VOTE NOW!! Members Choice presented by 2nd Swing: Best fairway wood of 2023

[GolfWRX]

We're proud to partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2023! 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here. 

 

Best replies will be featured in our Members Choice article. 

 

Please vote in the other Members Choice categories here!

 

Don't forget to comment with the reasoning for your choice!    

Edited July 10, 2023 by GolfWRX

[eric61]

I voted for the G430 Max. I tested a lot of the current model fairway woods and don't have any particular brand allegiance, but Ping seems to be winning out in a lot of spots for me this year.

 

My confidence with the G430 Max 3 wood is really high right now. I've been reaching more par 5s in two than ever before. It is a spinnier head than many of its competitors -- I'm around 3500 RPMs on a Trackman on good strikes. However, I wanted my 3 wood to be a club I really felt like I could trust and control off the tee, and this gives me that, while also being able to stop on greens -- which I'm actually hitting with it sometimes! The 7 wood is just super straight and really versatile, good out of anything but the fluffiest of lies (where I feel like, because of the shallow face, I could slide it right under the ball). 

 

The other thing that Ping and Titleist have but I don't think many other brands do is the ability to move them to a flatter lie angle. I play both my 3W and 7W at the -1 flat settings, and to me at those settings they sit perfectly, I get great turf interaction, and they look square to just ever so slightly open. I really like having that option, and I'm just really comfortable with both of these clubs.

 

Others I've really liked this year would be the Paradym Triple Diamond and the TSR2 and TSR3. I wanted to like the Stealth 2 because it's really easy to hit high and long and I think it looks fantastic, but it's too upright for me, which means big hooks. If you're a little taller than me or struggle with a slice, it might be perfect for you, and is definitely worth a try.

 

I haven't hit the G430 LST and doubt it would be the right fit for me given what I look for in a 3W, but I'm really curious and would love to try it anyway. Just haven't been able to find a left handed demo heads.

[getair23]

Where's the BRNR Mini 😀

[avg_joseph]

TSR3 - Shape and HOT!!!

[skmiec4]

Tested so many.  Stealth 2 was best shape and size 

[TheBiles]

I still can’t replace my Epic Flash SZ. 

[Bunkersarebigcups]

I voted for Apex UW as I usually dont hit FWs that well. The shorter shaft and almost hybridesque size made this perform really well for me.

[ShankAaron]

Apex UW for me. Hands down the easiest, most dependable club to hit in my bag aside from the trusty Betti. It's been so good for me that I ditched the 3W/5W combo for my 17* UW (paired with a VA Composites Nemesys 7X @ 42.5" playing length) and added an extra wedge. Through the season so far, Arccos says I'm averaging 252 total yards and 42% FIR, which are mind blowing numbers for my "spray and pray" long game. 

[dpark]

I had been using an Adams Fairway metal for the past 15 years. I was using the Adams redline tour prototype with 14.5° of loft. It was an. absolutely amazing club for me and nothing could kick it out of the bag but unfortunately the crown finally broke so I had to find something else. 
 

apparently fairway wood heads have gotten very hot in the last 15 years, and the sitter at Club Champion told me I’d have to move to a much higher loft to head to maintain the same distances. To avoid having a club that was longer than my driver I actually had a move up to an 18° TSR2 head to fill a 230-240 yard gap between my driver and hybrid. 
 

I tried all the other club makers offerings, including Ping, Callaway and Taylormade, since I am agnostic to brands as long as the club performs well and looks good at address, and the Titleist TSR2 fit the bill
 

 

[ovodeano]

5 hours ago, ShankAaron said:

Apex UW for me. Hands down the easiest, most dependable club to hit in my bag aside from the trusty Betti. It's been so good for me that I ditched the 3W/5W combo for my 17* UW (paired with a VA Composites Nemesys 7X @ 42.5" playing length) and added an extra wedge. Through the season so far, Arccos says I'm averaging 252 total yards and 42% FIR, which are mind blowing numbers for my "spray and pray" long game. 

What’s your long game setup? I struggle with my 3 wood and I’m interested in trying the 17* Uw as long as it doesn’t go the same distance as my 19* fly hi 3 iron 

[ShankAaron]

3 hours ago, ovodeano said:

What’s your long game setup? I struggle with my 3 wood and I’m interested in trying the 17* Uw as long as it doesn’t go the same distance as my 19* fly hi 3 iron 

It's in my signature. Para TD->Apex UW 17*->Epic Super Hybrid 4H.

[kwjk]

Ping G430 Max fairway is very consistent and forgiving. With a good swing it produces very similar 

results every time. so good

[ZBigStick]

Stealth 2.

 

Had all of the previous Ti Fw from TMG: SIM, SIM2, Stealth Plus.  All fantastic, with incremental benefits.  Stealth 2 is finally a touch smaller than its predecessors so looks great, elevates without too much spin and sits relatively square.  If they had A Stealth 2 Plus in a 16.5 at retail, that may have been the choice, but for now the Core Stealth 2 is reliable and has an appealing look and great turf interaction.

[halfsumo]

Stealth 2 Plus. Best sound and feel on the market. Great shaping. Long. Easy to launch. Best adjustability on the market.

[SwingMan]

Seems like the traditional big OEMs do well - Titleist, Ping, Callaway, TM ... should not be surprising

 

Tour Edge was known for its fairways. What happened?

Edited July 15, 2023 by SwingMan

[getair23]

On 7/15/2023 at 11:11 AM, SwingMan said:

Seems like the traditional big OEMs do well - Titleist, Ping, Callaway, TM ... should not be surprising

 

Tour Edge was known for its fairways. What happened?

I'm unsure if they went away from the Beta Titanium they used to use or if everyone else caught up.  I remember them being silly long and creating a few gapping issues when the 3w was a few yards behind my driver.  

[g_nw]

TSR3 for me… shape, consistency, adjustability and sound… all amazing for me. My launch numbers are the same, every day. I own 3w and 5w and I’ll have these in the bag for a super long time. Ventus TR Black 7X and 8X respectively, loft turned down a bit.

[DJ07]

Have both a Paradym Heavenwood and TSR2 3W. I love both of them, but the TSR2 is far more consistent for me for a club that I historically have struggled to be consistent with. Upgraded from TSi2, and the subtle changes like full scorelines across the face and shape/weight changes have given me a noticeable increase in ball speed and distance. 

[MCoz]

Stealth 2 Plus is a remarkable improvement over previous generations. Longer and much more accurate!

[Pappapeen]

TSR2 with Stock Hzrdus Red CB 6.0 and easy to hit off the deck and tee. Always love the way Titleist sit on the ground for their woods.

[Phil Major]

Callaway Paradym 3 wood is the best wood I ever had. I can tee off and from deck. 

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Phil Major
wrong window

[toddba11]

Wilson Dynapower……..3,5 and 7………wow

[SofaKingPure]

G430

[JosephNewton293]

I'm always amazed at what a popularity contest this always becomes on Golfwrx. Just go to the extensive fairway wood testing on MGS. Hands down the Wilson dynapower wins the overall category and yet gets less than 1% of the votes here. The Titleist tsr2 wins easily with nearly 20 % of the vote on Golfwrx and yet finishes 17th in distance, 15th in accuracy, 15th in forgiviness, 25 in ball speed. With stats like that the tsr2 should be about $130 at pgass. 

[raspymcnasty]

For those using uw, do you prefer 21 or 19

[dpark]

TSR2 18* for me. It replaced my Adam’s 5050 14.5*. 
 

Hard to believe that an 18* fwy wood can go as far as a 14.5° fwy wood from 15 years ago. It is all head, not the shaft because I have the same shaft in both clubs (Matrix Ozik Code-8). Same length, same swingweight. 

 

Modern heads are just crazy hot. 

[BallerNate]

The Winner for a spot in my bag was the Cally Paradym X!

 

Really wanted to love the Stealth 2 Plus and TSR 2, but the Paradym outperformed both for me personally and was a much better fit for my game.

[Double Dodger]

On 9/14/2023 at 1:45 AM, JosephNewton293 said:

I'm always amazed at what a popularity contest this always becomes on Golfwrx. Just go to the extensive fairway wood testing on MGS. Hands down the Wilson dynapower wins the overall category and yet gets less than 1% of the votes here. The Titleist tsr2 wins easily with nearly 20 % of the vote on Golfwrx and yet finishes 17th in distance, 15th in accuracy, 15th in forgiviness, 25 in ball speed. With stats like that the tsr2 should be about $130 at pgass. 

 

It is interesting. I’d bet 90% of golf equipment is bought because of tour use. Even if a Wilson was a magic club and would lower some worxer’s handicap 2 strokes they would not use it because they want to be perceived as a good player more than actually being a good player. I play with guys with the latest big name driver who hit it all over the place when a 10 yo Ping would serve them just as well. Maybe even better. Drivers and putters are the worst though. 

[ranesy]

Got fit (basic fitting) for the TSR2...struggled with it most of the year (1 of 5 good shots). I stuck with it as I kept blaming my skill. Tried the Mizuno ST-Z on a whim and have yet to hit a bad shot with it (6 rounds so far). For whatever reason, I like the deeper face on the Mizuno. 

 

I know I am in the minority, but hate the Ping G425's and G430's....maybe its the shallower face or head shape...but something about them is weird.

[jwolfe910]

TSR 2