Not all fairway woods are created equal — and that’s a good thing. Some are designed to generate a piercing ball flight, while others are geared for golfers who need help launching it into the stratosphere. If you fall into the latter category, consider this list a good place to start when the search for a new 3-wood commences.
Utilizing robotic data from Golf Laboratories’ swing robot, we were able to highlight options for golfers who sit around 95 mph (swing speed) and have trouble getting the ball in the air or simply want something with the ability to drop and stop.
As you’ll notice, the robot highlighted an interesting choice at the top of the list: Ping’s G430 LST. Designed for golfers who want to cut spin, Ping’s latest fairway wood actually produced high launch, low spin properties under our testing conditions that led to some impressive carry distance numbers — making it a great secondary option off the tee.
Check out the launch angle results below.
(How we calculate: Each fairway wood is tested at 95 mph using a three-point face mapping. We hit six balls from each location on the face — heel, toe and middle — and came up with an average based on the 18 strikes.)
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Ping G430 LST | 16.6 degrees
Cobra Darkspeed X | 16.4 degrees
Cobra Darkspeed Max | 16.3 degrees
TaylorMade Qi10 Max | 16 degrees
TaylorMade Qi10 | 15.6 degrees
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