A high handicapper can have difficulty with long fairway shots. Unfortunately, high handicappers are often faced with quite a few long fairway shots. Sometimes a 3 wood can be a challenging club to hit from the fairway; however, there are some options on the market that are quite fair and actually make the game easier.
If you are a higher handicapper and looking for both forgiveness and distance in your next 3 wood, we have the best choices that 2021 offers. It’s a good time to be looking for woods for high handicappers!
Best 3 woods for a high handicap
Callaway Golf Mavrik Fairway Wood
Best overall
The best 3 wood for high handicappers is the Callaway Mavrik Fairway Wood. This newer release from Callaway features the Flash Face technology, an impressive leading edge, and some adjustability in the clubhead.
The Rogue fairway woods for high handicappers were good, but they lacked the sound and feel of the Mavrik. When you hit this club, it feels great; the center of gravity is low and centered, so you get a great launch, and the sweet spot is huge.
There is a Mavrik Max Fairway Wood that has some draw bias, but with the adjustability of the standard Mavrik and the positive results this club will have for your game, high handicappers can use the standard Max fairway wood.
Pros
- Low center of gravity
- High ball flight
- Great feel for a game improvement golf club
- Still features jailbreak technology
Cons
- The clubhead is a bit large and takes some time to get used to
Cleveland Golf Launcher HB Turbo Fairway Wood
Best Value
The Cleveland Launch HB Turbo is offered at a very fair price for the higher handicapper. The Cleveland HB Turbo has a brand new turbocharged cup face that allows for incredible ball speed and a higher ball flight than we saw in the Cleveland Launcher original models.
Our favorite thing about the Cleveland Golf Launcher HB Turbo is the fact that it is such a simple club to use. There is no adjustability, the clubhead is large and clean looking, and there is a low center of gravity.
High handicappers won’t have to think much; they can simply get up and swing this club from the fairway or the tee box.
Pros
- Very fair price
- Smart choice for beginners and high handicappers on a budget
- Great even for a slower swing speed
- Huge sweet spot
Cons
- Lightweight because of the non-adjustable hosel, could be too lightweight for some players
TaylorMade SiM 2 Max Draw Fairway
Best Premium
The TaylorMade SIM Max clubs have been on the market for a few years now. These fairway woods were the best of the best fairway woods that TaylorMade has ever put out. High handicappers are lucky that they have now created the SIM 2 Max fairway that improves the technology even more.
The TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Dis the best SIM 2 fairway wood for the higher handicapper. This is the draw model that will help players reduce the number of slices that they are hitting. If you tend to hit the ball with too much left to right spin, the SIM 2 Max could help to fix the situation.
With a new C300 Steel Face, the Speed Pocket, and Twist Face technology, this is a premium option but one of the best fairway wood choices on the market. Even when you break into the mid handicap range, the SIM 2 Max will still be a smart club choice.
Pros
- Draw bias club head
- Very large sweet spot
- Built for a variety of swing speed players
- Some of the highest ball speeds in golf
Cons
- Pricing is a bit higher than some other options on the market
Callaway Golf 2021 Epic Max Fairway Wood
If you have been around the game of golf for some time, you probably remember the Callaway Epic fairway woods that were released a few years ago. There were options for all handicap golfers, but it seemed as though the lower handicap players benefited the most from them.
Today the brand new Epic Max Fairway is showing high handicappers that high clubhead speed and low spin are attainable regardless of your handicap. The brand new model was created with the new AI Velocity blades. This is essentially a way of getting players more center hits and a lot more distance.
The launch and spin of the Epic Max are adjustable, which will help high handicap golfers that are transitioning into lower handicaps.
Pros
- Oversize head and a shallow face
- Packed with forgiveness and distance technology
- Will help even the slower swing speed player get better turf interaction and higher launch
Cons
- Brand new release, one of the more expensive golf clubs on the market
Cobra Golf 2020 Men’s Speedzone Fairway
The Cobra fairway woods are always known to be some of the more forgiving fairway woods on the market. With the Cobra in your hand, you can get plenty of distance and lots of adjustability. If you like to keep your 3 wood shots low or instead want to launch the ball, the Speedzone allows you both those options.
Our favorite feature of the Speedzone is the Hollow Split Rails on the bottom of the club. The split rails created a higher launch and a 70% larger sweet spot. Essentially the club becomes easier to hit out of any lie. It really does not matter if you are in the rough or on the fairway; the Speedzone is a great club to hit.
Pros
- Adjustable loft options
- High launch
- Easy to hit fairway woods from any lie or condition
- Carbon crown for a lighter feel
Cons
- Not quite as high in ball speed as a TaylorMade SIM fairway wood
Tour Edge Hot Launch C521 Fairway Woods
Tour Edge is a great choice for high handicappers that are on a budget. This could be the right fairway wood for you if you are looking for low spin, minimal offset, and a very high moment of inertia. Tour Edge golf clubs are known to be easier to hit and to have plenty of distance.
The new Hot Launch C521 is a release that greatly improved on the feel and the look of the original Tour Edge HL4 fairway woods of last year. With this club in your hand, getting the ball in the air should no longer be an issue.
Pros
- Great distance from a variety of locations
- Extreme forgiveness
- Clubs built specifically for the high handicap golfer
Cons
- Does not have the same ball speeds as something like a Callaway 3 wood would have
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Fairway
The Callaway Big Bertha B21 3 Wood is designed to be the easiest to launch fairway wood of the entire Callaway lineup. If you are a player that tends to struggle with getting your 3 wood off the ground, the B21 is a great choice.
A 3 wood has some of the lowest lofts in your bag. Ensuring that you can get the ball up off the ground is an essential part of becoming a great golfer. The Callaway Big Bertha B21 fairway woods are easy to hit, and they feature an oversized Big Bertha shape.
If you loved the original Big Bertha forgiving fairway wood from years ago, chances are you will enjoy this club and all that it has to offer. With the B21, you will get offset technology that helps to straighten out shots that are going a bit too far to the right.
Pros
- Lightweight golf shaft
- Provides plenty of distance
- Built specifically for higher handicap golfers
Cons
- Not a great choice for the golfer that hooks or draws the ball
Cobra F Max 2020 Airspeed Fairway 3W
Like most golf companies, Cobra puts out a few different types of clubs. Some of their models are players clubs, others are game improvement, and you get to the super game improvement types of golf clubs. The Cobra Airspeed Fairway will be the most forgiving of the Cobra line; anytime you notice the F Max name used on the club, you will know you are getting forgiveness.
The Airspeed is one of the top fairway woods for seniors because it has such a lightweight design. Between the carbon crown and the lightweight shaft and grip, the slower swing speed golfers can get the speed that they need on their shots.
Pros
- Very easy to swing
- Promotes longer distance because of lightweight feel
- One of the best fairway woods for seniors, beginner, and high handicappers
Cons
- Although forgiveness is high, the MOI is not quite as good as some other fairway woods for high handicappers
And The Winner Is . . .
We provided you with all the information you could ever want about the best 3 wood for a high handicapper. In the end, the Callaway Mavrik Fairway Wood comes up as the overall best choice. Since this club is now one year old, you can get it for a great price, the shaft is of premium quality, and the club head has unique and impressive technology in place. Perhaps our favorite thing about the Callaway Mavrik 3 wood is that it is going to stay in your bag even when you move from the high handicapper to mid handicapper category. The club is just high performing, fast, and it feels great all at the same time.
Buyers Guide
Now that you have the best fairway woods on the market for the high handicapper, it’s time to break down the ones that are going to be best for your game. Each of these fairway woods has some positive features for a fairway wood for beginners; however, there are certain factors you should keep in mind when you are buying.
Shaft
High handicappers and beginners need to try and get an approximate idea of what their swing speed is. If you know you are a fast swinger, you can purchase a golf shaft that is stiff so that you will get the most distance and control out of your shots.
If you are a slower swinger, then a regular or senior shaft will make more sense. If you are playing with the wrong shaft, you won’t get a high launch or the distance that you want with your shots.
Loft and Adjustability
The loft of the 3 wood is quite important; a typical 3 wood is around 15 degrees. However, some of the best 3 woods for the high handicapper will have a slightly higher loft. The extra loft will allow players to hit the ball a little higher and get the extra distance they need.
If you are not sure which loft is best for your golf game, getting a club with adjustability is the smart choice. Usually, you will be able to adjust the loft by a few degrees and dial it into a perfect amount for your game.
Offset/Draw Bias
A fairway wood that is offset or draw bias will be the best choice for a golfer that tends to slice the ball or hit it a bit to the right. If you don’t hit the ball right when you play, don’t worry about adding this feature into the club that you play.
Draw bias and offset can be a great thing, but it is not necessary if you hit the ball straight, to begin with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the questions that we get asked the most about the best 3 woods on the market for high handicappers
Should High Handicappers Use A 3 Wood?
As long as a high handicapper is using a 3 wood with the proper specifications, then it is acceptable to use. In addition, high handicappers should understand that hitting a 3 wood from thick rough is a terrible idea. Save the 3 wood for when you have a great lie, or you need an alternative to a driver off the tee.
Should I Replace My Driver With A 3 Wood?
Many golfers replace their driver with a 3 wood so that they can get a bit more accuracy. The accuracy is helpful, and it helps to lower stress on tee shots; however, it is not a perfect solution. The 3 wood will not go as far as the driver, and therefore you will be leaving a few yards on the table.
Is A 3 Wood Used From The Tee or The Fairway?
The great thing about a 3 wood is that you can use it from the fairway and the tee box. If you are playing a shorter par 4 and don’t quite need the driver, the 3 wood is a smart club to take out of the bag. In addition, the 3 wood is also great from a very clean fairway lie. The only area that we would not recommend hitting the 3 wood is from the rough. The 3 wood does not have enough loft to get the ball up in the air.
If you enjoyed this review by PG Golf Links, be sure to check out our other recent reviews that we have completed for high handicap golfers including Drivers, wedges and Irons, as well as some very forgiving Golf Balls for high handicappers.
