Best 3 Woods For High Handicappers 2023 – Off The Tee Or Off The Deck
The 3 wood is one of the most important clubs in golf as it is second in distance only to the Driver and can easily fill in off the tee or off the deck as needed.
The 3 wood will typically have a loft of about 15 degrees so it should have an easier launch than the driver while still offering impressive distance and if we are a high handicapper, we will be looking for an easy club to hit with plenty of forgiveness too.
When it comes to high handicappers, they are the ones that need the right tools in their bag the most but have the least amount of knowledge of what that involves.
While we recommend you should get a fitting to get all your clubs configrued correctly, there are a few things in to keep in mind when shopping.
Shaft Flex:
Almost all shafts for 3 woods are graphite but the flex will play a key role.
A higher swing speed will require a stiffer shaft while a slower swing speed will require a regular, senior or lite flex shaft to ensure optimal laungh and distance.
Shaft Length:
If you club is too long, it is going to lead to swing problems, most likely a big slice but also proabably missing the ball on occasion too, a shaft that is too short is going to sacrifice distance and cost accuracy as well.
Loft:
Too much loft and you shots will go too high and lose distance. Too little loft and they will go too low and lose distance. Incorrect loft can also lead to a slice or a hook.
Most 3 Woods are 15 degrees, if you are a slower swinger, find an adjustable loft or try out a 5 wood instead of a 3.
Club Type:
We’ve all seen the pros moving their shots from left to right to find the perfect location on the fairway but they are sacrificing distance and forgiveness for that priviledge.
A high handicapper is going to be much happy with as large sweet spot as possible, plenty of loft and a ton of forgiveness. Game improvement clubs are better for beginners and today’s list is full of them
AT A GLANCE
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Taylormade Stealth – Best Overall
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Callaway Rogue St Max – (Best Premium)
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Callaway X Hot – (Best Budget Option)
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Callaway Big Bertha B21 – (Best For A Slice)
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Taylormade Sim Max – (Best 3 Wood Off The Deck)
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Cobra F-Max Airspeed – (Best For Seniors And Slow Swing Speeds)
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Taylormade M2 – (Best Of All Time)
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Cleveland Launch HB – (Easiest To Hit)
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Callaway Mavrik Max
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Cobra Radspeed XB
Taylormade Stealth 3 Wood – Best Overall
Loft: 15 Degrees
The Stealth 3 Wood is built to be the most reliable club in your bag and it is packed with the latest Taylormade technology to offer the maximum blend of forgiveness and distance.
This is a perfect club for high handicappers because it is an all rounder that offers an easy launch, excellent distance, supreme turf interaction and ultimate forgiveness.
If your driver isn’t firing on the day, let this one rip from the tee with ease. It’s also available in a plus model which is less forgiving but has an adjustable loft sleeve.
In 20 words or less
The TaylorMade Stealth is possibly one of the easiest and most forgiving fairway woods we have ever hit.
TaylorMade Stealth Fairway – First Impressions
The name gives it away on the club, at address position this thing looks mean. We all felt extremely comfortable when putting the club behind the ball. The new laser alignment clearly is working.
We tested it from many different lies, and we are safe to say the V Steel technology is incredible, on almost every shot the club just slides through any lie. The V Steel plus TwistFace is a game changer for us. The combination of these two features makes it very hard to miss a fairway.
We definitely saw some extra ball speed and distance compared to previous models from TaylorMade.
We just didn’t enjoy that it wasn’t adjustable.
TaylorMade Stealth Fairway Family
TaylorMade has an additional model to this range called the Stealth Plus, this features their Titanium model. It is the lower spinning option between the two heads.
Most of the features are the same compared to the Stealth model.
The V Steel on the sole has a 80g tungsten weight, this gives you forgiveness while improving turf interaction and versatility.
The face of the fairway is made from titanium, this allows TaylorMade to make the face extremely thin for extra ball speed and distance, and we love that it is adjustable, it has a +-2 degree loft sleeve, allowing you to get really dialed in.
TaylorMade Stealth Fairway Selling Points
- It has TwistFace for extra accuracy
- V Steel helps with turf interaction
- Sets up nicely behind the ball
- Extremely long and forgiving
Who is the Taylormade Stealth Fairway for?
If you are a TaylorMade fan the latest Stealth Fairway won’t let you down. We found this model would suit more of the mid to high handicap players, as it launches and spins slightly more than the Stealth Plus.
It is extremely easy to launch and is very forgiving.
The TwistFace and V Steel technology is great for anyone that struggles with their strike and struggles when they are lying in tough situations, the Stealth fairway slides through the turf with ease.
However, if you do like to have some sort of adjustability in your clubs, we would suggest looking at the Stealth Plus model.
Distance: 95/100
Feel & Control: 92/100
Accuracy: 94/100
Forgiveness: 96/100
Overall Score: 96/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Callaway Rogue ST Max 3 Wood – Best Premium
Loft: 15/16.5 Degrees
The Rogue St Max 3 wood is the longest and most stable fairway wood that Callaway have ever produced and it is perfect for high handicappers with its huge levels of forgiveness.
The Rogue Max has a slight draw bias to straighten out a slice and it cuts through the turf with ease. It has a 15 degree loft which can be changed to the HL version which has 16.5 degrees for slower swing speeds.
Also available in a D model which has more draw bias to correct a slice and is more forgiving but with less distance.
In 20 words or less
The Callaway Rogue ST MAX definitely lives up to being the longest fairway wood they have created and it’s also known for it’s super stability and forgiveness.
Callaway Rogue ST Fairway First Impression
Straight away we could see that the Rogue ST MAX lives up to what Callaway has said, it is definitely the longest fairway wood we have ever hit.
You would expect the ball to come out lower and run further, but that is not the case, the ball launched high, and seems to go forever.
The Tungsten Speed Cartridge definitely plays a part in that, and the newly designed Jailbreak is outstanding, the fairway wood was incredibly forgiving, we could barely tell the difference between good and bad shots.
Similar to the TaylorMade Stealth, we were disappointed in the Rogue ST MAX not being adjustable.
Callaway Rogue ST Fairway Family
Callaway do have two additional models in this range, the Rogue ST MAX D and Rogue ST LS.
The Rogue ST MAX D is their draw bias head, how they have done this is making the face slightly closed, upright lie angle, and additional weight in the heel. Anyone that struggles with a draw should consider this model.
The other model is the Rogue ST LS, it is the low spin option. They placed the tungsten weight further towards the face of the club, this brings down the spin drastically. This is definitely for the better player.
We are quite disappointed that all three models do not have adjustability, you would expect the Rogue ST LS being the more players club to have some sort of adjustability.
Callaway Rogue ST MAX Fairway Selling Points
- Jailbreak technology helps with distance and forgiveness
- Definitely their longest fairway ever made
- Comes in three different models
- Has a number of loft options
Who is the Callaway Rogue ST Fairway for?
This model is aimed at the mid to high handicap player, it launches high and is incredibly forgiving.
This is Callaway’s longest fairway wood they have ever made, so if you are looking for some extra distance in your fairway, we would suggest giving the Rogue ST MAX a try.
The Jailbreak technology really works, it is very forgiving which would help most golfers out there.
It sits very square at address position, The Rogue ST LS sits slightly open and Max D version sits slightly closed, this should be considered when purchasing this fairway.
Distance: 96/100
Feel & Control: 92/100
Accuracy: 94/100
Forgivness: 93/100
Overall Score: 95/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Callaway X Hot 3 Wood – Best Value
Loft: 15 Degrees
The Callaway X Hot is a more cheap and cheerful option than the new releases and it performs extremely well for the price.
This one is built for distance, forgivness and consistency and it has the perfect head shape and features to deliver on these fronts.
An excellent option for anyone on a budget or looking for excellent value.
In 20 Words Or Less
A no-nonsense, large headed, long and forgiving fairway wood that will help you cover distances up to 200 yards with no problem.
Callaway X Hot Fairway Wood – First Impressions
The Callaway X Hot fairway wood has a very simple design and a large head profile that will delight high handicappers.
Our testers were really taken with how easy this club was to swing. Even in tough lies, it excels at scooping the ball up and launching it high.
The Callaway X Hot fairway wood is nothing if not long. Again, you don’t get much left to right workability with this club but our testers were seeing increases in 3 wood distances of up to 16 yards.
Callaway X Hot Selling Points
- Lightweight hosel
- Face cup design
- Speed frame
- Easy distance
- Ultra Forgiving
Who is the Callaway X Hot Fairway Wood for?
The Callaway X Hot fairway wood is best-suited for mid to high handicappers.
It has some issues with predictability and workability but high handicappers will care much less about that and more about the immediate distance and high launch. The Callaway X Hot fairway wood also performs well in difficult lies.
Distance: 95/100
Feel & Control: 92/100
Accuracy: 92/100
Forgiveness: 94/100
Overall Score: 93/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Callaway Big Bertha B21 3 Wood – Best For A Slice
Loft: 15 Degrees
The term Super Game Improvement may have coined specially for the Big Bertha B21 range.
It has a large profile and a lot of offset to offer the easiest 3 wood to hit straight in the game today.
Expect an easy launch, towering distance, forgiveness, consistency and especially straight shots with this one from Callaway.
In 20 Words or Less
The ultimate game improvement weapon, great price for extraordinary performance and the easiest fairway woods to hit straight in the game today hands down.
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Fairway First Impressions
At first the price seemed a bit off putting, can something that is so much cheaper than the top of the range models actually compete with the best?
Boy were we wrong, this fairway wood is the high handicap golfers dream. It is so easy to launch and the design of the head will give anyone confidence.
The larger profile and slight offset, will work well for a high handicap golfer struggling with a slice.
The A.I technology and Jailbreak technology work very well, from the get go we could see the forgiveness was outstanding and ball speeds were high. Something any high handicap golfer would die for.
Just be careful, this club is truly aimed at a high handicap player, it spins quite a lot which helps the ball get up in the air, and the offset is quite prominent. If you are someone that draws the ball, we suggest looking at a different fairway wood, the offset will cause you to hook the ball.
It is not adjustable, this may be off putting to some of the better golfers.
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Fairway Family
Callaway have designed this club to stand on its own, it is purely a game improvement club.
If the Big Bertha B21 fairway wood is not for you, then we suggest looking at something like the Mavrik or Epic Flash, these two options will have less of an offset, and promote a lower spin rate, allowing you to control the ball more.
Be careful as the head size will be smaller and it will have less forgiveness.
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Selling Points
- Cheap price point
- Jailbreak technology for faster ball speeds
- Big offset for straight shots
- A.I design
- Larger profile, making it easier to hit
Who is The Callaway Big Bertha B21 Fairway For?
Every mid to high handicap player needs to give this fairway wood a try. It is so easy to hit, and the offset helps a lot with fixing your slice.
The technology built into the club gives your great ball speed and incredible forgiveness.
The price point is the real killer here, what you pay for what you get is an absolute steal.
Distance: 95/100
Feel & Control: 90/100
Accuracy: 94/100
Forgiveness: 96/100
Overall Score: 96/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
TaylorMade SIM Max 3 Wood – Best Off The Deck
A couple of years old now the Sim Max is another classic from Taylormade.
It’s built for a high launc, distance and forgiveness and because it cuts the turf so well, this is going to be one of the easiest and most effective 3 woods out there to hit off the deck.
In 20 Words or Less
The look, sound and ball speed all speak for themselves, this thing is incredibly long, forgiving and easy to hit.
TaylorMade SIM Fairway First Impressions
It was love at first sight, everything about this club just oozes confidence. The paint lines, the shape, to how square it sits, the SIM fairway is magnificent.
We definitely saw ball speeds like we have never seen before, the Zatech Titanium they claim gives you more speed clearly works.
With all that ball speed you wouldn’t expect much forgiveness, but boy were we wrong, all the technology built into it works like a charm. The Speed Pocket and V Steel sole work hand in hand, low struck shots still have great ball speeds and every shot slides through the turf with ease.
TwistFace is something sent from the golfing Gods, heel and toe struck shots fly much straighter than we have seen before, don’t get us wrong, they don’t fly straight down the middle, but the ball definitely doesn’t go as far left or right than you would normally expect.
We loved the adjustability of the club, it allowed us to really get the club dialed in.
TaylorMade SIM Fairway Selling Points
- TwistFace to help with straighter shots
- V Steel helps with turf interaction
- Speed Pocket assists with low struck shots
- Adjustable loft sleeve
Who is The TaylorMade SIM Fairway For?
The TaylorMade SIM fairway is definitely for a low handicap golfer. You will need some good clubhead speed to get the ball up in the air as it is very low spinning.
The forgiveness is incredible for such a hot face, the adjustability is great, as it allows you to really get dialed in.
Distance: 96/100
Feel & Control: 92/100
Accuracy: 94/100
Forgiveness: 95/100
Overall Score: 95/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Cobra Airspeed 3 Wood – Best For Seniors And Slow Swing Speeds
The Cobra Airspeed has a light configuration for slower swing speeds combined with all the tech needed to deliver a ton of distance, consistency and forgiveness off the tee or off the deck
Anybody with a slower swing speed will love this one from Cobra and it is great valube as well.
In 20 Words Or Less
The Cobra Airspeed fairway wood is a low profile, sleek fairway wood that launches high and is workable. It has a light weight configuration for slower swing speeds to achieve maximum distance.
Cobra Airspeed Fairway Wood – First Impressions
The Cobra Airspeed sort of put us off when we first took a good look at it.
It has a shallower face than what we were used to – almost like a hybrid club. So at first, we were a bit wary of how it would perform and how hard it might be to get consistent with it.
To our delight though, the face depth wasn’t really an issue. The Cobra Airspeed may have a smaller sweet spot than we would like; but the pronounced offset makes up for it in a way.
It’s very easy to square up to the ball with this club and it launches high with almost no effort. There is even weight concentrated in the back heel to produce an inherent draw bias.
Cobra Fairway Wood Family
The Cobra Speedzone fairway wood carries on the torch of lightweight design with hollow baffler rails.
While not as light as the Airspeed, the Speedzone fairway wood is still forgiving and features an upgraded CNC milled face.
Cobra Airspeed Selling Points
- Carbon fiber crown
- Heel weighting
- Pronounced offset
- Cobra Airspeed 45/50 shaft
Who is the Cobra Airspeed for?
The Cobra Airspeed fairway wood would be a great fit for mid to high handicap players. The shallower face allows for better launch conditions; just be prepared to really concentrate on your accuracy. The Cobra Airspeed fairway wood would also be a great choice for senior players or anyone who has taken a hiatus from golf and is trying to pick it up again.
Distance: 94/100
Feel & Control: 91/100
Accuracy: 92/100
Forgiveness: 92/100
Overall Score: 93/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Taylormade M2 3 Wood – Best Of All Time
The Taylormade M2 is one of the best fairway woods of all time. It is long, easy to launch and very consistent.
Since the club has been around so long, it is available at a great price and whilst not the most forgiving on our list, this is going to be great for high handicappers looking for maximum distance.
In 20 Words Or Less
The Taylormade M2 is still a great value as it imparts easy launch and considerable distance to any player.
Taylormade M2 Fairway Wood – First Impressions
Right from the gate, the Taylormade M2 was easy to hit for all of our testers. It’s lightweight, helped with swing speed and provided immediate distance boosts across the board.
It seemed like all of our testers fell in love with the Taylormade M2 fairway wood all over again. The Taylormade M2 fairway wood is a simple, no-nonsense club that, despite the lack of bells and whistles, simply works.
If you are looking for a fairway wood (at a great price might we add) that will improve your launch angles and total distance from the deck, the Taylormade M2 fairway wood would be a great choice.
Taylormade M Fairway Wood Family
If you are looking for more or less the same kind of performance features as the Taylormade M2 fairway wood but in a more versatile package, the Taylormade M3 fairway wood deserves your attention.
It has a couple of the same key features as the Taylormade M2 like the Speed Pocket and carbon crown; but with the addition of a 29 gram sliding weight and an adjustable hosel.
Taylormade M2 Selling Points
- Geocoustic sound engineering
- 6-layer composite carbon crown
- Inverted cone technology
- Fluted hosel
Who is the Taylormade M2 Fairway Wood for?
After retesting this fairway wood, we must say first and foremost that the Taylormade M2 would be best for players who are looking for the purest combination of high launch and distance. While it’s not the most forgiving Taylormade fairway wood overall (a deeper face profile would have been a good addition) it’s as pure a game-improvement fairway wood as you’re going to find.
Distance: 95/100
Feel & Control: 90/100
Accuracy: 92/100
Forgiveness: 93/100
Overall Score: 93/100
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Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo 3 Wood – Easiest To Hit
A ridiculously large sweet spot back up by an aerodynamic head with a low and deep COG.
This club offers easy distance with plenty of consistency and an easy launch to boot.
Also available in Draw bias model, expect a ton of distance and Forgiveness from the Cleveland Launcher.
In 20 Words Or Less
A very unique fairway wood that will provide instant increases in swing speed and launch.
Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Fairway Wood – First Impressions
The first thing we noticed about this club was how good it looks.
The Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo has the look of a premium club without the premium price tag. Even the sole looks sophisticated with a “multi-step” design. The design isn’t just around to look nice either.
The terraced sole helps with tuf interaction. While not the best in the rough, the Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo fairway wood has a nice, smooth feel off the deck and in most normal lies.
The Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo fairway wood is also surprisingly lightweight. It also has a fixed hosel and the crown is made of a very thin, lite metal. This is part of what helped most of our testers increase their swing speed with a 3 wood.
The Cleveland Fairway Wood Family
If you’re looking for an even smoother sweep off the deck, you should check out the Cleveland XL Halo fairway wood. The first thing you’ll notice about the XL Halo is the head size.
It has a nice, big, beefy footprint so right off the bat, it’s plenty forgiving. The rear weighting and high MOI is also perfect for beginners and high handicappers.
But where the XL Halo really shines is in difficult lies. Even in hardpan lies, the XL Halo seems to smooth out your swing and launch the ball high.
Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Selling Points
- Variable face thickness
- HiBor crown
- Counter-balance shaft
- Light hosel
Who is the Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Fairway Wood for?
The Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo would be great for any player who is looking for a versatile fairway wood that will deliver in a wide variety of lies. It’s also really great at correcting a rightward miss.
Distance: 96/100
Feel & Control: 94/100
Accuracy: 92/100
Forgiveness: 94/100
Overall Score: 93/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Callaway Mavrik Max 3 Wood
While the original mavrik is more suited to mid handicappers the Mavrik Max is an excellent option to consider for High Handicappers.
With a bigger head, higher launch and more forgiveness than the Mavrik, the Max cuts the turf with easy to offer long, high and straight shots consistenty on the course.
In 20 Words Or Less
This fairway wood is truly a maverick, incredible distance and forgiveness.
Callaway Mavrik First Impressions
When we heard about the technology being put into this fairway wood, we knew it was going to be something special.
From our first few shots we could see that the ball speed off the face was phenomenal. They were some of the fastest ball speeds we have seen.
It is clear that Jailbreak technology was working wonders. The unique sole design also made a huge difference, we noticed even miss struck shots still launch how you would expect them to off the center of the face.
The look and sounds can’t go unmentioned, from the top the Mavrik looks great, the small head shape actually gave us confidence when standing over it. The sound on every strike was incredible, there is no way to describe it, it just sounded like it was going far.
Our only downside is that it is not adjustable, we feel every metal wood should be adjustable. Why not? It gives you the ability to dial in your spin, launch characteristics and get the club sitting exactly how you would like it.
Callaway Mavrik Fairway Selling Points
- Jailbreak technology gives you fast ball speeds
- It is designed by an A.I machine
- Comes in two other models
- Unbelievable sound and feel
Who Is The Callaway Mavrik Fairway For
The Callaway Mavrik is aimed towards the mid handicap golfer, it is placed so much in the middle that you might even find some low or high handicap players liking it.
With all Callaways top technology in the Mavrik, the ball speeds and forgiveness are going to be at the top of their class.
Not being adjustable might be the only off putting factor for some.
Distance: 96/100
Feel & Control: 93/100
Accuracy: 94/100
Forgiveness: 93/100
Overall Score: 94/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Cobra Radspeed XB 3 Wood
Another classic from Cobra has been the 2021 Radspeed model which has a ton of adjustablity to suit any players game while offering excellent performance for High Handicappers.
If you need a reliable, long and forgiving 3 wood in your bag, this is going to be an excellent option and its available for a better price than some of it’s competitors too.
In 20 Words Or Less
Extremely forgiving, the look and sound is amazing. Definitely recommended if you are on a tighter budget.
Cobra Radspeed Fairway First Impressions
Similar to the LTDx we weren’t blown away by the initial looks, however when you put the club behind the ball, everything sets up really nicely.
Ball speed and forgiveness were definitely there, and low struck shots seemed to still launch high, with very little ball speed being lost.
The CNC milled infinity face was a bit off putting, as we couldn’t visually see where the face and crown joined, it was just a bit off putting.
We really enjoyed the hollow rails, we felt it helped tremendously with turf interaction, 90% of the time the club glided through the turf with ease.
Cobra Radspeed Fairway Selling Points
- Low price point compared to competitors
- CNC milled infinity face
- Front biased radial weighting system
- Hollow rails for better turf interaction
Who is the Cobra Radspeed Fairway for?
The standard Rapspeed model is best suited towards your mid to low handicap golfer, if you are a high handicapper that is improving quickly, you could also consider this model as it has loads of forgiveness built into it.
Because the LTDx model has just been launched, you will be able to pick up the Radspeed for a great price, and let’s be honest, this is a great club.
Ball speed, distance and forgiveness were all up from previous models.
Distance: 95/100
Feel & Control: 92/100
Accuracy: 94/100
Forgiveness: 94/100
Overall Score: 94/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Aidan Lehane here, I’m a Mid-low handicap golfer who has made tremendous progress in breaking 90 in just over 1 year of playing golf seriously.
I get out to the course or range as often as possible and review all the equipment I’ve come across on this blog.
