Updated January 11, 2023. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
The Rundown:
Best Overall: TaylorMade SIM MAX Fairway Wood
“Loaded with great features (Twist Face technology, V Steel Sole, and high-quality carbon crown) that offer significant tour energy with each shot, the SIM MAX is the best option for players who want the absolute best 5 wood on the market.”
Best Value For Money: TaylorMade RBZ Fairway Wood
“Featuring the Speed Pocket, a high-grade steel face, and a shallow profile that provides a tall shot height and superior launch, the RBZ Fairway Wood is excellent for budget-seeking golfers.”
Best Draw Bias Option: Callaway Mavrik Max Fairway Wood
“With great features (Flash Face SS20, high-quality steel face, and two interchangeable weights) that add distance and straighten the shots, the Mavrik Max is best for golfers who are willing to spend more for a high-quality club.”
The best 5 woods on the market in 2023 all share similar features that will have golfers stunned at how much higher and farther their shots from the fairway are traveling.
With outstanding forgiveness, a lighter weight head, and innovative technology, a modern wood can absolutely transform your game.
In our review of the best 5 woods of 2023, you’ll discover the best fairway woods that offer more ball speed and extra forgiveness to make you one of the better players in your playing group..
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Last updated on 2023-03-09. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Table of Contents
6 Best 5 Woods On The Market In 2023
Here are the best 5 woods:
- Best Overall: TaylorMade SIM MAX Fairway Wood
- Best Value For Money: TaylorMade RBZ Fairway Wood
- Best Draw Bias Option: Callaway Mavrik Max Fairway Wood
- Best Option for Mid Handicappers: TaylorMade M6 Fairway Wood
- Best Option for Beginning Golfers: Callaway Steelhead XR Fairway Wood
- Best Option for Low Handicappers: Cobra King Speedzone Fairway Wood
TaylorMade SIM MAX Fairway Wood
Best Overall
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PROS
- Unbelievable distance with high-quality carbon crown that offers tour power
- Twist Face technology helps redirect off-center strikes that drift toward toe
- V Steel Sole improves turf interaction for smoother slide through impact zone without snagging
CONS
The TaylorMade SIM MAX Fairway Woods offers a premium 5 wood option to players who want the absolute best 5 wood on the market. This 5 wood comes in a variety of options, but we love the TaylorMade SIM MAX because it offers big tour energy with each shot.
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Great for long golf holes, the TaylorMade club features all of the company’s favorite features. From V Steel Sole Design that reduces the friction when interacting with the turf to the strong stainless steel face, the TaylorMade SIM MAX is a racecar that provides a lighter weight feel with the power to add yardage to your average shot.
Off the grass, the club provides clean and crisp contact on shot after shot. A great addition to any player’s bag, the SIM MAX offers a complete experience, sure to improve your game.
TaylorMade RBZ Fairway Wood
Best Budget Option
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PROS
- Speed Pocket creates high launch for outstanding ball flight with improved carry for more distance
- Shallow profile allows for better launch angle at impact with lower center of gravity
- High-grade steel face produces exceptional feel and response on shot after shot
CONS
For golfers on a budget, the TaylorMade RBZ Fairway Wood offers a nice alternative for your golf bag. Featuring a tall shot height and superior launch, a shallow profile with a low cg for better carry, and max distance, this 5 wood is great for players of all skill levels.
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TaylorMade makes wonderful fairway woods and hybrids and the RBZ line is no exception. At an affordable price, the golf club works very well from the fairway or tee box.
The best feature of the RBZ is the low profile of the club. Off the grass, this club gets under the golf ball to deliver strength for long yardage. What golf clubs like the RBZ do very well make sure that each shot has consistency with a reliable flight.
An outstanding club that’s ideal for golfers who want to save some cash, the TaylorMade RBZ is a winner.
Callaway Mavrik Max Fairway Wood
Best Draw Bias Option
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PROS
- Flash Face SS20 offers quality impact area that produces high ball speeds and low center of gravity
- Maximum launch powered by high-quality steel face with wide hitting area for more power
- Two interchangeable weights offer draw bias to correct slices for more accuracy and control
CONS
The Callaway Mavrik Max is one of the best fairway woods available today. Loaded with features, the Max version of the Mavrik Fairway Wood line offers slice protection with its dual weighting along the sole. Like the Mavrik Sub Zero model, the club is priced a bit on the expensive side, but with its abilities to add distance and straighten shots, it’s well worth the cost.
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The long list of the Mavrik’s features are highlighted by an ability to raise launch, add yardage, and create some of the best golf shots of your life.
Perhaps the best feature is the company’s patented JailBreak Technology. It places two rods behind the center of the clubface to stiffen and strengthen the head. Callaway’s new 5 wood offers first-rate technology with light weight feel and dramatic ball speed.
A wonderful low price option if you are looking to fix your slice, the Mavrik Max is a true powerhouse.
TaylorMade M6 Fairway Wood
Best Option for Mid Handicappers
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PROS
- Twist Face technology boost forgiveness on off-center strikes with more power and accuracy
- Speed Pocket behind the impact area offers better flexibility for hotter, thinner surface area that produces more ball speed
- Aerodynamic head with exceptional feel at impact that produces outstanding response
CONS
An easy choice for best 5 wood in 2023, the TaylorMade M6 Fairway Wood is our selection for the best option for mid handicappers. Featuring the company’s innovative curvature on the face increases forgiveness, this golf club creating gorgeous shots with reduced spin and better accuracy fueled by innovative technology.
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The new club for the company offers lower weight feel for accelerated ball speed, great for improving players. It also uses its rounded sole for reduced drag and marvelous turf interaction.
The club does have a fixed hosel with no adjustable features, but that shouldn’t steer you away from one of the best golf clubs on the market.
Great for players who benefit from the latest golf clubs, the M6 Fairway offers a solid option at a very affordable price.
Callaway Steelhead XR Fairway Wood
Best Option for Beginning Golfers
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PROS
- Accelerated head speed with classic Steelhead shape and modern sole for better turf interaction
- Face Cup technology creates staggering ball speeds with large sweet spot
- Stainless steel head produces aerodynamic path for less drag and more speed
CONS
When adding golf clubs to the bag, they must help the golfer get better. The Callaway Steelhead XR Fairway Wood provides that boost to inexperienced golfers who need to make the game easier with additional ball speed and distance.
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At 18 degrees, the Steelhead XR offers an aerodynamic head that reduces drag on the downswing plus extreme forgiveness with Face Cup technology. The club shines for beginning golfers that need more reliability from each swing, and the wood is terrific off the tee box.
A great golf club built to increase ball speed and distance, the Steelhead XR offers great turf interaction with the club’s modern Hawkeye sole. From even the light rough, this wood offers power with tall shot height.
Although advanced golfers may be better off getting a Callaway wood like the Epic Flash, for beginners and high handicappers, the Callaway Steelhead XR is absolutely perfect for what their game needs.
Cobra King Speedzone Fairway Wood
Best Option for Low Handicappers
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PROS
- Affordable price point for long distance, tour fairway quality wood
- Higher swing speed club that offers versatility on golf course
- Compact head with smaller profile helps craft controlled shots for low handicappers
CONS
Earning its distinction as one of the best 5 woods for 2023, the Cobra Speedzone is a great piece of golf equipment. With a compact body with outstanding workability, the Cobra club is a terrific option for low handicappers.
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For advanced players, the new version of the Cobra Speedzone is one of the craftiest clubs we’ve ever tested. The club’s dual hollow split rails on the sole gives the club smooth turf interaction with distance and launch. Another worthwhile feature is the CNC milling along the center of the clubface to produce lower spin with more accuracy.
Cobra has placed an adjustable loft sleeve that also allows golfers to raise or lower the face angle for better customization.
Making its mark as the best 5 wood for low handicappers, the Cobra King Speedzone Fairway offers big tour fairway wood performance for a very affordable price.
What To Look For When Buying A Great 5 Wood
Loft
The loft of a 5 wood is the angle of the face from the top to the bottom of the club. Imagine walking up an incline and that is similar to the loft of a fairway wood. The 5 wood has a higher loft because it has a specific job. Unlike the driver or the 3 wood, the 5 wood is made for longer shots with moderate distances. Golfers need more finesse when they use a higher lofted club and the 5 wood still allows them to reach long yardage but with more spin and stopping power if the ball lands on the green. A new club with this loft will offer outstanding sound and feel to go along with the correct shot shape.
Tour vs Standard
Most golfers use standard, off the shelf clubs, while professional golfers will take tour-level clubs to the course. Standard fairway woods will have bigger sweet spot areas, perhaps a draw bias to correct swing flaws, and a high launch and low spin. Tour woods will offer sophistication with lower spinning shots that maximize ball speeds with a lower, deeper center of gravity.
For amateur golfers with handicaps over 10, the best fairway wood is more than capable of doing the job on the links. But if you own a single-digit handicap and are considered a low handicapper, then a tour 5 wood will be more beneficial to your game.
Shaft
The shaft of a fairway wood allows the golfer to maximize their swing speed and creates the kind of accuracy that all golfers dream about on golf courses around the world. A really good shaft has a flex rating that corresponds with the swing speed of a golfer.
For first time buyers of a club like this, the benefits of a new shaft will be easily available through a company’s literature. The shaft’s features will help you better understand what that shaft will bring to your game.
Also, the quality of a shaft is much like name brand woods you can find from manufacturers such as TaylorMade, Callaway Golf, Ping, Cobra, and in clubs like the Titleist TS3 and Ping G410 Fairway (used by Cameron Champ). All of these companies produce high-quality stock shafts in their clubs for amateurs.
Price
A 5 wood’s price is also important for creating value to your club collection, especially if you are on a budget. Since all golfers need their 5 wood to perform specific tasks, it is crucial for golfers to compare between models. Some woods will offer distance, higher ball flight, lower sidespin, adjustable loft, with custom launch conditions.
If you want a shaft other than the stock shaft the wood comes with, then you’ll need to contrast the benefit with the extra price.
The cost and value of a 5 wood must be held in comparison with the improvements the club will make to your game. By finding a low price on your preferred fairway club, you can shuffle more money to improve other equipment areas to help you play your best golf.
Adjustability
Adjustability offers golfers the opportunity to fine tune the 5 wood to shape shots as they see fit. Rather than using a fixed hosel that keeps the club stationary, a 5 wood with adjustable features helps create higher launch and also helps provide a means to boost distance.
Adjustable hosel and loft sleeve that tailors the face of the club will also improve speed and distance.
For players who want more forgiveness from their fairway woods, adjustability helps lift the loft of the face while also reducing sidespin. Great equipment in the modern era relies heavily on innovative technology and with the best 5 woods, you can expect to see premium head and shaft features that allow for maximum flexibility.