The Unwritten Rules: How to Choose the Best Golf Clubs for Beginners
Golf is an enjoyable and expensive sport. But, did you know that just like in baseball, there are “unwritten rules” in golf, too? As if learning how to swing a club is not challenging enough for beginners, there’s also the need to think about unofficial rules before they even get started.
One such rule says that golfers, regardless of level and experience, are not allowed to carry over 14 golf clubs in their bag. With the golf club playing an important role in maximizing your swing and accuracy, it is particularly important to pay attention to the clubs you would bring with you, especially if you are a novice who has just started playing.
Though you are allowed to bring and use a full set – a set of golf clubs with a maximum of 14 clubs – it is not always advisable to do so, especially if you are a novice golfer. Beginner clubs are available in the market for a reason. That is, because they are more forgiving, though less powerful, to use even when your swing and contact aren’t good enough yet.
Golf champ Joey Sindelar suggested starting with either a half set or a two-thirds set of clubs, understanding where to start is the key. When picking out the clubs to bring, he suggested going with the odds – three, five, seven, and nine-irons, and three and five-wood clubs. However, before you even decide on which clubs will go into your golf bag, you need to decide first on which set to buy.
To make it easier for you, we rounded up the best golf clubs for beginners that are available in the market. Each brand comes with a variety of pros and cons, so channel your inner master and consider each strength and weakness carefully before you decide on which golf club set to bring home.
Table of Contents
The Rundown
Best Golf Club For Beginners: Callaway Men's Strata 12-piece (Complete Club Set with Bag)
"Ideal for beginners, who want the best value for money. This 12-piece set includes: a Driver, 3 Wood, 5 Hybrid, 6- 9 Iron, PW, Putter, Stand Bag, and 2 Headcovers"
"Ideal for golfers who are ready to invest for the long run, want the best, and are serious about golf. This 16-piece set includes: Driver, 3 & 5-wood, 4H, 5H, 6-7-8-9-iron, PW, SW, Putter + 1 Stand Bag."
"Ideal for golfers who are getting started and don't want to break the bank .This 9-piece set includes: Driver, fairway wood, hybrid, 6-7-8-9 irons, pitching wedge, putter + bag, and headcovers."
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Top 8 Best Golf Clubs for Beginners
Callaway, one of the most popular players in the golf equipment manufacturing industry, designed a very affordable beginner set in the Men’s Strata 12-Piece Set. Not only is it kind to the wallet, but it also boasts of a set with a great combination of performance in terms of distance, forgiveness, and control, making it the perfect golf club set for beginners.
The Callaway Men’s Strata 12-Piece Set is truly designed with a beginner golfer in mind, from the lightweight 460cc forged driver with a large sweet spot to the forgiving oversized 3-wood and a mallet putter. Also included in the set are all the things every golfer needs on the course: a lightweight stand bag, a 5-hybrid, 6- to 9-irons, and a pitching wedge.
Note that calling this a 12-piece set doesn’t mean there are 12 clubs. Instead, the count simply means that there are 9 clubs, 2 headcovers for the woods, and 1 durable bag.
Key Features
- The driver and 3-wood all have large and forgiving sweet spots
• The driver and 3-wood all have large and forgiving sweet spots • Comes with a 5-hybrid which is perfect for beginners • Irons and wedges have progressive sole width and perimeter weighting technology • T-Style mallet putter is forgiving with its increased moment of inertia (MOI) • The stand bag is lightweight and durable, with five pockets, a cooler pocket, and a rain hood
• Includes only 9 clubs • Does not include a sand Wedge • 3-wood and 5-hybrid has a large distance gap • The driver head breaks from the shaft easily
The Callaway Men’s Strata Ultimate Set is one of the most comprehensive starter sets packed with modern golf technology. With a full complement of clubs developed with a beginner golfer in mind, each club promises ease of control in terms of distance, performance, and forgiveness.
This set from Callaway contains two hybrids listed as the equivalent of a 4 and 5-iron. The 6- to 9- irons are also cavity-backed, so they can be used to effectively deliver length with high trajectory and a nice, soft landing. Also included in the set are the often-forgotten pitching and sand wedge for navigating in the greens, a miller-faced blade-style putter for better accuracy and distance control, and a sturdy, stand bag with deep pockets for balls and tees and a comfortable strap for easy carrying.
Though the irons from this set are far from perfect in terms of feel, the perimeter-weighted clubs are still capable of getting the ball down to the target area with strength and accuracy, even for beginners.
Key Features
• One of the most complete extensive club sets in the market • Includes two wedges and a full array of clubs to use around the green • Large and well-constructed driver for golfers of all skill levels
• The quality is not perfect
True to its name, Wilson created yet another affordable and high-quality, and distance-yielding golf club set in the standard edition of its Ultra Complete Golf Set. This 10-club set is especially suitable for beginners, particularly those with a naturally high swing. It also features a super game improvement design, a large 460cc Titanium matrix driver, large sweet spot irons with perimeter weighting features, an alignment putter with soft Paddle grip, and a lightweight, ergonomic bag with a self-activating stand and numerous pockets.
One major downside, however, is that it comes with steel shafts instead of graphite, making it particularly disadvantageous for beginners with lower swing speed to improve on their distance.
Nevertheless, this set remains perfect for beginner golfers. It comes with a decent overall value and an affordable price tag as a whole package.
Key Features
• The driver and fairway woods have features that promote easier swing tempo and better distance for beginners • The putter s designed with a Heel-Toe weight alignment for better control, accuracy, and forgiveness • There are 10 clubs and a bag in one affordable package
• No sand wedge included • The graphite-shafted driver and 3-wood are not durable • The shafts are steel instead of graphite
The Wilson Golf Profile SGI Men’s Complete Golf Set with Bag is yet another quality collection of beginner’s club sets. From the high-quality clubs to the lightweight stand bag, this set from Wilson does not disappoint.
Included in this particular set are three woods – a 10.5-degree driver, a standard 460cc driver with a sleek design, and a five wood. There’s also a low-profile hybrid substitute for a 5-iron, a thin and flat 6- to 9-iron set, sleek-looking pitching and sand wedges, a blade-style putter, and headcovers, all fitted in a lightweight stand bag with numerous pockets.
Overall, the Wilson Profile SGI Golf Set is a very solid set that is good enough for all beginning golfers looking to purchase a well-made collection of clubs.
Key Features
- Automatic Ball Return – for uninterrupted gameplay
- Alignment guides at 2 ft, 4 ft, 6 ft, and 8 ft – for perfecting alignment
• Stylish golf club set with a sharp yellow-black color base • Excellent lightweight stand bag • Great set of wood and hybrid clubs for beginners
• Missing the mid-range lofted fairway wood and an additional hybrid
The Pinemeadow PGX golf set would have been an ideal set, except for some missing pieces in their collection. Like the others, it includes a graphite-shafted 460cc driver with a large sweet spot built for accuracy and distance, a 3-wood, a hybrid, and three custom headcovers.
However, it would have been better had it included a bag, a sand wedge, and a putter in this collection for the beginning golfer. The shafts are also steel and not graphite, but it’s a small issue.
Nevertheless, we liked how the hybrid performed. Plus, the perimeter-weighted look and feel are also perfect in keeping the ball’s trajectory relatively straight. Overall, the Pinemeadow PGX Golf Set is a fine set for a beginner at this price point.
Key Features
• Large driver with a broad sweet spot • The 15-degree fairway wood is a perfect loft for beginners who need help with a launch angle • The irons are cavity backed and perimeter-weighted for better forgiveness"
• The set did not come with a bag, a sand wedge, or a putter • The quality of the club set is not so good compared to the others on this list
The brand Confidence may not be famous like Callaway, but their products are of exceptional quality and affordable price. The same rings true for their Power Hybrid Club Set. This set already features a 6- to 9- iron set, a pitching wedge, a 24-degree lofted hybrid, a 460 cc titanium driver with a 12-degree loft, and a semi-mallet putter., making it the most affordable one on this list. In addition to having all the irons cavity-backed, the driver is made from Titanium, which makes for an especially excellent club, which encourages higher launch and trajectory, forgiveness, and better overall control. Though it only includes a single 24-degree hybrid club, it is very versatile so it can easily replace your long irons. Of course, it also includes a stand bag with plenty of external storage.
For its price, it is a complete package with great overall value though the quality may not exactly be the best of its kind.
Key Features
- Visible shot traces – shows ball path
- Adjustable speed – Allows different stimp speeds from 4 to 13.
- Custom break wedge – for mimicking breaks and slopes on surfaces.
● Versatility due to different speeds allowed ● Great portability ● Visible shot traces help with studying ball trajectory
● Playing cup protrudes on mat ● Lacks ball return system