Golf Club Length Chart: Guide for Beginners

Golf can be an expensive sport to get started on. While more affordable options are available, buying the wrong clubs (because you didn’t refer to the golf club length chart we have here) makes it even more costly. 
Indeed, the size of your golf club isn’t only about shaft length. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the different factors that can impact the size of your golf club and the prescribed size of the different clubs you should have when playing.  

Key Takeaways

• The recommended size of your golf club isn’t only about the length of the shaft. Given that length is essential, grip size is equally important when looking for golf clubs to add to your set. 
• To ensure optimal performance on the golf course, you need to play with properly-sized drivers, irons, and putters. If you find a club that’s neither too long nor short, it’ll negatively affect the lie angle and alter the way your club interacts with the ground upon impact. 
• While the golf club length chart and club sizes aren’t something most amateur players think about, they do make a difference in the long run. For this reason alone, it’s well worth your time and effort to ensure that all of your golf clubs are of the correct size and fit you properly. 

Measuring Golf Club Length

To understand golf club length charts, you must first understand how clubs are measured. Two crucial aspects are involved in determining the suitable golf club length for a golfer. They are: 

Player Height 

Height may be the most significant factor to consider when determining golf club length. Generally, taller players need longer clubs, although there are various situations where the case can differ.

The concept here is that tall players are farther from the ball and the ground. With longer golf clubs, they would be able to reach their golf balls at the same point in the swing as short players who use a standard golf club length.

Therefore, consider the golfer’s height and what suits them best when determining the right length of golf clubs. 

Wrist-to-Floor Distance

The distance between a golfer’s wrist and the ground is another factor that golf experts consider when selecting the appropriate golf club length for different players.

You’d need to stand straight up and allow your arms to hang down freely by their sides to get the wrist-to-floor distance measurement. 

Apart from a few rare instances, the number usually correlates with height. Taller golfers will have their wrists farther from the ground as a result.

These two factors can help a great deal in determining the correct golf club length for you. That being said, consult the chart above to see which golf clubs would best suit your height and swing.

Importance of Getting the Right Length of Golf Clubs

Regardless if you’re a beginner or a seasoned golfer, it is critical to measure golf club length because it impacts how you perform on the golf course. Clubs that are too short or too lengthy will likely disrupt your stance and swing. There’s no way you can afford to compromise that speed-boosting golf swing sequence. After some time, it’ll lead to subconscious swing compensations that result in inconsistent ball striking. 

Clubs that are too long will force you to stand up too straight, whereas playing with those that are too short compel you to hunch over from the waist during address. Since neither adjustment is performed intentionally, they result in a less effective swing motion by default.

But, when you have the correct club length, nothing gets in the way of your ideal stance, and your ball striking is more consistent since you’re doing your swing action correctly.

The following are some of the popular benefits of getting the right golf club length based on the standard golf club length chart: 

Better Lie Angle

For more effective swings, you need to match your golf lie angle with the length of your club based on your position.

With all of them in place, you’ll feel more at ease with your shots and be more consistent with your swings.

As a general rule, tall golfers should choose more upright lie angles, whereas short golfers can do well with flatter lie angles.

Better Contact

Having the right golf club length will help you hit your shots at a much better rate. After all, it enables you to have solid contact with your shots. If you’re struggling to make consistent contact with your ball, you might want to check your golf club length.

Improved Golf Handicap

Finally, choosing the proper club length will help you improve your golf handicap.

Thanks to your wrist-to-floor measurements, your shots will become more consistent. As a result, you have a better chance of lowering your handicap.

Remember that your golf handicap index is calculated by averaging your scores over time. So, better shots would give you a better chance of recording better scores on the course.

Golf Club Size Factors to Consider

Shaft Length

When buying a golf club, shaft length is one of the most crucial factors that you need to consider. You don’t want your club to be too long or too short for you. Otherwise, you’ll be forced to adapt, which can cause issues with your swing due to settling for an incorrectly-sized club.

Currently, the correct shaft length is yet to be determined and discussed within the golfing community. One of the recent developments is the concept of single-length irons, which states that all your irons must be of the same length as your 7-iron. Irons with less loft are traditionally longer, and vice versa as loft increases. 

Apart from shaft length, lie angles are also just as important. For best results on the playing field, you need to optimize the lie angles for your golf swing with respect to the length of your shafts.    

Grip Size

If you’re a beginner, chances are you’ve yet to know that golf grips come in different sizes and shapes. We’re not referring to putter grips but the actual standard grips used on irons and woods. 

These grips come in round or ribbed varieties. The former is entirely round, while ribbed grips feature a narrow rib running from top to bottom. Most golfers that use ribbed grips utilize them as an aid in gripping the club consistently, hence its other name, the “reminder.”

Grips are also available in different sizes. Sizing systems vary, depending on the brand, but mostly these sizes can be categorized into four: 

• Undersize/Junior
• Standard
• Midsize 
• Oversize/Jumbo

To determine which grip size to use when playing, open your hand and extend out your fingers, then measure the distance between the top of your middle finger and the crease at the bottom of your palm on your wrist. Apply that measurement to the table below to get the ideal glove size for you.

Iron Length

There are different ways to determine the right iron length you should use when playing. While height is obviously a key factor, you should also consider your arm length and swing characteristics. 

Firstly, ensure that your irons are of the correct length to have a good address position. Again, make it a point to optimize the lie angle of your club according to its length at address. 

You may refer to this golf club length chart based on your height. 

Apart from height, a club-fitter will also note the distance from the floor to the crease above your wrist. This measurement, which is done while standing and your arms down your sides, ensures that the arms’ length is consistent with your height.  

Driver Length

When it comes to driver length, it’s all about striking the right balance of clubhead speed and control. You’ll be able to swing the club faster with a longer shaft, given the extended arc. The increased clubhead speed and larger arc are fantastic for distance, but it leads to inconsistency in terms of strike and accuracy.

While some professional golfers use a shorter-than-average driver to ensure the highest possible accuracy of the tee, others prefer a longer driver to add more distance. 

Standard driver shafts usually measure 45.5”, but it’s perfectly fine to go for a longer or shorter option. It will depend on which you want to achieve, improved accuracy or distance off the tee.  

Putter Length

At present, there’s no prescribed measurement when it comes to the length of your putter. Although taller players should preferably use a longer putter, it all comes down to how you address the ball while putting and your stroke itself.  

It doesn’t make any difference if a putter is technically too long or too short for you. As long as you keep an eye on the ball at address, then that putter will work. Apart from your eye line, ensure that the putter head is placed squarely on the ground. 

If your toe or heel is off the ground at address due to a putter that is too long or too short, it will directly impact the arc of your putting stroke and how you do your aiming.

What about Custom Fit Golf Clubs?

There are also several ways to custom-fit your golf clubs. 

The first kind of golf club fitting is a static fit, a static measurement taken from your fingertip or wrist to the floor, followed by testing different lie angle heads and then taking a glove measurement to establish the size of grip you require. Static fittings are more suitable for golfers with little or no experience, and though not always reliable, a fitting for length and grip size is preferable to no fitting at all.

The second method is through a dynamic fitting. It’s more reliable than static fitting and involves the use of a launch monitor to aid in figuring out the right head and shaft for you. 

Several factors, including spin rate, dispersion, launch angle, and ball speed, are considered during the fitting. They help ensure that you’ll make a sound investment in equipment that best suits your game. 

Once you finalize the shaft and clubhead, the next step is to evaluate the required lie angle and necessary length. Fitters use a face tape, lie board, and sometimes measuring stick to cross-reference the centeredness of your strike on the clubface using the face tape. 

FAQs

Can I play using a driver that’s too long for me?

You can certainly play using a driver that’s too long for you. However, there are several reasons why you shouldn’t, especially if you’re concerned with your performance. 

A driver that’s too long will require you to adjust your address position. Doing so will likely throw off the entire plane of your swing. Not to mention, longer drivers are generally heavier. The added weight doesn’t bode well for players with a slower swing since they’ll lose valuable clubhead speed when playing with a longer driver.

What’s likely to happen if your putter is too short?

Your personal preference still plays a significant role when it comes to putter length. Some golfers will opt for a short putter, while others prefer longer ones. Ultimately, what matters is how you’re positioned at address with your putter. 

If the putter you’re using is too short, you’ll be forced to add to your hip hinge, which is not advisable since it puts a strain on your back and will alter the positioning of your eye line over the ball during the address. 

Can I change the sizes of used golf clubs?

Yes, the size of any golf club can be changed when issues arise concerning the grip size and the shaft length. Changing the grip size is as easy as changing the grip itself. The only time that this becomes an issue is when you put a junior grip on a shaft with a thick butt end.

You can alter the shaft length by plugging it with another piece of the shaft to extend it and make it longer or cutting off a piece from the butt end to make it shorter. Keep in mind that plugging is only possible for steel shafts and lengthening for shafts made of graphite.

When changing the length of your shaft, notice the weight of the club since it may be required to add lead tape to the clubhead to optimize the club’s swing weight.  

See related article: Types of Golf Balls Explained