Almost everyone remembers their first set of clubs, be that a plastic set to hit around your garden, a half set of kids-specific clubs or even hand-me-down clubs from a parent or grandparent. Certainly since I began playing as a youngster, the quality of kids golf clubs has improved greatly. So much so that some of the best golf club sets are designed specifically for kids.
Kids clubs are catered to their growth within the game and in their physicality - they're lighter than adult clubs and thus easier to hit, focusing more on forgiveness than distance or workability.
WATCH: Skip to 10.06 where Joe and Joel talk through the best golf club sets for kids
We've tried out a range of different kids sets across different sizes, with manufacturers aware that children will continue to grow and thus need longer clubs if they want to learn to strike the ball properly. What differs from brand-to-brand and set-to-set is the number of clubs. My first set only had five clubs for example and as I grew, I slowly filled in the gaps. This number of clubs is all that is needed, especially for very young players. The reward for sticking at the game and (hopefully) your youngster buying into and enjoying the game of golf can be extra weapons in his or her arsenal as they continue to develop.
So, if you're in the market for junior golf clubs, here are some of the best golf club sets for kids. Additionally also take a look at our guide on the best women's golf sets and the best golf club sets for beginners.
The Quick List
Not only does this set from Cleveland look great, their very user-friendly and provide a great platform for you son or daughter to gradually improve their ballstriking. They are our top pick thanks to the quality of the looks, forgiveness, weight and adaptability on offer.
The XJ series from Callaway is one of the most technologically advanced sets of kids clubs every produced, helping juniors have fun and hit some great shots thanks to excellent forgiveness and performance levels.
The Ping Prodi G set looks like a shrunk down set of adult clubs which is probably the best compliment we could give. Distance and forgiveness levels set this set apart from a lot of competitors.
Ram are less known for their adult offering, but they really specialize with kids clubs. The Junior G-Force set is a an great place for any kid to start when getting into the sport.
If you think 'my kid is too young to start golf', I'm sorry to say... but you're wrong. The Inesis Kids Golf Kit is specifically designed for toddlers to begin their love affair with the game, providing just two clubs to smash a ball around with and begin their soon-to-be glittering career.
The TaylorMade Junior set provides really good value for those who want a well trusted brand in the hands of their youngster. It also comes with an eye-catching, high quality golf bag.
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The DCT junior sets have been designed to suit different age groups and ensure the clubs fit both the size and strength of the child. The junior sets start from 3-5 years and go up to 12-14 years, making this set the best for all ages with the amount of options you have to choose from.
This is a well thought out and well-constructed junior package set. The lofts, shaft flexes, and weights are all considered and appropriate, whilst the color options will be very appealing to the young audience.
Best Golf Club Sets For Kids - Best Golf Club Sets For Juniors
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Best overall
Even when it comes to adult clubs, we'd argue Cleveland are very underrated when comapred to other brand. In particular, they produce some of the best wedges on the market. Their offerings for younger players are market-leading too.
Depending on your needs, the Cleveland Golf Junior set comes in three different packages sizes - small, which comes with three clubs (hybrid, 7-iron and putter), medium, with six clubs (driver, hybrid, 7 & 9-irons, wedge and putter) and a large size with seven clubs (driver, hybrid, 7 to 9-iron, wedge and putter).
This set passes the all important 'eye test' the moment you see it and, in my opinion, doesn't look out of place compared to some of the best golf bags on the market. The clubs themselves offer plenty of loft and forgiveness that help kids get the ball flying into the air and remaining straighter while doing so. Our testing experts (in this case, the kids) enjoyed how light the shafts were which allowed them to swing faster at the ball, meaning more distance.
Cleveland have cleverly engraved their logo onto the face of each club, which will help your child know where to aim for on the club face. And as with the best Cleveland wedges, these clubs boast a stunning level of quality that'll help your kids develop their golfing skills.
- Read our full Cleveland Golf Junior Set Review
Best set configuration
Callaway's Junior XJ package sets feature many of the same technologies that we see in some of the best Callaway drivers and irons on the market, which is part of the reason why the XJ series is one of the best for younger golfers.
These clubs are specifically designed for junior players with the premium set coming with a comprehensive specification that includes a driver, fairway wood, hybrid, 7-iron, 8-iron, sand wedge and putter.
The driver helps deliver optimum ballspeed across the face, stabilizing shots that are hit away from its center. Added loft to the driver also helps significantly with both launch and carry distance. The oversized, undercut cavity on the irons comes with extreme perimeter weighting allowing for ample forgiveness. The graphite shafts are light too, meaning there's no question that Callaway's Junior XJ package sets are some of the best options available for kids.
Best premium performance
Ping are known for producing some of the most forgiving golf clubs for men, women and junior players, thus making their offering in the kids sets market an attractive one.
Available in a five club, and seven club set configuration, both coming with a bag, you can even go further by getting custom sets made, with specific wedges ranging from 40-62 degrees.
The first thing we noticed in testing was the premium aesthetic. The clubs really look good, well-balanced between looking sleek but giving confidence too. We found the clubs to be lightweight, easy to hit and they delivered high flights too which is ideal for junior golfers. We also really liked the improvements done to the putter, especially the mallet design which gave good alignment and stability.
We'd recommend getting this set for a junior who has a little experience playing the game rather than someone beginning the sport for the first time - they might not get as much performance out of the set as they should given the inexperience.
- Read our full PING Prodi G 2024 Junior Set Review
Best forgiveness
When it comes to value for money, it's hard to beat Ram golf clubs - especially when it comes to junior clubs. The quality remains high despite the lower price tag, with Ram sweeping away the competition in terms of performance when compared to similarly-priced clubs you can find in a high street store.
The graphite shafts and tacky wrap-style grips add to the lightweight feel of the clubs, while the driver performs well with the 14 degrees of loft. The acoustics may not be as nice as the Cleveland set, but there's a good amount of pop off the face when the ball is struck out of the middle which is the exact feedback you want as a young player. This feedback will inspire confidence, while off center strikes remain pretty forgiving.
The large cavity back on the irons with oversized heads, wide soles and plenty of offset offer help with launch and turf interaction. The shape of the putter helps with alignment and the weight feels wonderful, meaning it'll guide your youngster through his or her putting stroke. The Ram Junior G-Force Golf Club set features a bag, driver, 7-iron, 9-iron and putter in the 4-6 year old set, there are six clubs available in the 7-9 and 10-12 age ranges.
- Read our full Ram Junior G-Force Golf Club Set Review
Best for very young
One of the most unique golf products produced in recent years, we absolutely love the Inesis Kid's Golf Set because it proves there is no such thing as 'too young' to play the game we love. If you're looking to get you child into the game from day one, this could be the perfect golf set for you.
The set comes with just a 9-iron and putter, which is all your toddler needs at that age, as well as an eye-catching yellow and black golf bag with a lovable cartoon bee on the side. The clubs are on the long side of things, which is worth noting. The putter also comes in a pleasing Anser-style shape and has two sight-lines on its back, which should subconsciously assist with helping your child see where the putter is aiming. Considering the bag is small, it comes with plenty of storage for golf balls, tees and more.
- Read our full Inesis Kid's Golf Kit 2-4 Years Review
Best for Rory fans
TaylorMade are one of the best in business, which means their decision to increase their junior package set offering with the Team TaylorMade Junior Set featuring in three age options (4-6 years, 7-9 and 10-12) is great news for young golfers. Each set is custom-built to suit the typical size of a kid in these age ranges, with the number of clubs offered reflecting increasing strength levels and ball-striking ability as the years roll on.
I'd argue this set comes with the best golf bag out of all the junior sets. It looks great quality and comes in an eye-catching, slick blue colorway that will appeal to many juniors. It's also waterproof and comes with plenty of storage space thanks to the four separate pockets.
We found the clubs to be beautifully balanced and lightweight in testing, with the oversized nature of the clubheads breeding confidence through a springy face that the ball jumped off when good contact was made, providing impressive length.
The putter may have been the standout club, with the wide and flat section along the front edge encouraging a smoother putting stroke.
- Read our full Team TaylorMade Junior Set Review
Best for different ages
MacGregor sets vary depending on age, with more clubs available for the older junior players. It's an excellent, budget friendly way to get your youngster hooked on the game thanks to the excellent forgiveness levels thanks to the junior flex shafts. They might not have the same technology as the Taylormade or Ping sets, but chances are your junior wont need said technology just yet.
The first set (3-5), comes with a stand bag, oversized driver, 7-iron and putter. In the next age bracket (6-8), a 9-iron is added to the set, and then a hybrid and sand wedge (9-12). Finally, there's a package set for those aged 12-14, which also includes a 5-iron. Each set comes with a mallet putter which is wonderfully balanced and easy to line up with the alignment aid for easy targeting.
Best color scheme
Kids like bright colorful things – like the golf bags provided as part of the Shorties Golf Junior Package Set! Available in four sizes - tiny, tot, mini and junior, the set caters for kids from 34 inches in height all the way to 51 inches. The quality of both the clubs and bag feels great and sustainable, although it is a little frustrating that only the driver comes with a headcover. The bag has plenty of room for storage of golf balls, tees, drinks and more.
The noise off the woods is wonderful, while the generous lofts help with launch and ball flight, a crucial factor for young golfers starting to play the game. The irons and wedges inspire confident through their oversized heads, while the aesthetics will only appeal to the younger generations.
- Read our full Shorties Golf Junior Package Set Review
How we test
When we test Golf club sets, we stick with our tried and testing tetsing formula which we have tweaked and fine tuned for well over a decade of club reviewing. When reviewing almost any item of golf equipment, we put it through its paces by testing out on the course and over multiple rounds of golf to ensure the test itself is as fair as possible. We also aim to test in both different types of styles of course as well as different conditions to see how it fares. We believe this is the only way to fully understand the quality of a piece of golf equipment. When it comes to kids clubs, we're lucky that most of our review team have golf-mad kids at home who are more than happy to try out each individual set. Each set is used both in our hands and childrens hands so we can gauge things like looks, feel, feedback, forgiveness and more.
Our ethos at Golf Monthly is simple - we want to give our loyal readership the best informed advice about golf buying decisions as possible. The game isn't cheap and won't be getting cheaper any time soon, we feel our position to give such advice is only becoming more important. Thus, we put as much time and effort into our reviews as we can to continue building the trust with our readership that we have developed for over a decade.
Our tests and reviews are conducted by avid golfers, determined to help other like-minded golfers make the best decisions to suit their games. We call it how we see based off our extensive knowledge for the game and equipment - no brand gets preferential treatment over another, nor can a manufacturer 'buy' a good review. If a product is good, we make it clear as to why that is!
What to consider when buying junior golf sets
There's plenty of choice on the market when it comes to buying a set of golf clubs for children, meaning it can become a little overwhelming when trying to make a decision. Here are a few pointers to think about to help you make the right choice.
1. What comes in the set
The great thing about golf is if you want to buy single golf clubs for your bag you can, but you can also get entire sets in one purchase too. As I mentioned above, when I began playing around the age of 7/8, I only had around half a dozen clubs in my bag. As my golf game developed and I started maturing physically, I slowly started filling in the gaps in my bag. There isn't much point buying a 14-club set for your six year old only for them to grow out of it in a couple of years. It's worth noting that the bigger the set, the heavier the golf bag, meaning your child will either be slugging around a bag too big for them or you'll have to invest in a golf trolley. This in itself may require an investment into one of the best golf trolley bags.
If you're buying for an older child, say in his or her early teens, then more clubs is the set is a wise idea, but try and find the sweet spot and don't overload them with equipment at such a young age - it's simply not necessary.
2. Quality
If you walked into your high street sports store, they'll likely have some kids clubs that are very poor quality. The price can be attractive, but it's almost certainly not worth it given the lack of durability of these brands. As a result, we'd recommend sticking with the brands we have listed above - they'll ensure a durable set of clubs that won't need replaced after a year of your golf-mad youngster hitting shot after shot. Their quality of golf should also improve more with a better brand, too.
3. Forgiveness
Unless your kid is the second-coming of Tiger Woods, they'll likely not be hitting the centre of the face with every swing. This is where forgiveness can help your youngster, providing them with as much help on the course as possible for those errant shots that miss the sweet spot on the face.
4. Color
Even for adults I'd argue looks are important. If you don't like the look of a club, chances are your relationship with it will struggle as a result. Many kids sets come in eye-popping colors, so try and choose the one your child likes the best - you'd be surprised how much impact it can have on their performance.
5. Price
This one is self explanatory. Price of kids golf clubs range quite a bit, so try and find the sweet spot between value and quality of the set. If your child has never played golf before, choosing the most expensive set can be a little counter productive. If you think your child is a bit of a phenom, investing a little more in their equipment could be a wise move. You'll be thanking yourself after they secure their PGA or LPGA Tour card in 15 years time...
For more advice on buying golf equipment for junior players, why not check out our guides on the best kids golf shoes, best budget golf clubs and our guide to the best kids golf gloves.
FAQs
Should junior golfers use lighter clubs?
Yes, manufacturers tend to generally produce lighter clubs for junior players. They often do that by using graphite shafts, which help juniors add more speed onto the golf ball and driver the ball longer distances. So if you're buying a new set of junior clubs, look out for those that are lightweight!
What clubs should a junior golfer have?
That depends on their aspirations, experience level and how often they play. Most experienced junior golfers between the ages of 10-14 have around 10 clubs in their bag, which includes a driver, fairway wood, hybrid, irons ranging from seven to nine, a pitching wedge, sand wedge and a putter. Younger and less experienced players will tend to use less clubs.
What ages are junior golf sets for?
That depends on the number of clubs, type of clubs and ability level of the player. Junior golf club sets can be for any kind of player from the ages of around three upwards.
For more golf gear buying advice, why not take a look at our guides on the best golf rangefinders, best golf shoes, or best golf travel bags.
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