Have you ever been at TopGolf hitting balls and accidentally picked up a women’s club?
The clubs at TopGolf look pretty similar so it’s easy to do. Pretty quickly you can notice a difference as it’s lighter, has more flex, and shorter than a standard iron.
But are they really that much different? If you’re trying to get your other half involved in golf you might think about giving her your old set of clubs before buying some of her own.
Continue reading to learn why this is a bad idea. Women golf clubs are designed very differently than men’s golf clubs and can be detrimental to their game. You will ensure that she has a positive first experience with the game of golf by getting her the right set.
Here’s why it’s so important to buy the right set when choosing golf clubs.
Men vs. Ladies Golf Clubs
Equipment is the most important part of golf. If you’re playing the wrong equipment, you’re making golf 10X harder on yourself.
You can make playing golf a little easier if you have the right equipment to match your skill level and size. I won’t say you’ll make it “easy” because it’s still golf, but your misses will be better and your good shots are even more rewarded on the golf course.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a golf club, such as forgiveness, shaft flex, shaft length, shaft weight, grip and clubhead. In all these categories, there are major differences between women and men golf clubs. The reason for this is because of the slower swing speeds and shorter height.
According to Trackman GolfThe average driver speed for PGA Tour players in a PGA Tour match is 275 yards (carry), with a 113 mph swing speed. LPGA players average 218 yards (carry) and a 94-mph swing speed. The male golfers hit driver 214 yards (carry), with a 93.4 mph swing speed.
Let’s break down some of the biggest differences below to ensure you’re playing the right clubs for your swing.
Length and Type of Golf Clubs
The length is the first thing that distinguishes men and womens golf clubs. Men’s clubs are longer than women’s as the average male is taller than the average female.
According to Medical News Today, “The average height for a woman varies, depending on where she was born and raised. The current average height of a woman who was born in the United States is approximately 5 feet 4 inches. Meanwhile, the average height for men of a similar age in the U.S. is around 5 feet 9 inches.”
This is why it’s crucial to adjust and shorten ladies clubs accordingly. Women who are five inches shorter than average would have difficulty swinging clubs designed for men. Longer shafts are less accurate and more difficult to swing aggressively, which can also impact distance.
Longer clubs can be a problem for accuracy and distance.
The length of the Golf Club for Men and Women is different
But how much shorter are ladies golf shafts vs. a men’s golf club? Let’s compare a few common sets of clubs from top manufacturers.
- Callaway Rogue ST Max OS Lite Irons: These popular Callaway irons are available for both men and women so it’s a great comparison. The 7-iron for men measures 37 inches in length and has 31.5 degrees loft. The 7-iron for women measures 36 inches and has 31.5 degrees of loft.
- Callaway Rogue ST Max DriverThe popular driver is available in both mens and womens versions. The men’s version is 45.75 inches (which is standard men’s driver length) and offered in 9, 10.5, or 12 degrees of loft. The women drivers are 44.50 inches long and come in 10 or 12.5 degrees loft.
Irons are just one inch shorter for women than they are for men. The driver is 1.25 inches shorter, and has more loft options.
Since women golfers have a lower average swing speed than men, it’s important to use more loft to help get the ball in the air. Men tend to play steel shafts in irons (and graphite too, while almost all women’s golf clubs are graphite shafts.
Womens putters are also shorter. The standard length for women is 32-33 inches, and for men it is 34-35 inches.
Click here to find more information about putter length.
Weight of Golf Clubs
The weight of the members is the second difference between a male and female golf club. Women’s club heads weigh less than a men’s club to help with ladies’ slower swing speeds.
This can be done in two ways. The weight of the ladies shaft and the clubhead. For example, some clubs that aren’t offered in men’s models are only available for women as they’re extremely lightweight and designed for a female golfer.
But the golf shaft is the piece of the club that makes the biggest difference, especially in women’s drivers. Take, for instance, the Callaway Rogue ST Max driver that we mentioned earlier.
The men’s driver comes with stock shaft options that weigh between 50-65 grams. While the women’s driver only comes with a 40-gram shaft option. The overall weight of the driver is lighter, which helps female golfers achieve higher swing speeds.
The shaft weight is an important component of the golf club, as it can impact trajectory, accuracy, and distance. A shaft that is too light can cause big misses, especially at high speeds. Men need heavier shafts to avoid even more misses.
Your golf shot trajectory can also be affected by the weight of your shaft. A shaft that is too heavy can result in a low trajectory and less distance.
A shaft that is too heavy can lead to high shots and the reverse. They go more up than anything and can get crushed if you’re playing in the wind. This is why they need to adjust shafts for men’s drivers and all the clubs.
Flex of Women’s Golf Club vs. Men’s Golf Club
The shaft flex is the third distinction between men and womens golf clubs.
Men’s clubs are available in a variety of shaft flexes including lite (also referred to as light or senior flex), regular or stiff, extra-stiff, and tour-stiff. Each golf shaft is specifically designed for a specific type of golfer and is based on the drivers swing speed.
Male golfers need more flexibility and speed. It can cause all kinds of problems off the tee.
However, ladies shafts are very different. For the most part, they only come in women’s flex and don’t have more than one option.
This is why a lot of high-level women amateur golfers and LPGA Tour pros have to use men’s shafts. Stock shafts wouldnt be light enough and flexible enough to accommodate their faster swing speeds.
Golf Club Grips
The final difference between men’s and women golf clubs is the grip.
Men’s golf clubs come with a standard .580 size grip and can upgrade to midsize or jumbo grips as well. These grips are for men with larger hands, those who need a lighter grip pressure and/or those with arthritic hands.
But women’s golf grips are much thinner and lighter to fit women’s hands properly as well. This affects the overall feel and swing weight of the golf club.
You should also consider that women may have different grip colors such as white, pink or turquoise. Black or white are the most common golf grips used by men, but there are many options.
FAQs about Men and Women Golf Clubs
Do you have more questions about men’s and women’s clubs? Continue reading if you have more questions about mens and womens clubs.
How do you tell the difference between men’s and women’s golf clubs?
The length of a golf club is the easiest way to tell the difference between mens and womens.
If you’ve been playing golf for a while, it’s easy to notice how much shorter they are. If you can’t tell the length, the shaft is the second-biggest indicator as there is only one flex for women in most cases.
Are women’s golf clubs different from men’s golf clubs?
Yes, women’s golf clubs are very different from men’s golf clubs. Here’s how:
- Shorter shafts
- Lighter shafts
- Grips for golf are smaller and thinner.
- More hybrid/fairway wood/hybrid options
- Higher lofts in woods (same as irons)
This is why it’s important for women to play the correct size golf clubs. Otherwise, trying to swing heavy, long men’s golf clubs will make it very difficult to square the clubface and hit it in the sweet spot. You will have less distance, less fairways, and more forgiveness for mishits if you choose the wrong bus.
Do LPGA Tour players use men’s golf clubs?
LPGA player’s golf clubs are different from most on the PGA Tour. LPGA players tend to use more hybrids and fairway woods than their PGA counterparts. Most bags will have regular or stiff flex, while the PGA Tour has extra stiff.
What is the length difference between men’s and women’s golf clubs?
About 1 inch with irons, and slightly more with fairway and driver woods. It all depends on the make/model of each club.
You can choose to have more control with some clubs and they will shorten your driver by one inch. This is why it’s important to check the shaft length before swapping shafts with your driver or woods.
Also, it’s important to note the USGA limit for driver length is 46 inches. It had previously been 48 inches but recently shortened and it didn’t go over well with players.
Phil Mickelson stated it on Twitter: “Word is USGA is soon rolling back driver length to 46 inches. This is PATHETIC.1st it promotes a shorter more violent swing (injury prone,) doesn’t allow for length of arc to create speed, and during our 1st golf boom in 40 years, our amateur gov body keeps trying to make it less fun.”
Long drive golfers have longer shafts due to different shaft length limits. Click here for more information about long drive competitions.
Can women use men’s golf clubs?
Women golfers can use men’s golf clubs if they’re tall enough and have enough swing speed.
If a woman is 5’9” or taller and swings at the correct swing speed based on men’s shafts, it can work. Otherwise, it’s not suggested as the clubs won’t fit their swing and impact ball striking.
Can a man use women’s clubs?
Technically, yes a man can use women’s golf clubs. But in general, it’s not a good idea as they’ll usually be too light, too short, and not have enough flex in the shaft. A high swing speed can cause damage to the club.
However, if you’re closer to the average height of a woman and have a slower swing speed, this is an option. Or, you can opt to use men’s golf clubs with custom, shorter shafts and ones with less flex (like a senior or lite flex).
Can you trim men’s clubs to fit women?
While you can shorten club lengths, it’s not recommended for ladies golf clubs. A lot of people try to do this with men’s clubs to accommodate women and make clubs for junior golfers; but this is actually a bad idea for a few reasons.
First, a shorter shaft makes the club more stiff. Men’s golf clubs are already stiffer than women shafts and need custom length golf clubs with the right ladies flex shafts. This will allow female golfers more power and faster clubhead speeds.
How do you determine if a golf course is for a woman?
You should also pay attention to the shafts flexibility. Men’s clubs are typically R or S (regular or stiff) while a women’s shaft says L (ladies).
The club should also be shorter and lighter than a typical men’s shaft as well. Grips will also appear smaller and thinner and might be different colors such as purple and pink.
Final Thoughts on the Men vs. Women Clubs
As you can tell there are a lot of differences in men’s and women’s golf clubs.
Men’s clubs are heavier, longer, and have stiffer shafts. They’re built for larger and stronger people to maximize performance with higher swing speeds. If you can’t generate higher swing speed then you shouldn’t use a men’s club head or men’s club shaft as it’ll make golf even more difficult.
While women’s golf clubs are typically lighter, have shorter and softer shafts, and smaller grip to accommodate for low swing speed. This allows women to increase both their swing speed as well as their total distance. It also aids in forgiveness.
It is essential to have the right equipment in order to make golf easier. As I’m sure you know, this game is wildly complex and playing the wrong equipment only makes things more difficult. For the best golf experience, choose the set that suits your skill level and size.
