It’s probably accurate to say that the game places most of its attention on drivers and irons when it comes to golf equipment, which is perhaps understandable, but the importance of fairway woods shouldn’t be underestimated either.
These are the most useful and adaptable of clubs, suitable for use both off the tee and from the short grass, and having at least one in the bag that works for you can be tremendously useful.
Golfshake’s Equipment Expert, Ryan Rastall, who has a deep understanding of both the custom fitting of golfers and the retail side of the industry from his role as the Head Professional at Howley Hall Golf Club in Leeds, has tested and reviewed a vast range of woods in recent times, but which of them were the most impressive?
“Which is my favourite? It has to be the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond fairway wood, I think that’s probably going to go into my bag, it was just so consistent, I hit it really straight, I think it’s a little bit flatter than some of the other fairway woods as well, I don’t like anything that sits upright because I feel like I’m going to hit it left, and that’s my bad shot, whereas the Callaway ones always sit that little bit flatter and look a little bit nicer behind the ball for me, but that’s just my personal opinion.”
However, that wasn’t the only one that caught Ryan’s eye as he explains in this new video.
Are These The Best Fairway Woods in 2026?
If you would like to see more about the fairway woods that Ryan identified as being the standouts for this year, then you need to see what he says below!
Wilson DYNAPWR (Carbon & Max)
Despite not being new for 2026, they first appeared last year, the DYNAPWR fairway woods – Carbon and Max – were still appreciated by Ryan. They take advantage of AI-driven PKR-360 technology to offer the power and ball speeds of a forged custom 455 face material. Breaking down the two models, the Carbon is suited for players seeking a penetrating ball flight with lower spin. This has been made possible thanks to a lightweight carbon crown that enhances weight distribution to position the centre of gravity (CG) lower, while a 30g front tungsten weight promotes a lower launch and spin with added forgiveness. The Carbon fairway woods also boast both an open hosel construction and a six-way adjustable hosel, creating an optimised face angle and shot-shaping ability. Meanwhile, the Max is the ideal option for golfers who require extra stability and forgiveness. This fairway wood has been engineered with a thin-cast steel crown that enhances weight distribution, positioning the CG lower and further back to create a highly stable design. Additionally, a 12g rear weight promotes high, towering ball flights for maximum carry.
What Ryan Says: “I have the Carbon, but there’s also the Max available too. I’ve done really well with these at retail. The Carbon is great if you are looking for something that’s a little bit lower spin and great off the tee, but you can hit off the ground quite successfully as well. We do have different weights available in here to tailor the flight, and we’ve obviously got the adjustability in the hosel too. When we move into the Max model, easier to launch, that gloss finish on the top there, and not adjustable in the hosel, so for that player who really wants that ease of getting the ball in the air, something that’s really forgiving, that Max model is great for you, so there is something in the DYNAPWR range from Wilson to suit everybody and they are fantastic fairway woods.”
COBRA OPTM X
Ryan is a huge fan of this and other COBRA fairway woods. But what can you expect from this particular model? This is how the brand itself describes this latest innovation of theirs: “The OPTM X Fairway delivers a potent blend of speed and forgiveness. Its classic shape may trigger overconfidence, with enhanced performance off the tee and fairway. Results may include straighter ball flights, easier launch, and more reliability than you’ve ever had in a fairway.”
That certainly sounds good to us.
What Ryan Says: “Personally, I think COBRA make the most underrated fairway woods out there, they are consistently fantastic year-on-year, I’ve had previous models of COBRA fairway woods in my bag and absolutely love them. I may have one in my bag this season – I don’t know yet. But one that I’ve tried, the OPTM X does a lot for me, really, it’s easy to get off the floor, it’s great off the tee, and I think that HOT FACE, and the deeper look to it is really good, the FutureFit33 hosel is a game changer for those of you who haven’t tried it. It’s just a fantastic fitting tool. The added adjustability that you get from these moveable weights is really good – and we loved it when we tested these.
PING G440 Max
Another survivor from the class of 2025, PING’s G440 Max has a great deal to offer. It presents a re-designed face structure and low CG system. The face is taller for more confidence off the tee while providing a CG location that delivers high-launching performance off the ground. The face thickness is optimised in the heel and toe for more consistent performance on off-centre strikes. The MAX (which fits most golfers) is available in five lofts (including a four-wood) to provide more gapping options for golfers.
What Ryan Says: “This continues to be unbelievably popular for golfers of all abilities, really, it’s just so easy to hit, really easy to get in the air and performs fantastically well out of different lies as well. There’s loads of different lofts available, so it kind of slots into your set in many different ways, particularly lots of seven-woods and things like that we’re tending to sell at the moment, instead of hybrids, so there is something here for everyone.”
TaylorMade Qi4D (Core & Max)
Incredibly popular on the PGA Tour, TaylorMade’s fairways woods are always worth paying attention to. Golfers will benefit from finely tuned sit points and ultra-clean address profiles, optimised CG locations, additional Trajectory Adjustment System (TAS) weights, and more adjustability options than ever before with these woods. Qi4D fairway woods also employ tech like an improved Speed Pocket that protects ball speeds and reduces spin on low-face strikes. Twist Face utilises corrective face curvature for tightening downrange dispersion on miss-hits. Qi4D and Qi4D Max fairway woods have steel faces and bodies and carbon fibre crowns.
What Ryan Says: “This range is fantastic – I have the core model here, but the Max is exceptional as well, particularly when we’ve done fittings at the start of this year, we’ve done lots with the Max model. It’s so easy to hit, that really big, kind of confidence-inspiring footprint that it has appeals to a lot of players and particularly when fairway woods are hard to get off the ground and hard to launch, the three-woods in the Max are just so easy to get that ball flight really, really high, but again, like some of the other fairway woods I’ve mentioned, seven-woods have been really popular as well, both in the core model and the Max, meaning that there is something in there for just about every type of golfer. TaylorMade are always popular, I think the Twist Face really helps to get that ball back on line when you miss-strike it, which, let’s face it, all of us do, and we’ve obviously got the adjustability in the loft sleeve as well, so Qi4D is definitely a model that you should try.”
Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond
This was Ryan’s favourite of the bunch – and for very good reason. You can benefit from technology that includes Speed Wave 2.0 that has helped to optimise weight positioning and enhance ball speeds, while a new Step Sole design has improved turf interaction, with the addition of the AI-crafted FlexFace helping to fine-tune the essential characteristics of speed, spin and launch, making this is quite a product.
What Ryan Says: “This was by far the straightest I hit when testing it this year. The first three shots I hit were literally on top of each other within a yard of where they landed and they went around the 270-275 mark which is fantastic for me with a three-wood. Really, really consistent, I love the look of it, the clean look when you get it into that playing position I think just adds to the quality of it. For me, Callaway have always made the best fairway woods in the business.”
Have we just found your next fairway wood? If you’re in the market for one this season, these are Ryan’s suggested recommendations, with his favourite being the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond.
As always, we believe that testing widely, shopping around and getting fitted is the very best option for you this year.
Kieran Clark is the Digital Editor of Golfshake. He oversees editorial content, community engagement, forums, and social media channels. A lifelong golfer from the Isle of Bute in Scotland who has now lived in St Andrews for a decade, he began playing at the age of five and maintains a passion for exploring courses, with a particular affection for historic layouts. Kieran regularly contributes in-depth opinion pieces and features, drawing on his enthusiasm for the game and its culture.