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 our golf club size chart, which helps any golfer, from beginner to advanced, find the perfect clubs for them.
How can you pick an appropriate golf club that can maximize your performance? Manufacturers create such tables to help everyone from beginner golfers to pro golfers choose the right club size for their play.
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
The length of golf clubs 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, we 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.
Golfer’s Measurements
There are two measurements that you need to take before shopping for a 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 on the market for men are for those that are around 5’ 6” to 6’ 0”. However, manufacturers usually make clubs to account for golfers anywhere between 4’ 8” to 6’ 7” inches tall. These will just need to be ordered custom.
To get your wrist to floor-length, you will need to 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 they’re the most basic or the most 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 the height references. You may also notice some of the boxes are labeled ‘Std’ (sometimes ‘S’) instead of numbers standing for standard size.
These standard golf clubs are used as a reference. The adjustments on a size chart are made with reference to the standard clubs. Therefore, according to your measurements, the plus and minus values show how much shorter or longer your golf club should be compared to the standard, which could very well fall under ‘Std.’
Standard Golf Club Sizes For Each Club
If you get your measurements from our 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
For the most accurate assessment, you should use the standard golf sizes chart above. If you don’t feel like measuring the distance from wrist to floor, here is a guideline of 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″
Golf Club Size Guide: Putter
Like the driver, the standard putter length that you use isn’t all that important. It is most important that you have a consistent pendulum swing with your putter than can hit the ball consistently.
As well, golfers can 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 will.
Custom Fit Golf Clubs
At a golf club fitting, a professional will help you pick the right golf clubs. This can be done using a static fitting or a dynamic fitting.
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 a number of 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. By having the right size of golf clubs, you will be able to get the optimum amount of torque in your swing.
Less Prone to Injuries
tall golfers especially can have issues with back and hip muscles if the golf clubs they use 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 will be able to shave some strokes off of your game and lower your handicap.
How Does Grip Size Affect Standard Golf Club Size?
The angle and the grip size of the club are as important as the height and wrist-to-floor measurements. However, this means more to serious professional golfers than to someone just starting out.
Why is it important?
The grip affects how the club feels in your hands. This affects your ability to control the swing, which means that it determines your swing speed, accuracy, and even the power of your shot.
There are a few basic grip sizes for men, women, and kids. Like all other size-determining factors, those standard values are higher or lower to accommodate different golfer sizes.
However, sometimes these can vary from one manufacturer to another, which is why you can’t always base a purchase on a generic grip size chart.
How to Determine Your Golf Grip Size
In order to determine your grip size, there are two measurements that you have to take.
The first one is the distance between the tip of your middle finger and the main crease in your wrist. The second measurement is the length of your middle finger from the tip to its base.
When you have these two measurements, you can then find the appropriate grip size on a manufacturer’s size chart.
Note that we only use the middle finger as an example as it applies to most people. However, the measurement should really be that of your longest finger, which may be your index finger or another finger, so keep this in mind.
For the measurements, you don’t need any special tools. A simple straight ruler will do just fine, just as long as you remember that you shouldn’t put much thought into generic size charts when it comes to grip sizing.
On another note, there are a few more things that could affect the actual size and feel of the grip. Everything from the material and the texturing to the outside weather conditions may require you to get a different grip size than the one indicated by the charts.
However, these factors are not quantifiable so you won’t find them on any charts. Also, different manufacturers take different approaches to fixing certain issues, so even if you were to use two different golf clubs of the same grip size, the feel could be very different.
Finding a golf club seller with a good return policy is important in these cases.
Loft/Lie Adjustments In Golf Clubs
When you adjust the length of a golf club, you can also expect that the lie of the club is going to need to change. Typically speaking, shorter golfers are going to need a flatter lie angle on their clubs. The taller golfers need an adjustment to make the club more upright.
To determine the lie or loft adjustment that your golf clubs are going to need, you will need to hit some shots off of a lie board. In addition, you can use a launch monitor to help you see what length and lie combo gives you the best possible results.
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 length of the golf club shaft. 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 to be standard height and have standard arm length, chances are you will have no trouble finding the right golf club set for you. However, anyone that 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 that you need for each of your golf clubs. Knowing the proper golf club sizes will ensure that you can get the clubface to match up to the ball each and every time you swing. The more accurate your club sizes are, the better the chance you have of scoring and performing. Even though custom golf fittings can be expensive, most golfers find them to be very well worth the pricing.
Can I adjust my own golf club sizes?
If you find that 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, there are typically local golf club repair shops that 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.
