My Kid Wants to Golf — What Are the Best Clubs for Them?
Photo courtesy of Jopwell
As a parent who golfs, one of the best things you can hear from your young child is, “can I come play golf with you?” Instantly, you get excited and start to think, “what are the best golf clubs to get them?” “What size do they need?” And most importantly, “how much is this going to cost me?” There’s a ton of options out there to consider and this is your one-stop guide to getting your kid some golf clubs and into the great game of golf!
Important Aspects for Drivers
One of the most important clubs in the bag is the driver. When it comes to this club for a young golfer, an important factor to think about is the size of the club face. For a beginner, one of the things that will help them strike the ball better is a larger club face. The larger it is, the better odds that it will carry a large sweet spot, which will in term help younger players still hit a solid shot with greater distances, even if they don't make the most solid contact. One thing to help with that, also, is looking for a high lofted driver, such as a 16-degree driver. Not only will this be a solid driver to start with, it will also carry over as they advance, later being used more as a wood off the fairway. What's great is that most drivers now-a-days have an incredible amount of advanced technology that it's hard to go wrong with just about any modern driver.
- Beginner Suggestion: Top Flite 2020 Kid's Driver
- Advanced Junior Suggestion: Cobra-RadSpeed XB Junior Driver
Important Aspects for Irons
The right set of irons is critical for any new golfer! The irons are so important to a golfer's game because of how much they are used on the golf course. You use an iron on nearly every hole of golf, whether it be a +500 yard par 5 or a 140 yard par 3. No matter what, you'll end up using an iron!
When it comes to iron sets, there seems to be an unlimited supply and just as many options! With so many choices, it can be difficult to nail down exactly which set to get. When it comes to which iron set to pick, there's a few things you should think about for your child's first set. First, you need to determine if you want to get graphite shafts or stainless steel shafts.
Photo courtesy of Jopwell
Graphite Shafts
- Much lighter than steel shafts.
- Less durable because they are lighter and have more flex.
- More comfortable because they are more smooth throughout the swing.
Steel Shafts
- Vibrates more on impact causing for better feel on flush shots and being able to feel mishits.
- Heavier than graphite shafts.
- Very durable—can last decades!
Now, why do these things matter for a kids club? It all depends on the age and ability of your kid. For a younger child that may not swing as fast, graphite shafts will be a good fit due to the light weight, more flexibility, and more comfort. If your child is older and you want the set to last longer into their playing days, a steel-shafted set of irons may be the best route to go.
When thinking about the iron head or the model of irons that you should get, keep in mind where the weight is on the iron. For beginners, an iron that has the weight lower on the club face, such as a cavity-back iron will give the club a lower center of gravity, which helps get the ball in the air easier and spin less.
Just as the driver, the larger the iron head and club face, the greater the sweet spot. This allows for great ability to hit well-placed shots. Because of this, one might think to add a few hybrids instead of longer irons.
Side note: As your child gets older, their irons will probably be the first club that they will need to upgrade, whether that's from a children's set to a junior set of golf clubs or moving from graphite shafts to steel shafts. At some point, they'll move into a point where they'll need an "adult set of golf clubs." Maybe at this point, your kid loves the game and you need to find high-performance player irons, or maybe golf won't be any more than a hobby for them. If the latter is where you find yourself, there are plenty of good quality, or even high quality, iron options out there.
- Beginner Suggestion: Junior Robin Set
- Advanced Junior Suggestion: Taylormade M4 Set
Important Aspects for Putters
Photo by Robert Ruggiero
You've found the perfect driver to get your kid off the tee box. You've helped them find the iron set that will help them out of the fairway (or out the rough like the old man). Now it's time to help them out on the green! There's a variety of putters out there, so let me help.
Just like most of the other clubs in the bag, weight is really important, but with putters, it's a balance. The heavier the putter, the more forgiveness there is, but you never want to have a putter that is so heavy, your child can barely hold it over the ball. With that being said, there are two different styles of putters: blade and mallet.
A mallet-style putter has a large head. These tend to be a bit heavier, but offer a bit more forgiveness because of the weight dispersion in the face of the putter. A blade-style putter is one that you'll see a lot of professional golfers playing with and tend to be a bit lighter. The honest truth about putters is that they are all about feel and personal preference. Have them try a few out and pick what feels right to them and looks right to you!
What About Full Sets?
Say that your child is just getting into the sport and instead of doing all the research into individual iron sets, different drivers, or what type of driver to get, maybe you want to go with a one-stop-shop and get a complete set for your child. If that's the case, then you're in good hands. There are great sets out there for your child. While there are a bunch of complete sets on the market for you to pick from, my expert advice would be to use the things that I laid out above and go with the set that you think is best for your child. Below you can find my list of the top 7 complete sets of clubs for kids!
Recommendations for Complete Club Sets
- Precise Teenager Complete Golf Set
- Callaway XT-10 Piece Teen Golf Set
- Tour Edge Junior Bazooka 360 Varsity
- Confidence Junior Golf Set
- Ultralight Complete Set
- Robin Junior Golf Set
- U.S. Kids Golf Ultralight Clubs
- As Golf Digest describes, "U.S. Kids Golf is also excelling at the intermediate level. Its Ultralight system is the proper equipment for children needing their first set of clubs."
What About Golf Balls?
Photo courtesy of Jopwell
There are a couple of different routes you can go when it comes to golf balls. If you want to go the most cost-effective route, head to your local thrift shop and see what you can find there. Odds are you can find some hidden gems that you'll get at the best value. Pick out the best-looking ones and head to the course!
One philosophy that I really do believe to be true for younger kids is that if the ball looks cool, they'll be more interested. Different golf brands are starting to get really creative when it comes to the design of their golf balls, like Volvik's new Marvel Themed Golf Set or Callaway's Truvis Style Golf Ball that looks like a soccer ball!
If you really want to find what's best for your kid in terms of quality, golf balls that have low compression and low spin are going to have the best performance. Due to children normally having a slower swing speed and their clubs having a greater shaft flex, you'll want to find the golf ball that has a softer feel like the Titleist TruFeel Golf Ball or the Pinnacle White Soft Golf Ball. Either of these is a great choice!
There's no better feeling than having your best golfing buddy be your son or daughter! I hope this article prepares you for that golden moment in life when your aspiring golfer is ready to join you on the golf course or at the range. Need help with finding the best set for your daughter or son? Feel free to chat with me or another Golf expert here on Curated and we'll be more than glad to help out!
