Cobra

What it does: One challenge with fairway woods is that they are the biggest clubs you hit off the ground. That means a lot of impacts occur lower on the face. A great way to make the face flex better is to extend it into the crown and sole. This is what Cobra has done here – a flap of the face wraps around the bottom. The so-called “L-face” serves as a hinge to get more energy into the ball at impact. A heavy weight low in the front part of the sole improves launch conditions, and, thanks to an internal bridge-like structure, the weight rests above the sole, allowing the L-face to flex more effectively.

Why we like it: Cobra fairway woods made their name with sole rails that helped the head glide through the turf, but rails on these new fairway woods would have stiffened the sole, preventing the L-face from flexing properly. Instead, Cobra uses subtle shaping on the leading edges. Raising the bounce angle on the leading edge mimics the effect of the rails, smoothing fat shots so that more energy transfers into the ball. We also love the three fully adjustable choices: the ultra-low spin LS (for better players), the forgiving, neutral flight standard model and the extra slice-fighting options on the Max.

Lofts 15, 18, 21 (aerojet); 14.5, 17.5 (LS); 15.5, 18.5, 21.5 (max)