The Best Golf Club

Buying Guide

Purchasing a full set of golf clubs can feel like an overwhelming task for many of us. Golf is known to be a challenging game where every little thing you do can make a difference in your ability to play well or shoot low scores. So when looking at the technical nuances in many sets of golf clubs, it can feel challenging when you are unsure of the varying terminology used by each brand or even just the general use of each club.

To start narrowing down the field so you can figure out which set of clubs is best for you, we should look at each style of club and define what it is you want from it. The longest and biggest club in your bag will be your driver. Today’s drivers are often easy to hit well as they offer large sweet spots on the face and a forgiving trajectory for those of us who don’t have the consistency to hit the ball exactly right every time. An oversized driver will be easy to hit well due to the size, but the loft of the driver’s face is also an important factor in keeping the ball straight, according to golf professional Will Shaw.

“Drivers come in many lofts (9 – 12 degrees), and higher loft drivers do slightly reduce your driving distance, but generally keep your shots straighter,” said Shaw. “I would recommend most beginners start with a 10.5 degree loft on their driver or higher.”

The next group of clubs is hybrids and fairway woods. They have a similar construction to a driver’s head, but they will be smaller and more aerodynamic as they are designed to hit the ball off the ground directly most of the time. Having a forgiving set of fairway woods or hybrids can really help keep your ball on the course and lower your stroke count.  A complete set of golf clubs that includes all your necessary fairway woods and hybrids will help a more inexperienced golfer be prepared on the course, says Shaw.

“Full sets that come with a few fairway woods and/or hybrids are a great option for a golfer looking for a forgiving set of golf clubs,” Shaw says.

Now that you have hit your driver or fairway woods to get you closer to the hole, you’ll have to figure out which iron you need to get the ball onto the green. Before hybrids became popular, sets of irons would usually go from a 3 iron, which will go the farthest, down to a 9 iron or pitching wedge, which will be for shorter shots. Today, it is common to find the irons in a full set range from a 5 iron to a pitching wedge though, according to Shaw, so be sure to at least have these clubs included in the set that you buy. Irons will slice down behind the ball in a way that hybrids and woods cannot, and that means you can really plant the face of the iron on the ball, sometimes while taking a divot when your club digs into the top layer of sod and the ball will release off the face of the iron with a high and proper trajectory that allows for backspin and good ball control.

“Modern sets often replace 3 and 4 irons with hybrids and fairway woods, as they are easier to hit,” says Shaw. “For most golfers, a golf club set with a 5 iron upwards will give you all the options you need.”

The last club you will need to finish your hole is the putter. A putter should have a sold head that has some weight to it to help the club stay steady when tapping the ball with a light amount of force. Putters are not always included in a set of golf clubs though, so finding a set that offers a putter can really add value to your purchase. This set even includes a bag, meaning you will be fully equipped to hit the links as soon as you open the set.

Now that we have covered the types of clubs you should expect to see in your bag, it’s important to note what sets most of the sets of clubs apart from one another. Shaw mentions that the quality of the materials can play a big role in the set of clubs that you get.

“When buying golf clubs, price is a good indicator of the quality of the materials used to build the clubs,” he says. “Lower-priced golf clubs often use poorer quality metal alloys to make the club heads and shafts. These lower-priced options will work, but you will find that they don’t hit the ball as far and tend to be less forgiving for off-center hits.”

The lower-tier golf clubs do come at a friendly price, which can be nice when you are entering a new sport or hobby that involves purchasing expensive equipment upfront. It is common for golfers to start with a set of clubs that include irons they are happy with to get started with their game. After they learn the basics and start finding consistency in their swings and understanding their clubs better, they will often look to cater the clubs in their bag to their style a little bit more. This approach allows you to scale into purchasing more expensive clubs when you have the knowledge and confidence to do so while letting you still rely on the solid set of irons that you initially learned to play with.

If you are intent on becoming a regular golfer and would like to make sure that your equipment will be up to the task, you could make a decision to go with a nicer set of clubs that still contains a full set of irons and fairway woods. The full set comes out as a great value in comparison to purchasing the clubs independently, but the quality of their construction will be something that works well for you as you become a more intermediate to advanced golfer.

Some other features of golf club sets that you can look at for value are the addition of a bag, the ability to have the clubs be right-handed or left-handed, or an option to have a steel shaft in place of a graphite shaft. A graphite shaft is very lightweight and easy to swing without much force; these graphite shafts are common in irons that are played by golfers that are older or intend to swing more gently. Steel shafted irons are heavier and suited well for stronger athletes really looking to take full strength shots regularly. As for the left or right-handedness of your clubs, that isn’t always going to be the same as your dominant writing hand. If you have never swung a golf club before, it might behoove you to go to a golf pro shop or a driving range and try swinging both styles of clubs. Whichever direction feels the smoothest and most natural for you, it could be a wise choice to pursue a set of clubs with that orientation to help you ease into a confident and repeatable swing.

• Spending even one hour with a golf pro who watches your swing and helps you make adjustments can be huge when you very first start playing golf. They will be able to fit you into clubs that are going to work well with your swing and ability.
• If you don’t know whether a graphite shaft or a steel shaft is right for you, look at the bags of your friends or acquaintances who play at a similar level as you and see what they have; this can help guide you to what you should be looking for.
• Maintaining your clubs between rounds of golf is essential to keeping them in their best shape, says Shaw.

“Ensure you store your clubs in a dry place. If you do play in the rain, just remove your golf clubs from your bag afterward, towel dry, and leave them out overnight,” Shaw adds. “This will prevent any rust building up over time.”

• Whichever set of clubs you do choose to start out with. It is recommended to keep using the same set while going through the initial phase of learning the mechanics and physics of golf. You will learn how to approach and hit the ball with good contact so that the club can do the work. You will learn which club you can hit which distance, so you have the confidence to grab the right iron out of your bag. When you keep changing your clubs or borrowing clubs from other people before you have learned your own proper swing technique, you add confusion and complexity which can hinder growth.
• Be sure to have fun while you’re learning to golf. The natural setting of the course should help you to stay relaxed while you inevitably hit frustrating shots. Remember, it’s a hard game and most golfers have to start somewhere, so take it easy on yourself.