Best Kids Golf Clubs 2020

This article will help parents choose the best golf clubs for their juniors. 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:

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.

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! 

Best Kids Golf Clubs Reviewed

Intermediate to Advanced Kids Golf Clubs

Flynn Golf VTMax Velocity and ALTO Junior Clubs

In summer of 2019, Flynn Golf launched their VTMAX ALTO clubs

Read more on the new line of clubs here: 2019 Flynn Golf VT MAX ALTO Clubs

Price range

Pros and Cons

Where to Buy

Ping Prodi G Kids Golf Clubs

Pros and Cons

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

Where to Buy

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

Where to Buy

Beginner to Intermediate Kids Golf Clubs

Callaway XJ, XT and XJ Hot Junior Golf Clubs

Price range

Pros and Cons

Where to Buy

Cleveland Junior Golf Clubs

Price range

Pros and Cons

Where to Buy

Precise XDJ andX7 Junior Golf Clubs

Price range

Pros and Cons

Where to Buy

Ray Cook - Manta Ray Junior Golf Clubs

Where to Buy

Topflite Kids Golf Clubs

Pros and Cons

Where to Buy

Tour Edge HL-J Junior Golf Clubs

Tour X Junior Golf Clubs

Where to Buy

Wilson Profile Junior Golf 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.

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