Golf is a sport that has been enjoyed by both men and women for generations. Even though the fundamentals of the game are the same, there are some significant differences between men’s and women’s golf clubs. In this article, we will discuss the major distinctions between these two types of clubs, including their size and weight, as well as how they can affect a golfer’s performance.
Why Are Golf Clubs Important?
Choosing the right club is often a difficult mission for beginner golfers. When looking at different options and exploring the market, you’ve certainly come across men’s and women’s golf clubs. What is the key difference between them?
It all comes down to the strength and height of the golfer. Women golfers are usually shorter than men and have less strength. Therefore, women’s clubs cater to their specific needs. But there is more than that to a golf club.
A golf club consists of a shaft with a grip and a head. The design of each element has a significant impact on your game of golf. With so many golf club variations choosing the right fit is essential.
Whether you are a beginner or a professional player, a well-chosen club design can help you improve your game. And it is not about getting the most expensive piece you can find out there. We already shared thetop tips on improving your golf game here.
The club head determines the center of gravity, loft, lie angle, and weight. Also, the weight varies between different golf clubs. A lighter head and shaft will produce speed and distance. Furthermore, the loft angles and center of gravity determine the height at which a ball is launched and the spin.
Differences Between Men’s and Women’s Golf Clubs
The biggest differences between men’s and women’s clubs are due to strength and size. In general, men are taller and have more strength than women. The clubs are specially designed to cater to a person’s difference in strength and height. Men use heavier steel shafts since they can provide solid contact.
However, this doesn’t mean the clubs are solely designed according to gender. Golfers need to choose the right fit for their body type too. Just because they are called men’s shafts doesn’t mean women can’t use them.
Length
The club’s length is the most critical feature of a club. It sets a major difference between men’s and women’s golf clubs. On average, the men’s club is longer than the women’s by one inch, as the male players are taller. The club is designed for men at 5’9″, and 5’7″ for women. Female players usually go for shorter shafts.
Therefore, the club length is associated with the person’s height. For example, tall women can play with a men’s golf club, just as men shorter than 5’7″ can use a ladies’ shaft, which is 3/4 to one inch shorter. You can go for a custom-made club to ensure the proper fit for your height.
Shaft Flexibility
The club shaft’s flexibility is another significant difference between ladies’ golf clubs and golf clubs for men. A woman’s golf shaft is built using graphite which provides lower weight and lighter clubs.
The lighter graphite shaftenhances the swing speed, allowing female golfers to achieve distance. The flexibility offers better distance at slower swing speeds, influencing the ball flight.
Stiffer shafts are usually made of graphite or steel, depending on the needed extra power and speed. Unfortunately, women don’t have that many choices. But they can always opt for custom-made men’s shafts in their preferred size to achieve strength.
Grip and Size
The head’s size is somewhat similar in men’s and women’s clubs. Its primary function is helping to get the ball launched into the air. Some golf clubs for women have a larger head.
A larger head provides more accuracy with lower speeds, as women players are known to have less power when launching. Women’s golf clubs come at twelve degrees, while men’s are available at 9-10.5 degrees.
The standard grip is larger with men’s clubs. Since women have smaller hands, the golf grips are designed to allow women to hold the club comfortably.
Loft
A higher loft provides more accurate golf shots. Therefore, a women’s loft is between 12 to 15 degrees. In comparison, a man’s loft is between 9 to 10. Even though the loft helps in accuracy, achieving distance is difficult.
If distance is your pain point, you must be careful when choosing the loft. The good news is you can overcome this problem with an adjustable loft. Various clubs are designed with an adjustable head so you can easily find the loft that works for you.
Ball Flight Performance
When looking at ball flight performance, the differences between men’s and women’s golf clubs are apparent. The length of a men’s golf club is generally longer than that of a women’s club, creating more power and speed in the swing. This leads to faster ball speeds off the clubface, resulting in greater distances for shots hit with men’s clubs.
Additionally, men’s clubs have stronger lofts than women’s, which further adds distance when compared to a shot taken with a women’s club.
Lastly, because of the larger size of men’s golf clubs, they can provide better stability and accuracy during swings due to their increased weight distribution when compared to shorter women’s clubs. These characteristics all create higher ball flight performances for shots taken with men’s golf clubs versus those taken with women’s clubs.
Availability
Women might have a tough time finding the perfect golf club for them. Golf is played mainly by men, so the clubs available on the market specifically cater to their needs. So this is primarily an issue of a demanding nature.
Looking for the ideal women’s clubs? Start with golf clubs for beginners. You can find plenty of options that suit your needs. Or, you can go for a custom club fitting.
Don’t Forget about The Stacker
Want to regiment your practice depending on the type of golf club you use? Add The Stacker to your golf equipment bag. The Stacker goes perfectly with any type of golf club and golfer. This golf accessory is a brilliant tool that helps you shape a perfect pyramid of golf balls and allows you to count the balls easily, as well as dedicate the right number of shots to every type of golf club you use.
Do You Need a Women’s Golf Club?
As you can see, there are some significant differences between men’s and women’s golf clubs that should be taken into consideration when shopping for a set of clubs.
Men’s clubs are usually slightly longer than women’s clubs and typically have a stiffer shaft than women’s clubs. This makes them better suited for players with faster swings and greater strength. Women’s clubs tend to have lighter clubheads, which can help generate increased clubhead speed even with slower swing speeds.
Additionally, the lofts of the irons in a women’s set tend to be more upright than their male counterparts, resulting in less distance from each shot, but also more accuracy on average.
A standard womenclub is specially designed to work with an average woman’s body. The lighter shaft and high loft help a female golfer achieve faster swing speeds.
If you’re a tall woman or have big hands, you’ll find it easier to identify the best golf clubs for you because some men’s clubs will suit you perfectly.
Overall, selecting the right golf club is an important decision for any golfer, and understanding the differences between men’s and women’s sets can help make this process easier.
