Most female players choose to use women’s clubs. However, this is often done unknowingly without much consideration for the actual differences between men’s and women’s golf clubs.
The type of golf club you need will depend on your swing speed, height, strength, stability, and other factors.
Let’s look at the main differences between golf clubs for men and women and help you determine which is best for you.
Table of Contents
- 1. Length
- 2. Shaft Flexibility
- 3. Clubhead & Grip Sizing/Shape
- 4. Available
- 5. Lofts
1. Length
The length of the club is the most significant difference between men’s and women’s golf clubs. On average, male golfers are 1 inch taller than females, so the clubs are typically 1 inch longer. Sometimes this can vary between manufacturers and could be ½ inch to ¾ inch.
You can adjust the length of your club based on the player’s height. Golfers should think about a custom fitting. This allows you to measure the exact length of your club.
The lie angle changes when you adjust the length of your club. This is important for consistency and playability.
2. Shaft Flexibility
The flexibility of the golf shaft will also be different between men’s and women’s golf clubs. Women’s clubs come with a ladies’ shaft, which is more flexible than a men’s shaft. A flexible shaft allows women to get better ball flight and distance with a slower swing speed.
Men’s golf clubs have various shaft options to choose from based on swing power and whether or not higher swing speed comes into play. Men can choose from a junior shafted golf club or an extra stiff one.
Women golfers have fewer options. If they need something that is a bit less flexible, the men’s shafts become the best option.
As women age, there are often problems for golfers. Unfortunately, no real senior women’s golf shaft can be put in the club to help improve overall ball speed and make up for lost yards.
However, more companies are creating lighter golf shafts with a better launch. This is definitely helping older golfers find a solution that works for them.
Male golfers have a nice progression of golf shafts that they can move through if needed, and when swing speeds are a match, the ladies’ golf shaft will always work as well.
3. Clubhead & Grip Sizing/Shape
Most golf club manufacturers will use the exact same clubhead for women golfers than they do for men. Some companies will place a larger, sweeter clubhead in the golf clubs for ladies.
It’s often assumed in golf that women need more accuracy in their shots. This is because women golfers tend have slightly slower clubhead speeds.
The average handicap of men is lower than that of women, simply because more women play the game. It is important to remember that golf club makers strive to make the best clubs for the most people.
For male golfers, the grip is typically a standard or medium-sized grip. For female golfers, however, the grip is often smaller. Women golfers have smaller hands and the grip is usually less pronounced.
When shopping for ladies’ golf clubs, it is important to look at the club head and see if you are getting something specifically built for the woman golfer or if it is simply a men’s club with a ladies’ shaft in place. You should consider the potential impact on the center gravity and overall performance.
4. Available
When you look at LPGA Tour players, they are almost always using men’s golf clubs. This is because they are always available.
Unfortunately, there are not as many women’s golf clubs on the market as there are for men. This is a matter of marketing and sales, as there are not nearly enough women golfers to match the men.
There are many options for women to choose from in the beginner and game improvement categories of golf clubs. However, when you look at things like blade-style irons or players’ distance irons, there are very few choices.
Golfers are now more likely to have their clubs custom fitted. If you are a female player that is looking for increased feel and accuracy in a set of clubs, a custom fitting for a men’s set of players’ irons is probably the best choice.
Male golfers starting to lose some of their clubhead speed can find that a ladies’ shaft is actually the best option for their game. If the player’s height is a problem, you can easily extend the shaft to ensure enough length for accuracy.
As a whole, there are more men’s golf clubs on the market than women’s, but this is not nearly the problem it once was. The way we see golf has changed drastically through custom club fitting.
5. Lofts
Women’s golf clubs tend to have higher lofts than men’s golf clubs. This is especially true for drivers. Men’s drivers are often going to have between 9 and 10 degrees of loft. With the women’s golf clubs, expect to see between 12 and 15 degrees of loft.
This loft is designed to increase forgiveness.
It can be a problem for women golfers. The loft does not affect your distance, however it can help with accuracy and forgiveness. The loftier your driver is, the harder it will be to hit it far.
Female players who are looking to make a profit from distance must be careful with this feature.
The good news for women golfers with a slightly faster swing speed is that there are plenty of options. Conversely, for slower-swinging male golfers, the women’s drivers could always be a good choice. Although distance may not be the best thing about this shot, a shot that is 10 meters shorter and on the fairway might be worth looking at.
These loft differences still affect golfers, but the fact that many of them can be adjusted has made it less of an issue. You can adjust the lofts on most clubheads to find the best setting for your game.
