How to Shop Youth Golf Clubs for Junior Golfers

Youth Golf Clubs Sizing; image: sonomacountygolf.com

How to Size Youth Golf Clubs

Perhaps you played your first golf as a kid with cut-down old clubs. Now you’re ready to start your junior golfer in the game and you’ve heard that cutting down golf clubs is not the best way to get youngsters started. Why not?

Shaft Flex Is Wrong

When adult-sized clubs are sawed off to fit pint-sized golfers, the shafts become extremely rigid. Junior golfers will not have the strength to easily get shots airborne with such stiff shafts. Failing to hit the golf ball into the air is one of the prime frustrations that send beginning golfers to the sidelines.

If you pick up a junior club, you will notice that you can practically bend it in your hands. These flexible shafts make it easy to hit the ball high. These playable clubs help the novice build a game naturally without potentially developing bad habits from attempting to swing cut-down adult clubs.

The Clubs Are Too Heavy

When you cut down regular-sized clubs you shorten the shafts, but the weight of the clubhead remains. Those heads are often too heavy for a child to make a full swing. A sound golf swing is built on consistency and if a young player is forced to manipulate the backswing to hoist a hefty club head it is impossible to find that repeating motion.

Junior golf clubs are crafted with clubheads that are weighted appropriately for young golfers. Properly weighted clubs with plenty of flex in the shafts will get your young golfer a head start on building a successful swing.

The Grips Are Too Big

There are many adults who play with grips that are too thick, inhibiting hand action through the strike. So, imagine the difficulty a child with small hands will have trying to get the proper hand action with cut-down adult clubs.

Junior grips are now standard issue on kids’ clubs. If your youngster wears out their grips and you need to change them, look for thin grips with a 0.50 core.

How Many Clubs Should A Junior Set Be?

If your child is picking up the game before elementary school, the only clubs needed are a wedge and a junior putter. The wedge is easy to swing and hit the ball in the air and the putter will teach young golfers about the object of the game – getting the ball in the hole. For a youngster starting between the ages of 6 and ten, add a middle iron, hybrid, and driver. For most, complete junior golf sets should serve a young golfer fine until they are ready to upgrade to adult-sized clubs.

Club Length Is Always the Main Consideration

The magic number for club length is 60. Until your youngster reaches five feet in height, standard junior clubs should work just fine. Do not buy clubs for you to child grow “into.” Choking up on clubs an inch is acceptable without threatening proper swing mechanics but any more than that should necessitate a switch to shorter sticks.

Once your child clears five feet, regardless of age, it is time to be fitted for regular clubs by a professional. When you make the appointment, consider scheduling a fitting for yourself since time and age changes all our games.

Youth Golf Clubs Sizing Chart; image:uskidsgolf.com.au

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