2014 Hot List: Fairway Woods

Look! There's more innovation than everRelated: Fairway Woods Pt. 1

ADAMS TIGHT LIES/TIGHT LIES TOUR

STREET PRICE: $200/$230LOFTS: 14, 16, 19, 22 for Tight Lies (shown); 14.5, 18 for Tight Lies TourTECH TALK: Slots in the crown and sole have a new cut-through design. This increases deflection all over the face, allowing for more ball speed and increased launch angle. The standard version has a shallower face height than the Tour version, which is more compact from heel to toe and front to back and launches lower with less spin.PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "The power in this club creeps up on you. Even mis-hits are straight and much longer than I deserve."M: "I like the compact look, despite the slot. It sits tight and flush to the ground."HOT: The lower-profile head is part of Adams' quest to make woods playable off the turf. You have to appreciate that.NOT: Why make the crown slot bigger than it already was?INFO: adamsgolf.com

CALLAWAY BIG BERTHA

STREET PRICE: $269.99LOFTS: 15, 18, 21 (adjustable)TECH TALK: Faster, more consistent ball speed across the face is the goal of this redesigned Big Bertha fairway wood. The high-strength Carpenter 455 steel cupface goes through a five-step forging process to make it thinner. The result is more springlike effect. The crown is also thinner than last year's RAZR Fit Xtreme to produce a lower center of gravity (CG).PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "It has a mature look that harkens back to the Bertha heyday."M: "You don't even have to make a perfect swing to get a perfect result."HOT: The hosel allows for independent loft and lie adjustability, one of just two fairway woods that offer that.NOT: The price. This is the most expensive Callaway fairway wood ever included in a Hot List.INFO: callawaygolf.com

CALLAWAY X2 HOT/X2 HOT PRO/X2 HOT DEEP

STREET PRICE: $240LOFTS: 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 for X2 Hot (shown); 13.5, 15, 17, 19 for X2 Hot Pro; 12.5, 14.5, 18.5 for X2 Hot DeepTECH TALK: To increase ball speed, the X2 Hot's Carpenter 455 cupface is thinner and lighter than last year's X Hot. The saved weight is used to lower the CG and move it forward for more consistent launch conditions. A 63-gram wave-shape piece has been positioned inside the head and closer to the face than the X Hot.PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "You can really go after it without fear because this fairway wood consistently produces great results."M: "The simplicity of the design belies the explosive feel you get."HOT: With the thin cupface design, Callaway is incorporating more driver-like face properties into a fairway wood.NOT: X Hot's red was fierce looking; X2 Hot's orange is weaker.INFO: callawaygolf.com

COBRA BIO CELL/BIO CELL +

STREET PRICE: $220LOFTS (adjustable): 3-4 wood (from 13 to 16 degrees); 5-7 wood (from 17 to 20 degrees)TECH TALK: Built to launch the ball higher with less spin than last year's AMP Cell, it features a crown designed in a lightweight, web-like structure. This allowed engineers to reposition the weight lower and back for easier launch. The forged, high-strength 455 steel face insert is designed to flex at impact for greater ball speed.PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "The head is compact but not too small. It frames the ball perfectly."M: "The sound at impact is incredible: It's like you didn't leave anything in the bag."HOT: The adjustable hosel allows for eight loft settings, and the unique sole geometry lets the face angle stay square at address regardless of the loft.NOT: The 43-inch shaft on the 5-7 wood will challenge some.INFO: cobragolf.com

PING G25

STREET PRICE: $230LOFTS: 15, 16.5, 18, 21TECH TALK: An external sole weight helps push the CG lower and farther back for high launch and more forgiveness on off-center shots. Also, the thin clubface—the thinnest ever for a Ping fairway wood—is thicker in the center and thinner toward the perimeter, which improves energy transfer at impact and increases ball speed.PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "It's so easy to hit. You don't have to grunt and groan to get the result you want."M: "This is very much the Dark Knight to me; this is Batman's 3-wood. Generating power is effortless."HOT: The stability of this fairway wood offers a feeling of security that the club will never let you down.NOT: The head looks a bit large, especially among today's collection of more compact fairway woods.INFO: ping.com

PING I25

STREET PRICE: $250LOFTS: 14, 15, 18TECH TALK: The racing stripes on the crown are designed to help you align the face during the setup and start of the takeaway. The CG is more forward in the i25 than in the G25, which promotes a lower launch. The face is thin around the perimeter to help generate higher ball speed. The hosel allows for a loft change of plus or minus half a degree.PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "This club hits straight bullets. There isn't a lot of movement; just a piercing flight with exceptional rollout."M: "There's a nice assertive sound at impact, and there's power without any odd feedback."HOT: Traditionally limited to better players, this fairway wood is more playable than previous i-series woods.NOT: Even with adjustability, there's probably demand for one more loft on the high side.INFO: ping.com

TAYLORMADE JETSPEED

STREET PRICE: $230LOFTS: 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 (adjustable)TECH TALK: The redesigned sole slot is smaller than it was in the RocketBallz fairway woods and is filled with polymer designed to allow the face to flex but keep debris out. The weight saved is redistributed within the clubhead to move the CG lower and more forward, which helps reduce spin and increase ball speed.PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "Flies long, high and straight. It's probably the longest club yet. The ball just sails."M: "The ball flies in a hurry. Even with the 17-degree, there was a nice boring trajectory to my shots."HOT: With a shallower face—the height from sole to crown is 36 millimeters—it's refreshing to see a fairway wood that's designed to be playable off the turf.NOT: Some of the extra-long shaft lengths seem less playable.INFO: taylormadegolf.com

TAYLORMADE SLDR/SLDR TP

STREET PRICE: $250/$350LOFTS: 14, 15, 17, 19, 21 (adjustable)TECH TALK: To reduce spin and increase ball speed, the CG is lower and more forward than any other adjustable TaylorMade fairway wood ever made, and the slot is redesigned to allow the face to flex more on contact, particularly when hit lower on the clubface. The adjustable hosel, which is one of the lightest in the industry at less than seven grams, allows you to change the loft up to 1½ degrees higher (or lower).PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "Here's a tour-like wood with the ability to hit a number of shots. A no-nonsense club that works."M: "You might think this club is only for better players, but the sweet spot is surprisingly large."HOT: The compact head shape makes this club workable, and the loft options satisfy a range of players.NOT: Does a fairway wood need this much adjustability?INFO: taylormadegolf.com

TITLEIST 913F/913F.d

STREET PRICE: $250LOFTS (adjustable): 13.5, 15, 17, 19, 21 for 913F (shown); 13.5, 15, 18 for 913F.dTECH TALK: Weight saved from making a thin crown and shallow sole profile helps push the CG lower for less spin compared to the 910 fairway line. The 913F is a more compact pear shape (157 cubic centimeters), and the 913F.d is more of a full pear shape with a deep face (188cc). There are five stock shafts—ranging from 48 to 86 grams—and a hosel that allows for independent loft and lie adjustment.PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "The sound is a beautiful thwack that makes me feel like I'm in control."M: "This is the ninja of fairway woods: quiet and deadly effective."HOT: A full-service fairway-wood line that is easier to hit than you ever thought a Titleist club could be.NOT: The adjustable hosel causes some overlap in lofts.INFO: titleist.com

TOUR EDGE EXOTICS XCG7

STREET PRICE: $250/$300LOFTS: 13, 15, 16.5, 18, 21 for XCG7 (shown); 11.5, 13, 15, 16.5, 18 for XCG7 BetaTECH TALK: The XCG7 features a low-profile clubhead and a forged 465 maraging-steel cupface. The four weight pads in the sole are at the extreme perimeter to increase off-center-hit stability. The sole pads on the Beta are more forward for a penetrating trajectory, and the more compact head features a deeper, forged beta-titanium cupface.PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "Big points for just building an aesthetically pleasing club without a lot of glitz."M: "Every shot felt powerful, like hitting the ball with a sledgehammer."HOT: The Exotics line rarely disappoints for inventive materials and hot-face technology.NOT: We're pretty sure all the golfers who need an 11.5-degree fairway wood are getting paid to play it.INFO: touredge.com

ADAMS XTD-TI

STREET PRICE: $300LOFTS: 13, 15, 18 (adjustable)TECH TALK: A lightweight titanium face, crown and hosel are brazed to a heavier steel sole with tungsten weights for a lower CG. There are slots in the crown and sole that are designed with a cut-through opening on the slot's front wall to improve the way the face flexes. A 12-position adjustable hosel allows you to change the face angle and loft by up to 1.5 degrees. Plus, it can alter the lie angle by 3 degrees.PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "The sound is muted and doesn't match the club's crazy power."M: "I'm getting used to the slots. They don't distract me anymore."HOT: This is Adams' first fairway wood with progressive face thickness—a smart strategy for equalizing ball speed across a design that already is breaking new ground technologically.NOT: For better players only: Just one loft is above 15 degrees.INFO: adamsgolf.com

CLEVELAND 588 FAIRWAY

STREET PRICE: $200LOFTS: 14, 15.5, 18, 20.5TECH TALK: The idea here is to promote clubhead speed through a lighter total weight (just 300 grams) and to enhance forgiveness through a deeper CG location. The head's thin crown (half a millimeter) and external, rear sole weight yield a higher stability on off-center hits. This sole weight also helps increase the launch angle, and a lightweight 52-gram shaft is designed to improve clubhead speed.PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "A little bigger than others, but impact was dynamic—the ball really jumped off the face."M: "One of the cleanest-looking woods I've tested."HOT: The package is simpler than most but still effective, enhanced especially by its use of a lightweight grip and shaft.NOT: A 43-inch 5-wood makes it a little more difficult to take advantage of all that forgiveness.INFO: clevelandgolf.com

NIKE VRS COVERT 2.0/COVERT 2.0 TOUR

STREET PRICE: $200/$250LOFTS: 15, 19 degrees for Covert 2.0 (shown); adjustable 3-wood (13 to 17 degrees) and 5-wood (17-21 degrees) for Covert Tour 2.0TECH TALK: The biggest difference this year is the reshaped head. The crown slope is lower, which pushes the CG 2.5 millimeters farther down to reduce spin. The face is thickest in the center and gets thinner toward the perimeter for improved off-center ball speed, and the cavity in the sole redistributes weight to the perimeter for more stability.PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "I like the heft of it. It just feels like you'll blast the ball down the fairway."M: "The cherry red is so much fun. The non-Tour model feels like a mini-driver."HOT: A simpler shape makes these both more playable, and we like the 10 lofts in the adjustable version.NOT: The less-expensive Covert has too few lofts.INFO: nikegolf.com

TOUR EDGE EXOTICS CB PRO LIMITED EDITION

STREET PRICE: $500LOFTS: 13.5, 14.5, 15.5, 16.5, 17.5TECH TALK: A thin, multi-thickness titanium cupface is brazed onto the heavier steel body without welds, which saves weight that is redistributed to the sole for a lower CG. Also, the sole of this fairway wood has ribbons of wave-like structures that reduce the amount of surface area where the club makes contact with the ground.PLAYER COMMENTS:L: "The glossy-black head with the white shaft makes you focus."..."Here's a club that delivers major distance."M: "I don't know what their sales pitch is on that sole, but it sure does glide. The white lines on the face give you the appearance you're looking at some loft."HOT: Year after year, Tour Edge finds impressive ways to combine the strengths of titanium and steel in a single club.NOT: Not the most forgiving, including on your wallet.INFO: touredge.com

SEARCH & COMPARE

Search and compare prices, ratings, and more on these clubs.