Sub 70 949X Fairway Wood Review

The Sub 70 949X fairway wood is an excellent, budget-friendly option for players who prefer a smaller clubhead profile without sacrificing distance and accuracy. Playable for a wide range of handicap levels, low-to-mid handicaps will benefit the most from a truly excellent fairway wood.

Sub 70 949X fairway wood sole.

Sub 70 949X Fairway Wood Details

The Sub 70 949x fairway wood retails from $169.99 and has a wide range of customization options available. Sub 70 does a great job of keeping a large volume of shaft and grip options in stock, which contributes to their ability to fulfill orders significantly faster than larger brands.

The clubhead is comprised of a carbon fiber crown, similar to that of the excellent 849 Pro driver. This is coupled with a solid steel sole that balances the overall weight of the clubhead nicely. The 949X fairway wood also features a razor thin 455 carpenter steel face that exudes a muted, powerful sound at impact.

Each 949X fairway wood has a fully adjustable hosel that allows you to increase or decrease loft per your needs. An interchangeable weight kit — including 6 and 12-gram weights — ships with every order to further increase your customization options. The weight positions on the sole of the club are near the back and heel, allowing you to adjust center-of-gravity in two key areas that assist with launch and forgiveness.

Sub 70 949X fairway wood crown.

Sub 70 949X fairway wood profile.

Sub 70 949X fairway wood adjustable hosel.

Performance and Feel

Right out of the box, the Sub 70 949X fairway wood has a traditional, classy appearance with a deep black finish that will appeal to many players. At address, the club sits very square with a nice, rounded toe that accentuates the compact clubhead and face appearance. The face frames the ball nicely without appearing too bulky or “high” off the turf that you sometimes run into with other fairway woods.

The weight of the club is balanced and consistent while you can definitely feel the clubhead throughout your swing. Sometimes fairway woods use lighter materials that cause the clubhead to seem “lost” in your swing. This is not the case with the 949X, which I found helpful and ideal.

At impact, the 949X feels strong, solid, and crisp. Perhaps a bit on the harder side in terms of sound and feel, I found the club to exude a sense of confidence that you’ll appreciate when trying for the green in two or want to squeeze a little more distance off the tee on a tight driving hole.

Ball speeds were impressive with the 949X. I usually max-out around 145mph with my typical fairway wood. However, the 949X surpassed 150mph multiple times in my initial review of the club. This was incredibly promising from both a repeatability and total distance standpoint.

Accuracy, however, was a challenge for me in my initial session with the club. My shot dispersion was a bit wide from left and right, which is almost entirely due to my swing flaws as opposed to the club. I only mention it here because when struck poorly, the 949X will generate enough sidespin to send your shots on extreme curves if you’re not careful. As with most clubs, a solid, center strike produces the best results. Shocking, I know.

Who Should Buy This Club?

If you are a low-to-mid handicap player (15 handicap or lower) you will love the Sub 70 949X fairway wood. Distance is on the higher end (as well as ball speed), while the skill required to consistently hit the center of the face is definitely a plus.

Who Should Not Buy this Club

Higher handicap players may have difficulty hitting the 949X with enough consistency to really benefit from its design. I would recommend Sub 70’s 939X fairway wood as an alternative option.