Titleist 904F Fairway Wood Review

The Titleist fairway wood line often gets overlooked when the company releases new products. The golf balls seem to get the most hype, followed by the driver and then the irons and wedges.

 

Most golfers are quick to recognize the Titleist name when it comes to golf balls… they all seem to know about the Pro V1 and how much they cost. Some of the better players are familiar with the golf clubs but most “weekend hackers” seem to poke around the Cobra rack more than the Titleist one. It’s not a real secret that the Titleist brand is, in general, geared towards the better player. The 904F fairway wood is no exception… it’s a clean looking, no frills option for the accomplished golfer.

 

So what does the better player look for in a fairway wood? Most of these players prefer a smaller head… it’s a bit easier to control. They also like a club that produces a lower ball flight… they don’t need help getting the ball high. They also like better shafts options… these are the players that can tell the difference between a cheap shaft and an expensive one. They also want a club that allows for some workability… a closed face or an offset doesn’t work for them! Wow… a long list of needs and only a few companies that make fairway woods designed for this smaller market segment.

 

The Titleist 904F is a stainless steel wood with a 275 Carpenter steel face insert. Titleist usually models their fairway woods after their current driver and the 904F is no different. It’s pear profile and sole design are borrowed from the 905 driver. The center of gravity is positioned in such a way as to produce a mid launch angle and a flat downrange ball flight. The stock steel and graphite shaft options are very good and most better players should be able to find one to fit their needs.

 

Most industry people that I talk to agree that the past few Titleist fairway woods have been subpar and that the 904F is a bit better but still not great. The 904F is more forgiving than previous fairway woods and the slightly higher launch angle is a nice touch. Our testers didn’t get very excited after hitting the 904F… they all agreed that there were better woods out there for the better player. The 904F looks good and most testers found it pretty easy to work the ball but there are more forgiving fairway woods on the market that offer the same things. The distance was good… when the club was hit properly and the ball flight was just what many testers were after. Titleist will never get rich selling their fairway woods… and they know that… but it would be nice if they came out with a real winner next time.

 

Overall Rating – 60%

 

Target Handicap – 15 and below

 

Ball Flight – Mid

 

Lofts Available – 13, 15, 17, 19 and 22 degree

 

Stock Shafts – True Temper Dynamic Gold steel and Titleist Speeder, Graphite Design YS-6 graphite