x
Skip to main content
Golf Logo
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
Why fairway woods are game-changers — if they’re fit right
SHARE
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Golf Logo
  • News
    • Latest
      • News
      • Features
      • Shows
      • PGA Tour Schedule
    • Series
      • Tour Confidential
      • Monday Finish
      • Hot Mic
      • Rogers Report
    • Shows
      • The Scoop
      • Subpar
      • Seen & Heard
  • Instruction
    • Game Improvement
      • Driving
      • Approach Shots
      • Bunker Shots
      • Short Game
      • Putting
      • Rules
      • Fitness
    • Series
      • Top 100 Teachers
      • Rules Guy
      • The Etiquetteist
    • Shows
      • Warming Up
      • Play Smart
      • Short Game Chef
      • Pros Teaching Joes
  • Gear
    • Clubs
      • Drivers
      • Irons
      • Hybrids
      • Fairway Woods
      • Wedges
      • Putters
    • Other Gear
      • Balls
      • Shoes
      • Apparel
      • Golf Accessories
    • Series
      • ClubTest
      • Winner’s Bag
    • Shows
      • Fully Equipped
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • Travel
      • Course Finder
      • Courses
      • Resorts
    • Lifestyle
      • Accessories
      • Celebrities
      • Food
      • Style
      • Betting Advice
    • Shows
      • Super Secrets
      • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Clubs
      • Shafts
      • Training Aids
      • Balls
      • Bags
      • Technology
      • Apparel
      • Accessories
      • Our Picks
      • Shop All
    • Collections
      • The GOLF Collection
      • The Birdie Juice Collection
      • The Fully Equipped Collection
      • Shop All
  • Newsletters
    • Sign Up for GOLF’s Newsletters
      • Hot Mic
      • Monday Finish
      • Play Smart
      • Our Picks
      • Top Stories
      • Sign Up for All
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Features
    • Shows
    • PGA Tour Schedule
  • Instruction
    • All Instruction
    • Driving
    • Approach Shots
    • Bunker Shots
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Rules
    • Fitness
  • Gear
    • All Gear
    • Drivers
    • Irons
    • Hybrids
    • Fairway Woods
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Balls
    • Shoes
    • Apparel
    • Golf Accessories
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • All Travel
    • All Lifestyle
    • Course Finder
    • Courses
    • Resorts
    • Accessories
    • Celebrities
    • Food
    • Style
    • Betting Advice
  • Series
    • Tour Confidential
    • Monday Finish
    • Hot Mic
    • Rogers Report
    • Rules Guy
    • The Etiquetteist
    • ClubTest
    • Winner’s Bag
  • Shows
    • The Scoop
    • Subpar
    • Seen & Heard
    • Warming Up
    • Play Smart
    • Short Game Chef
    • Pros Teaching Joes
    • Fully Equipped
    • Super Secrets
    • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Clubs
    • Shafts
    • Training Aids
    • Balls
    • Bags
    • Technology
    • Apparel
    • Accessories
    • The GOLF Collection
    • The Birdie Juice Collection
    • The Fully Equipped Collection
  • Newsletters
    • Hot Mic
    • Monday Finish
    • Play Smart
    • Top Stories
    • Our Picks
    • Sign Up for All
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
InsideGolf

InsideGOLF: +$140 value for $39.99

Join Today
Fairway Woods

Why fairway woods are game-changers — if they’re fit right

By: Kris McCormack
  • Follow on Instagram
April 20, 2025
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Six new fairway wood golf clubs against a blue background

Fairway woods can be huge difference-makers for your game — but only if they're fit properly for your swing.

GOLF.com

Let’s be honest, fairway woods just don’t get the love they deserve. Drivers steal the spotlight, irons get the scoring nod, and wedges take all the finesse credit. But a properly fit fairway wood? That could be the MVP of your bag that you didn’t know you were missing. 

So, let’s give these clubs their due and breakdown why fairway woods aren’t just space holders in your 14-club kit, they can be a game-changer.  

Gear
a player gets fit for golf clubs
Think a club-fitting isn’t for you? Here’s why you are wrong
By: Kris McCormack

What should your fairway wood do? 

First off, your fairway woods should be your go-to for a few things: 

  • Your longest fairway wood should put you in a safe position off the tee on tighter holes or when the driver is just too much club. 
  • Going for par 5s in two or setting you up with your favorite wedge for birdie. 
  • Escaping trouble or reaching from less-than-ideal lies — whether it’s short rough, a downhill lie or a tight fairway. 

But there is a catch: if your fairway woods don’t fit properly, they’re probably not doing much of anything well. You may as well be carrying a fashionable paperweight. 

Fairway Woods
taylormade 7-wood
7-woods are trending on Tour. Is it time to add one to your bag?
By: Johnny Wunder

Here is what should be dialed in: 

Loft matters — A LOT 

Most people think a 3-wood is a 3-wood. Wrong. Depending on your swing speed and delivery, you might need more loft to get the ball in the air consistently. A 16.5-degree “3HL or strong 4-wood” might fly farther and land softer than your traditional 15-degree 3-wood. It’s not about the number on the sole; it’s about the carry number in the air and how it lands. 

For some players, a 5-wood could produce the best numbers and fit in the bag as the longest fairway wood after the driver. 

PING G440 Max Custom Fairway Wood

The G440 fairway family (MAX, LST, SFT) advances PING’s reputation as a Tour-preferred model of choice through a re-designed face structure and low CG system. The face is taller for more confidence off the tee while maintaining a CG location that delivers high- launching performance off the ground. The MAX model (which fits most golfers) is available in five lofts (including a new 4-wood) to provide more gapping solutions.  HIGH MOI Easy to launch, stable design increases forgiveness.  FLEXING FACE Maraging steel face flexes for more ball speed, optimizes spin.  TALLER FACE PROFILE Improves performance off the tee, maintains low CG.  FREE-HOSEL DESIGN Saves weight to lower CG, optimize launch/spin and increase forgiveness. 
View Product

ALSO AVAILABLE ON: PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE, GOLF GALAXY.

Shaft and weight 

The right shaft flex and weight keep your tempo smooth and your launch window consistent. Too heavy, and you’ll wear yourself out. Too light, and you may lose the relationship of where the head is through the swing and start seeing a two-way miss. If the shaft’s too stiff, good luck getting it off the deck. 

Face Profile and Turf Interaction 

Some players are sweepers; some players hit down on the ball and take a divot with their woods. The sole design and how the club interacts with the turf are huge for playability. A deeper, taller, face helps off the tee. While a shallow face, and wider sole, might be better off a tight fairway. Testing a few combinations helps find the proper fit and gets you the best of both worlds. 

Distance Gapping 

Your fairway woods need to slot perfectly between your driver and your longest iron or hybrid. If your 3-wood flies five yards farther than your 5-wood, and both go the same distance off the turf, your gapping is off. This is the time to possibly entertain the idea of a 4-wood and 7-wood combo.  

Fairway woods don’t have to be gap-fillers or “just-in-case” clubs. When they’re fit correctly for your game, they become tools you can rely on, sometimes even more than your driver. They can bail you out, set you up, or even become your go-to when things go sideways. 

Don’t just carry them, trust them. Rely on them. Let them work for you.

Ready to find the right fairway woods for your game? consult a fitter at your local True Spec Golf.

Latest In Gear

4 hours ago

What golf ball will teams use at the Zurich? The defending champs have a loophole

10 hours ago

Why Newton Motion shafts are taking over the Champions Tour 

10 hours ago

The spin comeback: Why Tour pros are putting it back in the bag

1 day ago

How the pros get dialed for their drivers, according to an expert Ping fitter

Kris McCormack

Golf.com Contributor

Building on a career that has spanned more than 20 years in the golf industry, McCormack has spent the last six years of his career serving as the Vice President of Tour and Education for True Spec Golf. During that time, he curated the training program for the True Spec fitting staff and pushed for more continuing education curriculum. As well as managing their Tour department and building relationships with a multitude of OEM partners. Prior to joining the True Spec team, McCormack worked with several of the industry-leading manufacturers as a Master level Fitting Professional. In addition to being an instructor and partnering with the Golf Channel Academy as a lead instructor and brand-agnostic Fitting Professional. He has also worked with R&D teams to assist in product design, testing, and development for a variety of gear releases. He is a golf enthusiast and lives in the gear space!

  • Author Instagram Account

Related Articles

Drivers
How the best fit the best, Part Two, The Driver with Pings Kenton Oates

How the pros get dialed for their drivers, according to an expert Ping fitter

By: Johnny Wunder
Gear
Ian Fraser holds his putter.

How does a club fitter fill out their own bag? We asked one | Fully Equipped

By: Jack Hirsh
Gear
How do the best fitters in the world work with the best players in the world?

How to find the perfect golf ball for your game, according to a Tour fitter

By: Johnny Wunder
Gear
Rory McIlroy's approach at the 15th hole at Augusta National.

Why getting fit for height, like Rory McIlroy, helps you go low 

By: Kris McCormack
Fairway Woods
Players on the Masters range.

At the Masters, these are the hardest gear changes for pros to make

By: Kris McCormack
Fairway Woods
taylormade 7-wood

7-woods are trending on Tour. Is it time to add one to your bag?

By: Johnny Wunder
Fairway Woods
3-woods on sale at Fairway Jockey

Mega 3-wood sale! Save big on 23 different models at Fairway Jockey

By: Jessica Marksbury
Drivers
driver sweet spot

The distance benefit of center-face driver contact? We did the math

By: Kris McCormack
Gear
two golf bags on driving range

5 smart gear upgrades that will boost your game (but not bust your wallet)

By: Kris McCormack
Sign up for GOLF's Newsletters
Get the latest news, the hottest instruction tips, new product releases, golf media insider reports and more delivered directly to your inbox. Choose your favorites now.
Sign Up
Categories
  • News
  • Instruction
  • Gear
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
Services
  • Masthead
  • GOLF Media Kit
  • GOLF Magazine Customer Service
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Opt-out of Ads/Sharing
  • Your Privacy Choices
Social
  • facebook
  • x
  • instagram
  • youtube
Membership
InsideGOLF Logo
More than $140 Value for JUST $39.99

INCLUDES 12 SRIXON Z-STAR XV GOLF BALLS, 1 YR OF GOLF MAGAZINE, $20 FAIRWAY JOCKEY CREDIT - AND MUCH MORE!

LEARN MORE

© 2025 EB Golf Media LLC. An 8AM Golf Affiliated Brand. All Rights Reserved. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.