Best Golf Clubs for Beginners
The best golf clubs for beginners focus more on a few key playing features, rather than on any particular brand. You can find a variety of clubs perfect for your game without having to purchase a specific “name” brand set of clubs. Beginner clubs should provide you with the right blend of power and control. Knowing what to look for in a beginner golf club will help you start the game with lower scores and higher satisfaction. Below are the breakdowns of waht sort of clubs to look for within each variety.
Woods
As a beginner, you should wait to buy a driver until you learn how to hit long tee shots with control. The added power of a driver won’t make up for the loss of control with this club. Start with a 3-wood, add a 5-wood and a 7-wood for more difficult long shots.
Buy woods with larger heads for more control and flexible shafts for more distance. Look for a clubhead that has a more open, or lofted, face to help you get balls in the air. A clubhead with a wider sole, which is the bottom part of the head that touches the ground, helps you keep stability if you hit the ground before you hit the ball. Finally, choose an offset head for a straighter angle at impact, and one with a lower center of gravity.
To review, buy woods with larger, offset and more lofted heads, flexible shafts, wider soles and a low center of gravity.
Irons
Start your set of irons with a 5- or 6-iron, depending on how much distance you can generate. Purchase lower-numbered, or longer, irons after you begin to get control of your iron shots, which are hit off the ground, not a tee. Stick with a wood for your longest fairway woods until then.
Beginners should look for the following features in irons: larger head, more flexible shaft, perimeter-weighted heads, wider soles, and low center of gravity.
Putter
You have two choices of putters: belly putters and traditional putters. Belly putters have long shafts that go up to your chest and require you to spread your hands apart as you make the stroke standing straight. Traditional putters are the shorter putters you see most players use. More beginners and seniors use belly putters, which they feel give them more control. Putter type is primarily a matter of preference and you should be able to use either style effectively.
Where beginners can benefit from technology is in the head of the putter. Blade putters have thin heads while mallet putters are wider, providing more stability. A mallet putter may be a better choice for a beginner.
Wedges
Add a pitching wedge and a sand wedge to help you control the ball around the green. If you can only afford one, start with a pitching wedge, which you can also use out of the sand.
Number of Clubs
You are only allowed to bring 14 clubs on most courses. As a beginner, you won’t need this many, since you will gravitate to a few favorite clubs that give you the control you want. As you get better, you can add more clubs to your bag, such as a driver, longer irons or another wedge.
