In this review we cover the best golf clubs for beginners currently on the market. We’ll help you find the right golf clubs no matter what your budget is. We’ll also cover some common pitfalls to avoid when buying your first complete golf set, and provide professional insight into which clubs to pick based on your golfing needs.
If you want a detailed FAQ when buying golf clubs for beginners just click this link.
Table of Contents
- 1 The best golf clubs for beginners are:
- 2 TLDR
- 3 Cobra Fly XL package set
- 4 Callaway Edge Golf Complete Set
- 5 TaylorMade RBZ SpeedLite set
- 6 Cobra F-Max Complete Golf Set
- 7 Callaway Strata Complete Golf Set
- 8 Wilson Profile SGI Package Golf club Set
- 9 Tour Edge Bazooka 370 Complete Golf Set
- 10 Wilson Men’s Profile XD Package Golf Set
- 11 Precise Golf 18 Piece Complete set
- 12 Aspire XD1 men’s complete golf set
- 13 Nitro Golf-Blaster 15 Piece Complete Set
- 14 FAQ when buying beginner golf clubs
- 15 Do golf clubs make a difference for beginners?
- 16 How to choose a beginners set
- 17 How much is a good set of golf clubs?
- 18 How much should you spend on your first set of golf clubs?
- 19 What’s included in a beginner golf club set?
- 20 What is the difference between men’s, women’s and senior golf clubs?
- 21 Should a beginner get fitted for golf clubs?
- 22 Why do I need clubs specifically aimed at beginners?
- 23 What’s the main difference between buying a set and buying clubs individually?
- 24 What are the best golf club brands for beginners?
- 25 What are the most forgiving golf clubs for beginners?
- 26 Should I buy cavity back or blade irons?
- 27 Should I buy a new or used club set?
- 28 Best golf clubs for beginners – Summary
The best golf clubs for beginners are:
- Cobra Fly XL Complete Golf Set
- Callaway Edge Complete Golf Set
- TaylorMade RBZ SpeedLite
- Cobra F-Max Complete Golf Set
- Callaway Strata Complete Golf Set
- Wilson Profile SGI Complete Set
- Tour Edge Golf – Bazooka 370 Complete Set
- Wilson Men’s Profile XD Complete Golf Set
- Precise Golf 18 Piece Complete Set
- Aspire XD1 men’s complete Golf Set
- Nitro Golf-Blaster 15 Piece Complete Set
TLDR
- For combined performance and value the Cobra Fly XL have topped our review. However, the Callaway Edge are not far behind, followed by two more expensive but great performing options in the TaylorMade RBZ and Cobra F-Max package sets.
- The lightest and highest quality complete sets are the TaylorMade RBZ, and Cobra F-Max golf sets. These are great if you have a good-sized budget and want to maximise distance and forgiveness.
- Faster swinging players will get on well with the above, but I would urge you to check out the Cobra Fly XL and Callaway Edge sets, if you have a very quick swing speed (100mph+ with driver). Both these options are well built and the standard graphite shafts are a little stiffer.
- Slicers should choose the Cobra Fly XL and F-Max over the Callaway Edge and Strata if they want more draw-biased golf sets.
- If you are on a budget, the main drop you’ll notice is the performance with driver and woods (these are super expensive to manufacture). Don’t worry we’re talking about 5% loss in both distance and forgiveness compared to sets many hundreds more in price. Great value options are the Callaway Strata sets, Tour Edge ranges, Wilson sets and the Rife complete set.
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Cobra Fly XL package set
Picking a set to finish top of this is list hard! I can hardly fault the top four or five picks. However, the Cobra Fly XL complete set offers great quality throughout the set. Furthermore, there are no unnecessary clubs meaning more cash to spend on playing golf. Finally, they are built in a way that will suit you perfectly and still suit you well in 1-3 years’ time as you develop into an intermediate golfer.
Woods
The 10.5º driver has a big clubface and a low centre of gravity, resulting in a forgiving driver that hits the ball long and far. I noted in the intro that the woods are where the main differences lie between high and lower-priced beginner sets. In testing, this driver was 12-18 yards longer compared to the Rife RX2 set (tested at the same time). I’d say that is a considerable difference.
Accompanying the driver is a 15º fairway wood. The wide, flat profile makes this fairway wood easy to hit off the ground and a great alternative off the tee if your driver isn’t behaving.
Irons & hybrids
The stars of this set are the offset, 4 and 5-hybrids. Hybrids have shorter shafts than fairway woods and looking down at these clubs will inspire confidence. Once more, when you hit them, the golf ball flys!
The heel weighting promotes a soft draw that will be pleasing to all golfers.
The irons start at a 6-iron and run all the way through to a sand wedge. These all have a deep cavity and perimeter weighting, making them super forgiving and producing a high ball flight. These also have a little offset and heel weighting that promote a soft draw ball flight.
Cobra have done a great job of making these irons forgiving, and powerful, but still giving them a nice feel when striking golf shots.
I don’t want to get too geeky, but the technical specifications of these irons (lofts and swing weights) are a little different to most other beginner sets. The result is a higher launch, better gapping between clubs and better lofts for chipping and pitching around the green.
The rest of the set
The Cobra Fly XL is completed with a classic toe-weighted putter, that sits well behind the ball and has a clear line for aiming up putts. Finally, Cobra offers a choice of stand or cart bags with these sets. However, you may be limited with what is in stock if you are in a rush to buy.
Golf Insider verdict
For the price, I don’t think a beginner golfer could do better. The Cobra Fly XL complete set gives you all the clubs you need, and each is well-crafted to help you learn the game.
Callaway Edge Golf Complete Set
The release of the Callaway Edge complete set caused some stir and with good reason – a great value beginner set with a premium level putter and driver thrown into the deal.
Woods
The Callaway Edge Driver has a maxed-out (460cc) head with 10.5º of loft. The feel and distance this driver provides are excellent, and just a shade off how a $300-400 premium driver would perform.
This driver is well suited for most beginners, but for slower swinging golfers you’ll be better with the Cobra Fly XL and Cobra F-Max sets if you want to maximise your distance off the tee. You can read more about the reasons why in our full Callaway Edge review.
The Callaway Edge 3-wood has a flat sole, helping you strike shots off the ground or off the tee. The graphite shaft and 15º loft make this a useful club and one that really sends the ball a long way when hit well.
Irons & hybrids
The Callaway Edge set comes with a 5-hybrid, that replaces the traditional long irons and is much easier to hit. This club is super easy to use and I feel will become a firm favourite from the fairway and rough for many beginner golfers.
The Callaway Edge irons then run from a 6-iron to pitching wedge, with a sand wedge completing the line up of irons. All the irons have a big cavity back design with well-designed perimeter weighting, making the Edge irons forgiving across the hitting zone.
These irons feel superb for a beginner set and I really like the fact Callaway have not introduced a heavy draw bias into these irons.
The rest of the set
White Hot Oddesy putters are famous for a good reason – they really are top-notch putters, used by many tour players. The Callaway Edge set comes with a classic 34″ White Hot putter and a stand bag with plenty of room for carrying food, drinks, golf balls and any additional clothing you may need when playing golf.
Golf Insider verdict
I’m amazed at how good these are for the price. The putter, irons and woods are superb for any beginner. However, if you struggle with distance off the tee, or with a slice, I would say the Cobra Fly XL just pip it for performance.
Nevertheless, if you are set on this set buy them while they are still in stock – I would be very happy with any beginner who turned up for a golf lesson with these golf clubs.
TaylorMade RBZ SpeedLite set
The TaylorMade RBZ SpeedLite complete set sees TaylorMade, one of golf’s leading brands, go head to head with Callaway in producing a complete set made for beginner golfers. A TaylorMade full set would normally set you back ~$2,000 so let’s see how these stack up for the price.
Woods
The 460cc titanium-head driver features advanced aerodynamic shaping for faster swing speeds. The Fairway Wood brings easy to launch, low CG and SpeedPocket face technology that provides enhanced performance.
The size and shape of these woods make them highly forgiving, however, the head design and shafts used in the TaylorMade RBZ woods are not quite up with TaylorMade’s latest SIM 2 range. Meaning the RBZ lose around 5% of performance during testing.
Does this matter for a beginner golfer? It is up to you, but I’d consider them excellent for the price.
Irons & hybrids
The irons feature a large cavity back design and perimeter weighting. This design prevents the club from twisting on off-centre strikes, making the irons highly forgiving.
The TaylorMade RBZ set comes with 4 and 5 hybrids, rather than long irons. Hybrids are more forgiving and are a great choice for a beginner golfer.
The rest of the set
The set is finished off with a classical pitching wedge and sand wedge. Along with a mallet putter and cart bag.
Summary
The 13-Piece golf club set includes a Driver, 3 FW, 5 FW, 4 Rescue Hybrid, 5 Rescue Hybrid, 6-9 Irons, PW, SW, Putter and Bag. All golfers will be able to find what they are looking for in this kit! These are at the top end of beginner sets, but if you have the budget they are a superb set to get you into the game.
Cobra F-Max Complete Golf Set
For many years Callaway led the way for beginner golf sets, however, Cobra has now introduced two seriously good options for beginners. The F-Max set is Cobra’s lightest, most forgiving set of clubs and comes with everything you will need for getting into golf.
Woods
The offset 460cc driver comes in a 10.5º loft making it highly forgiving and perfect for golfers who suffer from a slice. This driver is accompanied by a 3-wood and 5-wood which offer great alternatives when teeing off and forgiving clubs to hit off the ground.
All three woods feature lightweight graphite shafts which means you’ll be able to generate more club speed and distance.
Irons & hybrids
The F-Max complete golf set comes with a 4 & 5 hybrid, which replace the traditional long irons and are far easier to hit. The set then moves onto traditional-looking irons from 6-iron up to sand wedge. Giving you all the options you’ll ever need to hit into greens and when chipping around the greens.
The rest of the set
The F-Max golf set is finished off with a classical bladed putter and comes in a very smart cart bag. The golf bag itself has pockets galore and two rubber grips at the top making it easy to move your golf clubs about before and after your round.
Summary
The Cobra F-Max golf clubs offer the latest, top of the range clubs for beginners. If you want the best and money isn’t an issue these are certainly worth it. You can check out the current prices below at your preferred retailer.
Callaway Strata Complete Golf Set
For many years Callaway has built top-end clubs and the Strata range is their beginner golf club set option. Meaning you get high-quality equipment and design with everything you’ll need as a beginner.
Woods
The Strata complete golf club set comes with a 460cc titanium driver which has a large sweet spot and lightweight shaft. Accompanying the driver are overs-sized 3 and 5 wood which also provides a large sweet spot and great forgiveness.
Irons & hybrids
The Callaway Men’s Strata sets feature a 5-hybrid, which is easier to hit than traditional long irons and will help you hit high launching shots off the fairway. The club set then progresses from 6-iron all the way through to Pitching Wedge.
All of the irons have a cavity back design which maximises their forgiveness and helps get your iron shots up into the air. The setup of irons and hybrid is ideal for a beginner golfer and will give you all the tools you need to hit into the greens and master your short game when playing golf.
Check out this article for a our full Callaway Strata review
The rest of the club set
The Strata package comes complete with a bladed putter and a carry bag. The bag comes complete with a stand, a comfy double strap system for carrying and four pockets.
This set of golf clubs will take you from 1st 18 holes all the way through to being a solid club player. The only golf club you may wish to add at some point is a sand wedge (56-degrees). These tend to be sold separately as there’s a good deal of personal preference.
Summary
The Strata club sets are a great option for a beginner golfer wanting all the gear at a more affordable price. The Strata golf club sets are also available in left-handed, and women’s length and flex.
The Strata golf sets come in 12, 14 & 16 piece options. The ‘pieces’ count the stand bag and headcovers too. So think of the 16-piece as the full set option and the 14 and 12 as losing a wood and headcover each. Both are still great options and can save you some additional money when buying the smaller sets.
You will also see ‘Callaway Strata’ and ‘Callaway Strata Ultimate’ sets advertised. The ‘ultimate’ sets have graphite shafts in the driver and wood, whereas the standard sets have a graphite shafted driver and lightweight steel shafts in the woods.
Both are great options, but if you have a slower swing speed opt for the Strata Ultimate complete golf set. Expect to pay around $100 more for the ultimate options.
Check out the latest prices and availability below.
Wilson Profile SGI Package Golf club Set
Wilson features a few times in this review, due to their focus on creating great beginner golf gear. The Wilson Profile SGI is their latest complete club set for beginners. The Profile SGI club set come with a 10.5º driver, 5-wood, 5 hybrid, 6 – 9 irons, pitching wedge, sand wedge, putter and golf bag. This all comes in at a great price.
The 10.5º driver is the maximum size allowed (460cc) offering great forgiveness for golfers who struggle to find the middle of the clubface. The Driver, 5-wood and 5-hybrid also come with graphite shafts – which make the clubs lighter and allow you to generate more clubhead speed. Whereas the irons and wedges come with steel shafts, which offer more control as you move closer to the green.
The irons also feature a large cavity back design which provides great forgiveness and helps send your iron shots up into the air. The irons and wedges in this set are excellent – they will provide a beginner with a great set of clubs for many years. As you move towards a mid-20 handicap you want to look at upgrading the putter and driver to better suit your game, but the Wilson Profile SGI set is an ideal start point for any beginner golfer.
Check out our full Wilson Profile SGI review
These clubs are available in a standard size and tall sets – offering beginners some much-needed customisation and solidifying their choice in this review. If you are 5’5″ – 6’1″ the standard will suit you perfectly, 6’1″ – 6’5″ opt for the long/tall version.
Currently, these clubs are in and out of stock on Amazon in the US and UK, but you can also find standard and long sets at Global Golf (who deliver globally).
Tour Edge Bazooka 370 Complete Golf Set
Tour Edge golf clubs never get the recognition they deserve. Tour Edge refuses to shell out millions on sponsoring players (hence why they are less well known). This allows them to produce high-quality, affordable set of clubs. Even better – their clubs come with a lifetime warranty!
This complete club set comes with a driver, 3-wood, hybrid, seven irons and a putter, all wrapped up in a stand bag. The driver has a large sweet spot and has the centre of gravity pushed low down and away from the face, making it very forgiving for off-centre hits.
The irons have a large cavity back design, and a wide sole. Both of these features increase the sweet spot and minimise the chance of the irons digging into the ground if you can’t the turf before the ball.
The putter has a steel shaft, a nice alignment line at the back of the club and a soft putter insert. Giving your putts a soft feel and a great roll on the greens.
If you’re generating a lot of clubhead speed, you may want to add in a different driver at some point (the Tour Edge 370 driver has a uni-flex shaft, which has a little more whip than usual). However, the irons are top-notch, I’d rate them very highly against any other iron in this review.
The Tour Edge Golf – Bazooka 370 set is ideal for someone who wants a great golf club set but is on a budget.
Wilson Men’s Profile XD Package Golf Set
Next, we have Wilson’s Profile XD complete set. They’re a good set for a beginner at a seriously low price (check the latest price from Amazon here). The complete set gives you a driver, 3-wood, hybrid, four irons, two wedges and a putter – all you need to start playing golf.
This club set gives you the option of a stand bag or cart bag and comes in left and right-handed options. The irons are really well designed and are very forgiving. The wedges provide excellent control for chipping and putting around the greens.
Why are they cheaper than the Tour Edge and Callaway sets of clubs? Well, they don’t quite match up when it comes to driver build quality. Don’t worry though, the driver won’t fall apart in your hands, but you may lose a little zip and distance when you hit your drives off-centre.
If you don’t mind this, or you want to buy a separate driver, these clubs are still a great choice.
Precise Golf 18 Piece Complete set
Next, we have Precision golf’s 18-piece complete beginner golf set. This set comes with a titanium driver, 3-wood and 5-wood. It also features a hybrid, 7 golf irons and a putter. This entire club set comes in a snazzy stand bag. That is a lot of golf gear for your money. Are they worth it?
Like other sets in this review, it is tricky to buy a great value set of beginner clubs that have a high performing driver. Great titanium drivers cost a lot of money to make and the Precision 18 piece set falls within this bracket.
If you check the reviews you will see the odd complaint. The driver is good, but it will be the first club you look to upgrade if you begin to improve as a golfer. That being said, the rest of the clubs represent a great purchase. The 3-wood, 5-wood and hybrid will give you some great options for hitting long shots off the fairway.
The irons have a large cavity back design which make them forgiving and will help get your shots up in the air. The pitching wedge and sand wedge offer you some nice options when chipping and pitching around the green and the putter will provide you with a nice club to learn to putt with.
The stand bag is smart and should give you a hundred or so round before it starts to show any wear and tear.
Precision golf even offers these clubs in a standard length and longer length (for golfers over 6’1″). In summary, this is a great golf club set for a beginner but be prepared to replace the driver at some point in your golfing journey.
Aspire XD1 men’s complete golf set
Next, we have the Aspire XD1 completes set in our round-up of the best starter golf clubs. This set includes a titanium driver for hitting shots off the tee. A fairway wood and hybrid for hitting long shots off the ground, 5 irons a putter and a stand bag.
The irons run from a 6-iron to a pitching wedge. This may sound like too few, but don’t worry this is ideal for beginners. All the irons have a large cavity back design which will help you get the ball up in the air and keep those miss-hit shots as straight as possible.
The putter features and large head and line to help when aiming your putts. As with the Precision set covered above, this is a lot of gear for your money. Are they worth it?
Well similar to previous sections, the irons, putter and bag will be ideal for a beginner getting into the game. The driver, fairway wood and hybrid are good, but you’ll find that these are the first ones you wish to replace as you improve as a player. This set doesn’t include a sand wedge which is an additional club you may wish to buy along with this set.
Overall, the Aspire XD1 completes set is not a bad option for beginners shopping on a budget, but they do lack some quality compared to the Callaway Strata set and the Wilson Profile SGI sets at the top of this review.
Nitro Golf-Blaster 15 Piece Complete Set
The Nitro Golf-Blaster are new up in our review of starter golf club sets. This set offers you a driver, fairway wood, hybrid, six irons and a putter. This comes complete with a cart bag and a carry strap.
The Driver, fairway wood and hybrid all have graphite shafts which make the club lighter and allow you to hit longer shots. Whereas the irons feature steel shafts which are best for accuracy.
Similar to the Aspire XD1 starter set the irons run-up to a pitching wedge, but do not include a sand wedge. However, you can easily add on a sand wedge at any time, as it does not need to match the rest of your set.
Why last in this review? Well, they are a good price, but with that comes poorer quality. You may find the graphite shafts in the driver and fairway wood are not too robust when you hit shots off centre.
This being said, if you are looking for a good value golf club set and don’t mind potentially replacing a wood then you’ll still find the rest of the set will serve you well.
FAQ when buying beginner golf clubs
Beginners tend to have many questions when buying golf clubs. In this section, we’ve put together some answers to some common questions. Feel free to leave a comment with any additional questions that are not answered below.
Do golf clubs make a difference for beginners?
After 17 years of coaching golf, I can confirm having the right golf clubs really does make learning the game of golf easier. Better quality drivers hit the ball higher, straighter and further. Better quality irons offer more forgiveness when miss-hit and a better quality putter makes pace control easier.
Great golf clubs won’t guarantee perfect golf shots, but they give you the best possible chance every time you make contact with the golf ball.
How to choose a beginners set
All beginner sets are made with forgiveness and value in mind. However, there is a trade-off between price and performance. Read each review above for specifics, but the cheaper golf sets tend to have drivers that are less forgiving, and lower quality shafts that result in less distance and control. Similar trends run into the irons, wedges and putter
Cheaper sets are fine, but you’ll likely want to upgrade sooner. The top five picks in this review are all beginner golf clubs I would push my own students as I know they are great for beginners and will work well as a player progresses.
How much is a good set of golf clubs?
A good set of golf clubs begins at $400/£300. There are options that come up under this value when clubs are on sale. However, clubs that have an RRP under this value tend to be of poor quality.
If you already play golf, or you’re planning on spending a good amount of time out on the golf course then it is well worth spending a little more.
How much should you spend on your first set of golf clubs?
How much you spend on your first set of golf clubs depends on how much you intend to play. If you will only be playing 4-5 times a year then $300/£400 is fine. However, if you plan to play most weeks in the summer, and want to improve, consider spending more.
A golf set costing $800/£600 may seem like an extravagance, but it will last you for many years and will still perform well when you are a 20-25 handicap golfer.
What’s included in a beginner golf club set?
All beginner golf club sets include a driver, woods/hybrids, irons and a putter. The exact number of woods/hybrids and irons/wedges differ. If you are shopping on a budget opt for sets with fewer clubs in the set, this is usually a sign they are of higher quality.
Let’s take a deeper look at each club below.
Driver
Your driver is a big, low-lofted club that you use to hit your golf ball on longer holes. Unless you are Tiger Woods, it’s probably best to only hit a driver off a tee (not off the ground). Having the ball teed up off the ground allows you to make an upward swing sending the ball high into the air and hopefully a long way down the fairway.
Drivers tend to hit the ball a long way and are very forgiving if you miss-hit them due to their big clubhead size and sweet spot.
Men’s drivers tend to range from 9º – 13º loft. I would recommend most beginners buy a driver with 10.5º – 12º loft. A driver with a loft below 10.5º is harder to hit and can lead to shots that hook and slice more.
What is the best driver for beginners?
If you want to learn more about the best driver for beginners check out this article.
Fairway woods & hybrids
These clubs are really useful for beginners. They are used to hit the ball a long way off the ground (generally for the 2nd or 3rd shots on par 4’s and par 5’s). They can also be used off the tee as an alternative to hitting your driver.
As you improve as a golfer you’ll find fairway woods and hybrids are a more accurate choice off the tee. Fairway woods and hybrids tend to crossover in loft and how far they hit the golf ball. Some complete golf sets favour more fairway woods, others will give you more hybrids.
If a golf set contains one or two fairway woods or hybrids that will be more than enough.
Irons & wedges
Your irons are used to hit shots off the ground towards the green. They don’t go as far as your driver but have more control. They are numbered 3-iron up to a 9-iron, then the wedges run from a pitching wedge, sand wedge and sometimes an additional lob wedge.
The number of the iron tells you the loft on the golf club – the higher the number, the more loft a golf club has. Lower numbered irons are harder to hit, for this reason, most golf clubs for beginners start at a 5 or 6-iron and have hybrids or replace the longer irons.
- 3-iron (21-degrees loft) goes low and will travel a long way.
- 7-iron (34-degrees loft) goes mid-height, doesn’t roll as much on landing.
- Sand wedge (56-degrees loft) goes high, not very far, stops quickly.
The idea is to make the same golf swing with each golf club and the ball will automatically go a different distance due to the change in loft.
What is the difference between men’s, women’s and senior golf clubs?
Women’s clubs are a 1/2 inch shorter and have slightly lighter shafts. They suit most women but are also a great option for juniors in their teens and seniors.
Check out our article on the best women’s golf clubs for beginners
Senior golf clubs are the same length as men’s but have a lighter shaft, similar to women’s clubs. These are also a great option for taller juniors who are not strong enough for men’s clubs. They are also a great option for taller women (see next section).
Should a beginner get fitted for golf clubs?
When you’re buying a beginner set of golf clubs, more often than not standard length clubs will be fine. The key measure is not height, but rather wrist distance to the ground. If you are tall (6’2″+), but have long arms you may be best with standard or even shorter clubs.
Here is a bit of a long video, but has lots of detail for you.
Why do I need clubs specifically aimed at beginners?
The short answer is you don’t, you could pick up any set of clubs. However, there are two advantages of buying a complete golf club set.
Firstly, golf club sets contain all the clubs you need to begin and often come with a golf bag. Buying the golf bag, irons, woods, driver and putter separately can get expensive.
Secondly, if you buy a set aimed at a beginner you know the clubs will be made with forgiveness in mind. There are many other forgiving drivers and forgiving irons, but there are also clubs that are harder to hit.
Sticking to beginner sets should ensure you’ve got the right gear, making the game as fun as possible. The complete sets at the top of this review offer you exceptional equipment that will likely serve you well for many years as you progress as a golfer.
What’s the main difference between buying a set and buying clubs individually?
The main difference between buying clubs as a set or individually is price. There are considerable savings when buying a complete set. Buying everything individually does give you more flexibility on your driver set up, wedge lofts and the putter you buy, but you’ll be paying $1,500 or more for the same quality gear.
What are the best golf club brands for beginners?
There isn’t one ideal brand for beginner golfers. Cobra, Callaway, TaylorMade, Wilson & Tour Edge all offer some great options depending on your golfing needs and budget.
I’ve only included clubs in this review that I would be happy selling to a beginner who I was personally coaching. If you want to learn more about the best irons check out our full review of the best irons for high handicap and beginner golfers.
What are the most forgiving golf clubs for beginners?
The Cobra Fly XL, Cobra F-Max, Callaway Edge and TaylorMade RBZ are all very forgiving golf clubs for beginners. The Callaway Strata complete set and Tour Edge package set are also very forgiving at a lower price point.
Should I buy cavity back or blade irons?
CAVITY BACKS! I’ve coached far too many amateurs who buy blades because they look cool. Cavity backs are far easier to hit. A slight miss-hit with a bladed iron loses you around 6-10 yards (compared to 2-6 yards with a cavity back). Amateurs miss-hit around 70% of their iron shots.
Should I buy a new or used club set?
A used golf club set will save you money and golf clubs don’t wear out (though wedges need replacing every few years). However, please don’t save yourself $100-200 if the clubs aren’t suited for beginner players. All of the clubs in this review are ideal for beginners. If you can find a second-hand set with the ideal set up then go for it!
Some great options for second-hand clubs are Global Golf, who offer a great selection of used and new complete sets. Callaway also runs a pre-owned service which again has some great beginner sets from time to time.
Best golf clubs for beginners – Summary
I hope you’ve found this article on the best beginner golf clubs of use. In summary, there are many great options when buying beginner sets. The top five options on this list are ideal, and will all serve you well. If money is tight the options lower down are the best when shopping on a lower budget.
If you’re looking for more golf gear, check out our best beginner golf ball guide. If you would like a free weekly golf article sent to your inbox, come join the golf insiders.
Happy golfing – Will @ Golf Insider
Hi, thanks for the kind feedback.
I’ve just had to do a little searching for the Callaway Edge. I’ve never used them personally, but I would be quite sure both will be of great quality. Just a little extra advice, unless your son is one of those 13 year olds who is like a fully grown 15 / 16 year old, aim for lighter shafts with which ever clubs you choose. Not all shops will offer a range.
It’s common for boy and girls to grow quickly, with strength struggling to keep up. Through this period buying clubs with lighter shafts, which makes the overall club lighter, are far easier to control at the end of their long limbs. To heavy clubs lead to a bent left arm during the back swing, and loss of control at the top of the swing.
Strong matured junior > Mens steel
15 – 16 yr old > Mens steel light
14 – 15 yr old > Regular graphite
12 – 14 yr old > Women’s flex
The graphite options are more expensive, but too heavy clubs are a killer for golf swing development (unfortunately I learned the hard way).I would say a cheaper brand with the correct shaft weight are more beneficial than a snazzy brand.
I hope that helps, it’s the best custom fitting I can do from a laptop. I hope he enjoys getting in to the game.
All the best,
Will
I’ve had a good search, for absolute value here are some reasonable graphite clubs for a junior (women’s clubs are 1/2 inch shorter): https://amzn.to/2YQ0KLG
These are all graphite shafts, bar the putter. I used to sell a similar Wilson’s set at my old golf club. They are a notch down in quality compared to the Tour edge and Cobras, but I would say a great value option for a junior golfer getting into the game.
If he’s already tall and going to be over 5″11 soon, you’re best to opt for Men’s graphite clubs. I can’t seem to find any of these new at a reasonable price. I think your best bet here would be to find some 2nd hand Callaway or Ping graphite irons and woods that are 3 – 6 years old. They will be great clubs, just at a lower price, with a few marks.
I hope that helps.
Will
Both will be great sir,
Callaway for slightly better quality heads and shafts. But for your son you’ve done the main thing in getting the correct fit for any brand.
All the best.
Will
Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. You’ve been a tremendous help!
Hi Matt,
Thanks for getting in touch. At 6’3″ you would likely benefit from 1/2″ or 1″ long, 2 deg upright in custom clubs. However, the key factor is wrist distance to the ground. If you are tall, but have long arms standard clubs will be just fine.
Check out this ping fitting chart for some info. The same data applies to all clubs, Ping just has a colour coded system:
https://www.google.com/search?q=wrist+distance+to+the+ground+club+fitting&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiv647QrPLhAhVMSxUIHWj4BxgQ_AUIDygC&biw=1440&bih=821#imgrc=cxH5Kc6G2u-fUM:
When I get time I’ll add this data into the article itself.
I hope that helps.
Will
Hello!
I’m a 5’5” male who would like to start golfing, so seeking the right set of clubs. At my height, what would be your recommendation? Seems like the typical set of clubs is made for taller men?
Hi Angel,
Yes, most clubs are designed for men 5’7″ to 6’1″, but the key metric is wrist distance to the ground: https://ping.com/en-us/fitting/our-process/irons. So if you have short arms you may be fine with regular length clubs.
Some brands like Wilson and Tour Edge offer some custom fitting (I would think 1/2″ short would be ideal), but if someone turned up to a golf lesson with some great beginner clubs they’d just brought that were slightly too long, I would tell them to grip half an inch down the clubs, rather than worry about adjusting their whole set.
As you move into becoming an intermediate golfer and are buying irons and woods separately this is something to consider for your irons and wedges.
I hope that helps.
Will
Hey Now! You are Awesome!