As a male or female golfer, you may wonder if you can pick up a club from the opposite gender and save some more or improve your game. There are a few things to consider when looking at the similarities and differences between male and female clubs.
What’s the difference between men’s vs women’s golf clubs? Women’s clubs are typically 1 inch shorter and lighter than men’s and have a softer flex shaft. Women’s grips are also typically smaller and thinner than men’s grips. Women with high swing speeds may benefit from using men’s clubs. Or if a man is shorter than 5’7″, he may benefit from using women’s clubs.
You won’t want to waste money on buying the wrong clubs though, so read through the whole article to see if you can improve your clubs. In this guide, I will explain the difference between men’s and women’s golf clubs and give examples to help you choose the best clubs.
Men’s vs Women’s Golf Clubs: What You Need To Know
Length: Women’s Clubs Are 1″ Shorter
A standard men’s club is made for a man that is 5’9″ tall. A standard women’s club is designed for a woman that is 5’7″ tall. Since there is a height difference, women’s clubs are generally about ¾ to one inch shorter than men’s.
If you are shorter than 5’7,” a standard women’s length club will work just fine. Should you be shorter than 5’3″ or so, then you may look into a petite option that will be even shorter than women’s standard. (Usually about one inch)
Plenty of taller women (5’9″ and above) can play with men’s standard-length golf clubs and have no issues. Lower handicap women almost always play with standard men’s length drivers to get a little extra distance with a longer club. It’s harder to do the same thing with a set of irons and keep accuracy.
Read more: These are the best women’s golf clubs on the market.
Shaft: Women’s Clubs Have Lighter Shafts
Women’s shafts are generally always graphite, whereas men can choose graphite and steel. The reason behind the graphite-only option for women is to help lower the overall weight of the golf club.
The lower overall weight of the club will help a woman to increase swing speed and, therefore, distance. There is a yardage gap between the ranges men and women can hit, and it all comes down to swing speed and strength.
For a woman with faster swing speed, custom steel men’s options can be put into a women’s length iron. Choosing lightweight steel with a lower launch in the men’s clubs will be necessary to not hurt your game.
You can compare the best driver shafts to see the differences.
Grips: Women’s Clubs Have Thinner Grips
Women’s hands are generally not as large as men’s, so a woman’s golf grip is made accordingly. Most men are playing with a standard to midsize grip on their clubs. The correct grip size allows the hands to be in the correct position and for the right amount of grip pressure through impact.
Women’s golf grips are considerably thinner. For a woman with small hands, playing with a men’s golf grip can cause issues in your game. It can make it harder to maintain consistent grip pressure and also harder to release the club at impact.
If you find yourself somewhere in the middle of Women’s and Men’s grips, add a few wraps of tape underneath the women’s golf grip. The tape will build the grip up just slightly without taking it entirely up to a men’s standard grip.
Read more: What Size Golf Clubs Do You Need?
Lofts: Men’s Clubs Have Less Loft
The loft on the club is used to help launch the ball in the air. Men’s clubs are built with significantly less loft than a woman’s club.
Take, for instance, a standard driver. The best men’s drivers (although mostly now adjustable) come standard from 9-10.5 degrees. For the best woman’s drivers, you would be hard-pressed to find a stock option below twelve degrees.
For a men’s set of game improvement irons, the seven iron has a loft of 28.5. The women’s collection has a seven iron with a loft of 32.5.
Why is this the case? Since women have lower clubhead speed, they struggle with having enough power to launch the ball properly. The extra loft helps get the ball higher in the air and let it fly a bit further. For women with lots of clubhead speed, it’s best to look at putting a light shaft in a men’s clubhead.
Flexibility: Men’s Clubs Have Stiffer Shafts
Regarding shaft flexibility choices, the standard options are Men’s Stiff, Men’s Regular, Men’s Senior, and Ladies.
In some shaft brands, the Men’s Senior shaft and the Ladies’ shafts are very similar, if not the same. The flexibility you need will be directly related to your swing speed and strength. I think that in years to come. You will see several shaft flexibilities between ladies’ shafts. For instance, a Ladies’ Stiff, Regular, and Senior shaft as opposed to just a universal shaft that is supposed to fit all women.
If you are a taller woman who needs a club longer than a women’s standard length, take a look at men’s senior clubs. The length will be perfect for you, and the shaft is almost the same as the women’s graphite shaft.
Weight: Women’s Clubs Are Lighter
The overall weight of women’s clubs is less than those of men’s clubs. There are a few reasons for this that I have already covered.
The shaft is lighter, the grip is lighter, and often the clubhead is lighter. As these add up, the overall weight is considerably less.
Final Thoughts
The differences between men’s and women’s golf clubs are quite significant. The reason behind these differences boil down to strength and size. Typically speaking, men are stronger and larger than women.
If you are a woman who is quite strong, don’t be afraid to look outside the box and think about Men’s clubs as an option. Just because they are called men’s clubs, it does not mean that they can’t work for certain levels of female golfers.
- Where to Buy Used Ladies’ Golf Clubs
- The Best Golf Clubs For Senior Ladies
- The Best Golf Clubs For Taller Players
- The Best Long Drive Drivers
Nick is the founder of GolfSpan and an avid golfer. He's not quite a pro but has over 15 years of experience playing and coaching golfers worldwide. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience when it comes to choosing the right golf gear and finding the right setup for your game.
