First Versus Worst: Fairway Woods
Fairway Woods

First Versus Worst: Fairway Woods

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First Versus Worst: Fairway Woods

We tested 29 fairway woods in 2024, analyzing their performance in distance, accuracy and forgiveness. The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond is the best overall fairway wood and the XXIO 13 is the worst. If you’re curious about the differences we discovered and which fairway woods might be the better fit for your game, you’ve come to the right place.

Distance

When we tested golf clubs in 2024, one of the most common takeaways was that distance does not always equate to better performance and scoring. Many of the best golf clubs of 2024 have average distance performance but impressive accuracy and forgiveness.

That’s what makes the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond unique. It took home top honors for the best fairway wood of 2024 and also the best for distance.

XXIO was near the bottom for distance performance. With 29 fairway woods tested, it ranked 26th for distance.

Accuracy

Accuracy in the best fairway woods is measured using one specific metric: Strokes Gained. How well do these fairway woods get you close to your target so you can save strokes in your round?

The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond took second place for accuracy. That one-two punch of distance and accuracy is what helped the Callaway become the best fairway wood of 2024.

The XXIO 13 ranked 24th overall for accuracy. If you are looking for a long fairway wood to hit close to your target, the Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond is the better choice.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the weakest category for the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond. Unfortunately, the XXIO 13 was also not a good choice for forgiveness.

When we measure forgiveness, we look at consistency of performance. How often can you hit a ball straight or far, etc.? Having a repeatable shot outcome is important. The forgiveness of the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond is about average, finishing 14th out of 29 fairway woods.

The XXIO finished 24th. If forgiveness is your main concern, the most forgiving fairway wood of 2024 is the Haywood Golf Fairway.

Value

The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond is about $50 less expensive than the XXIO 13. Not much more to say here!

Bottom line

If you are looking for a clear winner, the 2024 best fairway wood test proved that it’s easily the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond. It’s less expensive and offers more distance, accuracy and forgiveness than the XXIO 13.

It’s worth noting that XXIO is aimed more towards the golfer with slower swing speeds who wants a premium club designed specifically for them.

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond versus XXIO 13: Which is right for you?

Who’s it For?

✅ Someone looking for more distance. The longest fairway wood of 2024.

The golfer who values accuracy. A second-place finish for accuracy and first-place finish for distance is a rare combination not seen in any other fairway wood for 2024.

Who’s it not for?

❌ If you need maximum forgiveness.

❌ Golfers on a budget. (Cheaper than the XXIO 13 but still not an inexpensive fairway wood.)

Who’s it For?

✅ Someone looking for lightweight feel. It is designed to benefit golfers who like a lightweight club.

The golfer with lower swing speeds. The XXIO 13 specifically aims to help golfers who struggle to generate speed in their golf game.

Who’s it not for?

❌ Golfers who need forgiveness and accuracy.

❌ Anyone who is looking for extra distance from their fairway wood.

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Brittany Olizarowicz

Brittany Olizarowicz

Brittany Olizarowicz

Scratch golfer, business owner, and mom of two kids; Britt has spent her life on and around the golf course. Picking up a club at the age of 7, she never really put it down. She spent 15 years working at private clubs on Long Island and in Florida before turning her golf playing and teaching career into a golf writing career. When she's not writing content for MyGolfSpy, you can find Britt on the golf course, playing pickleball, running, or out on the boat.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Brittany Olizarowicz

Brittany Olizarowicz

Brittany Olizarowicz

Brittany Olizarowicz





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      WoodieB

      3 days ago

      The metric is who spent the most ad dollars on MGS, most to least😄

      Reply

      The Old Pro

      1 week ago

      At what speed were these fairway woods tested? I find it hard to imagine a company like XXIO that produces clubs specifically to deliver high distance at low speeds is the worst for distance.

      Reply

      Bob

      1 week ago

      You’re damn right. I have XXIO and I get 15 yd on drives more than what I did with my previous Maverick My swings speed is around 85 this article is totally skewed

      Reply

      jjgolf

      1 week ago

      Yeah… if you put all of these at the same swing speed, you are going to get accurate results for THAT swing speed. If you hit xxio fairway woods with their lighter shaft at a higher swing speed, it seems logical that the extra flex is going to impact both ball flight and distance.
      I question if apples to apples comparisons give accurate results.
      I challenge MGS to take the xxio gear and hit it with slower swing speeds to see if A. the accuracy improves. and. B. does distance look better than a triple diamond Callaway smoke at that same slow swing speed.

      Reply

      Carl

      1 week ago

      Where is the data to show the differences… is it a few yards here and there or more. Does the shaft make a difference. Are some shafts better with some heads. What speeds were the clubs swung at. Show us the comparisons…

      Reply

      Ron

      1 week ago

      What are you guys at MGS trying to achieve with these articles? Haven’t we all learned from your research that most of best and worst in golf gear is a totally personal issue. Yes, bad quality needs to be identified. But “most” of big brand golf gear is of a decent standard. So much depends on the player. Get fitted and find out. These articles just causes people to buy the “recommended”….. sounds like advertising to me.

      Reply

      Carl

      1 week ago

      Agree

      Reply

      jose

      1 week ago

      would be awesome to see video of this, not just words….
      get the clubs to the course and show us

      Reply

      Mark R

      1 week ago

      Why bash XXIO, which is really for senior golfers with low swing speed. I’m guessing slow swing speed players do better with XXIO than with a stiff shafted Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke.

      Reply

      TacSKS

      1 week ago

      Agreed – apples and oranges.

      Reply

      Mike

      1 week ago

      I would think there would be two completely different target audiences. How about taking some slow-swinging seniors & let them test both? Test results probably would be different.

      That’s the danger of these blanket tests

      Reply

      Paul

      1 week ago

      I also agree, to make the overarching statement that the XXIO is the “worst” is unfair. They’re two VASTLY different clubs that are targeted towards very different golfers. The XXIO likely spins more and launches higher, so of course it isn’t going to be the longest. But for slow-swinging and senior players that need that launch and spin to optimize their carry and total distance, the XXIO is likely going to be a much better club. They wouldn’t even be able to keep other low-spin models in the air. If you have a hard swinger testing the club, of course it’s not going to be accurate, the shaft is 35-40 grams. In the hands of the target player, the XXIO will be far from the worst.

      Reply

      Rich

      1 week ago

      Maybe next time add in some of the real numbers? A few paragraphs saying that one generically “goes farther” or is “more accurate” isn’t super helpful. I know these are just ways to rehash old data and repackage Most Wanted into a dozen different posts, but at least surface the data that actually matters.

      Reply

      Bill

      1 week ago

      Agree with Rich; it would be helpful to see how much longer the best is versus the “worst”.

      Reply

      Brad Smith

      1 week ago

      Rich is absolutely correct. You guys have, from your beginning, talked about being “data-cratic”. The measured results counted. So why would you ever have a club comparison article between several different clubs without present the actual data that you acquired? Are you getting lazy? Sloppy? Or have you decided that we’re too dumb to be able to interpret data?

      Reply

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