Fairway Wood Fitting
A driver only ever gets hit off a tee. A fairway wood gets hit from wherever the previous shot ended up — which is exactly why we test it from more than one lie.
Two Lies, Because You'll Face Both
Candidates are read at the Release Bay off a tee first, then off a turf strip, because sole design interacts with the ground in ways a tee shot never reveals. A head that spins beautifully off a peg can behave completely differently once it's clipping grass on the way through.
We also take a set of swings from a light rough lie, since a fairway wood rarely gets the luxury of a perfectly clean mat once it's actually in play.
What Changes Between Candidates
Tee-to-Turf Spin Delta
Some heads hold their spin number steady between lies; others swing wildly. We flag the gap directly instead of letting a single reading stand in for both situations.
Sole Camber & Bounce
Rounder, wider soles skim through turf forgivingly on a descending strike; flatter, narrower soles suit a sweeping motion that barely brushes the ground.
Loft Spacing
Checked against your driver on one side and your hybrids on the other, so nothing in the middle of the bag ends up duplicating a yardage you already own.
Playing Length
A touch shorter than off-the-rack standard tends to raise center-strike percentage more than the lost length costs in carry, for most of the golfers we see.
Test It the Way You'll Actually Play It
Sessions run 45–60 minutes and cover lies from the tee, the fairway, and a light rough sample.