One of the most common uses of fairway wood is to replace the driver. For golfers who just can’t get the driver working, the fairway wood can save the day. Fairway woods are built for distance but in our test featuring 29 fairway wood models, we saw significant differences in distance capability. If distance is your priority as you shop for a new fairway wood, the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond will be your best choice.
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond
Who Is It For?
✅ Players who need more distance. If you want something hot off the face that flies a long way, this is it.
✅ Golfers who won’t give up on accuracy. The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond is the second-best fairway wood for accuracy.
Who Is It Not For?
❌ Anyone who needs spin: If you are a low-spin golfer, the low-spin components of the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke may not provide ideal launch conditions.
Why Buy
The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond is the best fairway wood for distance. In our 2024 fairway wood testing, we looked at the accuracy, forgiveness and distance capabilities of all 29 fairway woods we tested. However, this test prioritized distance and accuracy performance.
The Paradym Ai Smoke was the longest fairway wood of 2024 and the second-most accurate. Accuracy results are determined based on Strokes Gained. With the Triple Diamond, expect to hit the ball straight and long.
One tester said, “Stupid long, I might replace my driver with it.”
One more feather in the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond’s cap: it also took home the honors of the best overall fairway wood of 2024. If you are considering replacing or adding a fairway wood, put this on your list of clubs to test. The only downside we found was that the low-spin characteristics made it hard for low-spin players to get their ideal ball flight and launch.
Score: 9.2
COBRA Darkspeed X
Who Is It For?
✅ Someone looking for extra yardage. If you need a fairway wood for performance from the tee, the Darkspeed X has plenty of distance.
✅ The golfer who wants a great-looking club. The COBRA Darkspeed X ranked towards the top for looks, feel and sound.
Who Is It Not For?
❌ Players looking for reliability: Sits in the middle of the pack for accuracy and forgiveness; distance is the real standout performance.
❌ Anyone not willing to go for a fitting: With the accuracy and forgiveness rankings, it’s best to get fitted for this one.
Why Buy
The COBRA Darkspeed X is the second-best fairway wood for distance. One of the most interesting things about its performance is that it is not considered a low-spin model yet it beats out other low-spin options in the distance category.
Our testers were impressed with the Darkspeed X’s distance performance. They enjoyed the extra yards and the club’s look, sound and feel. It was kind of a surprise standout in the 2024 fairway wood testing.
The downside is that the Darkspeed X’s accuracy and forgiveness results were weaker. If you think you want this one in the bag, we suggest a fitting to make sure it’s reliable enough for your game.
Score: 9
TaylorMade Qi10
Who Is It For?
✅ Someone looking for distance from anywhere: Ranked third overall for distance, the TaylorMade Qi10 excels on approaches and tee shots.
✅ The golfer who values accuracy. The Qi10 leaves you in a playable position. Even if the ball doesn’t end up in the fairway, it stays close.
Who Is It Not For?
❌ Players worried about the looks of the club: Performance from the Qi10 is impressive but it ranked below average for looks.
❌ Golfers who want a matte finish: The top of the clubhead is not a matte finish so it’s a bit shiny and some consider it distracting.
Why Buy
The TaylorMade Qi10 earned third place overall in the 2024 Best Fairway wood testing and finished third for distance. The Qi10 was also highly accurate, producing shots that ended up in the fairway most of the time.
It’s not the most forgiving (or consistent) of the fairway woods we tested but it is worth a try.
Subjective feedback on the TaylorMade Qi10 was not as impressive as we saw with other clubs in the test. The top is a bit shiny and it seems golfers prefer a matte finish.
One tester said, “With the proper shaft, I’d consider it. But it is too shiny for my liking.” Keep this in mind if you are picky about looks but from a performance standpoint, the TaylorMade Qi10 is a strong choice.
Score: 9
More long fairway woods to consider
Don’t see the product you are looking for? Want to see how it stacked up against the competition? Find the full results of the Best Fairway Woods of 2024 here: MyGolfSpy Best Fairway Woods of 2024.
Leave A Reply