A 3 wood is an essential club to keep in your golf bag. Some golfers choose to put the driver away entirely and use the 3 wood from the tee and from the fairway. Certainly, a 3 wood is a more versatile club than the driver. With all the choices for 3 woods on the market it can be difficult to choose one that is perfect for your game. Luckily we have done that work for you! Here are five of the best 3 woods on the market.
Our Best Most Forgiving 3 Woods in 2021
- Callaway Mavrik (Best Overall 3 Wood)“The Callaway Mavrik Fairways are a major improvement from the Rogue fairways of last year. The clubface has been redesigned, the look has been overhauled, and the sound and feel could be better than any Callaway 3 wood that has ever been released.”
- Callaway Big Bertha 21 (Most Forgiving 3 Wood)
- TaylorMade SIM Max (Best 3 Wood For Distance)
- Cleveland Turbo Launcher (Best 3 Wood For Senior)
- Cobra Speedzone (Best Adjustable 3 Wood)
Table of Contents
Best Most Forgiving 3-Woods
Callaway Mavrik
Best Overall
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KEY FEATURES
- Great for a variety of swing speeds
- Low center of gravity
- Easy to hit face
- Available in Mavrik Max for more forgiveness
- Carbon crown
- Large sweet spot
- Club head itself is rather large; takes a bit to get used to
The Callaway Mavrik 3 wood is the best overall on the market. This Callaway Mavrik fairway wood stands out from the crowd for a number of very important reasons. The first and most significant upgrade in these Mavrik fairway woods is the Jailbreak, FaceCup, and Flash Face technology, all combining.
Although this technology may sound like a bunch of acronyms that will not apply to the average golfer, there is some significant technology here that is worth understanding. The face on the Callaway 3 woods is one of the best feeling and hottest on the market.
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It really does not matter if you are a low handicapper player or a high handicapper; this fairway wood can work for you. The progressive leading edge helps golfers get a high launch and very fast ball speed.
Callaway used artificial intelligence when creating this 3 wood, and the result is a very impressive 3 wood that will go down as one of the best Callaway has ever created. In addition to being offered in the 3 wood loft, you can also purchase the slightly stronger 3+ wood.
Callaway Big Bertha 21
Most Forgiving 3 Wood
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KEY FEATURES
- Great for higher handicappers
- Lots of offset to help hit the ball straighter
- Great ball speed
- Lower profile face for good turf interaction
- Not the best feel for better players
The Callaway Big Bertha 21 is one of the newest 3 wood models on the market. The Callaway Big Bertha 21 is one of the best 3 woods ever released for forgiveness.
As great as a 3 wood can be for your game, it can be equally as difficult to hit. Unfortunately, if you are not great with a shot from the fairway, the 3 wood can be really difficult to hit. Choosing something slightly offset with a low center of gravity can be very important for the players who need forgiveness in their 3 wood.
Higher handicappers will love everything about the new Big Bertha 21 forgiving 3 wood. The B21 3 wood features the Flash Face and Jailbreak technology. This means that you will get lots of distance off the clubface combined with a very high launch.
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The most significant difference you will notice between the B21 3 wood and the Mavrik is the level of forgiveness. Although the Mavrik is a forgiving fairway wood, the B21 offers even more forgiveness.
Lower handicap golfers will not love the feel on the B21 as it can be a little challenging to work the ball left and right. The clubface does such a good job of correcting that it can be hard to control the ball and get the trajectory and ball flight to be what you need it to be.
TaylorMade SIM Max
Best 3 Wood For Distance
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KEY FEATURES
- V Steel Sole
- Low center of gravity
- Twist Face technology
- Low spin off the tee
- Titanium face in the SIM standard is a little better from a feel standpoint
If your 3 wood is your get the ball to the green on a par 5 club, you will want the TaylorMade Sim Max in your bag. If you like to hit long approach shots to the green, the SIM will do the trick.
The V Steel technology has been a top seller for TaylorMade in the past, and they brought it back in the Sim Fairway. With the V Steel sole, you are going to get much better turf interaction than you have in the past with the SIM Max fairway.
The best thing about this club is going to be the distance. TaylorMade is constantly on a path to have the highest ball speed of any club on the market. These fairway woods offer golfers some of the fastest speeds out there. The ball comes off the face fast, and it feels easy.
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The SIM Max has a C300 steel face that also helps add distance from the fairway and the tee. If you are a golfer that needs both distance and forgiveness, the SIM fairway has you covered with the Twist Face technology.
Overall this was one of the best fairway woods that TaylorMade has ever put out, and it works for a wide range of golfers.
Cleveland Turbo Launcher
Best 3 Wood For Senior
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KEY FEATURES
- Great for a wide range of handicappers
- Helps with a slower swing speed
- Great alternative to a driver
- Higher launch than other 3 woods
- Not the best choice for distance
The Cleveland Turbo Launcher has a low center of gravity and lots of great attributes that will help the lower swing speed golfer get the performance that they need.
Fairway woods are a very important golf club for seniors. Most seniors are not able to get the same distance that they could in the past. The drive that a senior hits will likely not roll as far down the fairway as it did in the past. This leaves seniors with a much longer approach shot into the green. The 3 wood becomes one of the most important clubs in the bag.
The Cleveland Turbo Launcher is one of the best 3 woods for seniors because of the forgiveness and ability to launch the ball. Trying to get the ball in the air from the fairway with a 3 wood can be difficult. The Cleveland Turbo Launcher has lots of launch and a low center of gravity.
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This Cleveland Turbo Launcher is built for mid to high handicappers, and it is very fairly priced. The Hibore Crown that has made Cleveland so successful in the last few years is included with this Turbo Launcher 3 wood. The HiBore makes the Launcher feel more like a hybrid and fairway wood mixed together and allows for extra loft and low spin.
Cobra Speedzone
Best Adjustable 3 Wood
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KEY FEATURES
- Adjustability
- Long distance
- Easy to hit, even out of the rough
- Great for better players and higher handicappers
- Large sweet spot
- Cobra connect technology
- Adjustability can be a lot to figure out in the beginning
Adjustability in a 3 wood can be very valuable. When a fairway wood is adjustable, it can go from a strong to a weak 3 wood in a matter of seconds. The Cobra King Speedzone is long, forgiving and works for low to high handicap players.
One of the best things about the Cobra Speedzone is the dual baffler rials that Cobra has perfected on their fairways for the last few years. These rails help golfers get the ball off the fairway and out of the rough as well.
One of the things that golfers will notice about 3 woods is that they are challenging to hit out of the rough. Luckily with the technology on the Speedzone, hitting the ball out of the rough is possible.
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You can set the adjustability on your fairway wood to give you a higher launch and straighter ball flight as well. If you happen to slice or hook the golf ball, you can set the weights accordingly to help straighten out your ball flight. Cobra always makes a fairly priced fairway wood that will appeal to a wide range of players. This is definitely one of the best 3 woods for adjustability that golf has ever seen.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Choosing a good 3 wood can be difficult; some golfers are not even sure if a 3 wood is a good club to keep in the bag. We will cover some helpful information all golfers should know about.
Is It Better To Have A 3 or 5 Wood?
If you only have room for one fairway wood in your bag, you have a hard time choosing between a 3 wood and 5 wood. The best possible option is to select something adjustable that can be set almost like a 4 wood. When you do this, you will get the best fit for your game and a great financial deal as well. Having to buy one club as opposed to two will save a lot of money.
Another thing to consider when choosing between 3 woods and 5 woods is the type of performance that you are looking for in your game. If you are searching for distance off the tee then the 3 wood will be a better choice. The 3 wood even works as an excellent alternative for a driver.
The 5 wood is perfect for the golfer that needs another approach shot option to the green. If you play a course with a lot of long par 4’s, the 5 wood is a better choice. Naturally, a 5 wood has higher loft, so it will land softer on the green.
Why Are 3 Woods So Difficult To Hit?
The more loft a golf club has, typically the more forgiving than it is. Loft helps a golf ball get up into the air, and therefore, the misses are usually a bit less severe than they can be with other clubs.
The 3 wood has very little loft, just a few degrees more than a driver. Even the best 3 woods will have around 15 degrees of loft. Many drivers will have 10 or 11 degrees. However, the difference is that with a driver, you can hit the ball off a tee. With a 3 wood or any fairway wood from the fairway, you will have to hit the ball from the turf.
Unfortunately hitting from the grass can take quite a bit of club head speed and a perfect impact position. If a player hits slightly behind a fairway wood, it is not going to go nearly as far as it should. You will need to be precise about how you hit them, and that is what makes the 3 wood so difficult to hit.
For a high handicap player, the best 3 wood may be something that is offset and has a lot of loft. This will likely be the only way to establish some consistency.
Can You Hit 3 Woods Out of The Rough?
When your driver puts you in a position that is very far from the hole but in the rough, you may be considering using a 3 wood to get out. The 3 wood can give you lots of distance, so it sometimes feels as though it is the obvious choice.
The problem is that the way a 3 wood performs out of the rough is not ideal. Unless you have a perfect lie, it is not worth using a club with low loft to hit out of a difficult lie. Chances are the thick grass will grab the club and potentially turn it as you swing through.
Chances are hitting a fairway wood out of the rough is going to put a player in a worse position than they started. Sometimes it is worth taking something like a 7 iron and just advancing the ball down the fairway.
Should I Replace My Driver With A 3 Wood?
If you are continually hitting your driver all over the golf course, it can make sense to switch to a 3 wood. The best fairway woods offer quite a bit more forgiveness than a driver. Although you may give up a few yards of distance, you will gain a tremendous amount of accuracy.
A player should use golf clubs that make the game easier for them. Just because all of your friends are using a driver, does not mean it is the best choice for you off of the tee. Even great players that are playing a narrow golf course will use a fairway wood from the tee. Keeping the ball in play is more important than distance.
Testing Criteria used for Evaluation
Before you make your final selection for a new and forgiving 3 wood, you should consider the following things.
Shaft
Almost all fairway woods are going to be graphite shafted. This is important as you will need to swing the fairway wood with quite a bit of speed to get it to perform properly. Fairway woods also come in several different flexes and weights.
The fastest swinging players are going to want a stiff or extra stiff shaft, and they will probably want something heavier as well. The heavier shafts are going to help control the ball flight and give the player better control.
Many of the newest fairway woods on the market have lots of different shaft options to choose from. It can pay to have a fitting done where you try a few different shaft options to make sure you get the best 3 wood for your game.
Loft
Traditionally a 3 wood loft is going to range from 14 degrees to 16 degrees. The standard 3 wood is right around 15 degrees. If you want something more forgiving, you can look closer to the 16 degrees.
When deciding on the proper loft for your 3 wood, you must make sure you consider the loft of your other golf clubs. For instance, if your driver is a 10 degree and your five wood is an 18 degree, the 14 or 15 degrees 3 wood will be a great fit.
However, if you are playing a 12 degree driver and you have an 18 degree five wood, you may not even need a 3 wood. The fairway woods should be placed with some space between them so that they each can offer you a different benefit.
Adjustability
Not all fairway woods are adjustable; however, it can be a nice feature in a fairway wood. Adjustability is important for those that are only putting one fairway wood in their bag, and it is also essential for golfers that are working on improving their golf game.
If you are a higher handicapper that is looking to start improving, having a club that can adjust as your game adjusts is essential. You will want to buy something that works with you as you improve.
Adjustability also gives lower handicap players the option to adjust loft and draw bias based on their golf game. The only real downside of adjustability is that it can make the club slightly heavier. For those with very low swing speed, the adjustability may not be worth it.
Brand
When choosing fairways with forgiveness, there are certain brands that will stand out from others. For instance, Cobra and Callaway are known for making forgiving golf clubs. Titleist is known for being a bit more of a players model.
Understanding the golf brands and what they specialize in can help you make a better decision about your clubs. The best fairway woods on the market are going to vary from year to year. New technology is always being developed and perfected.
Companies like Mizuno and Titleist are starting to make fairway woods that appeal to a wide range of players, and not just the lower handicaps. In addition, Cobra now makes clubs that the lower handicappers are interested in.
The bottom line with the brand and model you choose is to do some research and make sure you are getting something built for your handicap. This will help to ensure that you can keep this club in play for a long time.
Conclusion
| NAME | EDITOR'S CATEGORY | PRODUCT |
| Callaway Mavrik | Best Overall 3 Wood |  |
| Callaway Big Bertha 21 | Most Forgiving 3 Wood |  |
| TaylorMade SIM Max | Best 3 Wood For Distance |  |
| Cleveland Turbo Launcher | Best 3 Wood For Senior |  |
| Cobra Speedzone | Best Adjustable 3 Wood |  |
Choosing the most forgiving and best 3 wood can be tricky. This is not a club that you will use all that many times in the course of your round, yet it is an important option to have in the bag. Fairway woods can be an alternative off the tee, allow for a great approach on a long par 4 or give you that look at eagle on a par 5.
In the end, the Callaway Marik 3 wood stands out as the best 3 wood. This club is more forgiving, longer, and higher performing than many other clubs on the market. The best 3 wood is not necessarily the one that wins all the awards each year; it is the one that works best for your golf game. If the Mavrik doesn’t feel like the right fit, the Big Bertha 21 and the TaylorMade Sim are also very smart choices.
