Best 3 wood

A 3 wood is one of those fairway woods that you will have a love hate relationship with. Some golfers think the 3 wood is a perfect addition to their long game and others find that it causes more trouble than it is worth. In the end, part of the battle ensures that you are playing with the right 3 wood.

With so many options on the market, it can be challenging to narrow down which ones are the best for your golf game. Luckily there are a few really good ones in 2021 that are worth considering. The 3 wood is becoming higher launching, longer hitting, and even more forgiving than we have ever seen. Here are our picks for the best 3 wood of 2021.

TaylorMade SIM Max

Callaway Mavrik Fairway Wood

Callaway Epic Flash

Top rated 3 woods – Review

Callaway Epic Max Fairway Wood

Although the Epic Max Fairway wood pricing keeps it out of our top spot, this new release to the market is something that golfers that want the best of the best should seriously consider. The ball speed that you can get from the Epic Max Fairway is something that we have not seen before in the world of golf.

Not only does this club combine the artificial intelligence, but it also has Jailbreak Technology and the brand new Velocity Blades. As you can imagine, the Velocity Blades are used to get even more ball speed concentrated directly at the golf ball.

The Epic Max 3 wood is adjustable with the help of two weights that can move about the club head. This is a nice addition considering a 3 wood can be a difficult club for some people to hit. Having the ability to set the club exactly as you need it will certainly help make the game a bit easier.

Pros

• Oversized head shape
• Artificial intelligence and jailbreak system
• Adjustable launch and spin

Cons

• Expensive new release

TaylorMade SiM 2 Titanium Fairway

So many article reviews will give options for the golfers that need forgiveness in their fairway woods. This may leave those that are highly capable wondering what they should be using. The good news is that the TaylorMade SIM 2 Titanium is the answer.

If you are a golfer who wants a 3 wood because you will use it to get on a par 5 in two shots, this is the club for you. The face of the TaylorMade SIM 2 is so responsive that you will be able to work the ball however you please.

In addition, the V Steel Sole and the Titanium face make this 3 wood one of the highest MOI options on the market. Overall for the lower handicapper, the Sim 2 Titanium fairway is a very smart choice.

Pros

• Very high MOI
• Allows the lower handicap golfers to work the ball
• Great feel from the club head

Cons

• The forgiveness is not as good as it is on some of the other SIM 2 fairways

Cobra Golf Airspeed Fairway 3W 

When you need forgiveness and high launch in a fairway wood, the Cobra is the way to go. With the Cobra 2020 Airspeed 3 wood, you will be playing with one of the lightest fairway woods on the market. For golfers that need distance, this lightweight technology is essential.

A lightweight design and a carbon crown help players swing the 3 wood through the air a bit faster. Those that have been around the game a while know that to play well with a 3 wood, you have to swing it fast. Those with slower swing speeds are going to have a hard time hitting a 3 wood straight.

The Airspeed 3 wood is an offset club, so you will have no trouble straightening out your slice. With the back heel weighting, golfers will get more control and plenty of distance off the clubface. The Cobra Airspeed 3 wood is one of our favorite options for the senior golfer.

Pros

• A great 3 wood for a low swing speed player
• Carbon crown for a lightweight feel
• Long distance and high MOI

Cons

• Too lightweight for a faster swinging golfer

Callaway Mavrik Fairway Wood

At the top of the list is the brand new Callaway Mavrik three wood. This brand new Mavrik is an excellent choice if you seek a combination of distance and forgiveness in your game. Callaway used their revolutionary artificial intelligence and research to make a club that works for various handicaps.

The Callaway Mavrik came in three different versions the Sub Zero, the Mavrik, and the Mavrik Max. There is a Mavrik 3 wood for every handicapper, but the standard Mavrik is the best overall fairway wood. The 3 wood is a very high launching club with a large sweet spot that is relatively easy to hit.

The Mavrik has the Flash Face SS20 face that reacts incredibly fast and produces high ball speeds. If you feel as though you struggle with distance on your fairway woods, you will love the job that these Mavrik can do of getting the ball a long way down the fairway.

The Callaway Mavrik is a very large clubhead, so you will have to get used to the look, but eventually, you will feel as though you have a ton of confidence looking down at the ball with this Mavrik in your hand.

Pros

• Very hot clubface
• Produced using artificial intelligence
• Large sweet spot

Cons

• The larger head takes a bit of getting used to

Cobra Speedback F9 Tour

For the low handicap golfer, a three wood is not just about getting distance; it is also about feel and performance. Lower handicap players are looking for the ability to hit a draw or a fade with their 3 wood and control the trajectory as well. Many of the forgiving options on the market make it a little too hard to do this.

The Speedback Baffler Technology on the F9 Speedback is back, and it’s better than ever. The Baffler rails have been a big part of the impressive Cobra Technology for many years. The rails will allow the club to cut through any type of lie either on the fairway or out of the rough as well.

The CNC Precision Milled face on the F9 Speedback Tour is what gives it the incredible feel. When you hit this fairway wood well, you will be rewarded. The F9 Speedback also has some adjustability that makes it feel like a custom golf club every time you swing.

Pros

• Low center of gravity
• Lightweight Carbon Fiber crown
• Adjustable loft
• Cobra Connect technology

Cons

• Not the latest release, probably not the longest fairway on the market

Cleveland Launcher Turbo

Sometimes the golfers that need a 3 wood the most are those with the slower swing speeds. Unfortunately, slower swing speeds and 3 woods do not always mix. Hitting the three wood off the Golf tee is not too complicated of a shot to hit, but off the deck, it’s going to take a bit more effort.

Luckily Cleveland came out with the Launcher Turbo 3 wood that will help make a huge difference when it comes to launch and ball speed from the fairway. The Cleveland comes with the traditional Hi Bore Crown that helps produce a much lower center of gravity on this three wood than other fairways on the market.

Since Cleveland is not an adjustable club, it is very lightweight and should be easy to hit. We love that Cleveland always produces a perfect shaft match for their clubs. The Miyazaki is an excellent choice for this club and promotes a very high moment of inertia, and the lightweight feel that the slower swinging player will need to succeed. If you thought that 3 woods were for better players, think again!

Pros

• Turbocharged cup face
• Large impact area
• Hi Bore Crown
• Low center of gravity

Cons

• Not a great choice for lower handicap golfers seeking feel and workability

TaylorMade SIM Max Fairway

TaylorMade golf clubs are made for speed. TaylorMade, as a company, goes above and beyond when it comes to distance producing technologies. The new SIM Max released in 2020 is one of the longest fairway woods that TaylorMade has ever released.

The V Steel Sole is new in the SIM Max, but it is not a new technology from TaylorMade. This V Steel helps players to hit this out of any lie, including the fairway, the tee, and the rough as well. Most people don’t swing a 3 wood out of the rough, but if you have a decent lie, you can attack it with the SIM Max new fairway wood.

As with many of the new releases from TaylorMade, the Twist Face technology will help to keep this a very forgiving club as well. Distance and forgiveness tend to go hand in hand, especially on these long fairway shots.

Pros

• Speed pocket technology
• Lots of distance
• Forgiving
• V Steel Sole to help out of a variety of lies

Cons

• Expensive

Callaway Epic Flash

It’s important to remember that the best value 3 wood does not always mean that it is the cheapest fairway wood on the market. However, the Callaway Epic Flash at the price it is currently offered, will be one of the highest performing fairway woods that you have ever come across, provided at a very fair price.

The Epic Flash features the flash face technology, and it is very adjustable as well. This is a low spin club that also has a tremendous feel and will work for players with a wide range of handicaps. If you are a mid handicapper working to improve to a lower handicapper, the Epic Flash is a great choice to consider.

Callaway’s Jailbreak Technology allows for lots of extra ball speed at impact. The bars almost perform like a trampoline that the ball can jump off of as soon as it makes contact with the face while still maintaining a low spin rate. Ball speeds are hot off the face of this new fairway wood. Considering the price these clubs were initially offered and the price they are offered now, this is a great value fairway wood for 2020.

Pros

• Great feeling 3 wood
• Lots of adjust-abilities
• Great from the fairway or the tee

Cons

• Not as forgiving as the new Mavrik

the Best 3 wood overall …

3 wood buyers guide

Choosing a three wood can be a little difficult because they are not the easiest clubs to hit. Fortunately, our top five fairway wood picks all have a decent amount of forgiveness and high launch as well. If you want to keep the ball in the fairway or stop one on the green, there is a fairway wood out there for you. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to narrow down which 3 wood to purchase.

What loft is a 3 wood?

The loft of your 3 wood may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The standard 3 wood is going to be about 15 degrees of loft. Anything more than this will be higher launching and could end up getting you some extra yards. For players that want a strong three wood, there are some options out there with less than 15 degrees of loft. Keep in mind that these are going to be harder to hit and offer less forgiveness.

How many fairway woods should a golfer carry?

How you set up your golf bag will come down to personal preference and the strengths of your game. Golfers need to make sure they have filled the gap between their driver and their irons. For some golfers, this is just one fairway wood; for others, it will be a combination of several fairway woods like the 3 and 5 wood and a hybrid or two. Most players have at a minimum one fairway wood and three at a maximum.

Who makes the best fairway woods ?

The major golf manufacturers all compete to make the Best fairway wood on the market. If you want distance and ball speed, go with the TaylorMade. If you want long term forgiveness and technology, the Callaway is a great choice. Cobra and Cleveland are usually excellent choices for feel and forgiveness as well.

Like what you are reading? Please be sure to check out some of our other recent reviews on Fairway woods including our favorite 3 wood high handicap  3 wood not to be confused with the 7 wood you can play, and our top selection of Fairway wood high handicapper. 

We reviewed one for every type of golfer and we are sure you will find a great one for you.