Best Fairway Wood Golf Club Heads of 2026

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is a 3 wood head bigger than a 5 wood?

LENGTH. The higher the golf club number, the shorter the club shaft length. A 3 wood is the longest fairway wood (usually 43”-42”), the 5 wood (42”-41”) and the 7 wood (41”-40”), although length will vary depending on the manufacturer.

2. What does a 7 fairway wood replace?

A 7-wood has a larger head than hybrids, 3-woods, and 5-woods. With this size comes a larger amount of forgiveness, making it an ideal replacement for low irons (2, 3, or 4) and other woods. In terms of loft, a 7-wood is comparable to a 3 iron, typically featuring 21-22 degrees.

3. What fairway woods replace what irons?

The larger club head of a fairway wood compared to an iron makes it easier to achieve more distance without over-swinging. As a rough rule of thumb, a 4 wood would replace a 2-iron, a 5 wood the 3-iron, a 7 wood the 4-iron and a 9 wood the 5 iron.

4. When did they stop making wooden head golf clubs?

In the mid-20th century, both the USGA and the R&A ruled that golf clubs with steel shafts could be used in tournaments. While steel was used for club shafts, wooden heads were the norm for drivers and fairway woods until the 1970s.