So what is the “perfect” fairway wood? Most golfers agree that it needs to have a very low center of gravity to aid in getting the ball airborne. Others want a deep face to make the club easier to hit off the tee and out of the rough. A hot face is always a bonus… you can never get enough distance. And while we’re at it… let’s add in extreme forgiveness. There… is that too much to ask? Not really… look no further than the TaylorMade R5 Dual fairway.
The R5 fairway is a full titanium fairway wood that is modelled after the very popular R5 driver. Two rear weight ports give the club a very low center of gravity and a very high MOI (meaning it’s good on miss hits). These two weights are not interchangeable (just like the driver) but are pre-configured to aid the average golfer. These clubs are bigger than most fairway woods… one of the benefits of titanium is that it allows manufacturers to make bigger clubs without making them heavy. This means a bigger face… which means more forgiveness. The R5 fairway woods also feature a very high COR (they have “hot” faces)… something that can only be achieved through the use of titanium. The stock shaft option in this club (M.A.S. 2 graphite) is a good choice for the average golfer. It is a decent lightweight shaft that promotes a high ball flight. Steel shafts are not recommended in this club.
The TaylorMade R5 Dual fairway is one of the best selling titanium fairway woods on the market right now. People love the high ball flight, the forgiveness and the distance that the club provides. Our testers had no problem hitting the club out of all types of lies and we had numerous positive comments regarding the deep face. Some customers shy away from the club because of it’s large price tag but that’s not unusual when dealing with titanium fairway woods. Most golfers are far better off investing in a titanium 3 wood like this one and putting the driver in the closet. We had a few people comment on the lack of options offered by TaylorMade… the R5 fairway is only available in a 3, 5, and 7 wood. I’m guessing TaylorMade probably did some research here and determined that there was not much demand for higher lofted titanium fairway woods. In a nut shell… great fairway wood, a high price tag but still a worthwhile investment for most golfers.
Overall Rating – 80%
Target Handicap – 10 and above
Ball Flight – High
Lofts – 15, 18, 21 degree
Shafts – TaylorMade M.A.S. 2 graphite, steel not recommended