Choosing the right size of golf clubs for your height and playing style essential if you want to have a solid posture and a correct swing. In this detailed guide, I’ll show you how to read and understand my golf club size chart, which helps any golfer, from beginner to advanced, find the perfect clubs for them.
Below, we’ll go over:
- The basic sizes of all golf clubs
- How to determine what golf club size you need based on your measurements
- Standard golf clubs sizes for each club
- How grip size can impact your swing
Key Takeaway
The golf club length you need depends on how tall you are and how far away from the floor your wrists are when they sit at your side. For most people, standard golf clubs will work great, but the answer is not always straight forward.
Below, I go into more detail!
Basic Golf Club Sizes
The first thing you need to know is that there are a few basic standard golf club sizes for women, men, and kids. There are also some extra-tall and extra-short models that cater to both ends of the spectrum.
Golf clubs will mostly come in a standard length, but there are women’s clubs and then tall-length golf clubs that will differ. Women’s clubs tend to be about one inch shorter than men, and tall clubs tend to be about one inch longer than men.
Kids’ clubs are even smaller than women’s for the most part. Junior golf clubs are going to come in various sizes based on the height of the young golfer. Knowing what type of golf club you need is the first step in determining the appropriate size.
For the most part, custom golf clubs sizes are starting to become normal to buy at almost all times. This is leading to “Basic sized” golf clubs starting to disappear.
How to Determine What Size of Golf Clubs You Need
You need to take two measurements before shopping for a new golf club.
The first one is your height.
The second measurement is the wrist-to-floor length.
As you can imagine, the distance you are from the ground and the length of your arms will impact the overall size of the golf club that you use.
The standard golf clubs for men are for those around 5’ 6” to 6’ 0”. However, manufacturers usually make clubs for golfers between 4’ 8” to 6’ 7” inches tall. These will need to be ordered custom.
To get your wrist to floor length, you must stand on a flat surface with your arms relaxed and pointing down. You then measure the distance between the ground and the line where your wrist meets your hand.
These two results are often at the core of any golf club size chart, whether the most basic or complex. Here is an example of a simple chart.
You will notice that the left column lists common wrist-to-floor measurements while the top row has height references. You may also notice that some boxes are labeled ‘Std’ (sometimes ‘S’) instead of numbers standing for standard size.
These standard golf clubs are used as a reference. You’ll notice that Callaway has published a very similar chart to this one.
The plus and minus values show how much shorter or longer your golf club should be compared to the standard.
Standard Golf Club Length Chart For Each Club
If you get your measurements from my golf club sizes chart and the measurements recommend that you take ½ inch off your golf clubs, you need to consider taking this length off all of your clubs. As you can see, each golf club in the bag has a different overall length. Here are the lengths of a standard mens’ golf club set.
| Length of Standard Men's Golf Club Set | |
|---|---|
| Driver | 45in |
| 3 Wood | 43in |
| 5 Wood | 42in |
| 7 Wood | 40in |
| 3 Iron | 39.5in |
| 4 Iron | 39in |
| 5 Iron | 38.5in |
| 6 Iron | 38in |
| 7 Iron | 37.5in |
| 8 Iron | 37in |
| 9 Iron | 36.5in |
| PW | 36in |
| Sand Wedge | 36in |
| Lob Wedge | 36in |
| Putter | 34in |
Golf Club Size Guide: Driver
The mechanics of hitting a driver are different than hitting other clubs in your bag. Even tall or short golfers can use the standard size of 45″ driver in most cases. If you want to tinker with your swing for the optimal setup, head into your local golf store and practice hitting different sizes of drivers into the golf simulator screen.
The official PGA Rules of Golf allow for a driver length of us to 48 inches longer. However, the average driver length amongst all players on the tour still sits around the standard 45″.
Golf Club Size Guide: Irons
You should use the standard golf sizes chart above for the most accurate assessment. If you don’t feel like measuring the distance from wrist to floor, here is a guideline on how to adjust your irons size based on your height:
- 6ft 9″ – 7ft 0″: Add 2″
- 6ft 6″ – 6ft 9″: Add 1 1/2″
- 6ft 3″ – 6ft 6″: Add 1″
- 6ft 0″ – 6ft 3″: Add 1/2″
- 5ft 9″ – 6ft 0″: Standard Length
- 5ft 6″ – 5ft 9″: Subtract 1/2″
- 5ft 3″ – 5ft 6″: Subtract 1″
- 5ft 0″ – 5ft 3″: Subtract 1 1/2″
- 4ft 9″ – 5ft 0″: Subtract 2″
Some manufacturers, like Taylormade, offer slight differences in their iron lengths. Newer “progressive” irons offer an extra inch on most irons and extra gap spacing across the lineup.
Golf Club Size Guide: Putter
Like the driver, your standard putter length isn’t all that important. You must have a consistent pendulum swing with your putter that can hit the ball consistently.
Golfers can also adjust their putter stance to stand more or less over the pull. This angle change will affect your swing more than a non-standard length of putter. I think it is hard to adjust your putting stroke mid-round, so take some practice time to get this right.
Golf Club Size Calculator
To help you make the right choice, here is a calculator you can use to determine the right size of golf clubs you need.
Recommended Club Size:
How to Take Wrist-to-Floor Measurements
To calculate your wrist-to-floor measurements, follow these simple steps:
- Stand Straight: Stand on a flat surface with your feet shoulder-width apart. Ensure you wear regular shoes (not golf shoes) and stand naturally without slouching.
- Relax Your Arms: Let your arms hang relaxed at your sides. Ensure they are not stretched out or held too close to your body.
- Find the Wrist Bone: Locate the prominent bone on the top side of your wrist. This is usually where a wristwatch would sit.
- Use a Measuring Tape: With a friend's help or a wall as a guide, measure the distance from the top of the wrist bone (located in the previous step) straight down to the floor. Make sure the measuring tape is held vertically and is straight.
- Record the Measurement: Once you've taken the measurement, record the distance in inches or centimeters, depending on your preference.
- Repeat for Accuracy: Measuring a couple of times is a good idea to ensure accuracy. If you get different measurements, use the average of the two.
After you have your wrist-to-floor measurement, use the calculator above to calculate your standard golf club size.
Custom Fit Golf Clubs
A professional will help you pick the right golf clubs at a golf club fitting. This can be done using a static fitting or a dynamic fitting.
While a static fitting is easier, a dynamic fitting is more accurate in my experience.
Static Fit
In a static fit, a static measurement is taken from your wrist down to the floor, called your wrist-to-floor measurement. This number (usually between 34 and 36-inches) is paired with your overall height to determine whether any club adjustment is needed.
Using the chart below, you can perform a static fit yourself. Match up your wrist-to-floor measurement in the rows with your height in the columns.
| 4'9" - 5'0" | 5'0" - 5'2" | 5'2" - 5'4" | 5'4" - 5'7" | 5'7" - 6'0" | 6'0" - 6'2" | 6'2" - 6'4" | 6'4" - 6'7" | 6'7" - 6'9" | |
| 40" | +2.25" | +2.25" | +2.25" | +2" | +2" | +2" | +1.75" | +1.75" | +1.5" |
| 39.5" | +2" | +2" | +2" | +1.75" | +1.75" | +1.75" | +1.5" | +1.5" | +1.5" |
| 39" | +2" | +2" | +2" | +1.75" | +1.75" | +1.75" | +1.5" | +1.5" | +1.5" |
| 38.5" | +1.5" | +1.5" | +1.5" | +1.5" | +1.5" | +1.5" | +1" | +1" | +1" |
| 38" | +1.5" | +1.5" | +1.5" | +1" | +1" | +1" | +1" | +1" | +1" |
| 37.5" | +1" | +1" | +1" | +1" | +1" | +1" | +0.5" | +0.5" | +0.5" |
| 37" | +1" | +1" | +1" | +0.5" | +0.5" | +0.5" | +0.5" | +0.5" | +0.5" |
| 36.5" | +0.5" | +0.5" | +0.5" | +0.5" | +0.5" | +0.5" | +0.25" | +0.25" | +0.25" |
| 36" | +0.5" | +0.5" | +0.5" | +0.25" | +0.25" | +0.25" | +0.25" | +0.25" | +0.25" |
| 35.5" | +0.25" | +0.25" | +0.25" | +0.25" | +0.25" | +0.25" | Std. | Std. | Std. |
| 35" | +0.25" | +0.25" | +0.25" | Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. |
| 34.5" | Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. | Std. | -0.25" | -0.25" | -0.25" |
| 34" | Std. | Std. | Std. | -0.25" | -0.25" | -0.25" | -0.25" | -0.25" | -0.25" |
| 33.5" | -0.25" | -0.25" | -0.25" | -0.25" | -0.25" | -0.25" | -0.5" | -0.5" | -0.5" |
| 33" | -0.25" | -0.25" | -0.25" | -0.5" | -0.5" | -0.5" | -0.5" | -0.5" | -0.5" |
| 32.5" | -0.5" | -0.5" | -0.5" | -0.5" | -0.5" | -0.5" | -0.75" | -0.75" | -0.75" |
| 32" | -0.5" | -0.5" | -0.5" | -0.75" | -0.75" | -0.75" | -0.75" | -0.75" | -0.75" |
| 31.5" | -0.75" | -0.75" | -0.75" | -0.75" | -0.75" | -0.75" | -1" | -1" | -1" |
| 31" | -0.75" | -0.75" | -0.75" | -1" | -1" | -1" | -1" | -1" | -1" |
| 30.5" | -1" | -1" | -1" | -1" | -1" | -1" | -1.25" | -1.25" | -1.25" |
| 30" | -1" | -1" | -1" | -1.25" | -1.25" | -1.25" | -1.25" | -1.25" | -1.25" |
| 29.5" | -1.25" | -1.25" | -1.25" | -1.25" | -1.25" | -1.25" | -1.5" | -1.5" | -1.5" |
| 29" | -1.25" | -1.25" | -1.25" | -1.5" | -1.5" | -1.5" | -1.5" | -1.5" | -1.5" |
Dynamic Fitting
During a dynamic fitting, a professional will take your measurements and then look at your statistics with the help of a launch monitor. The monitor will calculate and track your club data, ball data, and swing metrics to help you optimize your clubs.
For more information on how a golf club fitting works, check out the video below.
What are the Benefits of Correct Golf Club Sizes?
So why is picking the right size of club even important? There are many factors to consider.
Better Contact
Using the proper size of golf clubs allows you to make better contact with the ball. As well, a natural club fit will allow you to swing the same way every time and minimize variance in your swing.
Natural Hip Rotation
The amount of power in your golf swing depends on the natural rotation of your hips throughout the movement of your shot. With the right size of golf clubs, you will get the optimum amount of torque in your swing.
Less Prone to Injuries
Tall golfers especially can have back and hip muscles issues if the golf clubs are too short. A proper size of clubs can prevent injuries and make your swing more natural and less forced.
Lower Golf Handicap
By putting all of these pieces together, you can shave some strokes off of your game and lower your handicap.
Check out my guide on how to golf, which has a bunch of other tips and tricks that I've used to lower strokes in my game.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Are all golf clubs the same size?
Not all golf clubs are the same size. Part of what helps golfers get distance is by varying the golf club shaft length. The longer the shaft, the further the club can go. In addition, it is important to remember that some golf manufacturers make clubs of different lengths.
Getting the proper golf club sizes is a bit tricky for some people. If you are considered standard height and have standard arm length, chances are you will have no trouble finding the right golf club set for you. However, anyone who falls outside this range needs to be aware of the ability to change the length of the club and get something custom-fitted to your needs.
Why do golf club sizes matter?
Golf club sizes can make all the difference in your ability to perform on the golf course. If a golf club is too long or too short for you, then the performance will be significantly impacted. Finding the perfect length golf club for your need can sometimes take a custom fitting; however, to end up with the proper equipment, the custom fitting is worth it.
Are custom golf fittings worth it?
Custom golf fittings will tell you the exact sizes you need for each golf club. Knowing the proper golf club sizes will ensure you can get the clubface to match up to the ball every time you swing. The more accurate your club sizes are, the better your chance of scoring and performing. Even though custom golf fittings can be expensive, most golfers find them very well worth the pricing.
Can I adjust my own golf club sizes?
If your golf clubs are not the exact length you need, you can adjust them by cutting or extending the clubs and then regripping them. If you don’t have the tools to do this yourself, local golf club repair shops typically offer these services.
What length golf clubs should you purchase?
For most people, the standard size of clubs will work great. To confirm, measure the distance from your wrists down to the floor and use the chart in this article to match up to your proper golf club size.
Conclusion
A proper golf club size is something that depends on the size of the golfer. Because there are plenty of variations, it’s unsurprising that a lot of people sometimes play with off-size clubs. Most pros recommend that even beginners should opt for a perfectly sized golf club in order to have the best learning experience.
The correct golf club size starts with the golfer’s height and wrist-to-floor measurement. After that, depending on the type of club – wood, iron, or putter – a size can be determined according to the manufacturer’s golf club sizes charts.
