Updated June 22, 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 best 5 wood on the market delivers a combination of extended carry, long distance, and accurate shotmaking from the fairway and light rough. With rounded soles that pick the ball right up off the short grass, the top 5 woods offer premium turf interaction.
Great for golfers that need more accuracy and reliability from outside 200 yards, the best 5 woods are absolute weapons when it comes to attacking the course.
In this review of the best 5 woods available to amateurs, I’ll take a deeper look at some of the best fairway woods that deliver distance, accuracy, and high launch.
Featured Recommendations
Last updated on 2023-09-28. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Table of Contents
- Featured Recommendations
- Best 5 Woods: Our 2023 List
- TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus+ Fairway Wood
- Callaway Paradym Fairway Wood
- Cobra Aerojet LS Fairway Wood
- Wilson Dynapower Fairway Wood
- TaylorMade SIM MAX Fairway Wood
- TaylorMade RBZ Fairway Wood
- Callaway Mavrik Max Fairway Wood
- TaylorMade M6 Fairway Wood
- Callaway Steelhead XR Fairway Wood
- Cobra King Speedzone Fairway Wood
- TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus+ Fairway Wood
- What To Look For When Buying A Great 5 Wood
- Conclusion
Best 5 Woods: Our 2023 List
Here are our top 10 best 5 wood golf clubs:
TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus+ Fairway Wood
Best Overall 5 Wood
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on PGA Tour Superstore
Check Price on Global Golf
Specs
- Loft: 18°
- Lie: 57.5°-61.5°
- Shaft Length: 42.25”
- Swing Weight: D3
Pros
- Delivers impressive distance and accuracy
- Adjustable sole weight offers outstanding shot customization
- Excellent alignment guide offers superb contrast
Cons
- Very sophisticated, not ideal for inexperienced golfers
TaylorMade’s impressive Stealth 2 Plus 5 wood offers the best customization of any fairway wood created. Powered by a 50-gram sliding weight, the Stealth 2 Plus offers ideal shot shape, ball flight, and maximum stability.
The 5 wood also comes with a 2-degree loft sleeve that can raise or lower your shot height, adding even further customization.
All of TaylorMade’s top features carry over to this fairway wood, including the ball speed boosting Thru-Slot Speed Pocket. The feature also improves forgiveness on strikes that impact low on the face.
What I love most about this fairway wood is how capable it is from the tee box or fairway. This golf club can do everything, making it one of the best additions to your golf bag that you could possibly make to improve your long range game.
Ideal for low and mid handicappers, the Stealth 2 Plus Fairway Woods offers the best overall experience for those looking for a first-rate 5 wood.
Check our full TaylorMade Stealth 2 Fairway Review
Callaway Paradym Fairway Wood
Best 5 Wood for Mid Handicappers
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on PGA Tour Superstore
Check Price on Global Golf
Specs
- Loft: 18°
- Lie: 56.5°
- Shaft Length: 42.75”
- Swing Weight: D3
Pros
- Muscular power with high, soaring flight
- Outstanding stability with sturdy club head
- Pure feel with immediate responsiveness
Cons
- Does offer a stiffer feel, lacks softness
Callaway’s Paradym 5-wood offers a significant power upgrade for golfers that want a weapon off the tee box.
Although the 5-wood performs beautifully from the fairway, it’s true strength comes from using it to start a hole due to its excessively long distance and outstanding accuracy.
All of Callaway’s top features are here with the Paradym, including Jailbreak technology that stiffens the club head, plus the OptiFit hosel sleeve that adds shot height customization.
If I had a top complaint about the Paradym 5-wood, it centers around the stiffer club head. If you like a firmer feel with your woods, then this is actually a benefit, but for those of us that like a little softness, the Paradym probably isn’t for you.
Great for mid handicappers, the Paradym Fairway Woods provides a solid array of features, including improved distance, precise ball flight, and quick, smooth launch that extends carry.
Check our full Callaway Paradym Fairway Wood Review
Cobra Aerojet LS Fairway Wood
Best 5 Wood for Low Handicappers
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on PGA Tour Superstore
Check Price on Global Golf
Specs
- Loft: 18°
- Lie: 56.2°
- Shaft Length: 42.25”
- Swing Weight: D2.5
Pros
- Low spin with lower penetrating flight
- Excellent workability for total shot shaping from the tee box and fairway
- Adjustable hosel and weighting provide further customization
Cons
- Better for experienced players that want workability
Cobra’s exciting Aerojet LS series adds a top-tier 5-wood for low handicap golfers that want total control over their fairway wood.
The Aerojet LS delivers low spin, making it a weapon from the tee box. Off the short grass, the Aerojet LS 5-wood provides a lightweight but incredibly strong club head that delivers power and finesse to your shots.
Two interchangeable weights sit in the sole of the club head, allowing you to customize your shot shape to either a neutral or fade setting. The hosel sleeve offers up to 1.5 degrees of adjustment to the face.
The Cobra Aerojet LS Fairway Woods is best for advanced players and offers premium, tour-level performance with a lethal combination of workability, distance, and low spin.
Check our full Cobra Aerojet Fairway Review
Wilson Dynapower Fairway Wood
Best 5 Wood for High Handicappers
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on PGA Tour Superstore
Check Price on Global Golf
Specs
- Loft: 18°
- Lie: 58°
- Shaft Length: 42.5”
- Swing Weight: D2
Pros
- Excellent stability with high launch
- Streamlined, aerodynamic shape offers high swing speed
- High MOI keeps the face square through the impact zone
Cons
- Doesn’t have adjustable features for shot customization
Wilson’s Dynapower 5 -wood clocks in at 18 degrees of loft to help boost ball height and extend distance. While it doesn’t have adjustable features like most modern 5-woods, the Dynapower does offer stability for high handicappers.
Featuring a stationary weight to the rear of the sole of the 5-wood, the Dynapower fairway quickly increases launch that translates to more length from the tee box or short grass.
What I enjoyed most about this club remains the ease of use. While I don’t feel the club generates jaw-dropping distance or even accuracy like other premium 5-woods, I do like the predictability of this wood, something high handicappers desperately need for their game.
The Wilson Dynapower Fairway Woods, a nice, affordable 5 wood, provides clean, effective power on the downswing with effective results.
TaylorMade SIM MAX Fairway Wood
Best 5 Wood for Beginners
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Global Golf
Specs
- Loft: 15°-18°
- Lie: 57°-61°
- Shaft Length: 42.25”-43.25”
- Swing Weight: D3
Pros
- Lightweight carbon club head delivers more ball speed
- Exceptional turf interaction offers clean contact
- Impressive forgiveness with Twist Face technology
Cons
- No adjustable features such as weighting or hosel sleeve
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 SIM MAX because it offers big tour energy with each shot.
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 Fairway Woods offers a complete experience, sure to improve your game.
TaylorMade RBZ Fairway Wood
Best 5 Wood for Senior Golfers
Specs
- Loft: 18°
- Lie: 61°
- Shaft Length: 42.25”
- Swing Weight: D2
Pros
- High launch with impressive ball speed
- Wide hitting area offers solid forgiveness
- Lightweight feel with generous workability
Cons
- No adjustable features for advanced players
For senior golfers, the TaylorMade RBZ Fairway Wood offers a nice addition to 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.
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 Fairway Woods is a winner.
Callaway Mavrik Max Fairway Wood
Best Draw-Bias 5 Wood
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Global Golf
Specs
- Loft: 18°
- Lie: 57.5°
- Shaft Length: 42.75”
- Swing Weight: D3
Pros
- Flash Face technology provides high ball speeds
- Jailbreak bars stiffen club head for more power
- Two weighting options provide different draw-bias levels
Cons
- Draw-bias setup limits workability and neutral flight
The Callaway Mavrik Max is one of the best fairway woods available today.
Loaded with features, the Max version of the Mavrik Fairway 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.
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 Fairway Woods is a true powerhouse.
TaylorMade M6 Fairway Wood
Best Value 5 Wood for Mid Handicappers
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Global Golf
Specs
- Loft: 18°
- Lie: 59.5°
- Shaft Length: 42.25”
- Swing Weight: D3
Pros
- Superb distance control with premium workability
- Stable fairway wood delivers excellent forgiveness
- Lightweight club head increases swing speed
Cons
- No adjustable hosel sleeve or weighting
The TaylorMade M6 Fairway Wood features the company’s innovative curvature on the face increases forgiveness, creating gorgeous shots with reduced spin and better accuracy fueled by innovative technology.
The M6 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 Woods offers a solid option at a very affordable price.
Callaway Steelhead XR Fairway Wood
Best Value 5 Wood for High Handicappers
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Global Golf
Specs
- Loft: 18°
- Lie: 59.5°
- Shaft Length: 42.25”
- Swing Weight: D3
Pros
- Easy high launch with extended carry
- Aerodynamic club head boosts swing speed for more distance
- Outstanding forgiveness with low spin
Cons
- Fixed hosel and no adjustable weighting limits workability
When adding golf clubs to the bag, they must help the golfer get better. The Callaway Steelhead XR Fairway Woods provides that boost to inexperienced golfers who need to make the game easier with additional ball speed and distance.
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 beginners 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
Most Accurate 5 Wood for Mid Handicappers
Check Price on Amazon
Check Price on Global Golf
Specs
- Loft: 18.5°
- Lie: 58.75°
- Shaft Length: 42.75”
- Swing Weight: D1
Pros
- Carbon fiber club head lightens weight for increased ball speed
- Adjustable hosel offers 1.5 degrees of customization
- Fixed back weight lowers CG for high launch
Cons
- Compact, small club head demands precise impact
The Cobra Speedzone Fairway Woods has a compact body with outstanding workability, making it an ideal option for mid handicappers.
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.
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.
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.
Price
A 5 wood’s price is 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.
Conclusion
The TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus 5 wood offers a sophisticated suite of features, including a movable weight and loft sleeve that provides total customization for golfers. The low, broad profile of the Stealth 2 Plus also increases launch while maximizing distance.
With a fairly compact head shape, the Stealth 2 Plus delivers precise shotmaking that helps from the tee box and fairway. With a neutral flight bias, you can shape shots with confidence as the high-grade forgiveness protects you on shots that strike off-center.
Great for golfers of all skill levels, the Stealth 2 Plus 5 wood also offers low spin with mid-range launch that offers penetrating flight that lands softly on the green.
Recommended: 5 Wood vs 3 Hybrid (Which Club is Best for You?)