This article will help parents choose the best golf clubs for their junior golfers. We have provided detailed guidance on how to choose kids clubs, what to look for and what to watch out for, all based on over 20 years combined experience in this field.
The 3 categories of kids clubs (advanced, intermediate and beginner golf club sets) take into account price, club quality and level of expertise of the junior.
For a more in depth look at choosing kids clubs, including a full list of all the major kids clubs available (24 different makes and models) and a review and rating of each set, read the full article below.
If you are in a rush you can skip the details and focus on just the top 12 kids golf clubs in the table immediately below. Click on the club set name to jump to the full review.
Our Top Kids Golf Clubs Sets:
Product Make/Model | Price Range | Our Rating | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Advanced Junior Club Sets | |||
(7 club to 14 club sets) | $235- $545 | ||
(5 club to 11 club sets) | $600- $1,300 | ||
USKids Ultra-Light & Tour Series (3 club to 11 club sets) | $110- $490 | ||
Intermediate Club Sets | |||
(4 club to 10 clubs sets) | $199- $550 | ||
(3 club to 8 club sets) | $149- $249 | ||
(7 club to 8 club sets) | $199- $220 | ||
(5 club to 7 club sets) | $299- $399 | ||
Beginner / Budget Club Sets | |||
(3 club to 5 club sets) | $99- $120 | ||
(3 club to 6 club sets) | $105- $155 | ||
(3 club to 7 club set) | $99- $169 | ||
(5 club set) | ~$129 | ||
(4 to 6 club set) | $129- $149 | ||
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How to Choose Kids Golf Clubs
For parents of juniors new to golf, it can be tricky figuring out the best golf clubs for kids in the 4 to 13 years old age range. This is due to the fact that junior clubs have a very wide range of quality and price. In addition, there is no standard club length to junior height ratio. Each manufacturer seems to have their own criteria for height and age recommendations - which many times leaves parents scratching their heads.
Many brand name junior clubs are way too heavy for juniors or the "swing weight" is too heavy (i.e. the club head to shaft/grip ratio is not appropriate for juniors). For example, if a golf club has a heavy head you cannot compensate for the weight by simply fitting a lighter shaft as that makes the club feel even heavier.
In recent years some major club manufacturers (e.g. Ping, TaylorMade, Cobra etc.) have started to make better quality junior golf clubs. In the meantime, USKids and Flynn Golf have focused on this market and have developed and sell very good junior golf clubs that are age and height appropriate.
If you are looking for golf clubs for toddlers or for teens (i.e. not the age group covered in this post), then go to these posts: Toddler Golf Clubs and Golf Clubs for Teens and Advanced Juniors. Our Best Golf Drivers for Kids article focuses purely on golf drivers for juniors of all ages.
Comprehensive List of Kids Golf Club Set
Set out below is a comprehensive list of junior golf clubs on the market in the USA. Check your child's height and reference the chart below to see what clubs are available based on their level of play, budget etc. Click here - or on the image to open a high resolution printable chart of kids golf clubs
Some important information on how to view this list of junior golf club sets:
Junior golf clubs sets are broadly categorized into Advanced, Intermediate and Beginner. In addition, certain Beginner sets are categorized as Budget due to their lower cost and cheaper components. Clubs are listed within each category in alphabetical order and not based on our rating or the price of the clubs.
The general price range for each category is as follows:
- Intermediate to Advanced: $110 (6 clubs set) to $1,300 (Ping 11 club set)
- Intermediate: $150 (3 club set) to $665 (10 clubs set)
- Beginner: $50 (4 club set) to $230
Advanced sets are designated as such for competitive tournament players that require both high quality clubs that also have good "gapping" and therefore more clubs in the set (e.g. juniors that need clubs that have less than approx. 10 yards distance between them).
Advanced juniors generally use a kids golf set that includes Driver, Fairway Wood, Hybrid, 5-9 irons, Pitching Wedge, Gap Wedge, Sand Wedge and Putter. This is 12 clubs, leaving 2 more clubs that can be added depending on preference - most common are a Lob Wedge, 5-Wood, or a Second Hybrid.
Intermediate/Advanced, means that the sets are high quality and have more clubs - therefore could be used for Advanced players (e.g. the Ping Prodi G sets). Of course, any intermediate or advanced junior club is also great for beginners but these do usually cost a little more than beginner kids golf clubs.
Height ranges in this chart are based on the manufacturers' information and not on actual club length. The age range that manufacturers provide is often not what we would recommend for a junior golfer. For example even though a manufacturer may state that clubs are suitable for juniors from 5 to 8 years, it is unlikely that the same length clubs would fit both a 5 year old and an 8 year old. Below are some guidelines on how to choose the right size clubs for your junior.
The "number of clubs" specified in the matrix above is based on the total number of clubs available in for that model - i.e. the clubs in the packaged sets plus individually sold clubs. For example, USKids and Flynn Golf both show 14 clubs in the 51" height range which includes clubs in the packaged sets plus individual clubs that are available even though not in the standard set (e.g. additional wedges and hybrids).
When selecting clubs we also recommend that you always check the length of the club. Looking at the length of the driver and 7 or 8 iron is a good starting point in determining if the clubs are the right size for your junior. The table below sets out general guidelines for the size of kids clubs based on a junior's height and age (we highly recommend choosing the size of clubs based on height and not the age category advertised by the manufacturer):
Key Takeaways for Buying Kids Golf Club Sets
There is a big discrepancy in recommended size of clubs by various brands, even with the large brand names. Care should be taken to check that the size of clubs are appropriate to your junior's height.
The number of clubs in sets varies significantly. Juniors trying out golf for the first time might be fine with just three clubs. In fact we recommend that very young juniors start with just a putter and a pitching wedge (or similar high lofted iron such as a 9 or 8 iron).
The range of height/age for some sets is very large. In general, the larger the age range the worse the fit at the ends of the range. Be careful about buying a set at the "ends" of a wide range - e.g. if the range is 5-9 years old, be very careful about buying these for a 5 year old as they will almost certainly be too big for the junior and may be too small for a 9 year old. Again, use the chart above as a guideline.
Some manufacturer's recommended ages do not always correspond with the average height of juniors. E.g. the Tour X clubs seem to be sized for very small kids - not many 5 year old kids are only 39 inches tall... The Taylormade kids clubs are another example of having a very wide age range - e.g. 4 to 8 years old for the Rory 5-club set. Make sure to look at the actual club sizes (most manufacturers will provide them) and match them against your junior's height on the chart above.
The quality of the materials and manufacturing of the various juniors golf club sets varies greatly. In general you get what you pay for!
Kids Golf Clubs by Category
Intermediate to Advanced Kids Golf Clubs
Flynn Golf VTMax Velocity and ALTO Junior Clubs
The Flynn Golf launched VTMAX ALTO clubs are excellent clubs for all levels of juniors. For even more information on these clubs read our article 2019 Flynn Golf VT MAX ALTO Clubs.
Price range
Pros and Cons
- High quality materials and construction
- Reasonably priced
- Custom shaft options
- Ability to chose colors for shafts and grips - very attractive option for kids!
- Fitting advice available directly from Flynn Golf. Great for advanced players.
- Excellent customer service!
- Individual clubs available for purchase. Can fill out set to full 14 clubs ensuring proper gapping.
- Can purchase high quality junior shafts with adapters fitted for OEM drivers
- Given the high level of customization the ordering processes can be a little tricky for someone brand new to golf. However, Mike Flynn and his company do a great job of offering advice and will help with recommendations based on your child's stats such as height, weight, level of experience etc.
Ping Prodi G Kids Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Quality materials and construction
- Free shaft upgrade as part of Ping's "Get Golf Growing" Program. Requires purchase of at least five clubs. Includes re-shafting, lengthening, re-weighting, and re-gripping.
- Expensive for the number of clubs - but they does include one time upgrade of shafts/fitting. Definitely paying for the brand name and retail mark up.
- Smaller sets have very few clubs (e.g. 5 or 7 clubs) which is not ideal for intermediate or advanced tournament players.
Where to Buy
USKids Ultra-Light Junior Golf Clubs
The US Kids UL Junior clubs are great for juniors of all levels from beginner through advanced. They are also very reasonably priced. The sets range from 3 to 7 clubs but you can also buy additional clubs in each size to fill in gaps and round out a set for more advanced players that still want light weight clubs.
Price range
Pros and Cons
- High quality materials and construction
- Low price point - excellent value for money!
- USKids club fitting chart is easy to use
- Individual clubs available for ordering
- Good resale value (e.g. on eBay)
- No customization options available - e.g. shafts (other than graphite vs steel for some sets), colors, grips etc.
Where to Buy - Compare Prices at:
USKids Tour Series Junior Golf Clubs
These are the most widely used advanced junior golf clubs and frequently seen at large regional, state, national and international tournaments.
Price range
Pros and Cons
- High quality materials and construction
- Comparatively low price point for what you get (direct from manufacturer)
- USKids club fitting chart is easy to use
- Individual clubs available for ordering. Can fill out set to full 14 clubs ensuring proper gapping.
- Very good resale value (e.g. on eBay)
- No customization options available - e.g. shafts (other than graphite Vs steel for some sets), colors, grips etc.
Where to Buy - Compare Prices at:
Beginner to Intermediate Kids Golf Clubs
Callaway XJ, XT and XJ Hot Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Girls and Boys Sets
- Brand name, good quality materials and construction
- Nice looking clubs and good quality bags
- Relatively expensive compared to similar options
- Very wide recommended age range for each set - make sure to select the right size for your junior and keep in mind that juniors will generally grow out of clubs every year or two
Where to Buy
Cleveland Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Brand name, good quality materials and construction
- Nice looking clubs and good quality bag
- Cavity back suitable for beginner to intermediate
- Reasonably priced
- Positive reviews from most buyers
- Very wide recommended age range for each set which can make it tricky to get clubs that fit your junior (only 3 sizes for ages 4 to 12). Make sure to select the right size for your junior based on actual club sizes.
Where to Buy
Cobra King Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Quality materials and construction
- Cobra brand appeals to kids and the kids sets are available in both boys and girls colors
- Nice looking clubs and good quality bag
- Playable clubs suitable for beginner to intermediate junior golfers
- Good price for what you get
- Very wide recommended age range for each set which can make it tricky to get clubs that fit your junior (only 3 sizes for ages 5 to 15). Check the length of clubs compared to you juniors height before buying (reference the table in this article).
Where to Buy
Ping Thrive Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Suitable for beginner to intermediate teen golfers with slower swing speeds
- Expensive for beginner clubs and as compared to similar clubs sets
- For this price and considering these are sized for teens, you may want to consider adult clubs with graphite shafts (senior, ladies to regular flex for beginner to intermediate). For more information on this category of clubs refer to the article "Best Golf Clubs for Teen and Advance Juniors".
Where to Buy
Note - these appear to be phased out and replaced by the Prodi G thus not widely available. Used sets can be found for decent prices on eBay.
TaylorMade Phenom Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Decent quality materials and construction
- Easy to use clubs for beginner golfers
- Brand name at a reasonable price
- With the introduction of the TaylorMade Rory junior clubs the Phenom's may be phased out. As of writing this, the TaylorMade site only has the smaller (6 clubs set for ages 5-8) available for sale. See more below for a comparison of the two.
Where to Buy
Note - these have been phased out and replaced by the Rory series, thus not widely available. Used sets can be found for decent prices on eBay.
TaylorMade Rory Junior Golf Clubs
The TaylorMade Phenom and Rory clubs are very similar if not identical. A visual comparison of the 2 models reveals purely cosmetic differences in the club heads although the shafts and lengths may be slightly different.
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Introduced in 2019, these are kids golf clubs have quality materials and construction with some of the same technology as TaylorMade premium clubs
- Endorsed by Rory McIlroy and comes with the trademark dog head cover that kids will love!
- High launch lofts and graphite shafts make these easy for beginners to get the ball in the air
- A little more expensive than similar options
- Very wide recommended age range for each set which can make it tricky to get clubs that fit your junior (only 2 sizes for ages 4 to approx. 12). Check the length of clubs compared to you juniors height before buying (reference the table in this article). May need to have clubs resized which is not difficult to do but adds to the cost.
Where to Buy
Beginner Kids Golf Clubs
In general these are cheaper clubs that are designed for kids that just want to try out golf to see if they like it. Most irons are made from a zinc alloy or similar (as opposed to steel) and shafts are usually made from a cheaper graphite composite.
If kids take to golf and continue playing, these will usually be replaced with one of the intermediate or advanced options listed above. That said, these are fine as a inexpensive way to introduce golf to kids - especially at the younger end of the range. There are even kids golf sets under $100 that are fine as a first set.
Confidence Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- One of the cheapest set of beginner clubs available
- Approx. 83% of Amazon reviews are favorable. If you are just buying clubs to see if your junior is interested in playing then these could be appropriate.
- You get what you pay for. Cheap materials and construction. Some buyers report club heads coming off or clubs breaking within the first few times of being used. May be ok for a total beginner with a slow swing speed. Customers frequently report receiving the wrong clubs sets - e.g. pink instead of blue or wrong size. 10% of buyers had issues resulting in 1 or 2 star reviews.
Where to Buy
Golf Girl Junior Clubs
The Golf Girl Junior Clubs appear to be very similar to the Confidence Junior Clubs above. They look similar, are approximately the same price and are sold by the same outlets - i.e. Amazon, Walmart and Golf Outlets USA.
Price range
Pros and Cons
- One of the cheapest set of beginner clubs available
- Approx. 91% of Amazon reviews are favorable. If you are just buying clubs to see if your junior is interested in playing then these could be appropriate.
- You get what you pay for. Cheap materials and construction.
Where to Buy
Intech Lancer Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Cheap beginner set of clubs for kids who just want to try out the game without breaking the bank.
- Approximately 85% of Amazon reviews are favorable. If you are just buying clubs to see if your junior is interested in playing then these could be appropriate.
- Cheaper materials and construction. Some buyers report clubs breaking after only a short time using them.
Where to Buy
Nitro Blaster & Crossfire Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- One of the cheapest set of beginner clubs available and suitable as a club for kids wanting to try hit a few balls
- Cheap materials and construction. Some buyers report club heads coming off or clubs breaking within the first few times being used and sometimes even when delivered.
Where to Buy
Orlimar ATS Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Good quality materials and construction
- Nice perimeter weighted stainless steel irons
- Set appears to be well designed for kids just starting golf
- Can buy individual clubs or even the bag (which is very good quality and good looking)
- Buyer reviews are 100% 4 or 5 star ratings
- There are only 3 sizes so you need to be careful about choosing the right size. Larger clubs can be resized (a golf shop will typically charge about $10 a club to shorten - plus grip replacement of about $7 - assuming they cannot reuse the grip).
Where to Buy
Paragon Rising Star Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Decent materials and construction
- Good value for money
- Can buy individual clubs
- 100% of customer reviews are 3-5 stars (out of 5)
- 4 different sized golf sets means you more likely to find one that fits you child
- A few buyers reported a club head breaking off or broken zipper on the bag - but overall far less issues than similarly priced beginner sets
Where to Buy
Powebilt Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Decent materials and construction
- Good value for money
- Almost 90% of customer reviews are 4-5 stars (out of 5)
- 4 different sized golf sets means you more likely to find clubs that fit your junior
- A few buyers reported receiving the wrong bag color or number of clubs in the set as advertised. Note that these are seller issues as opposed to club issues.
Where to Buy
Precise XDJ andX7 Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Decent materials and construction
- Different colors will appeals to kids including boys and girls options
- Suitable for young kids as absolute beginner golf clubs
- Only 3 sizes for all ages. Make sure to check size is appropriate before buying.
- A few buyers reported clubs breaking after only a few uses.
Where to Buy
Ray Cook - Manta Ray Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Decent materials and construction
- Suitable for young kids as first time clubs
- Overall very good user reviews with not too many concerns over quality
- Only 3 sizes for all ages. Make sure to check size is appropriate before buying.
Where to Buy
Topflite Kids Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Good quality materials and construction. Titanium composite driver and stainless steel irons. Low/back Center of Gravity on driver, wide sole irons with perimeter weighting for playability.
- Different color options - blue and pink
- Slightly more expensive than other clubs in this category
- Only 3 sizes for all ages. Make sure to check size is appropriate before buying.
Where to Buy
Tour Edge HL-J Junior Golf Clubs
Price range (similar range for both the HL-J and HT Max Models)
Pros and Cons
- Good quality materials and construction. Titanium composite driver and stainless steel irons. Low/back Center of Gravity on driver, wide sole irons with perimeter weighting for playability.
- Lifetime warranty
- Slightly more expensive than other clubs in this category
Where to Buy
Tour X Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Good quality materials and construction. Titanium composite driver and cavity back, perimeter weighted irons.
- Can purchase individual clubs
- Reasonably priced
- Only 3 sizes for all ages. Make sure to check size is appropriate before buying.
Where to Buy
Wilson Profile Junior Golf Clubs
Price range
Pros and Cons
- Decent quality materials and construction for kids beginner clubs
- Reasonably priced
- 92% of reviews are 4-5 stars
- Only 3 sizes for all ages. Check kids height against the Wilson chart for approximate sizing. We could not find actual club lengths anywhere including on the Wilson site - which makes it difficult to ensure you are getting the correct size clubs.
Where to Buy
Conclusion
The kids golf club market is large and potentially confusing for golfing parents. The quality of clubs varies dramatically!
We hope this article has helped you focus on the more important aspects of ensuring an enjoyable introduction to and growth within the world of junior golf through clubs the young player can swing with comfort and confidence.
Key things to remember:
- Get the right size clubs. At all cost, avoid getting clubs that are too big or too heavy. Do not cut down adult clubs, they are too heavy and the shafts are generally too stiff.
- Young kids do not need a full set of clubs but as juniors start playing competitive golf the equipment becomes more important
- A putter, wedge and three-wood or driver are great clubs to start with.
- Get out on the range or course and play fun chipping and putting games with your juniors. Look for a local par 3 course to play. Have challenges getting out bunkers etc. This golf week article has some nice games to play with your junior - or even better, for them to play with friends. Find a local Topgolf venue to take your kids to.
- If your junior moves on to intermediate or advanced clubs please find a local First Tee to donate your old kids clubs to. For more information read this interview of The First Atlanta.
- Finally, if you are really stuck and unsure of which clubs are suitable, send us a message and we can help make sure you get the right clubs for your child.
Comments: Let us know your thoughts on kids clubs that you have bought...
