If you are new to the game, you might be wondering what are the most important golf clubs for beginners.
In a previous post, we shared why we believe the driver, wedges and putter are most important clubs in you are trying to reach a scratch level or even a single digit handicap level.
But, what about the beginner golfer that is simply trying to play respectable golf where they can keep the ball moving and keep up with golfers that have played for a while?
3 most important golf clubs to reach scratch!
3 Most Important Golf Clubs for Beginners
The beginner golfer should carry and try to reach a proficient level with a driver, a hybrid and a wedge for chipping.
Let’s break this down.
Why A Driver?
The driver is essential to every level of golfers. Without being able to get off the tee in decent condition, the golfer is going to add plenty of shots to their overall score.
However, the golfer that can advance the ball even 200 yards down the fairway or simply in play is much further ahead then the golfer that dribbles the driver or hits it into the trees on every tee.
The analytics are clear, the driver is vital to the overall success. There is a correlation between driving distance and handicap level. If you aren’t hitting your driver 250 yards or more, reaching a scratch level becomes difficult.
From the first day of playing golf, golfers should continuously try to find a way to hit the ball further and straighter. Enjoy the journey, spend the money on a quality driver and look for improvement through different methods: swing mechanics, speed training, club head control and visualization.
Key Takeaway: Learn to hit the driver, invest the money and the time to become a quality driver of the golf ball.
Why A Hybrid?
As the golfer is practicing and trying to improve with the driver, he or she is going to have some difficult rounds, but if he or she can hit a hybrid, they will soon have a favorite club. The hybrid will help them advance the ball after poor drivers or on those long par 4s and 5s.
The hybrid is designed to hit the ball high and far and out of a variety of lies. The hybrid is arguably the number 1 club for most mid to high handicap level golfers.
I would recommend a beginner golfer own 2-3 hybrids in the 3-7 range. This can help you on those 200 yard shots and even as short as 150 if you are struggling with mid irons.
The hybrid is a great long iron alternative, which is a club that even the single digit handicap golfers struggle with from time to time because they are difficult to hit.
Find a hybrid of two or three and take advantage of the technology built into these excellent clubs for beginners and high handicap golfers! More and more professionals are now playing hybrids, so don’t have a complex that only “bad” golfers play hybrids. This is far from the truth!
Key Takeaway: Test out some hybrids, invest some money and take advantage of these quality clubs to help you get to the next level!
Why A Wedge for Chipping?
Anyone that has played golf with a beginner will understand the struggles that many golfers face around the greens. It is not uncommon to see a golfer chip from one side to the next, maybe sometimes on the same hole.
If a beginner golfer can find a comfortable wedge to hit decent chip shots to get the ball on the green, he or she will save plenty of shots early on in their golf journey!
I would recommend a 56-60 degree wedge. The extra loft will help you get the ball in the air and help it stop on the green. Too many amateurs try to chip with their 48 degree wedge, which oftentimes is too little of loft and the 48 is designed differently from the 56 and 60, which are better for those short chip shots!
Key Takeaway: Invest the money to buy a quality 56 or 60 degree wedge and then spend 30 minutes per week minimum practicing chipping!
Helpful Drills or Training Systems
The following drills or training systems can help you hit every club in the bag better! Amateurs need to build the skill.
There are 3 essentials to a quality golf swing:
- Low Point Control: It’s all about quality contact (drill #1 below)
- Start Line and Curve Control: Get the ball started on line with a predictable curve (drill #2 below)
- Speed: Have enough distance to play the course (speed training system below)
Drill #1
The Low Point Control Drill
- Take some yard paint and paint a 1-2 yard long line.
- Setup with 55% of your weight on your front side.
- Try to hit the target side of the line and see how many times out of 10 you can do this successfully!
- Repeat this drill every day for a month, tracking your progress and your ability to do this successfully in trials of ten.
- You may need to start with half swing and progress to full swings.
If you are struggling, put more weight forward and work on keeping your head still to help control the low point in the swing.
Drill #2
Stock Shot Drill
- At the driving range, set up an alignment stick about 6-8 yards in front of you, straight down your target line.
- If you have a second alignment stick, set the stick 3-4 feet right of the first stick (for a draw) or left of the first stick (for a fade).
- Complete your initial assessment to see how many times out of 10 you can start the ball to the right or left of your target. Pick one side and measure your game at this point.
- The goal is to eventually complete this successfully 7 out of 10 times!
Speed Training Drill With SuperSpeed Golf
The game of golf has evolved to where speed is important in the game of golf. The faster your swing, the further the ball flies and the more shorter irons or wedges you have into a green.
Training for speed is a great idea and one worth exploring!
If you are going to train for speed, I would highly recommend the SuperSpeed Training System.
Gone are the days of simply being content with the distance you currently hit your golf ball. Many older golfers have proven over the past several years that an increase in swing speed is possible.
There are training systems to help you get your game to the next level and distance is arguably the fastest way to make this happen!
My number one recommendation is to check out SuperSpeed Golf and their protocols to help you find a safe way to increase your swing speed.
I spent many years wondering how I can increase my swing speed. When I was playing junior golf, we weren’t fortunate enough to have some of the training aids and knowledge that is now available. Smart people have studied the golf swing and have created training aids and protocols to help all golfers increase their distance!
At around the same time, the statistics from the PGA Tour have become more clear and the importance of speed is acknowledged by many to be a key to being the best on the PGA Tour.
Within the past several years, there have been several products hit the market to make speed gains possible. While many people for many years waited for the latest driver to come out to gain an additional 5-10 yards, you can now do this even with your current clubs.
Did you know that with the SuperSpeed Training System you can gain 5-8% increase in swing speed as early as the first training session? This would allow you to gain somewhere between 10 and 30 yards depending on your current swing speed.
The SuperSpeed Training System is based on three different swing speed sticks all weighing at different weights. There is a green club that is 10% lighter than the average driver, the blue club which is 5% lighter and the red club which is actually 5% heavier!
Following their prescribed protocols the golfer completes the training every other day. The total time to complete most of their protocols is between 10-15 minutes. Most people can find the time to make this happen. The golfer will also need a swing radar to measure their progress.
The science behind the SuperSpeed Training System is based on overspeed training. Overspeed training has been around for several decades now and has been used by olympic athletics in the sport of Track and Field.
The science behind this overspeed training is based on the premise that your brain will only allow your body to move as fast as it feels it can stop safely! So, you get to work and swing the clubs as fast as possible, retraining your brain to allow you to swing your driver faster.
For more permanent results, the golfer should continue these training protocols for several months. The initial 5-8% is great and can become more permanent with the right length of training. The golfer can expect to continue to break down barriers every several months at a 1-2% increase.
My own experience has been an increase of 7-10 miles per hour on average from between 98-101 all the way up to 106-109. My goal is to hit the PGA Tour average of 113 mph in the coming months. I will continue to train every other day and watch in amazement as I am hitting drivers longer now than ever before!
Phil Mickelson (a senior golfer now) has been known to increase his swing speed in the past year or so and is close to 120 miles per hour in his swing speed. There are potential results for golfers of all ability levels and age!
Check the current price on SuperSpeed Golf System, here!
| Original Swing Speed | After 4-6 Weeks | New Carry Distance | Total Distance |
| 95 | 102 | 245 | 265 |
| 100 | 108 | 259 | 279 |
| 105 | 113 | 271 | 291 |
| 110 | 118 | 283 | 303 |
Common Swing Fault Areas and What to Explore
Slice or Hook
I would highly recommend checking out your alignment, grip and swing path. Those are numbers 1, 2 and 8 below.
Lack of Solid Contact
In addition to working on the low point control drill above, I would recommend checking out a swing where your weight is a bit more forward at setup to help control that low point better. This is number 9 below.
Lack of Distance
I would highly recommend the SuperSpeed Training Protocol above. It really is a game changer and worth checking out. I would also look at a stronger grip and faster tempo. These are numbers 2 and 7 below.
Lack of Consistency
While most golfers never feel consistent enough, most golfers want to hit their best shots more often and the worse shots less often. This starts with all three of the skills above. I would recommend reviewing how often you are working on those basics and check out our mental game resources linked below in number 10.
I would also consider ways you can play golf year round. I went with a Golf Simulator build in my garage which was a game changer for me and my game improvement. I have a bunch of frequently asked question resources linked at the bottom of this post.
Depending on the current status of your game, here are some quick pointers of where you can turn to if you are having some common issues.
Here are some helpful resources in each of those areas:
- 5 Golf Alignment Tips
- Strong Grip vs Weak Grip in Golf
- Golf Stance Tips
- Proper Takeaway in Golf (3 Keys)
- Starting the Downswing in Golf
- Golf Impact Position: 5 Tips for Improvement!
- How To Improve Tempo in Golf!
- What is the Proper Swing Path in Golf?
- Weight Forward in Golf Swing
- Mental Game Resources
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.