OUR TOP 7-WOOD CHOICES

TAYLORMADE STEALTH

£279 Loft 7W-21º / 9W-24º

Our testing’s shown Taylormade fairways have been among the fastest and longest for years, and Stealth didn’t let its older siblings down. You can’t buy new fairway woods without at least having a look at the Stealth. Also available as a 9-wood, should you want even higher lofts.

CALLAWAY ROGUE ST MAX & MAX D

£299

Loft Rogue ST Max 7W-21º / 9W-24º / 11-27°,

Rogue ST Max D 7W-22º

We like the low-profile appearance of the ST, but if your speed is moderate to average think seriously about the more draw-biased Max D, which, with its additional loft, will be easier to launch. Big array of loft options.

PING G425 MAX & SFT

£299 Loft MAX 7W-20.5º / 9- 23.5º, SFT 7W-22º

If you want highlofted fairways that will stand the test of time, we’d look at the G425. The SFT has a squashed, wide body (Max is slightly more compact), lighter swing weight, extra loft and more draw bias, to boost the ball flight of lower speed players.

COBRA LTDX MAX

£249

Loft 7W-22.5º

We’d be attracted to the Max because of its adjustability. The hosel adapter can be dialled down to 21º and up to 24º (with three additional draw settings), and you can swap the 12g and 3g sole weights to encourage more draw bias or dial in extra forgiveness.

WILSON LAUNCH PAD

£200

Loft 22º

A brilliant option for more moderate swing speed players. The Launch Pad has an offset hosel and internal draw weighting which helps mere mortals square the face at impact and lose less distance from slicing their way around the course.

COBRA AIR-X

£189

Loft 7W-23º

A lightweight, easylaunch and forgiving option for moderate speed players. More seniors and golfers who struggle for speed are likely to enjoy the shallow profile, offset hosel and heel-side weighting. Expect plenty of draw bias as well as a lightweight and lively feel.

CLEVELAND LAUNCHER XL HALO

£219

Loft 7W-21º

The XL is the highest MOI (most forgiving) fairway wood Cleveland have ever made. The additional size brings a confidence boost to fairway wood play. Two Glide Rails on the sole optimise strike and launch potential no matter what the lie is like.

PXG 0211 £175

Loft 7W-21º

No longer are PXG just the purveyors of premium priced equipment. The 0211 family is PXG’S 'affordable' range and it’s rather good. With slightly smaller, more compact fairway heads than some, the 0211 7-wood is an absolute delight. There’s a range of cracking shaft choices when you order direct.

PXG 0311 GEN5 & GEN5 XF

£250 Loft 7W-21º / XF 7W-22º The 0311 GEN5 are slightly stronger lofted and come with more compact head profiles, where the 0311 GEN5 XF have slightly larger, more forgiving heads and are easier to launch at lesser speeds. Three sole weights can be changed to boost forgiveness or get more draw/fade bias.