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Looking for the top-rated and best 5 woods for men and women in 2024? Don’t miss our golf expert’s picks, plus a buyer’s guide that will save you time.
My 5 wood is one of my favorite clubs in my bag. It started when I was younger, and I realized that I had enough confidence in this club to swing it and hit it nearly as far as my driver. In addition, the way the 5 wood sits in the fairway just looks like you can really control it. Doesn’t it?
If you feel like you are struggling to get what you need out of your 5 wood, I’ll show you how technology has changed and some of the new models you may want to consider in 2024. When I tested 5 woods, I was surprised by how hot the clubfaces were and how forgiving the club was overall.
⛳️ Related: 5 Wood vs 2 Hybrid: Which is a Better Choice?
Buyer’s Guide: How Do You Pick a 5 Wood?
There are dozens of 5 woods out there to choose from. After hitting hundreds of shots this season and testing out my top 5 woods, the most important things to focus on are the top-down look, dispersion rates, total distance, and overall ease of use (forgiveness).
Shaft Flex
Choose the shaft flex you have in your driver for your 5 wood. Some golfers play with a different flex from their irons to their driver. I recently made the mistake of purchasing a 5 wood in my iron shaft flex (men’s regular) when I would have been better off with a shaft that matched my driver shaft (men’s stiff).
Club Weight
Unless you have a very fast clubhead speed, stick with a lighter weight 5 wood; the heavier shaft can be a problem when it comes to accuracy, especially later in the round. Shafts come in a variety of options. For instance, you can find a senior flex shaft with 60 grams or 50 grams of weight.
Top Down Look
I like a clean looking top down look. Some golfers like more of a bulky 5 wood head, something that resembles a driver. Find what makes you more confident. If you are going to play a lot of fairway shots with your 5 wood, I would go with a thinner profile.
Total Distance and Maximum Forgiveness
Ask yourself what you are looking for in a 5 wood. Some players are looking to fill in a specific gap in yardage; others are looking for a reliable shot that heads straight down the fairway every time.
⛳️ Related: Best Fairway Woods on the Market in 2024
Overall Best 5 Wood 2024
TaylorMade Stealth 2 Fairway Wood
est $349.99
Best Overall
The TaylorMade Stealth 2 is my favorite overall 5 wood for 2024. The new technology in the Stealth 2 combines everything we have loved about the last few releases from TaylorMade. With an ultra-low center of gravity design and advanced inverted cone technology, you get a ton of playability from the Stealth 2 Fairway Wood.
In addition, a 3D Carbon Crown and the V Steel Sole Design make the turf interaction and overall forgiveness considerably better. TaylorMade was smart to keep things like Thur Slot Speed Pocket technology around.
If you want the best of everything a 5 wood has to offer, from the tee and the fairway, the TaylorMade Stealth 2, 5 wood is the one I would choose.
PROS
- Impressive technological advancements
- Very forgiving but plenty of distance
- Clean looking clubhead
- Impressive shaft offerings
CONS
- Still doesn’t feature the carbon technology we see in the driver
- Higher priced newer release
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Best 5 Wood for Seniors
Callaway Paradym X Fairway Wood
Updated on 2024-04-28
Best for Seniors
The Callaway Paradym X Fairway Wood is my favorite option for senior golfers. This is a premium fairway wood built for distance and forgiveness. The new Forged Carbon Sole and AI Designed Jailbreak Batwing structure make this club incredibly easy to hit.
When I tested the Paradym X 5 Wood, I was a little surprised at how open the clubface looked, but it helped promote incredible launch and a high ball flight. There is 25g of high-density tungsten in the clubhead to help improve the center of gravity positioning.
The bottom line here is that if you want to invest in a piece of golf equipment that can stick with you for the next 7 or 8 years, this is the one I would get.
PROS
- A neutral face but plenty of launch
- More forgiveness and distance built into the clubhead
- Longest fairway wood every from Callaway
- Impressive launch and spin characteristics
- Easiest 5 wood to hit 2024
CONS
- It’s still priced a bit high for most golfers budgets
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Most Forgiving 5 Wood
Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Fairway Wood
Updated on 2024-04-28
Most Forgiving
I almost made the Cleveland Launcher XL Halo the winner in the best fairway wood for seniors, but I felt like the Callaway Paradym had that senior golfers are not going to complain about! I won’t tell you the Launcher is the longest hitting 5 wood on this list, but it has some really impressive qualities.
The extra large head (hence the name XL Halo) means that you have a huge sweet spot on the face of the club. In addition, with the low and deep weighting and bottom Gliderail, you can get straight, consistent performance.
Cleveland incorporated their Action Mass CB technology with an 8g weight at the end of the grip. You can feel the clubhead a lot better with this added weight, and it bumps the distance a few yards.
🏌️♂️ Related: Is Cleveland a Good Golf Club Brand?
PROS
- Largest clubhead in a Cleveland 5 wood design yet
- Very stable performance
- HIBORE Crown Step for higher launching shots
- Maximum forgiveness for straighter shots
CONS
- A large head takes a little time to get used to in fairway woods
- Not the best for workability for lower handicappers
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Best 5 Woods for High Handicappers
Callaway Great Big Bertha Fairway Wood
Updated on 2024-04-28
High Handicapper
The Callaway Great Big Bertha Fairway Wood has incredibly fast ball speed with a ton of forgiveness. This is not a cheap golf club, but it has everything that higher handicappers need to succeed with a 5 wood on the course.
The price tag is a little high on the Great Big Bertha Fairway because of the titanium face and body and the incorporation of tungsten. Essentially Callaway used all the best materials they could find for this club.
In addition to having a great feel, the Callaway Great Big Bertha Fairway is lightweight and easy to swing fast. It comes standard with the UST Helium Nanocore Shaft and a lightweight Winn Dri Tac Lite Grip.
This year, it makes our list as the leader for best 5 woods for high handicappers.
PROS
- Adjustable hosel
- Slight draw bias
- Forged Carbon sole to improve overall turf interaction
- Best Fairway woods for maximum forgiveness
CONS
- Priced as high as a new driver (could be a good alternative for golfers that don’t want the driver in the bag)
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Best for Mid Handicappers
Cobra Golf LTDx Fairway Wood
Updated on 2024-04-28
Mid Handicappers
I love the adjustability on Cobra fairway woods and drivers. They make it so easy for you to play around with the specifications of the club and decide what ball flight and performance are truly best for your game.
Mid-handicappers with handicaps trending down or up will find the Cobra Golf LTDx 5 Wood is a great choice. The new HOT zones on the face help increase ball speed and smash factor. I had no trouble getting distance with this club in my hand.
In addition, the Progressive Rails on the bottom of the club head help to promote improved turf interaction regardless of the lie. If you tend to hit your drive into the first cut of rough and you still want to hit the green, the Cobra Golf LTDx could be your solution.
🏌️♂️ Related: Is Cobra a Good Golf Club Brand?
PROS
- Highly Optimized Technology Face for better golf ball speed and increased distance
- Lightweight carbon crown for higher MOI
- Impressive turf interaction
- Adjustable loft
CONS
- Fixed back weighting for increased forgiveness but doesn’t give the option like the LS or LTDx Max to move the weight around
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Best for Low Handicappers
Ping G430 LST Fairway Wood
est $549.99
Low Handicappers
Brace yourself for the price tag on this brand-new release from Ping. The Ping G430 LST is a tremendous addition to the Ping lineup with a higher MOI, a thin but flexible face, and plenty of ball speed.
If you want to work the golf ball but still have a bit of forgiveness built into the club head, the G430 LST Is a great choice. In addition, the Trajectory Tuning 2.0 hosel will help you dial in the exact fairway wood loft that you want.
The more you play around with the Ping G430 LST, the more you will use it from both the tee and the fairway.
🏌️♂️ Related: Best Ping Clubs on the Market in 2024
PROS
- High strength maraging steel face
- Spin consistency for added distance
- Mid to high launch and lots of distance
- More control than other models
CONS
- The price tag is higher than most drivers
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Best Value 5 Wood
Callaway X Hot 5 Wood
Updated on 2024-04-28
Best Value
I can’t tell you that this is the best 5 wood of all time. However, if you are in the market for a really fairly priced fairway wood that has stood the test of time, the Callaway X Hot could be a good solution.
This one has been around for years, and Callaway still keeps putting them out on the market. Why? People LIKE them!
Don’t expect “Epic” or “Paradym” type distance with the X Hot, but if you have no 5 wood or are considering upgrading significantly older golf clubs, this is a good choice among the best 5 woods.
⛳️ Related: Best Callaway Irons for All Skill Levels
PROS
- The center of gravity (COG) helps promote a higher launch
- Consistent distance and forgiveness
- Good choice for the beginner on a budget
CONS
- The feel is not as great as newer releases
- Overall distance capability is a few yards less than premium
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Best Luxury 5 Wood
Titleist TSR2 5 Wood
est $349.99
Best Premium
I just recently purchased a Titleist TSR2 Hybrid, and it helped me find that 5 wood as well. I still haven’t put this one in my golf bag, but I sure have thought about it. Titleist did such a great job with the TSR2 series of helping out golfers that want forgiveness without leaving behind the players that want feel.
Expect the Titleist TSR2 5 Wood to have an ultra-low center of gravity, responsive ball flight off the face, and plenty of forward spin when you want that extra distance. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy the 5 wood is to hit, and the sound and feel are traditional positives from Titleist.
PROS
- Very high ball speeds off the face
- Low dispersion rates
- Mid launch mid-flight
- best 5 woods for low handicap golfers
CONS
- Tends to be a little more expensive, and prices don’t drop often
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Best 5 Wood for Ladies
Callaway Paradym X Fairway Wood
Updated on 2024-04-28
Best for Ladies
When I tested out each of these fairway woods, I considered which one I would like best for the lady golfers. Honest, depending on your handicap and what you are looking for, any of the 5 woods on my list could be a fit.
However, I found the Callaway Paradym X the best overall choice for lady golfers. It has such a great feel, and the launch from the fairway is incredibly forgiving.
So many lady golfers use the 5 wood from the fairway, so I think this is an important feature to look for.
⛳️ Fun Fact: Callaway golf clubs are often seen on the PGA Tour Champions with players including Stuart Appleby and Retief Goosen.
PROS
- High launch fairway wood
- Easy to control
- Great turf interaction from the fairway
CONS
- The club head is a little large if you are upgrading from an older, more streamlined 5 wood
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Best Budget 5 Wood
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Fairway Wood
Updated on 2024-04-28
Budget 5 Wood
The Callaway Big Bertha B21 is not the newest release from Callaway, but it is a great choice for the budget shopper. When these first came to the market, they were a lot more expensive, and the technology in the club is still relevant.
The B-21 is incredibly easy to launch. If you have struggled with getting the ball off the fairway with a fairway wood, this club should fix it. Advanced AI technology helps to promote high ball speeds.
In addition, with a little offset in the clubhead, if you are a golfer that tends to leave your shots out to the right, the B21 can help.
PROS
- Very fair pricing
- Easy to launch and hit high
- Forgiving clubhead
- Offset to reduce the slice
CONS
- Not the newest release
- More of a higher handicapper club, not for all players
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Important Considerations for Buying the Best 5 Wood
Here are a few last thoughts about purchasing the best 5 wood for your golf game.
Fairway Woods vs Hybrids: Which Should I Buy?
I find it very important to have a fairway wood and a 5 wood in the golf bag. However, if you are going to purchase a 5 wood, I would stay away from the 3 hybrid. The performance will likely be very similar, making it hard to justify carrying both clubs.
Club Face Forgiveness
The forgiveness of the club face on your fairway wood can make or break your performance. Most people find the fairway wood to be relatively forgiving from the tee box, but if you want all-around performance, you need to look for forgiveness in the face.
Testing
If it’s possible to test the fairway wood you buy, it’s a smart idea. I find that the biggest difference from one fairway wood to the next is often the shaft. All of these clubheads are technologically advanced; I don’t worry about that, but finding a shaft match is important.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best 5 fairway wood for seniors?
The Callaway Paradym X is the best 5 wood for seniors. Senior golfers can take advantage of this distance and forgiveness technology that is now available on the market.
How far should a 5 wood go for an average golfer?
An average golfer hits a 5 wood about 180 yards; if your swing speed is a little faster, the total distance goes up to about 200.
What club is a 5 wood equal to?
The standard 5 wood has 19 degrees of loft, the same amount of loft you would find in a 3 hybrid or 3 iron.
Final Thoughts on the Best 5 Woods
When it comes to the best 5 woods in 2024, there are many excellent choices. Whether you choose the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Fairway Wood or the budget-friendly Callaway X Hot 5 Wood, you’ll have to decide which is best for you.
If you’re just getting started on your decision, here are some other articles on the best golf clubs you may also want to read next.
