Adams Speedline Fast 12 Fairway Wood Review

Bottom Line: The Adams Speedline Fast 12 fairway woods delivers on performance with its unique dual velocity slot technology - slots in both the crown and sole just behind the clubface.

Pros

• Dual slot lines on top and bottom help increase ball speed.
• Solid feel and sound even on off-center hits.
• Grafalloy stock shaft provides tight dispersion on all shots.

Cons

• Matte silver finish is rather industrial looking.

Details

• Mid-profile face with deep center of gravity.
• Slot line design provides higher launch without increasing spin.
• MSRP at time of introduction: $249.
• The Adams Speedline Fast 12 fairways woods come in RH 3+, 3 and 5 plus 3- and 5-woods for LH.
• A draw-bias model - the Speedline Fast 12 Draw – comes in 3 and 5 (RH/LH) plus 7 (RH only); and Women’s Speedline Fast 12 Fairway Woods come in 3 and 5 (RH/LH) plus 7-wood (RH only). Most flexes are available with all clubs.

I pulled out an old review of mine on the initial Speedline clubs from Adams. I noted in that review they looked a bit strange. But now that some time has passed? Well, slot technology is the design rage in fairway and hybrid clubs, and going forward perhaps the norm. But does it work?

As of now, Adams is the only manufacturer that can have dual slot lines (or "velocity slots" as the company calls them) on the top and bottom of their clubheads. That's because manufacturers can't patent the bottom of a club, but can patent the top. The top slot line flexes more than the one on the sole, so launch angle is higher. A real game changer for sure.

The Speedline Fast 12 fairway wood features a compact look. The silver paint is not my thing – I would have preferred a more traditional look – but it nicely sets off the black face of the club, making set up clean and easy. I do like the "paint break" hosel which is a feature of many pro tour clubs. Even the shaft coating is different. It's called SpeedCoat and it is rough, which Adams says will help the shaft to cut through the air easier. So, aside from the TinMan paint job, this club is all business.

Back to those dual slots. Yeah, marked increase in ball speed from the previous generation of Adams clubs, and that's saying a lot. The sound is solid and provides a nice "thwack" at contact. Getting the ball airborne is no problem thanks to the additional flex of the topside velocity slot. Nice to have confidence of launch in a fairway wood, which has been the downfall of many golfers looking for that long second shot on a par-5 hole. No issues with the Fast 12. Adams also accomplishes this without adding spin, which tends to balloon the ball.

The stock m Grafalloy shaft has been matched well with the head. The previous iteration of the ProLaunch Blue tended to throw the ball very high. This one is better behaved and tight dispersion is a strong suit. Weight-wise, the 65-gram weight of the shaft is in the middle for fairway woods. It worked well with the regular flex, as tested. If you are a stronger player, you may want to explore a heavier shaft.

Distance-wise, one can feel the ball jump off the face. Is it the velocity slots or maybe the confidence the club inspires? Launch monitor results showed no appreciable gain in carry but the lower spin of the club did help total distance by 3-5 yards. Combine that with the concentrated shot pattern, even on less than center hits, and you have a reliable, high-launching fairway wood.

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