The 9 Best Women's Golf Clubs
Editor's Notes
June 25, 2021:
Golf equipment technology makes regular advancements, so among the important changes to Wiki are the updated Callaway Strata Plus and Tour Edge Lady 2020 sets, both of which are hard to beat for the money. We also included the Cobra Women's Fly XL, which is awfully expensive but should satisfy even the most demanding players. For lefties, the Golf Girl FWS2 is a great choice, but the Callaway Strata Complete is also offered in left-handed if you want something from a more well-known brand.
April 18, 2019:
Swapped out the Wilson Ultra in favor of the Precise NX460. While the Wilsons are a good budget option, we felt they were a little too diminutive for serious players, even those just starting out. The NX460s, on the other hand, are budget-friendly and lightweight while still allowing you to put some serious oomph behind your swings.
We also updated this list to include the most current edition of the Callaway Strata Complete, which has a slightly different-shaped putter than its predecessor. All in all, we feel the new version is an improvement over its forebear, but only marginally so, which is why it only moved up one spot in the rankings.
The Tour Edge Lady are the priciest option on the list, but we feel they're worth every penny. However, beginners may not be able to extract all the additional value they bring to the table, and so should start off with one of the more moderately-priced options ranked above the Tour Edges before graduating to the deluxe clubs once their game is worthy of them.
Choosing A Women's Golf Club Set
Paying extra attention to these two clubs is an essential part of making your overall decision about a set.
While this won't come as breaking news to experienced golfers, a set of great golf clubs costs a lot of money. In fact, for a top-of-the-line full set of women's golf clubs, you can spend just about as much as you want. What might come as a bit more of a surprise is that you can get a perfectly decent set of clubs without spending a fortune. Many fine women's golf club sets are reasonably priced, even including a bag with ample storage for clubs, balls, tees, gloves, and other accessories.
Any set of women's golf clubs must include at least six or seven clubs to be considered complete. Look for a set with a good driver and a good putter, as these are arguably the most important clubs in the entire game. Paying extra attention to these two clubs is an essential part of making your overall decision about a set. (You are, of course, always welcome to augment your set if you already have a putter you love, but when bought separately, putters cost quite a bit of cash.)
Beyond the putter and driver, consider the woods and irons that come included in a set. Knowing which combination of these fairway clubs will work best for you means knowing about your personal golf game. If you like to use power shots to send your ball all the way to the green in one fairway drive, then you'll need a good 3-wood in your set. These clubs are generally used by women looking to hit a golf ball as far as 180 yards. If you prefer to use a couple of shorter, well-aimed hits to ensure your ball ends up near the hole and minimize the risk of sending it too far, then an 8-iron or 9-iron, or a good pitching wedge, will be of greater importance than that wood.
Beyond the actual selection of clubs included in a given women's golf club set, also consider the other features, such as whether or not the included bag has a rain cover, whether or not the clubs come with their own protective covers, and so forth. The more accessories that come included with the set, the less you will have to buy later to complete your kit.
The Basics Of A Golf Stance
Mastering the fundamentals of a proper golf swing is imperative to playing golf well. Before you can improve your accuracy and distance and lower your score, you have to learn how to stand and how to hold the club properly. Note that a proper golf stance is nearly identical for men and women, though women sometimes assume a relatively wider stance than men due to hip shape. The balance and motion involved in the swing are the same, though.
Mastering the fundamentals of a proper golf swing is imperative to playing golf well.
Start by focusing on stance. When ready to tee off, feet should be just outside shoulder width, hips should be pushed slightly back, the torso should be leaned slightly forward, and knees should be slightly bent. One way to practice a good swing position is to hold a five or six pound weight in both hands slightly above and in front of your navel; your body's natural compensation will approximate the hip and torso placement of a good golf stance.
Next focus on club grip. First place your dominant hand on the club, gently grasping the shaft near the bottom of club's grip. The club should lay between the first and second knuckles of your hand. Then put your other hand higher up on the grip, placing the club across the pads of the upper palm before curling your fingers around it. Your grip on a golf club should be secure but never overly tight.
As for a great swing, that can only be achieved with diligent practice.
Female Golfers In The Game
For far too long, professional golf was considered primarily a man's sport. But outside of the limelight, golf has in fact always been an activity enjoyed equally by both sexes. Going all the way back to the early years of the game, with historical figures including the tragic Mary, Queen of Scots enjoying the game in the middle of the 16th century.
And while for many years American female golfers dominated the scene, today women's golf is an increasingly international sport.
Unlike with contact sports, size matters little in the game of golf. Success is based more on finesse and skill than physical strength, thus many female golfers can achieve statistics that rival their male counterparts. Lydia Ko, for example, stands just 5'5", yet she is currently the top ranked female golfer on the LPGA circuit, and earned millions in just three years of professional playing.
While golfers such as Tiger Woods and the late, great Arnold Palmer are still the best known golfers out there, many women such as Ko are rising to match their stature. And while for many years American female golfers dominated the scene, today women's golf is an increasingly international sport. The current top ten players hail from seven different countries, including the United States, but with a New Zealander at the top of the list and with a Thai and Canadian rounding out the top three spots.
Currently, Annika Sorenstam is considered the all-time best female golfer. She won ten major championships and was given eight Player of the Year awards during her sixteen year professional career. Sorenstam won a total of 72 LPGA events, a record beaten by few players. While two other women won more events than she, including the superlative Kathy Whitworth, who holds the LPGA win record at 88 victories, Sorenstam was a powerhouse player on the largest international tours and at the biggest events in the game.