TaylorMade Burner Fairway Woods Review

TaylorMade Burner Fairway Woods are Forgiving and Reliable

TaylorMade has been making one or another model of Burner fairway woods for 20 or so years by now. In fact, over the years there have been so many different ones it will take me quite some time to test and review them all. And, I may not even be able to test some of the earliest versions. So, this review will focus on one particular line of TaylorMade Burner fairway woods that have always been very popular with golfers: the Burner woods that came out in 2008.

When these clubs were first introduced, they were said to have the highest Moment of Inertia (MOI) of any woods then available - 30% higher than TaylorMade's pricier R7 fairway woods. I believe it, because I own the 15-degree 3-wood, the 18-degree 5-wood and the 21-degree 7-wood. Time and again they've shown me they're forgiving by sending the ball in the right direction without causing a terrible loss in distance, even on mishits.

The steel club head's Dual Crown design is so light it allows a significant amount of the head's weight to be shifted to create a very deep center of gravity (CG). This low, deep CG promotes a higher launch with less spin for greater carry and distance. Pull-Face construction promotes increased distance by providing a high Coefficient of Restitution (COR). SuperFast Technology is the final important design element of the TaylorMade Burner fairway woods. It includes the 49-gram Fujikura RE*AX SF 49 graphite shaft and an ultralight grip to reduce the club's overall weight and promote faster club head speeds. The somewhat triangular head shape provides additional forgiveness but it also just "looks" like it would produce a long hit. Confidence is important for going low with your scores.

Whether I'm about to hit one of my TaylorMade Burner fairway woods from the fairway, out of the rough or off the tee, I feel confident I'm going to hit a good shot. These clubs can also help me make a great recovery from an errant tee shot. My swing speed typically averages between 85 and 90 mph, and these clubs help me hit the ball higher and longer while still being very accurate. Two versions of these TaylorMade Burner fairway woods are available: the High Launch version for golfers with average swing speeds, designed to promote higher, longer carries; and the Tour Launch version for accomplished golfers with faster swings, designed to promote a more penetrating ball flight and workability. The Tour Launch version comes with a heavier, 70-gram shaft.

Right- and left-handed 2008 TaylorMade Burner fairway woods are available as a 15-degree 3-wood, an 18-degree 5-wood and a 21-degree 7-wood. The Tour Launch version is available as a 13-degree "Tour Spoon" (right-handed only), a right- and left-handed 14.5-degree T3-wood, and a 17.5-degree T5-wood.

I own the 15-degree 3-wood, the 18-degree 5-wood, and the 21-degree 7-wood (yes, I like them that much!) and I'm dreading the day when it's time to replace them with some newer model. I'm hanging onto mine as long as I can because I've come to think of them as my "old reliables."

Some of my playing partners hate their 3-woods, and they use them as little as possible. I even know one middle-handicap woman who has a decent game but calls her 3-wood her "H & F Club." When I asked her what the "H & F" stands for, she said "Hated and Feared." She hates that club so much she'll use her 5-wood in situations where I wouldn't even hesitate to use my TaylorMade Burner 3-wood. If I had a club I hated that much, I'd replace it in a second. I keep telling her she'll never lower her handicap unless she's able to hit a 3-wood successfully. I've even had her try hitting my TaylorMade Burner 3-wood to give her some confidence, and she hits it pretty well. But every time she goes back to her own 3-wood (it's not a Burner), she duffs it. That's the difference between a TaylorMade Burner wood and some of the other clubs that are out there.

The Bottom Line: The story in the paragraph above reflects how I feel about the 2008 TaylorMade Burner fairway woods. Their high launch gives you lots of carry and distance, they're straighter than an arrow, they're very forgiving, and they're easy to hit - even for my friend who hates her own 3-wood.

From TaylorMade Burner Fairway Woods to other TaylorMade Burner clubs.