The Best 5 Wood You Will Ever Need

Best 5 wood

Are you looking for the best 5 wood that works perfectly with your game? We’ve tested some of the best fairway woods available today and we bring you the top performers. Whether you’re a mid to high handicapper, an advanced player, woman, or senior, we’ve got you covered!

Our buyer’s guide and the best 5 wood reviews will help you make the best decision to take your game to the next level.

Highly Recommended

Callaway Epic Max 5 Wood

Callaway Epic Max

  • Easy to hit
  • Forgiving
  • Great control and distance
  • Impressive ball speed

You’ve probably already tested a few fairway woods, but you haven’t quite found the one that works perfectly with your game. Or maybe this is your first time picking out the best 5 wood, and you’re looking for one of the best fairway woods to help improve your game.

Either way, you’ve come to the right place; below, you will find our guide to choosing the best 5 wood on the market today and how it can change your game of golf.

Best 5 Woods - Our Top Picks

Best Fairway Woods: Quick Answers

1. Callaway Epic Max

Top Choice

Callaway Epic Max 5 Wood

The new Epic fairway woods by Callaway use AI designed flash face technology which works wonders for enhancing ball speeds.

The Callaway Epic Max has both a low center of gravity and a forward center of gravity. This improves the aerodynamics of each shot to lower spin and improve distance.

It has an oversized head which makes the Epic MAX extremely easy to launch. You can also adjust the weight configuration to make it more suitable for different shots.

Another feature to note about the Callaway Epic Max is that it has integrated new jailbreak velocity blades in the club head. This design stiffens the body of the club, which is balanced out by the more flexible club face.

Overall, the Epic Max will be a fantastic club for you if you struggle to hit your woods consistently. It’s easy to hit off the tee, it’s very forgiving and workable.

Note: If you’re a more consistent striker and you prefer the look of a smaller head shape, the Epic Speed will be a great option for you.

What we liked most:

  •     Oversized head and optimized club face for easier launch
  •     Latest AI technology used to engineer the components
  •     Adjustable weight configuration for different shots
  •     Easy to hit high ball speeds
Specs
    •  Flex – Ladies, Light, Regular, Stiff
    •  Hand Orientation – Left or Right
    •  Shaft Material – Graphite
    • Loft Configurations – 15, 18, 21, 23, 25  Degrees

2. TaylorMade SIM 2 Titanium

Our Premium Pick

TaylorMade SiM 2 Titanium Fairway Wood

The TaylorMade SIM 2 Titanium Fairway is one of the best fairway woods for more advanced players.

If you’re a low to mid handicapper with faster swing speeds who is after a top performing premium club, then the SIM 2 Ti Fairway Wood is worth checking out. 

If you have a habit of being in the short grass, then you will love the new technology TaylorMade for this 5 wood, allowing the center of gravity to be quite low. We were taken back by the ability this club gave us to stay in the game.

If you like hearing the sound of the club hitting the ball, then you’ll love how this ZaTech Titanium Face gives the perfect ting sound every time.

What we liked most:

  • The newly invented V Steel Sole with Lower CG
  • ZaTech Titanium Face allows for incredibly fast ball speeds
  • Twist Face corrective angles for producing straighter shots on mis-hits
  • Thru-Slot Speed Pocket provides increased face flexibility and preserves ball speed and distance

Specs

  •     Flex – Regular, Stiff, Extra Stiff
  •     Shaft Material – Graphite
  •     Grip – Standard
  •     Loft Configurations – 15, 19 Degrees
  •     Hand Orientation – Right or Left
  •     Length – Standard

Pros

  •     Adjustable Loft 
  •     Carbon Crown
  •     Titanium Face

Cons

  • Higher Price
  • Newer to the market and needs more testing  

3. Cobra RADSpeed

Runner up

Cobra RadSpeed Faiway Wood

Another great 5 wood is the Cobra RadSpeed. It employs radial weighting technology which optimizes the club for use on the fairway and off the tee. The edge face design on the Cobra has a 95% larger milled area which increases the ball speeds you can achieve.

The Cobra also has a carbon crown which improves the weight distribution to center the gravity lower for a better swing. Another feature which has been improved on the Cobra is that it has hollow split rails. The hollow rails work to effectively increase flexibility for more forgiveness and a higher launch.

The Cobra RADSpeed is a great choice if you are looking to increase the launch height of your long distance shots.

What we liked most:

  •     Hollow split rails for more flexibility
  •     Ultra lightweight carbon crown improves weight distribution
  •     Large milled area on the club face increases the ball speed
  •     Radial weighting system effectively launches balls higher
Specs
  •     Flex – Regular, Stiff,
  •     Hand Orientation – Left or Right
  •     Material – Stainless steel  
  •     Shaft Material – Graphite
  •     Loft Configurations – 14.5, 18.5, 22.5 Degrees

4. Cobra KING Speedzone

Best Value

Cobra KING Speedzone Fairway Wood

This Cobra KING Speedzone Fairway Wood has incredible speed and stability from the well-designed Dual Baffler rails. When you combine that with the carbon crown allowing the weight to shift lower and deeper for increased launching, you’ve got one of the best 5 woods on the market.

We really enjoyed the more substantial loft from this more oversized shaped wood and found that it added more value to our game by merely providing a near-zero center of gravity for our high launches. 

What we liked most:

  •     The way the weights in the carbon crown shift for improving the launch
  •     How the hollow split rails give a larger sweet spot from heel to toe
  •     Gets higher launches and more ball speed with the assistance of the speed channel
  •     It has a much larger profile that gives a massive distance to your launch
  •     Offer low spin while increasing the launch distance

Specs

  •     Flex – Regular, Stiff, Extra Stiff, Senior
  •     Swing Weight – D2
  •     Shaft Material – Graphite
  •     Loft Configurations –  14.5, 18.5, 22.5 Degrees
  •     Hand Orientation – Right or Left

Pros

  •     The Stability Zone-Baffler Rails
  •     Light Zone Carbon Fiber Crown
  •     Power Zone CNC Milled Face 

Cons

  • Only Comes In One Color        

5. PING G410

Top Pick for Slower Swing Speed

PING G410 Fairway Wood

The PING G410 5 Fairway Wood is designed to offer higher launches and lower spins, giving you some impressive distance with complete control at all times. It’s basically the Rolls Royce of fairway woods, and we couldn’t agree more after seeing how easy it was to handle this wood.

We were impressed with this fairway wood design, as we always are with most of PING’s clubs. But this one is sleek and modern with the turbulator technology to help reduce the drag to give you optimal speed.

What we liked most:

  • The featured CG aligned with the force line giving it maximum ball speed
  • Impressive distance forgiveness with increased stability
  • How it’s packed with a forged, managing steel face to increase the ball speed
  • High-density tungsten back weight for increasing the MOI for much more forgiveness
  • The high launch was more controllable than most and helped with softer landings  

Specs

  •     Flex – Regular, Stiff
  •     Swing Weight – D1
  •     Shaft Material – Ping Alta CB Red 65 Graphite
  •     Loft Configurations – 17.5 Degrees
  •     Hand Orientation – Right or Left

Pros

  • The 8-Lobe Trajectory Tuning for Finding Ideal Loft for the Distance and Spin
  • Provides Greater Stability with More Forgiveness
  • Maximizes Distance on Penetrating Trajectory     

Cons

  • Could Improve Aesthetically 

6. Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo

Top Pick for High Handicappers

Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Fairway Wood

The Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Fairway Wood is an all-around excellent fairway wood for high handicappers looking to improve their game. This is also a perfect choice for senior golfers and mid handicappers, as well as having simplicity and high performance.

We found this fairway wood to be very forgiving and helped keep our ball in the game. You can achieve some great distance with this club because it also gives a higher moment of inertia due to the counterbalanced shaft design. 

What we liked most:

  • The center of gravity is located towards the grip
  • Provides more speed on longer shots
  • Allows your ball to take flight for longer distances
  • Straighter shots with more ease and controllability
  • Includes external and internal weight reduction     

Specs

  •     Flex – Regular, Stiff, Senior
  •     Swing Weight – NA
  •     Shaft Material – Miyazaki C. Kua Graphite
  •     Loft Configurations – 18 Degrees
  •     Hand Orientation – Right or Left

Pros

  • Deep and Low Center of Gravity 
  • High MOI and Ball Speed  
  • Turbocharged Cup Face and Hibore Crown  

Cons

  • Only Available in 3 or 5 Wood 

7. Callaway Mavrik

Callaway Mavrik Fairway Wood

The Callaway Mavrik Fairway has a large and expansive hitting area that gives the golfer a lot of confidence when striking the ball. This fairway wood has a progressive leading edge geometry that adds to the design of the speed for your ball.

We thought the Flash Face SS20 and the Forged C300 Maraging Steel really helped us optimize our performance. Add the jailbreak technology, and you’ve got a beast of a golf club. We highly recommend this fairway driver to anybody looking for the best overall 5 wood.  

What we liked most:

  •     Really good feel when striking the ball
  •     Maximized ball speed from the unique design of the loft
  •     Pulls CG low and back in the head for high launch and flat trajectory
  •     Nicely combines distance with forgiveness
  •     The head is weighted, allowing your swing speed to increase drastically
Callaway Mavrik Fairway Woods

Specs

  •     Flex – Regular, Stiff, Extra Stiff, Senior
  •     Swing Weight – D3
  •     Shaft Material – Graphite
  •     Loft Configurations – 18 Degrees
  •     Hand Orientation – Right or Left

Pros

  • High Launch and Flat Trajectory
  • Longest Fairway Wood from Callaway
  • Different Launch Angles from Various Weighting Options    

Cons

  • Might Be Heavy for Some Golfers

8. TaylorMade M6 5 Wood

TaylorMade Golf M6 Fairway Wood

The TaylorMade Golf M6 Fairway Wood is among the best 5 woods that any golfer would benefit from using. This fairway wood is super easy to hit off the turf, and the ball takes flight beautifully. The twist face technology minimizes the off-center hits’ effects, helping you achieve a much straighter shot.

We really liked how the low-heel area is twisted closed with less loft, which helped with correcting the height of the sliced shots we had. We highly recommend this fairway driver to anybody looking for the best 5 wood to enhance their game.  

What we liked most:

  • Delivers straighter shots with the twist face technology
  • Reduces side spin and gives much better accuracy
  • Corrective face angle with revolutionary curvature
  • Low face strikes have better off-center performance
  • Improved turf interaction with the new TPU slot being flush with the surface

Specs

  •     Flex – Regular, Stiff, Extra Stiff, Senior
  •     Swing Weight – NA
  •     Shaft Material – Fujikura Atmos Orange 6
  •     Loft Configurations – 15, 18, 21, 24 Degrees
  •     Hand Orientation – Right or Left

Pros

  • Corrective Face Angle
  • Large Carbon Crown for Optimal Distance
  • Speed Pocket Design is More Advanced      

Cons

  • Lack of adjustability

9. Callaway Mavrik Max Ladies

Top Pick For Women

Callaway Mavrik Max Fairway Wood

The Callaway Mavrik Max Fairway Wood is the perfect 5 wood for any lady wanting to improve her game and get ahead of the competition. Keep in mind that this fairway wood comes with all the latest and greatest technology, putting it one step ahead of all the rest.

We loved how the incredible jailbreak technology really upped the amount of ball speed and gave an outstanding performance. The adjustable weights are a nice feature for anybody wanting to tweak the weight of the 5 wood.  

What we liked most:

  • Super easy to strike with the more expansive clubface and sole
  • Huge sweet spot with maximum forgiveness
  • It gives the ball a mid to high launch that sends it sailing down the fairway
  • Encourages more distance with the lower loft
  • Adjustability with the launch angle and the spin rate 
Callaway Mavrik Max Fairway Wood Sole

Specs

  •     Flex – Ladies, Regular, Stiff, Senior
  •     Swing Weight – NA
  •     Shaft Material – UST Helium 40G
  •     Loft Configurations – 18 Degrees
  •     Hand Orientation – Right or Left

Pros

  • Comes with 50 Gram Helium Shaft  
  • Flash Face and Face Cup Technology
  • Adjustable Weights   

Cons

  • Some may not like the larger footprint

Our Guide for Choosing the Perfect 5 Wood

There are many things to consider when trying to find the best 5 wood. People often overlook the simple things that can make all the difference in their game and always opt for speed and distance.

Not that wanting more distance and speed is bad; it’s just sometimes the control, and the playability can offer a much more rewarding experience. That’s why we created this guide to give you a better idea of what needs to be considered before choosing the best 5 wood.

How is the 5 Wood Different From the 3 Wood?

This is something we see being asked a lot, and rightly so since both appear to do the same thing, right? Not so fast; the real answer is no, they actually don’t do the same thing. Many golfers even try to hit the ball on the up with a 3 wood rather than just sweeping it off the grass like it’s meant to be done.

The 5 wood is much easier to hit confidently because it comes with a lot more loft, and then it is much easier for the ball to become airborne, which helps build your confidence at the same time.

Difference between using a 5 wood vs. the 3 wood:

 

The 5 wood has higher lofts, shorter shafts, and a much different ball flight and ball speed. The sweet spot is also very different between these two woods. But most importantly, the 5 wood has the ability to reduce the spinning much better than its cousin the 3 wood.

Due to the added loft and the center of gravity on the 5 wood, it is also more forgiving than the 3 wood, which benefits many high handicappers and senior golfers. 

The 3 wood will definitely have less loft and a much longer shaft than the 5 wood. Knowing your swing will help you decide which fairway wood to choose and at what times it will be best to use the 5 wood over the 3 wood.

The fact is when trying to choose between a 3 wood and the best 5 wood actually boils down to just your personality type and the confidence you might have in your current swing. Suppose you look at the difference in all the loft angles of a 3 wood, a 5 wood, and the 3 iron or hybrid. 

In that case, it is really easy to understand why many of the beginner golfers would much rather invest in the best 5 wood or even replace their 3 iron or their hybrid with a 5 wood.

How to Choose the Best 5 Wood

When you think about all the options different fairway woods offer, you begin to get overwhelmed in deciding what would work best for a 5 wood. Well, we’ve put together a small list of what we believe are the most important factors when choosing your next 5 wood.

Here is what you should be considering:

 

  •     Loft
  •     Face Angle
  •     Draw Bias

These are the three major components for choosing a 5 wood that is easy to launch and will fly the distance you need. When using the perfect fairway wood, you will have confidence in every swing and appreciate your game even more.

The best 5 wood will give you better performance with both your distance and your speed. But another positive thing about choosing the best fairway wood is the sweet spot and how it’s easy to hit. You’ll want to pay attention to the speed pocket and make sure your time of impact is suited for your swing.

When is the Best Time to Use a Fairway Wood?

To be completely honest, the 5 wood is quite versatile. It can be used anywhere around the greens when chipping if your wedges aren’t exactly easy for you. But what it’s used primarily for is off the tee – like for short par 4s and the really long par 3s.

The 5 wood is also handy when you are approaching the standard par 4s and, of course, the par 5s. You can’t go wrong with carrying a 5 wood in your golf bag at all times because it can make a difference in your end game.

Just be sure to choose a fairway wood that compliments your skill level and swing type. This will help you achieve the desired results for distance and speed. If you want impressive stability while getting a lot of forgiveness, then be sure to check out the PING G410 5 Fairway Wood! 

club shaft options

What is the Difference Between a Hybrid and the Fairway Wood?

While the hybrid looks very similar to a fairway wood, they are actually constructed very differently and play very different roles in the golfer’s game.

When you think about using a hybrid, you generally think about replacing an iron for that shot, not a fairway wood. A golfer might reach for their 5 wood instead of their iron because the club head of the 5 wood will give a lot more options when dealing with some difficult shots.

Hybrids and some woods might have some of the same shafts and loft lengths, but they will usually produce some very different launch flights, especially when it comes to the spin. The hybrids are known for launching the ball lower than the woods and have lower spins.

What Should High Handicappers Look for in a 5 wood

You will find that most high handicappers have very different needs when it comes to choosing the best 5 wood that consistently produces low scores.

So let’s forget about everything you’ve seen in all the internet ads and all the TV commercials about which fairway woods are considered to be ‘the best’ and start looking into the facts about fairway woods.

Let us first start by saying there really isn’t a one size fits all best fairway wood. When we do these types of reviews, we cover several different factors that impact how a golfer should choose their best clubs.

Defining Your Golfing Level

You have to consider what type of golfer you are before even thinking about buying the ‘best club’ on the market.

Sure, Tiger Woods might suggest that the TaylorMade SIM MAX Fairway is the best 5 wood for senior golfers (and we do agree, see our review on it above), but that doesn’t mean it will be the best fairway wood for every single senior on the course.

What’s more important is that you actually find the right fairway wood, your style, your swing, and finally, the best wood for your golf game. We know that is a lot to consider, but once you think about all these factors, the choice becomes relatively easy.

Below are some of the things we think you should be considering when choosing the best 5 wood. In fact, these are many of the same factors we took into consideration when selecting all of our recommendations above for the best 5 wood.

Club Face Forgiveness

Unless you’re a professional golfer, you should be looking into the forgiveness of the fairway wood your considering. If you think about it, the pros basically hit the center of the clubface almost every single time they swing their wood.

So when you see the pros promoting certain brands, be sure to keep in mind that what works for them may not work for everyone, including you. It’s a fact that most of the high handicap players will make their contact with the ball just about anywhere on the clubface.

So if you’re not at the top of the list for almost being a professional, you may want to look for the best fairway wood that is actually very forgiving.

Adjustability

If your anything like most golfers, you’re probably constantly working on improving your swing. We get it, we are all guilty of doing this most of the time, and they say practice makes perfect, right?

So if you are continually fighting the slicing and the hooks, you’re going to want to look at the fairway wood’s adjustability before deciding if it’s the perfect club for you.

Being able to adjust your fairway wood to minimize your normal misses and to be able to change it back as your swing gradually improves quickly is an extraordinarily valuable perk for any golfer with a high handicap.

The best approach is to be able to practice with the fairway wood in the most neutral position possible; this allows you to adjust it accordingly to correct any of your normal misses before heading out on the fairway. You will be able to minimize your mistakes before even heading out – which ultimately improves your game.

Best For the Fairway

More often than not, a lot of golfers with a mid to high handicap often choose an iron when approaching the shorter 3 pars, longer 4 pars, and the 5 pars. But what they should be considering using is the 5 wood. It’s probably the best-kept secret when it comes to golfing.

A lot of high handicap golfers probably should be using their 5 wood off the fairway rather than any of their irons. So when you’re choosing the best 5 wood, you’ll want to make sure that it is designed in such a way that makes it useful for you and that you’re comfortable holding it while swinging.

That typically means choosing a slightly larger clubface than the average fairway wood, especially if you want a nice sweet spot. It is probably the most significant in the best 5 woods, but it can also be just as important if you use any other higher-lofted fairway woods as well.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a 5 wood equivalent to?

Most professionals would suggest that the 5 wood could replace your 2 iron, the 7 wood, the 3 or 4 iron, a 9 wood, and lastly, the 5 wood could replace your 5 iron. 

The reason you might want to consider using your 5 wood over these irons is that the larger clubhead on a fairway wood makes it much easier to achieve more distance without the possibility of over swinging. 

How far should I hit my 5 wood?

As a general rule of thumb, the 5 wood should have a distance between 105 to 210 yards. This is usually the wood of preference to use as the follow-up after your tee shot. Skip the 3 wood if you have a lot of distance left because it won’t get your ball quite as far as the 5 wood will.

What is the easiest 5 wood to hit?

In our opinion, the Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Fairway Wood is one of the best fairway woods for beginners because of the ease of the wood and also extreme forgiveness. If you’re a beginner golfer, you’re going to want a low center of gravity (CG) and some really good balance. 

This will help you get the ball in the air more quickly from imperfect lies or when hitting from the fairway. You’ll want to make sure the overall weight of your fairway wood is light enough to swing repeatedly and not get tired out. The material should be very light and strong - giving you the needed edge to strike the ball.

What is the most forgiving 5 wood?

There are a lot of excellent forgiving 5 woods, and all of the best 5 woods on our list above are quite forgiving. However, if you’re looking for the most forgiving 5 wood, then we suggest trying the TaylorMade SIM Titanium Fairway Wood or the TaylorMade M6 Fairway Wood. 

These fairway woods have every technology needed to give maximum forgiveness and to keep your ball in play, including an incredible sweet spot. So, keep in mind that the length can be affected tremendously when just hitting the ball anywhere other than the sweet spot on the clubface. 

What is the best 5 wood for a high handicapper?

When it comes to being a high handicapper, you’re looking for a fairway wood that is easy to use and delivers on all the essential aspects of keeping your ball on the green. The best 5 wood for high handicappers is definitely the Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Fairway Wood. 

This fairway wood has a massive sweet spot and allows your ball to take flight for much longer distances. It also is universal, meaning it works excellent for senior golfers and mid handicappers as well.

Should beginner golfers choose to use fairway woods?

Short answer, absolutely! Choosing to use a fairway wood when you’re a beginner golfer is an excellent idea. Most fairway woods are much easier to hit with than some of the other clubs found in a golfer’s bag. Plus, the fairway wood is the best club for maximizing your distance and achieving better control over your swing. 

In fact, we loved how the Cobra KING Speedzone Big Tour came with a much stronger loft from such a bigger shaped wood, and we found that it added a ton of value to our game by just simply providing the near-zero center of gravity for all of our high launches.

In Conclusion

Our top priority in writing this guide for the best 5 woods was to give you the absolute best selection of fairway woods based on your golf abilities and overall game level.

The Callaway Epic Max Fairway Wood is our top choice for a lot of reasons, but most importantly, it is the best 5 wood on our list.

Along with our runner-up the Cobra RADSpeed as well as the TaylorMade Sim 2 Titanium Fairway Wood, you will be able to launch your balls much higher with maximum distance and have complete control over your game. These fairway woods reduce slicing and give you a lot of accuracy that every golfer appreciates.

Now would be an excellent time for hitting the golf range with your brand new fairway wood!

Related Posts

Share This Post

Disclaimer: We hope you love the products we recommend. Our recommendations are impartial and based on our own experience. We may collect a small commission from qualifying purchases made through the links on this page. There is no additional cost to you. Thank you for reading Simple Golf Path!