The M5 fairway is TaylorMade’s adjustable offering for the year featuring a 65g weight in the centre of the sole allowing you to change the ball flight characteristics to your liking. This weight makes up for 30% of the head mass and as a result moves the centre of gravity lower in the head making the M5 easier to launch. M5 fairway also features Twist Face Technology for the first time in one of their fairways and TaylorMade claim that the addition of this will give you around 15 yards less variation in shot dispersion. There is also a new Loft Sleeve with 12 different positions allowing +/- 2 degrees of adjustability.

M6 is TaylorMade's new non-adjustable fairway wood specifically designed towards forgiveness and ball speed. Like M5 the M6 now features Twist Face Technology giving you increased forgiveness and consistency. The carbon crown is larger than the previous M4 model saving weight and allowing TaylorMade to move the centre of gravity lower and further back for easier launch. The Speed Pocket is made from a new thermoplastic polyurethane and now sits flush creating more ball speed when struck lower on the face, more playability and better turf interaction.

Golfshake View

M5 Specifications

Left Hand Lofts

15°, 18°

Right Hand Lofts

14°, 15°, 18°

Shaft Options

Mitsubishi Tensei Orange (regular, stiff or X stiff flex)

RRP - £369

Find out more on Golfshake by clicking here, or visit the TaylorMade website by clicking here.

Golfshake View

M6 Specifications

Left Hand Lofts

15°, 18°, 21°

Right Hand Lofts

14°, 15°, 18°, 21°, 24°

Shaft Options

Fujikura Atmos Orange 6 (Ladies, regular and stiff flex)

RRP - £269

Wilson D7 Fairway Wood

Wilson's D7 range is based around a super-light design aimed to give golfers faster club head speeds with less effort. Wilson have given the D7 fairway a new light weight crown with thin-cast pockets adding structure and strength where it’s needed and minimizing weight where it’s not. A new Carpener Custom 455 face has also been introduced and the maraging steel insert makes the face as thin as possible for increased feel and ball speeds. A ladies version of the D7 is also available.

Specifications

Right Hand Lofts

9°, 10.5°, 13°

Left Hand Lofts

10.5°

Shaft Options

UST-Mamiya Helium Series (Light, Ladies, Regular, Stiff, X Stiff)

RRP - £269

Find out more on Golfshake by clicking here, or visit the Wilson website by clicking here.

Titleist TS2 & TS3 Fairway Woods

Titleist have stripped 27% of the weight from the crown in the new TS fairways allowing them to shift that weight lower and deeper in the head. The newly designed active recoil channel (ARC) now extents taller into the head for increased face flexibility and faster ball speeds especially on strikes lower in the face. It is also filled with a polymer for improved turf interaction. A redesigned face with refined variable face thickness also works along-side ARC further increasing the ball speed and forgiveness. Both models still come fitted with the SureFit adjustable hosel allowing you 16 different combinations of loft and lie.

The main difference between the heads is the SureFit CG weight which still features in the TS3 but in the TS2 it has been replaced with a single sole weight drawing the weight low and deep in the head. TS2 is designed to be slightly higher launching and easier to hit than TS3 but with the SureFit CG weight still a feature in TS3 it does make it the more adjustable of the two.