2010 Buyer's Guide Woods

Today's fairway woods and hybrids are bigger, longer and easier to hit than ever.

Looking to finally reach that long par-5 in two? How about actually hitting the green from 200 yards away, in the rough? With this year’s offering of new fairway woods and hybrids, we suspect you’ll be hitting shots you never thought possible.
Choosing the right club—that too has gotten a lot easier. We think fairway woods, in general, have become much easier to hit. All you have to do is dial in the right loft and shaft and you’ll be ready to scorch up the par-5s and hit more fairways on those tricky short par-4s. Check out our picks for the best new fairway woods and hybrids of 2010.

1)

Acer XDS Insider
a)Key Feature: A Square Optical Alignment System designed to help each club sit squarely behind the ball, regardless of loft. The crown has variable thickness for better energy transfer and a higher MOI.
b)What We Like: They’re a cinch to align and, dare we say, among the best value of any club we’ve seen in 2010.
c)Who It’s For: Players looking for straighter, more consistent shots with their fairway woods.
d)Specs: Comes in three lofts (16°, 19°, 22°) with custom shaft options.

2)

Adams Speedline Fast 10
a)Key Feature: A new cambered sole for added versatility and a weight pad located in the heel for a higher MOI.
b)What We Like: Is it a hybrid or a fairway wood? Could be both. It’s easy to hit and slips through even the thickest turf with a lot more ease than a traditionally shaped fairway wood does.
c)Who It’s For: All players, especially those who prefer the looks of a more compact hybrid.
d)Specs: Comes in three lofts (13°, 15°, 18°) with Aldila Wasabi or Matrix HD graphite shafts.

3)

Adams Speedline 9032Ti
a)Key Feature: An ultralight crown, ultralow CG, a titanium body and a whopping 80 grams’ worth of tungsten weights in the sole.
b)What We Like: The weight port allows for slight weight adjustments, but what we really like is the shape. It too has hybrid looks, but with one crack, it proves itself as a distance leader in fairway woods.
c)Who It’s For: Players who want to launch it a mile off the turf (distance freaks).
d)Specs: Comes in three lofts (13°, 14.5°, 18°) and uses Aldila VooDoo NV graphite shafts.

4)

bobby jones Player Series
a)Key Feature: The unique shape uses a forged, maraging-steel face insert for a lower CG and a higher trajectory.
b)What We Like: The old-meets-new geometry. Classic lines mask a newer, triangular shape. All players can’t help but notice how sharp they look. The high-launch characteristics are ideal for players who want more carry and distance from their woods.
c)Who It’s For: Slow to moderate swingers who could use some extra lift.
d)Specs: Comes in four lofts (13°, 15°, 17°, 19°) with Graphite Design JS shafts

5)

bridgestone J38 Fairway
a)Key Feature: A low-profile head and a CG optimized for higher- and longer-flying golf shots.
b)What We Like: The Fuji Motore shaft is a great choice, and the shallow profile makes the face longer for added
forgiveness on off-center strikes.
c)Who It’s For: Good to better players who want forgiveness from a fairway wood with a perfectly square (no draw bias) clubface angle and weighting setup.
d)Specs: Comes in three different lofts (15°, 18°, 21°) with Fujikura Motore graphite shafts.

6)

Callaway Diablo Edge
a)Key Feature: The Diablo Edge features extreme perimeter weighting and the highest MOI of any Callaway wood.
b)What We Like: The VFT (Variable Face Technology) helps make these woods extremely forgiving, not to mention exceptionally long off the tee.
c)Who It’s For: Golfers who want big distance and forgiveness. Better players will appreciate the Tour version that produces a more penetrating trajectory with a neutral weight bias.
d)Specs: Five lofts (15°, 17°, 19°, 21°, 24°) with a Diablo Edge graphite shaft.