While golfers are allowed to carry up to 14 clubs, the beginner golfer could start playing with as few as 10 clubs. This could include a driver, 2 fairway woods, 4 irons, 2 wedges and a putter.
Update: While this is true, if you can carry 14 clubs, you might as well take the advantages it provides!
Many people decide to take up golf at some point in life.
Golf is a wonderful game, but it can be intimidating at first. All of the unwritten rules and epxecations can scare the beginner away.
One of the biggest barriers to entry is the cost of playing the game and the lack of knowledge on what is needed to get started.
The different rules around golf and the different types of golf clubs can create uncertainty for the beginner golfer. I am here to help answer some of the most basic questions about golf clubs and how many clubs are needed and what clubs are most essential.
Let’s start with some equipment questions.
How Many Golf Clubs Does A Beginner Need?
Eventually the golfer will want to carry 14 clubs to provide themselves with the best opportunity to shoot the lowest score and to cut down on the yardage gaps that may exist. However, in the beginning the golfer can carry a fewer number of clubs and then add on as the game progresses and the golfer knows that he or she will stick with the game of golf. I would hate to see someone spend big money and then bail on the game after 3-5 rounds.
Instead, get out there, get some simple clubs and enjoy the outdoors, hitting some decent shots and spending time with family and friends.
If you have the money to buy all 14 it wouldn’t hurt to buy a quality driver, some game improvement irons, cavity back wedges and a quality putter. However, it is not needed, but would be nice to have!
What wedges should a beginner carry?
What Are The Golf Clubs Needed For A Beginner?
The most essential clubs are the driver, at least one fairway wood, 5 irons, 2 wedges and a putter.
Below here is a description of each club and some of the rationale behind why these clubs are needed.
Here are some more details and specifics about these 10 clubs that I would recommend.
- Driver: It might be the most important club in the bag. Learn to hit your driver far and straight and you will be on your way to be able to play some quality golf. Everyone loves to hit the big drive as it feels good and gives a major advantage when you can hit the ball over 230 yards. The more money you spend on a driver, typically the quality will be better in the club head and the shaft. This is one area where I would recommend spending a decent amount of money. Don’t play the mind game that you will buy a better driver when you get better. The game will be a lot more fun and it will help you get better faster if you have a quality driver. The driver is the longest club in the bag at between 45-46 inches and has the lowest loft typically in the 8 to 12 degree range. The shafts come in different stiffness. The faster you swing the stiffer the shaft needed. Testing this club out and picking out a quality driver will get you headed in te right direction.
- Are expensive drivers worth it?
Recommended Driver:
- Fairway Woods: Two more important clubs are the fairway woods, I would recommend a 3 wood and a 5 wood. These clubs are typically easy to hit and launch and you might find yourself using these clubs frequently early on in your golf journey. They are the second longest clubs in your bag with a shaft of around 43 inches with the 3 wood and 41 inches with the 5 wood. The lofts range between 13 and 21 degrees. These clubs are versatile and can be used off the tee and the fairway or rough. Having some used fairway woods is a good place to start and maybe saving some money by purchasing fairway woods that are several years old or on the clearance rack.
- 5 wood vs 3 hybrid: which one should I carry?
Recommend Fairway Woods:
- Irons: I would recommend having the 5 through 9 iron or maybe even a 6 through 9 iron. The chances of a beginner golfer hitting the long irons (3-5) far enough and straight enough is pretty low. Learning to strike the ball with the fairway woods, and shorter irons is easier and more important than focusing on the long irons. The lack of loft in long irons can make them difficult to hit for the beginner. The key with the irons purchase is to buy game improvement irons. These clubs are designed with a low center of gravity to help golfers launch the ball higher and further. This is less precision in yardage accuracy, but when starting the game it is more important to be able to ball higher and further initially with the irons.
- Hitting long irons vs short irons (5 keys)
Recommended Irons:
- Wedges: I would recommend a pitching wedge and sand wedge. You will want enough loft in your sand wedge, preferable around 56 degrees to ensure you can hit certain pitch and chip shots. If you stop at the pitching wedge (48 degrees) you can leave yourself in some bad positions around the greens and not have enough loft to hit the shot. As your game advances you will want to add a lob wedge (60 degrees) to the bag as it will provide more precision on those shots 75 yards and in. The ability to hit the ball a bit higher with some more spin will become more important as your game advances, but for now a 48 and a 56 degree loft is good enough.
- What wedges do I need
Recommend Wedges:
- Putter: There are so many different kinds of putter. I would recommend finding a used one and something to put in your bag to get the ball rolling. Over time you will learn what style of putter you prefer and you can always upgrade the putter later on. Over time putting becomes a lot about feel and reading the greens. Controlling your start line is essential, but is something you can improve upon and then get a putter to match your putting style.
- Is a new putter worth it?
Recommended Putter:
Should A Beginner Take Golf Lessons?
Yes, make sure you learn some of the basics and get started in the right way. Making sure you don’t develop bad habits through having solid fundamentals will help speed up your progress early on.
I would recommend signing up for a series of lessons and making sure you pracice the drills the instructor gives you between lessons. Make sure you are a good student, a good listener and do your homework. If you aren’t going to do those things, don’t waste your money on a lesson. You don’t get better necessarily at the lessons. You get better from your knowledge gains from the lessons and the drills you can complete between lessons.
Another option is to learn a lot about the swing online. I have a multiple reviews of my highest rated online golf instructors. Check out the reviews below:
Here is a list of golf instructors that I have reviewed:
Where Should A Beginner Spend Their Money on Golf Clubs?
The two best options are a quality driver or game improvement irons. Having a poor quality driver with a shaft that isn’t right for you will slow down your progress to get better. Also, having the wrong irons can make it difficult to launch the ball and get it started with the right direction.
I would say finding a combination of getting these two qualities in your driver and irons is the best place to start. We want golfers to be able to get the ball in the air, see it fly and then adjust to the curve of the ball or the lack of distance.
How Can A Beginner Gain Distance?
The best way any golfer acn gain distance is through overspeed training. In order to swing faster, we must practice by swinging faster.
A great system for this is the SuperSpeed system. This three club system gives a quality protocol to follow that can help a golfer increase their swing speed by 5-8%. This can be some huge gains for golfers as some might see a 30-40 yard increase in total distance with the drive. This is truly a game changer. Not only does this system help you swing faster, but it can improve your mechanics as well!
The analytics are pretty clear. The further you can hit your drive, the shorter distance left with your approach shot. The shorter your approach shot, the higher chances of hitting it closer. The closer your hit your approach shots, the better chance you have of making the putt.
PGA tour pros only make 50% from 8 feet. The goal of getting shots inside of 10 feet is a lot easier the closer your are to the hole.
Final conclusion, hit your driver further by training with SuperSpeed Golf. it helped me gain 7 miles per hour in my swing speed and my ultimate goal is to reach a total of 113 miles per hour with my driver. I will continue to train with my SuperSpeed golf training clubs.