About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the clubs, which I purchased with my own money in January of 2021.

My take

The TaylorMade SIM Max Women’s Fairway Wood is perfect for all levels of players. It is the best for mid to high-handicap golfers due to the increased distance and forgiveness, but it works very well for a low-handicap golfer as well.

About the club I own

• Model: 2020 TaylorMade SIM Max Fairway Wood
• Loft setting: 15 degrees
• Shaft type: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6x
• Shaft flex: X-Stiff

About me

• Average score: 70
• Handicap: +2
• Experience: 5 years of playing golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-Handed
• Typical ball flight: Mid-high
• Golf ball used: TaylorMade TP5x
• Club swing speed: 120mph

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: January 2021
• Days tested: 100
• Where I’ve used it: Range, various golf courses, and TrackMan Simulator
• Weather and wind conditions: Wind, rain, and clear conditions; also 30° up to 100°

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was looking for a 3 wood to put into my bag to replace an old TaylorMade burner. In addition, I was looking for a club that could have increased distance compared to my dated previous club as well as a high ball flight to land softly into greens.

Why I chose this club

I bought this club because it filled all of my needs. The SIM Max was very long and increased my 3-wood distance by 20 yards. I also bought the SIM because it had more forgiveness than any other golf club I tested. I did look at the options from Callaway but did not like the look or the sound as well as the Cobra options, and they did not go nearly as far.

What I love about it

• Distance: The TaylorMade SIM Max Fairway Wood is extremely long and helps me fill a large gap in my game to be able to reach more par 5s in 2 shots. The distance also helps me not to be as far back when I choose to hit it off the tee on a tight fairway.
• Forgiveness: There are many times in which I hit this 3 wood very poorly but was not penalized. Although the result may not have been perfect, it never put me in trouble on mishits. Additionally, the forgiveness of this 3 wood increases my confidence to go for greens in 2 and try to make an eagle or many easy birdies.
• Feel: The SIM Max feels amazing on well-struck shots. However, mishit shots do not feel nearly as good as well-hit shots.
• Sound: The sound of this 3 wood is amazing. Whenever I hit this club, I feel like a professional golfer with how fast and hard it sounds like I hit it. I love the sound of this club.
• Shaft Feel: The shaft feels very good and responsive to my swing, and I can always tell where the clubhead is in relation to my swing path, which greatly helps increase control.
• Shaft Performance: The Ventus line of golf shafts is amazing because they are durable and can work for any playing style. I chose the Ventus Blue over the Black because I wanted a higher ball flight so the ball would land softer when I hit it into greens.
• Aesthetic Appeal: The white line on the front edge of the club is extremely helpful for alignment. Additionally, the overall look of this club with the white face line and carbon fiber crown looks amazing, and aside from the all-black TaylorMade stealth, I think it is the best-looking fairway wood on the market.
• Launch Angle: The ball launches extremely well off the face of this club and helps me so much with having a good descent angle into greens.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Workability: The increased forgiveness, due to the increased spin, makes me feel like it is harder to shape shots and try to have big fades and draws, as well as control low and higher shot shapes.
• Adjustability: There is no adjustable weights or shaft option with this club.
• Grip Feel: I replaced the grip after getting the club to the Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord.
• Spin: Sometimes, I feel like the club spins almost too much to the point where it would bury in fairways on a wet day and spin back on greens.

Best shot with this club

The best shot I hit with this club was on the 13th hole at Bethpage Black. The hole is a long par 5, and after hitting a solid tee shot into the fairway, I had 272 yards into the green. I chose to go for it using my SIM Max 3 wood and tried to hit a baby cut off the left side of the green towards the pin. The club helped me do exactly that, and the cut spin helped the ball get to 15 feet from the hole, leaving me with an eagle opportunity. Unfortunately, I missed that putt but did make the birdie.

Value for the money vs. other options

The TaylorMade SIM Max Fairway Wood is a perfect middle ground for many golfers. The performance and quality of the club put it in the category of the best fairway woods on the market but attached is a higher price. For roughly $300, one can get an amazing product that is still one of the best a few years later. However, less expensive options would be the Callaway Mavrik and Cobra Radspeed, which are around $200 from Curated.

Final verdict

The TaylorMade SIM Max Fairway Wood will help all players fill a distance gap between their 4 iron/Hybrid and Driver. The SIM Max will help all players pick up some distance and lots of forgiveness to help shoot lower scores.