As we age, everything starts to slow down. Unfortunately, the golf swing is no exception.
Fairway woods can be some of the more difficult clubs in the bag for a senior to hit. To hit a three wood solid off the turn takes quite a bit of clubhead speed and coordination.
The good news for seniors is that golf club manufacturers have figured out ways to get you more clubhead speed and forgiveness so that you can still compete on those long fairway shots.
In this review of the best fairway woods for seniors, we will give you options for both high and low handicap players and a few budget picks as well.
At A Glance: Our Top 6 Picks for Fairway Woods For Seniors On The Market In 2024
- Best for Seniors: Cobra F Max Airspeed Fairway Wood
- Alternative #1: TaylorMade SIM MAX Fairway Wood
- Alternative #2: Cleveland HB Turbo Launcher Fairway Wood
- Best Value: Wilson D7 Fairway Wood
- Best for Fixing a Slice: TaylorMade M6 D Type Fairway Wood
- Best Adjustable: Cobra F9 Speedback Fairway Wood
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
Best for Seniors  | Cobra F Max Airspeed Fairway Wood
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Alternative #1  | TaylorMade SIM MAX Fairway Wood
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Alternative #2  | Cleveland HB Turbo Launcher Fairway Wood
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Best Value  | Wilson D7 Fairway Wood
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Best for Fixing a Slice  | TaylorMade M6 D Type Fairway Wood
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Best Adjustable  | Cobra F9 Speedback Fairway Wood
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Best Fairway Wood for Seniors: Cobra F Max Airspeed Fairway Wood
In all honesty, this Cobra was a quick and easy winner in this category. The F Max series that Cobra has been releasing over the last several years has helped so many players to gain more distance and lower their scores.
With their game improvement clubs, Cobra has made all the components lighter. The focus not just on the clubhead but also on the shaft and grip. The carbon fiber crown on the F Max Airspeed fairway helps to lower the center of gravity and increase clubhead speed.
Although the F Max Airspeed is offered in both the offset and the straight neck, we recommend the offset if you are someone that tends to leave their fairway woods out to the right. It’s common to hit a three wood with a little bit of a slice on it. This club will help to counteract that and get the ball back in the fairway.
If you have lost distance in your golf game and you are finding your iron shots to the green are getting longer and longer, this F Max could help. Also refer to our definitive guide on the best irons for seniors.
It’s a simple fact of life as golfers age they are going to need help with distance in their game. If you give this fairway wood a try, we would also highly recommend trying the Cobra Airspeed Driver as well.
The Airspeed Fairway woods retail for a very fair price for a brand new release.
Alternative #1: TaylorMade SIM MAX Fairway Wood
A runner up in the best fairway category is the TaylorMade SIM MAX. If we are going to call this a second-place winner, we should clarify that it is a very close second. TaylorMade went all out on their new SIM line, and golfers everywhere are adding this club to their bag.
Similar to the Cobra, the SIM MAX woods have a carbon crown, which has helped to lower the center of gravity and get the ball up in the air.
This SIM MAX features the V Steel sole to help provide improved turf interaction. The V Steel reminds us of the rail technology that Cobra used on their Baffler clubs a few years back. The V Steel helps not just in the fairway but also out of the more difficult lies.
TaylorMade also included their Twist Face technology on this club to help with forgiveness on those off-center hits. The Fujikura Ventus Blue graphite shaft is a terrific option for mid to high launch. As far as a fairway wood is concerned, this club features everything you could ever need.
Initially released at a mid to high price, we think this club will stay there for the time being.
Read our TaylorMade SIM MAX Fairway Woods review.
Alternative #2: Cleveland HB Turbo Launcher Fairway Wood
Typically considered a fairway wood for high handicappers, the new Cleveland HB Turbo Launcher will appeal to several player types.
Right off the bat, one of the best things about this line of fairway woods is that they retail for less than average. Cleveland is so fair about their pricing, considering the technology that they offer.
The Turbo Launcher features the traditional Cleveland Hibore Crown. With the black finish on this club and that HiBore crown, it is one of the best looking fairways that Cleveland has ever put out.
Cleveland did everything they could with this one to make sure the ball speed was increased. Typically Cleveland can fall behind a bit when it comes to distance, but the way the ball feels coming off of this clubface, golfers of all handicaps have been raving.
The club offers a large sweet spot and a light MIYAZAKI C shaft produced specially for Cleveland. One of our favorite things about Cleveland clubs overall is that they are simple, reliable, and useful.
If you are looking to put several new fairway woods in your bag, this Cleveland can be an excellent choice for both price and technology.
Wilson D7
Best Value Fairway Wood for Seniors
Its probably because Wilson is known for their starter sets, but when they put out a reliable Driver, Fairway, or set of irons, they rarely get enough credit.
They have worked hard over the last few years to increase feel across their entire line of clubs. Does it match something like the Callaway Mavrik or the TaylorMade Sim Max? Not if you ask a fell player, but for the average or high handicappers, Wilson is a great option.
This D7 is available in 15, 18, or 21 degrees and costs less than most other fairway wood models. It is a very forgiving club for those who need some more consistency in their game and tend to hit the ball anywhere but straight.
TaylorMade M6 D Type
Best Senior Fairway Wood for Fixing A Slice
Anytime you see fairway woods that are offset or are called D Type, they are set up to be draw bias. This essentially means that the clubface is just slightly closed at address, helping to square it up when you hit the ball.
There are a few things to consider before buying a D Type club. Is the slice problem something new, or have you been a slicer your entire life? Are you actively working to fix the slice, or are you just learning to play with one and work it out?
If the slice is here to stay, go with the D type. If you are working on fixing it, this club will likely go too far left once it’s fixed.
The M6 was the hot fairway wood from TaylorMade in 2019. It features the incredible twist face technology and a lightweight graphite shaft for getting the ball in the air fast. This one is a great club not just for the high handicap player but also for the middle and low handicap golfers that need some distance on their fairway woods. M6 is one of the best Taylor Made fairway wood.
If you were a low handicapper for many years and the decrease in speed is leaving your fairway woods short, this club is a great option. It also provides excellent feel, and sound making it one of the best fairway woods that Taylormade ever released.
Seniors Cobra F9 Speedback
Best Adjustable Fairway Wood For Seniors
If you are someone who likes to tinker with their clubs, the F9 is a perfect option for you. This amazing fairway wood by Cobra was a new release in 2019, and it is still widely available today.
In addition to having adjustability in loft and weights, this club is also equipped with the Cobra Connect technology, allowing you to track your distances and make sure you have this club set precisely how you need it.
With this revolutionary design, Cobra worked on making a club that is not only easy for golfers to hit, but it also feels great as well. The clubhead itself is not overly large, but the sweet spot is plenty big enough to make this one of the best fairway woods for seniors.
What To Look For When Purchasing a Fairway Wood for a Senior Golfer?
There are a few key things to be aware of when finding the best fairway woods on the market.
Regardless of your handicap, you need to be well informed when making decisions about which club to put in your bag. Here are a few things we recommend to help make this process easier.
Price
Set realistic expectations for yourself on price. For a quality fairway wood, you are going to be looking at spending $175-$300 each.
You may set out thinking you need a 3, 5, and 7 wood, but it is certainly ok to look at a four wood and a seven wood instead. This could leave a gap in your bag, but it can help save some money.
Forgiveness
If you are a player looking for pure forgiveness in a fairway, there are some keywords to look out for.
Make sure the center of gravity is located low and in the back of the head. This will help with forgiveness and launch as well.
Another thing to look for is a club head with a large sweet spot. Even though this may make the fairway wood appear quite a bit larger, in the long run, this is going to be something that will help you.
Distance
Honestly, everyone is in a distance race when it comes to fairway woods. There aren’t many options out there that are not going to be longer than equipment put out 5-7 years ago. Club faces are hotter; club heads are lighter, shafts are lighter, and more aerodynamic.
As a Senior golfer, when you notice you notice yourself starting to lose distance, don’t be afraid to go to a lighter shaft. Years ago, shafts were not available in these same lighter weights that they are today.
Adjustability
Adjustability makes sense for several reasons. If you are new to the game, this club can grow with you as you learn.
If you need to set it with a closed clubface in the beginning and then eventually have it go to the square, you can do that. If the lower lofts are too tricky, you can make them higher until you get the hang of it.
Another reason adjustability makes sense in a club for senior golfers is that as you age, your game will change. It can get frustrating to alter equipment continually. If you go with something adjustable, maybe you can change a setting in the club for a while before you need to change out the entire thing.
Conclusion
Choosing a new fairway wood can be confusing with all of the options on the market. The good news is that you can’t go wrong with any of the clubs we recommended.
The Cobra F Max Airspeed still wins out as the best option because of its weight, reasonable distance, and incredible forgiveness.
How nice would it be to hit some of those long Par 4’s in two again? This may be the club that makes that possible!
Let us know what you think of these options and any of the clubs we review.
