Does Golf Club Size Matter For Beginners?
There is a lot of focus on correctly sizing golf clubs and there’s a good reason for this. While size doesn’t matter in a lot of instances, where golf clubs are concerned, you will find that something too big or too small will affect how well you play.
Many factors will influence the right size club for you and this might include your skill level, your swing style, your posture and of course, how tall you are.
For beginners, it might not seem like a massively important thing but if you get off on the wrong food with the game, you might decide that it just isn’t the sport for you.
A lot of beginners end up feeling this way purely because they aren’t using appropriate equipment.
If you want to avoid being put off golf before you’ve even had a chance to get properly involved and want to make sure your skills are great from the off, always think about golf club size.
Why Is Golf Club Size Such A Big Deal?
More and more hobby golfers are becoming enamoured with the idea of getting a set of clubs that fits them perfectly.
While this may seem a bit snobbish to a beginner, you will soon come to realise why this is.
One of the most important things when choosing golf club size is to be self aware.
You will be able to tell whether you are of an average height or whether you’re taller or shorter than average.
If you don’t fall into the ‘norm’ then it is essential to accept this and adapt your clubs accordingly.
Oftentimes, people are too ashamed to admit that their clubs might need cutting down and they end up using clubs that are far too long for them.
Secondly, you might keep in mind that, if you want your swing to be perfect, you need to have the correct stance.
If you are using a golf club that is not the right size, you’ll never be able to get into the perfect stance and therefore, you’ll never be able to achieve a perfect swing.
Off the back of this, your club face angle, timing and tempo will all suffer so it is definitely worth thinking about the size of your clubs before you go anywhere near the course.
Buying Golf Clubs As A Beginner
When you first start playing golf, it would be very easy to fall into the trap of starting off with the very best equipment.
We aren’t saying that you shouldn’t treat yourself to decent golf clubs, but there is not need to start throwing money away unnecessarily.
It is far better to start off with a few select clubs and add more advanced equipment as you progress in the game.
One of the best ways to determine the right club for you and to get a feel for the equipment is to borrow clubs from another player.
Now, we will be the first to tell you that you shouldn’t play with someone else’s clubs in the long term but for your first few taster sessions, it’s a good way to ease into things without wasting money.
It is possible to get custom fitted golf clubs and there are some great brands but these aren’t always suitable for newbies.
There are, however, beginner sets that contain the basic clubs needed to get by in the game.
Usually, this will include the odd-numbered irons, a 3-wood, a putter and of course,a driver.
Irons, Putters And Drivers: The Ideal Lengths
Once you are confident that you are keen to continue playing golf and it is time to start using more advanced clubs, you will need to make sure that you get the measurements right.
When choosing your irons, you might go with the wrist to floor measurement and work things out that way.
However, it is much easier to go by your height and adjust the standard shaft height in accordance with this.
According to Golf Monthly, the following measurements are most accurate.
● 6ft 9″ – 7ft 0″ Add 2″ to Standard Length
● 6ft 6″ – 6ft 9″ Add 1 1/2″ to Standard Length
● 6ft 3″ – 6ft 6″ Add 1″ to Standard Length
● 6ft 0″ – 6ft 3″ Add 1/2″ to Standard Length
● 5ft 9″ – 6ft 0″ Standard Length
● 5ft 6″ – 5ft 9″ Subtract 1/2″ from Standard Length
● 5ft 3″ – 5ft 6″ Subtract 1″ from Standard Length
● 5ft 0″ – 5ft 3″ Subtract 1 1/2″ from Standard Length
● 4ft 9″ – 5ft 0″ Subtract 2″ from Standard Length
One might say that the longer the length of the driver shaft, the further it’ll send the ball so many people will opt for a longer driver to improve their distance.
But this isn’t actually the case.
You see, while you can have a driver that measures up to 48 inches, you’ll find that most tour players only play up to 44.5 inches.
If you use a driver that is too long, your control is going to be off so you won’t hit longer distances anyway.
Putters take some serious thought as you need to make sure that your club allows for excellent accuracy and control.
Again, the length of the shaft can impact this but there are other things aside from height that you need to take into account here.
For example, the more you play and the more experience you gather, the more likely it is that you will have a unique technique.
It is important to factor this in when choosing putter length.
Conclusion
When using incorrectly sized golf clubs, a player’s ability and skill will be impacted.
This is an important consideration for golfers of all levels but when you are in the beginning stages of your golf journey, you will need to focus more on the type of clubs you have in your bag as opposed to the size.
Now, it is important to buy clubs that allow you the best control but going for custom fittings when you’ve only ever glanced across a golf course is a surefire way to waste money.
Once you are confident that you know what you want and are keen to continue in the sport, then it is a good time to start thinking more about the right golf club size and how this will impact your skills.
