Golf is the hardest game I've ever played. It's also the best game I've ever played. It can leave you heartbroken and elated in the same afternoon. There have been times that I played so poorly that I've sworn the game off forever. But then all it takes is one great shot to bring me back again. One thing I can tell you for sure is that you will hit far more of those great shots if you're using the best golf clubs.
If you are a beginner, you don't have to go out and spend a fortune on new clubs. Expensive golf clubs are sitting in countless garages across the country, never to be touched again. Don't make that mistake.
I love golf. However, not everyone does. So begin with a starter set of clubs that won't break the bank. If you end up loving it, you can always add more expensive clubs to your bag later.
Now let's talk about a few things that beginners should know before buying a new set of clubs.
Comparison Table
How Many Clubs Does a Beginner Need?
Believe it or not, people spend thousands and thousands of dollars on their golf clubs. There are no two ways about it; golf is an expensive sport. The cost alone is one thing that keeps a lot of people from ever trying it. But you don't have to spend a fortune to play, especially when you first start.
The good news is, all of the best golf clubs for beginners on our list this year are very affordable.
One important thing to note is that when you're first starting, you don't need a whole ton of clubs. The best golf clubs for beginners on our list this year range from 8 to 12 clubs in each set. That's plenty to play a game or hit at the driving range.
Now, if you find out once you've played a bit that you love the sport and are sure that you'll stick with it, then you can later invest in more expensive clubs to add to your set. On the other hand, if you find that golf just isn't your thing, then at least you won't have spent a fortune to try it out.
What are the different types of clubs that I'll need?
All of the best golf clubs for beginners have woods and hybrids, irons, and a putter. All of the sets on our list also include a carrying bag and head covers for your woods.
Let's take a look at the different types of clubs.
Woods
Your woods are the golf clubs designed to hit the ball long distances. Other than the putter, the club face on the woods have the shallowest angles of any of the clubs in your bag. Your woods will give you more distance and less loft.
Drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids are all considered woods.
The driver is the club that you will use to hit the ball off the tee at the start of each hole. It's the biggest club in your bag, and it will give you the most distance of any other club. The downside is it can be harder to control than your other woods.
You can use fairway woods to hit off of the tee too. But you can also use them to crush your ball in the fairway. You won't get quite the distance with your fairway woods as you will with your driver, but the fairway woods are easier to control.
Finally, there are the hybrids. Hybrids are a cross between woods and irons. They give you the best of both worlds. Of all of the woods in your bag, the hybrids will provide you with the least distance, but they are also the easiest to control.
A good starter set will include a driver and at least one fairway wood or hybrid.
Irons
Your irons have a more angled face which allows them to make more accurate shots on the course than your woods. Most of the time you will use your irons to hit the ball off the ground, but sometimes on short holes, you can also use them to hit off of the tee.
Irons come in different numbers. The higher the number on your iron, the greater the angle on the club's face. The lower the number, the lower the trajectory, and the greater the distance.
A good starter set will have at least four irons.
Wedges
Golfers consider sand wedges and pitching wedges irons, but they don't use numbers. Because wedges have sharper angles, they offer higher trajectories than any of the other irons.
All of the best golf clubs on our list include at least one wedge.
Putters
Your putter is a specialty club that you will only use on or around the green. You won't use your putter on the tee or in the fairway. Putters come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and they often aren't included in high-end sets. All of the best golf clubs on our list this year include putters.
Do I Want Graphite or Steel Shafts?
Graphite shafts are better for beginners than steel shafts. Beginners should avoid very stiff shafts.
What Should I Wear to Play Golf?
If you are brand new to golf, then it's crucial that you know about the proper attire. No, you can't just show up at the golf course in your gym clothes.
First, you will need to wear a collared shirt like a polo shirt. It's a good idea to wear a breathable material that will absorb sweat. Next, you will need to wear a nice pair of shorts or slacks, no jeans. I would avoid wearing white pants too.
Golf shoes are the next thing that you'll need. Golf shoes come with three different types of spikes that will help you on the course. The first type of spikes is metal. The pros wear steel spikes, but they are not allowed at most golf courses for amateur players. You should avoid metal spikes.
Soft spikes are the most popular ones worn by golfers today. Soft rubber spikes won't tear up the greens.
And on top of that, they're more comfortable.
The last type of golf shoes you can get are spikeless. Spikeless shoes have small rubber studs instead of spikes. If you get pressure pain from wearing spikes, the spikeless golf shoes are ideal.
Another thing that you'll need is a golf glove. You'll probably want a hat or collared shirt too.
Some Tips for Beginner Golfers
The first tip that I would give to a beginner golfer is to practice, practice, practice! If you want to improve your game you have to go to the driving range.
When I first learned how to play, no one told me that I need to go to the range. So I got myself all geared up with a new set of clubs and some fancy new duds and walked right out onto the course. Did I mention that my very first time playing was at the Doral?
I don't think I've ever been so stressed out. The more embarrassed I got the worst I hit the ball. And then there were all of those swings where I missed the golf ball altogether. I left the course that day swearing that I'd never play the game again. Fortunately, I eventually changed my mind on that one.
But I certainly wouldn't recommend anyone following in my foolish footsteps. Start at the driving range!
Another tip that I would give to beginners is that you should learn how to grip your clubs properly. I also recommend that you get a golf glove. You'll thank me for that later.
Finally, you should take some time to learn the basic rules and etiquette of golf.
Our Review Process
In our review process, we researched and examined professional and consumer reviews. We also compared the features and price on each set of the best golf clubs for beginners.
This analysis was an independent review. We have no business or financial ties to any of the manufacturers on our list.
The Top 6 Best Golf Clubs of the Year
In no particular order here are our top picks for the six best golf clubs for beginners this year.
1. Callaway Men's Strata Ultimate Complete Golf Set
Our first contender for the best golf clubs for beginners this year is Callaway's Strata Ultimate. This set comes with everything a beginner needs to hit the course or the driving range. It features 12 clubs including a titanium driver with a 12-degree loft, 2 fairway woods, 2 hybrids, 4 stainless steel irons, 2 wedges, and a putter. In addition to that, this set also comes with a lightweight bag, and five head covers for your driver, woods, and hybrids.
One of the things that we love about this set is that the woods and the irons are very forgiving. They also feature a high flight technology design that will provide longer shots and better ball control.
This Callaway set is a bit more expensive than the others on our list, but it's still pretty affordable. Another reason that we have named the Callaway Strata Ultimates some of the best golf clubs this year is because they get excellent professional and consumer reviews.
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CONS
2. Wilson Men's Ultra Complete Golf Set
The Wilson Ultra is another set of the best golf clubs for beginners this year. These clubs are an excellent starter set that comes with everything a newbie will need to play a round of golf or practice at the driving range. It comes with 9 clubs, including a significant Titanium matrix driver with a 10.5-degree loft, a graphite fairway wood, a hybrid, 4 stainless steel irons, a pitching wedge, and a putter. This set also comes with a bag and three head covers.
These clubs are ideal for beginners because they have substantial sweet spots that will allow you to hit the ball better and farther, even when you hit it off-center.
Like the other best golf clubs for beginners on our list this year, the Wilson Ultras are very affordable. And they also get excellent professional and consumer reviews.
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3. Pinemeadow Pre Men's Complete Golf Set
Our next contender for the best golf clubs this year is Pinemeadow Pre. This set comes with 11 clubs including a Titanium-enhanced graphite driver with a 10.5-degree loft, a graphite 3 wood, a 3 hybrid, 6 irons, a pitching wedge, and a Pre Mallet Putter. On top of that, this set also comes with a dual-strap lightweight standing golf bag, a rain cover, and three head covers for your driver, wood, and hybrid.
One of the things that we love about this set is that the perimeter weighted heads and the full cavity back design provides an oversized sweet spot. Pinemeadow has also designed these clubs specifically for slower swing speeds. This is ideal for beginners.
Like the other best golf clubs on our list, the Pinemeadow set is affordable. And it gets killer reviews.
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4. Confidence Golf Power V3 Men's Golf Clubs Set
Confidence takes the next spot on our list of the best golf clubs for beginners this year. If you are brand new to golf and you want to spend the least amount of money possible for a starter set of clubs, then the Confidence set may be just what you're looking for today.
This set comes with everything that you need, but it doesn't come with much else. Along with the bag and a head cover, this set comes with 8 clubs including a 10-degree-loft steel driver, a hybrid, 4 irons, a pitching wedge, and a putter.
One of the beginner-friendly features of these clubs is that the steel irons have a cavity-back design that offers more forgiveness. Another thing that we love about this set is that the putter has an alignment aid. That should help you to lower your score on the greens.
As I mentioned, this set is very budget-friendly, it's the least expensive set on our list this year. But the lower price tag didn't take anything away from the great reviews.
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5. Wilson Golf Profile SGI Men's Complete Golf Set
We like Wilson so much for beginners that they took two spots on our list of the best golf clubs this year. The Wilson Golf Profile SGI set comes with 10 clubs including a driver, a 5 wood, a 5 hybrid, 4 weighted 431 stainless steel irons, a pitching wedge, a sand wedge, and a putter. In addition to that this set also comes with a lightweight bag and three head covers for your driver, wood, and hybrid.
The technology in these clubs is what the professionals were using 5 to 10 years ago. They are of high quality and perfect for beginners.
This set isn't as cheap as the Confidence set, but it's still very affordable. And like the other best golf clubs on our list, it gets excellent ratings.
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6. Callaway Men's Strata Plus Complete Golf Set
Like our Wilson picks, we also liked Callaway so much for beginners that we gave them a second spot on our list of the best golf clubs too. The Callaway Strata Plus set comes with 11 clubs including a driver with a 12-degree loft and a graphite shaft, a graphite-shaft fairway 3 wood, 2 hybrids, 4 irons, a sand wedge, a pitching wedge, and a Mallet putter. This set also comes with a lightweight standing bag and four head covers.
All of the irons and wedges feature perimeter weighting and progressive sole width technology for improved control. The putter also has a T-style alignment that will improve your short game.
The Callaway Strata Plus set is even more affordable than the Callaway Strata Ultimate set. And it gets just as good ratings.
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The Bottom Line on the Best Golf Clubs for Beginners
The bottom line is you can get the best golf clubs for beginners without spending a fortune.
All of the sets our list are excellent. But if I had to pick just one favorite, I would say the Callaway Strata Ultimate set. It's got everything that you need, and it won't break the bank.
Now we want to hear from you! Let us know in the comments section below what you think about our list. And share with our readers if you have any useful tips for newbies.
Have a great day and happy golfing!
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Last update on 2024-06-21 at 11:56 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API