Given how difficult it is to bet on what golf consumers (and club fitters) are going to love in the world of new equipment, I generally try my best to avoid making large-scale predictions on what will make the “hot and not” lists. However, if there is one thing I’m willing to bet on having a big year in 2026, it’s adjustable 9-woods having a full-blown glow up. I just can’t tell you which ones yet.
How Did We Get Here?
First off, must make it clear that high lofted fairway woods are not new, and date back to when woods were actually made of wood. But their true emergence into the mainstream occurred when Callaway introduced the original Big Bertha series, and with it a whole new naming convention.
The Heaven Wood, for example, was a 7-wood lofted head (21°), built to 3 wood length (43″) – see, making clubs longer to help golfers gain speed and distance isn’t new. Also part of the line was the Divine 9, which featured 24° of loft (below), and even an 11-wood called the Ely Would, after Ely Callaway – just a note for the grammar police, Ely Would was the actual name, and yes, I know how to spell.
These woods were almost exclusively targeted towards those on the lower end of the swing speed spectrum to help gain distance, height, and spin to make approaching greens easier – sounds familiar right?
These high lofted fairway woods were extremely popular before the era of the modern hybrid was born (shoutout to Adams Golf) and then they slowly took a back seat, even though many companies including Callaway still offered them in line.
But, with the help of modern multi-piece golf ball technology allowing golf balls to spin even less than ever before these higher lofted woods are making a big comeback fast. Even some of the top players in the world like Tommy Fleetwood and Adam Scott have put one in the bag.
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Are Hybrids Dead?
The simple answer is no, but I do believe that in the last few years, they have taken a backseat to more powerful utility irons, along with higher lofted fairway woods. It doesn’t mean that they don’t have a place in the bag, depending on the golfer, but with modern urethane golf balls spinning less, they have become more of a specialty gapping option rather than the norm.
To explain this a bit better, the reason hybrids have slowly become less popular at the top end of the bag is that the center of gravity is still close to the face like a utility iron, and the larger hollow head helps to produce less spin. Add in that a hybrid is built shorter than a fairway wood, and you have a club that is naturally going to have a flatter trajectory with less stopping power.
RELATED: Are You a Slicer? These Fairway Woods Were Made For You.
On the other end, the longer club length and more rearward center of gravity make higher lofted fairway woods easier to launch higher. To quote a great fitter I once worked with at Titleist’s TPI, Glenn Mahler, “It’s a lot easier to make up come down than it is to make down go up.”
The only downside with these higher lofted fairway woods, at least at the retail level, was most models lacked adjustability to help better players get dialed in like the pros. That is until now.
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PXG Lightning Fairway Woods
Available from 3 wood to 11 wood.
$380
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As I said, 9 and 11-woods have never really gone away; they remained in line for many equipment companies, but were only available in models mostly intended for lower-speed players. 2026 is going to be a lot different.
Based on the USGA and R&A conforming lists, both TaylorMade (and maybe a few more) will join PXG, Ping, and Titleist by bringing an adjustable 9-wood to the table in their core model fairway wood, to give better players the same type of gapping option available to Tommy Fleetwood and Adam Scott.
As someone who put a 9-wood into rotation a couple of years ago, it’s one of the clubs I have others ask to try the most, with the overwhelming reaction being “why haven’t I tried one of these before?”. And, with most golfers always looking for an edge, I think 9-woods are ready for their moment.
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PING G440 Max
Available from 3 – 9 wood.
$370
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