Tips on Buying Ladies' Golf Clubs

According the official rules of the PGA (Professional Golf Association), a golfer is limited to 14 clubs for a round of golf.

This is actually good news, allowing the golfer to select the clubs that make up a standard set, with room for one more club of her choice. Before selecting those 14 clubs, the female golfer should understand her measurements, swing characteristics and experience to make an informed choice.

Overview

According the official rules of the PGA (Professional Golf Association), a golfer is limited to 14 clubs for a round of golf.

This is actually good news, allowing the golfer to select the clubs that make up a standard set, with room for one more club of her choice. Before selecting those 14 clubs, the female golfer should understand her measurements, swing characteristics and experience to make an informed choice.

The Basic Golf Set

A standard golf club set for women consists of three woods, seven irons, two wedges and a putter. The woods are the driver, the 3-wood and the 5-wood. The traditional set of irons is made up of the 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, 8- and 9-iron. Irons should match, so you can easily learn how much distance you get from each one. This allows you to develop consistency in your golf shots. In addition, the standard set will have a pitching wedge and a sand wedge, along with the putter. These days, many women find that they prefer to replace the lower irons with hybrids. You might replace the 3-, 4-, 5- and even 6-iron with a hybrid club, which is easier to hit. Your lowest numbered hybrid should allow you to hit the ball 10 or 15 yards shorter than the highest numbered fairway wood.

Choosing a Ladies' Wood

In general, women are smaller than men, and they typically have a slower swing speed. This affects the specifications of the club you should choose. If your swing speed is 70 miles per hour or above, you can probably handle a 3-wood in addition to your 5- and possibly a 7-wood in your golf bag. Women with a slow swing speed of under 60 miles per hour should consider a titanium clubface. If you have a slow golf swing and you have trouble hitting the ball into the air, a clubface with more loft will help. Try a 13 or 14 degree loft on your driver, and a 16 degree loft on your 3-wood.

For a swing speed of 60 miles per hour or less, you may want to eliminate the 3-wood altogether and include a 5-, 7- and even a 9-wood. There should be a 1-inch difference in shaft length for each odd-numbered club. For added height in your trajectory, try an offset hosel (where the club head meets the shaft) and a flexible shaft.

Choosing a Ladies' Iron and Wedge

Experienced women golfers may be able to handle a 5-iron, but those with a slow swing speed can use a 6- or a 7-iron as their longest iron. In that case, a hybrid or fairway wood can replace a long iron for distance.

Irons with a wide, rounded sole and deep back cavity with weighting on the perimeter help with a slower swing. The pitching wedge should have at least 4 degrees more than the 9 iron, and the sand wedge should have a 56 degree loft, minimum. Try out a lob wedge as an extra club that allows you hit a high, soft shot when you are close to the green and need to hit over a bunker.