Cleveland

What it does: Asking a fairway wood to solve all the problems of an average hacker is like asking the parents of quintuplets to change all of their nappies at once: too many messes, not enough wipes. But this line of fairway woods makes the game’s messiest club a little easier to use through smart and effective solutions. First, a shallower face height lowers the centre of gravity. Then, the mass is lowered just a bit more thanks to a step-down feature in the crown. Finally, the face – a variable-thickness, high-strength steel alloy – is supported by flexible and stiff regions in the crown and frame to direct more energy to the ball at impact.

Why we like it: Golfers in need of game-improvement performance cannot be helped by a lower centre of gravity or a faster face if the clubhead strikes the ground before reaching the ball. That’s why the sole rails play such an important role on these clubs. A lot of golfers tend to have an upward angle of attack. With a fairway wood, that often means the club is bottoming out well before reaching the ball. The rails here allow the club’s leading edge to glide through the turf, reducing the detrimental effects of fat shots.

Lofts 15, 18, 21