Golf is an affordable and fun way of keeping kids active in a sport that can last a lifetime. Most children like to see just how hard and far they can hit the ball whether they are 8 or 18 years old.
Most junior golf clubs are rated for certain age levels. This is only a rough guide as it is the length of the clubs that is important. Most manufacturers of golf clubs include a chart giving the height that clubs are built for. A junior golf club designed for ages 9-11 may be suitable for a tall 7 year old and a 6-8 age range club may be better for a small 9 year old.
If your child is an inch away from the height limit for their age group, it might be wise to move up to the next age group as kids grow so fast. This saves you money as the child grows into the clubs and kids can “choke down” on the grip until it matches their height. Be careful that the clubs are not more than ½ inch too long when gripped as this may cause problems with the club swing.
When to start
When your child can stand on their own two feet and swing a golf club, they are good to go! Fun should be the priority without pressure to be the next Rory McIlroy. Provide only minimal instruction or it will no longer be fun. And be sure to choose the proper equipment.
Can I cut down adult clubs to fit my child?
Yes, but it’s not ideal. Seve Ballesteros may have used a cut-down three-iron to hit golf balls on a beach aged 7 before going on to win 91 professional tournaments worldwide, but there are a range of junior golf clubs for boys and girls that are better than cut-down clubs that have too large grips, are too stiff and too heavy in junior hands. A smaller player swinging a cut down adult club loses the swing behind the ball, making it difficult to hit the ball accurately or far. Using a club specifically designed for the junior golfer makes the game more enjoyable, maintains their interest and makes transition to adult clubs easy.
What size clubs does my child need?
Junior golf clubs are built to be the right length, weight and flex to match their swing speed. Golfing manufacturers have geared equipment to boys and to girls from the earliest clubs for toddlers to competitive youth golfers. All good manufacturers provide a standardised sizing system since the use of ages is only a guide. When shopping for junior golf clubs use your child’s height. Golf Digest recommends fitting your child for junior golf clubs every six months to ensure the clubs continue to be in correct proportion with their height.
Boys and Girls Junior Golf Clubs
Whilst you may have heard of the top name golf manufacturers such as Callaway, Cobra, Lynx, Nike and Tour X who each sell junior as well as adult golf clubs, there are companies that focus solely on junior clubs such as U.S. Kids Golf (USKG) and Young Gun who incorporate the advanced technology seen in adult clubs. Some companies, such as PING only sell junior golf club sets and not individual clubs, unless these are custom fit. The top companies already listed also custom fit.
The top brand manufacturer Titleist does not yet produce junior clubs, but do custom fit competition juniors taller than 60”.
Whilst juniors’ golf clubs may be made of steel or titanium, graphite is most commonly used as it is a lighter weight, which can help those with slower swing speeds add distance to their shots. Girls’ junior golf clubs generally have the same technology as boys golf clubs until they reach the teenage years, the only difference for girls clubs in these early years is the color.
Starter clubs
For children new to golf (toy store plastic clubs don’t count), a putter is a good first club to put in the child’s hand whether you take your child to the driving range or just hit the ball around the back yard. The putter is the easiest club to learn how to properly grip the club, swing correctly and consistently aim at a target.
USKG offer a first club for little ones with an ultralight steel shaft putter which is 18 inches high, suitable for kids aged 1-3 years, with a coloured rubber grip: pink for girls and blue for boys.
The Red Zone putter with its perimeter weighted design is recommended for kids 30”-38” tall (ages 2-4). The Tour X Alignment Putter with a graphite shaft is another option for this age group, as is the Paragon Rising Star Red Putter for kids aged 3 to 5. All are built with an ultra-forgiving design so that even off center hits go to the hole.
When the child is comfortable with the putter, you can move on to a club that launches the ball into the air. A 7 iron is a good choice. In contrast to a driver, a 7 iron is one of the easier clubs to get the golf ball into the air. Red Zone sells a 7 iron for kids 30”-38” tall (ages 2-4) Or try the Golf Digest gold winner medal Paragon Rising Star Red 7 Iron for juniors up to 43” tall (ages 3-5) built with a graphite shaft and low center of gravity stainless steel club head that ensures balls go to the hole even when hit off center.
The USKG Yard Club for kids between 39”-63” tall (ages 4-12) has a molded training grip that promotes the proper hand position and with ultra-lightweight, oversized aluminium heads that create a bigger hitting area, it is easy to get the ball into the air. The Paragon Junior Training Club for ages 5-10 are moulded with proper indentation and visual alignment postures, though these are only available for right hand golfers at present.
Unless your golf pro or instructor feels that something else may be of more benefit, a core set of clubs for the beginner could contain a driver, 5-wood, 5-iron, 7-iron, pitching wedge and putter. You may wish to continue to buy single clubs to add to the first clubs purchased or consider the popular junior golf club sets.
Boys Junior Golf Clubs / Girls Junior Golf Clubs
Kids between 39”-63” tall (ages 6 – 12)
If your child enjoys golf and you consider their playing ability to show potential then buy the best clubs you can afford. The best junior golf clubs for your child need not be the most expensive on the market. With pre-teens growing an average of 2.5 inches each year there are many good quality second-hand clubs available that have only been used for a season or two. USKG allows you to trade in your junior clubs for your next set.
When a child can swing harder and creates a distance gap longer than five yards between clubs, then it is easy to add single junior clubs to your kid’s starter set.
Generally this happens from the age of 8 years, but is individual for each child. By the age of 10, junior golfers will have acquired be-tween 12-14 clubs.
Callaway, Cobra, Corgi, Paragon, Precise, Rising Star, Tour X and USKG offer excellent drivers, wedges, woods, hybrids and putters for juniors that can be bought as single clubs. The USKG Ultralight clubs are designed with lighter club heads and more flexible shafts for the beginning golfer with less club head speed with a follow-on Tour Series that are less whippy for the stronger player.
New to the market is the Cobra Golf Fly-Z Junior Orange 43″ Driver featuring Cobras’ MyFly8 with SmartPad to dial in your ball flight to help improve your game. Every driver comes with 2 shafts, a 43″ and 45” junior length shaft that enables you to change shafts without the extra cost of buying another driver.
Kids between 63”-67” tall (ages 13 upwards)
The market for golf clubs for teenagers is smaller than juniors. Golf clubs for teenagers are generally about 2” shorter than the standard adult length and have lighter flex shafts to adult clubs. At this age, the boys clubs have a different flex shaft to girls, providing the first difference between boys and girls clubs other than color.
Whilst many teenagers are as tall as an adult, they may not yet have gained the strength of an adult, so don’t make a mistake of buying your teen golfer an adult golf set if their swing speed is less than 60mph. However, with a stronger swing speed, you may decide to custom-fit clubs from the adult range of your chosen golf brand. Alternatively, girls taller than 63” can choose ladies golf clubs, which may also be suitable for boys who require a lighter weight. However, it is likely that at this age, custom-fitted clubs are required.
Intermediate/Advanced
The USKG Tour Series clubs are designed for the intermediate to advanced golfer with their extra club head weight and longer, stiffer shafts. These are suitable for ages 8 upwards for juniors who have a swing speed over 54mph, but are not suitable for those over 63” tall.
The market for golf clubs for teenagers is smaller than juniors as clubs are usually only expected to be used for a couple of years before the kids have the height and strength to move onto adult ladies or men clubs. Golf clubs for teenagers are generally about 2 inches shorter than the standard adult length and have lighter flex shafts to adult clubs. At this age, the boys’ junior golf clubs have a different flex shaft to girl’s junior golf clubs, providing the first difference between boys and girls clubs other than color.
Left-handed clubs are available in most, but not all, designs. For teens over 64 inches in height, it is difficult to buy single clubs, but club sets up to the height of 66 inches are available from Aspire. Tour X and Paragon Rising Star sell single teen clubs for those up to 64 inches tall.
Left Handed Kids Golf Clubs
Thanks to the number of left-handed professional golfers such as Bubba Watson and Mike Weir, buying left-handed golf clubs is not as difficult as it once was.
If you notice that your young child, under the age of 5, draws with their left hand or swings from the left side with their first clubs, your child may be a left-handed golfer. However, it is common for very young children to start playing golf with a preference for one side, but then change later to the other side. When your child is aged 5 you can be assured that the hand that they favor will be the hand that they play with.