Best Beginner Golf Clubs For Ladies 2024

Golf can be quite daunting for newcomers. There are many pitfalls for the new golfer, not least understanding the vast array of golf equipment available. The sheer volume of products on the shelf plus the technological jargon that accompanies them makes it very hard for those new to the game to know what are the best golf clubs to buy. Fear not though as this guide will help to give you a clearer idea of the different women's starter clubs available and what you should expect to spend to get them. 

Firstly, do not fall into the trap of looking at the clubs used by the professionals and buying those. They might be the best clubs money can buy but they won't be the best for you. Beginner golfers need clubs aimed at beginner golfers.

Clubs for beginners, or for ladies with a slow to moderate swing speed, are usually designed with a lightweight graphite shaft, large heads, low and deep weighting for a high MOI and a face with a large sweet spot. All of these things are designed to make it as easy as possible for players to launch the ball and to provide as much forgiveness as possible, meaning even a poor strike gives the ball a chance of making it into the air.

In terms of the variety of clubs, a beginner set will provide all the clubs you need to get going. Generally speaking, you should get a driver, fairway woods, a hybrid, irons and a putter. Some of these sets are excellent value, especially if you aren't yet sure if golf is for you and you therefore don't want to spend too much on a set of clubs. Then if you become hooked on the game and your budget allows it, you might want to consider purchasing individual clubs. This might be a set of woods or irons, and at this point you might want to be custom-fit to really start to get the best out of your equipment. 

At Golf Monthly our female staff members test a whole range of women's golf clubs, and while there are so many women's starter clubs and beginner sets to choose from, this guide, as well our others offering advice on the best drivers, fairway woods, irons and putters will help ladies to kickstart their game before taking it to the next level. 

Alison Root

Alison Root has over 25 years experience working in media, predominantly dedicated to women's golf. She is a respected voice across all areas of the game and has tested many women's golf clubs in the past.

The Quick List

Best Beginner Golf Clubs For Ladies

Package Sets

Everything a new golfer needs is in this 16-piece all -encompassing offering from a brand with a rich history producing golf equipment. The well rounded set comprises of a 12° driver, fairway wood, 4 and 5 hybrid, 6-9 iron, PW, SW and a putter all housed in a very neat stand bag. 

In our testing we found these clubs delivered excellent distance and forgiveness off the fairway, while the driver offered a lot of assistance to help tee shots to fly straight, which is a big thing for a new golfer as the wrong driver can really make the game even more difficult than it already is. 

Aesthetically we think this set looks fantastic and we loved the glossy chrome finish across the irons which reminded us of the Callaway Big Bertha irons.

Onto the putter now, which is a blade style and not necessarily ideal for beginners who may prefer the more forgiving mallet design. That's a matter of personal preference though and as far as beginner set putters go, we liked the very sleek aesthetic and the handy alignment line which should help with your accuracy. As this set costs little more than  drivers do alone, there is excellent value to be had here and it also means you could upgrade to one of the best women's putters without having to spend too much overall. This is easily one of the best golf sets for beginners out there and we highly recommend it.

• Read our full Strata Women's Package Set Review

Callaway REVA 11-Piece Complete Set

This set from Callaway is aimed at women of various skill levels who are looking to increase their distance and enjoyment of the game. It's ideal for beginners but also for the mid-high handicap player who just wants a nice set without having to shop for individual clubs. Included in the set is a driver, 3-wood, 5 and 6 hybrids, 7-9 irons, a pitching and sand wedge, a putter, plus a jazzy cart bag and matching headcovers. 

Our tester particularly loved the performance of the driver, which delivered a high launch and ball flight as well as a pleasing, powerful feel. A particular feature that stood out was the big circular target-style sweet spot on the face looks which makes you feel like it's impossible to miss.

Onto the irons, and the large, oversized cavity backs are designed to help on mishits and we certainly noted some good forgiveness on offer. We felt the irons were effortlessly easy to hit and very forgiving indeed. While we would have liked to seen specialist wedges included,  the clubs in this set do the job well enough for a simple pitch or chip shot and will be idea for a beginner. A more experienced player may want to add their own lob wedge or sand wedge though.

What makes this stand out for us as one of the best women's golf sets is the putter, which includes the Stroke Lab shaft used by some of the best players in the world. This technology helps to improve tempo and consistency in your stroke, so it could save you a shot or two by helping eliminate three putts and will help the beginner golfer develop a better stroke with a nice tempo.

It's available in blue and black (right hand only) and in left-handed too, and it is certainly a set worth looking at if you want to make the game seem easier. Additionally, if you want to upgrade parts of the set at a later date you can buy individual Reva clubs too, such as the Callaway Big Bertha Reva Women's driver, as well as Callaway Reva golf balls.

All in all this is a women's set built for the beginner and high handicapper who is looking to improve their scores quickly.

• Read our full Callaway Reva Ladies Package Set Review

Cleveland Bloom Ladies Package Set

This is a set which has been designed specifically for the female golfer just starting out in the game. It comprises of a driver, 5-wood, hybrid, SW-7-iron, and a putter plus a cart golf bag and detachable pouch which really highlights the standout black/pink color scheme. All in all this set represents exceptional value

Our main takeaway from testing this set was that it is ideal for the new golfer, who often tend to have difficulty getting the ball airborne. The driver has 14 degrees of loft which makes it very easy to get up in the air, while the deep face on the 5-wood helped achieve good height from fairway shots.

Our tester was particularly impressed by the 5 hybrid which delivered consistent high-flying shots from a variety of lies. Hybrids are essential clubs for new golfers as they are versatile and a lot easier to hit than longer irons. Irons can be the most difficult clubs in the bag for the new golfer as you don't have the reassurance of hitting from a tee. So with irons, forgiveness is key for beginners and we found that the cavity back irons in this set delivered this in spades thanks to the big sweet spot. The 56-degree wedge performs well out of sand and provides a nice option for chipping around the greens. Completing the set is a mallet-shaped putter, which is designed for players to strike consistent, smooth rolling putts.

• Read our full Cleveland Bloom Ladies Package Set Review

Wilson are one of the leading brands when it comes to affordable package sets and they have some fabulous offering in both the junior and women's market. One of our favorites is the Magnolia set which offers women a choice of a stylish cart or carry bag to hold a driver, 3-wood, 4, 5, 6 hybrid, 7-SW irons and a putter. 

As is uusualy the case with Wilson, the set represents excellent value without compromising on quality. A high-lofted driver with an oversized head helps promote that all-important confidence on the tee, while the oversize heads and clever weighting of the irons allows for maximum forgiveness on off-centre hits. 

Overall, our tester was impressed with the results right throughout the bag. The clubs are easy to launch with accurate results, and the compact head and versatility of the hybrids was a particular highlight. They really came into their own when playing from the rough. The set also includes a bespoke wedge, which is quite unusual in package sets and is definitely a welcome addition for short game shots. Completing the set is a mallet-shaped putter with a prominent alignment line to provide valuable assistance in aiming correctly at the hole.

• Read our full Wilson Magnolia Ladies Set Review

Drivers

Aimed at a range of playing styles, TaylorMade’s Kalea Premier range is designed to help women golfers to hit shots effortlessly while providing maximum forgiveness. We were hugely impressed with this driver in testing and would go as far as to say that we believe this is one of the best golf drivers for women that TaylorMade has ever produced.

The driver has a standard 12.5 degree loft and our tester found it super lightweight, which is no surprise considering it is 10g lighter than its predecessor, the Kalea 3 driver. The head has a 22-gram steel back weight which encourages high launch, while TaylorMade’s patented ‘Twist Face’ technology serves to straighten out mishits. Overall we found this driver to be very easy to swing and we are sure it will help women with a slower swing speed to gain that extra bit of valuable distance.

Other things to note are that we found the grip to be nice and tacky and ideally suited for women with smaller hands. We really like the deep dark blue clubhead color too, which looks very premium, especially as it has a shimmery finish that is complemented by white edging lines. As well as looking great from an aesthetic point of view, these line really helped our tester to focus her eye on aiming the club correctly.

• Read our full TaylorMade Kalea Premier Women's Driver Review

The powerful, easy to launch Ping G Le3 driver is part of the third generation of G Le clubs, which continues to be a highly popular range for women with slow to moderate swing speeds. 

There have been several upgrades on its predecessor, the G Le2, as advancements in technology allowed Ping to introduce a clever weighting system to allow for a lower and slightly heel side centre of gravity which delivers even greater forgiveness. Of course usually with a new model comes a new colorway and and the G Le3 is no exception. Ping always get the aesthetics right so it's never easy to improve on the previous model, but we would say that the navy with gold accents is the best yet. 

The driver has a standard 11.5 degree loft but that can be adjusted +/- 1.5 to dial in to your own specific needs.

As with many of the best Ping drivers in recent years, the large head has angled ridges on the crown. These are not only for show (although they do look good) as they improve airflow to help deliver faster ball speeds, while they also frame the ball nicely which really helps promote confidence at address. 

In our testing we found it easy to stay in control of our drives throughout the swing even though this is quite a lightweight driver. It required little effort to get the ball off the tee and up in the air quickly and we noted pleasing results and noticeable forgiveness when we mishit slightly.

• Read our full Ping G Le3 Driver Review

The main aim of this driver from Callaway is to provide assistance to allow women hit their tee shots further and find the fairway more often. Callaway has achieved this by engineering a large clubhead with internal draw bias weighting, which delivers both longer drives and greater accuracy,

The Big Bertha Reva features Callaway’s Jailbreak technology, which serves to make the clubface more efficient by utilizing two internal bars which stiffen the head to allow the face to flex more. Additional assistance comes from a lightweight crown which allows weight to be redistributed elsewhere for higher MOI.

This advanced clubface design means there is a more expansive hitting area to promote faster ball speeds, which means women will still drive the ball a long way even if they miss the centre of the face at impact. Taking all of this into account and considering the impressive showing it put up in our testing, it was a no-brainer to include this on the beginner guide list.

• Read our full Callaway Women's Big Bertha Reva Driver review

Slicing is a common fault for many players, but it's especially problematic for beginners. The Cobra Air-X Women’s driver can help with that as it is designed to help counteract a typical slicer’s shot pattern.

An open face at impact is the usual cause of a slice but this driver is shaped to provide assistance in squaring up that face at impact. It does this with a pronounced off-set hosel that allows a fraction more time to square the club face as it reaches the ball. 

It's a lightweight but well balanced driver with an ultra shiny black clubhead, and in our testing we were able to effortless generate a good amount of speed while staying in control of the shot. We had a similar experience with the Air-X irons too which are also worth considering if you are a beginner looking for new irons.

We feel this driver is particularly suitable for women who lack physical strength and struggle to generate clubhead speed for greater distance. While the naturally closed face might take a lot of getting used to for golfers who are accustomed to a standard hosel, it's worth persevering with as our testing showed that this is one of the very best drivers for slicers. 

• Read our full Cobra Air-X Women’s Driver Review

Fairways

The Kalea Premier range gives you three fairway woods to choose from - 3, 5 and 7. You might want to go for all three, particularly if you struggle with mid-long irons or you aren't too keen on hybrids. 

A weight-saving carbon crown and a flexible Speed Pocket behind the face combine to produce easy-to-hit shots that fly faster and with impressive distance, as our testing confirmed.

Significantly, TaylorMade boosted the clubhead size by 37% compared to the original Kalea, which certainly adds to the confidence-boosting look of this fairway wood at address. It comes in a striking blue finish while we found that the white edging on the club also frames the ball nicely at address. 

It was the versatility of this club that impressed our tester most though. She was able to use it equally well off the tee as well as the fairway, with the Kalea delivering powerful, nicely shaped shots with a lovely ball flight that produced a soft landing, similar to the control you would expect when using an iron. Our tester also found the Kalea to be very forgiving, with shots hardly veering off line even when slightly mishit.

• Read our full TaylorMade Kalea Premier Women's Fairway Wood Review

Irons

As with the driver mentioned above - and indeed all other clubs in Ping’s G Le 3 family - these irons are suitable for women with a slow to moderate swing speed.  

The iron/hybrid combo solution allows golfers with slower swing speeds to create the ideal set makeup with optimal gapping. There is no 5-iron as hybrids are utilized at the top end of the bag instead. This makes sense as for slower swing speeds a 5-iron going to be difficult to launch and almost certainly won't go any further than a 6-iron. 

So the irons start with 6 through to 9 iron, and then there are three wedge options (PW, UW, SW).

The color scheme of navy with a sliver of gold and silver was very pleasing to our eye and we found the G Le 3 to be slightly lighter overall than the previous release, with weight nicely distributed to encourage an effortless swing.

In our testing it was the forgiveness of these irons that jumped off the page at us and we found that we could really get away with off-center strikes. We were able to hit plenty of good shots, with the ball flying high and with a good distance. Another nice bonus of this set is that the updated design of the sand wedge will provide a big confidence booster for women who struggle to play out of bunkers. 

• Read our full Ping G Le3 Irons Review 

For golfers who struggle to get the ball up in the air with their irons, look no further than the Cleveland Launcher XL Halo irons, which are designed to help develop a better, consistent strike and as the name suggests, help the golfer to launch the ball higher. 

While not looking the prettiest due to the wider sole and larger footprint, everything about these irons is about helping struggling golfers to get the ball up in the air. Gliderails on the long irons deliver excellent turf interaction and will help to prevent those fat shots that plague newer golfers and high-handicap players, while the mid-to-short irons feature V-Shaped Soles which cut through the turf more effectively for cleaner contact. This was really noticeable in our testing.

In addition, there is a new 8g weight which has been placed inside the end of every grip to deliver better balance, control, and a smoother swing to help square up to the ball at impact without any extra effort.  And if precision is what is desired above all else, Cleveland is offering a new Accuracy Build, a custom configuration that is half an inch shorter without counterbalancing to focus on maximum control. This iron is easy to swing fast and will produce good distance and accuracy - two things that beginners usually struggle with. 

• Read our full Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Iron review

If you are just starting out in the game we would recommend the Cobra Air-X women’s irons as a great option to consider. They have been designed with the new woman golfer in mind and as such they are lightweight and easy to swing, while also offering good forgiveness on off-center hits.

Aesthetically we think these are one of the more attractive irons for women on the market. There is a soft sheen to the finish while the subtle splashes of pink on the back of the head make for a more feminine touch.

In our testing we found the distance produced by these irons to be really impressive. Our tester noted they the Air-X were flying significantly longer than her own irons, although this is largely due to the strong lofts. This means that a 7-iron launches more like a traditional 6-iron for example, as they both have the same loft, just a different number on the bottom the club. Our tester also found that the offset design of these cavity-back irons made it easy to square the clubface (which will help those who slice the ball) while the size the head helps to deliver consistently straight shots. This type of design is common in many of the fantastic options you’ll find on our best golf irons for beginners guide.

• Read our full Cobra Air-X Women’s Irons Review

These game improvement irons from Callaway really promote confidence over the ball thanks to an attractive blue and black color scheme and a noticeably wider sole that has been designed with a significant amount of tungsten weighting to promote a deep center of gravity. Throw in Callaway’s Flash Face Cup technology, which encourages and maintains ball speed, and you have a club that allows women to launch the ball easily with lower spin, resulting in longer and straighter shots with ultimate forgiveness. 

While the look of the noticeably wider sole of these cavity back irons won’t appeal to everyone, for women with a slow to moderate swing speed it’s worth considering performance over looks. The large offset heads cannot help but fill you with confidence at address, while our tester was impressed with the feel and was also able to confirm that the sound of the Big Bertha Reva irons matches that solid feel thanks to the use of urethane microspheres that absorb unwanted vibration. 

If you're after more clubs that deliver great distance, why not check out some of the other clubs in our guide to the best distance irons in golf.

• Read our full Callaway Big Bertha Reva Irons Review

Putters

While putting is very much a sport of its own and choosing the right putter comes down to personal feel and preference, there are some rules that generally apply. One of those is that beginner golfers will usually require something that offers greater forgiveness when they miss the sweet spot. That doesn't apply in all cases and sometimes look and feel are the most important factors in choosing a putter, but more often than not a new golfer will be better served with a mallet than a blade.

So with that in mind, the Odyssey White Hot Versa 12 S putter is our first pick in this women's beginner putter section. It offers plenty of help for the inexperienced golfer, such as the brand's patented Versa alignment which has been created following feedback from short game coach, Phil Kenyon, as well as a number of the world's top professionals. It also has a bold black and white contrast head, which we felt really assisted in aiming the face correctly at address and made it easier to keep an eye on where it was pointing throughout the stroke.

The mid-sized footprint fills the void between blade and mallet perfectly, although the unusual shape won’t suit everyone’s taste. As stated already, putting is very much down to personal preference,, but the bigger head gave us a greater awareness of where putts were being struck. 

Aesthetically the Versa 12 S certainly delivers and our testing showed it to have a premium feel too, with the urethane material and White Hot insert delivering a pleasing sound and weighty feel that makes the face feel very stable.

• Read our full Odyssey White Hot Versa 12 S Putter Review

TaylorMade's incredibly successful Spider X putter has had a refresh with a new colorway and a new finishing process, and the result is something special. The Hydro Blast has a smoother and very premium-looking finish thanks to the high-pressure application of water to the aluminum body, and a by-product of this process is added durability with the risk of blemishes and scratches being minimized due to the absence of paint. One of the only drawbacks with older Spider putters is that they tended to scratch quite easily and it's therefore rare to find a second hand one that still looks in mint condition, so hopefully that's a thing of the past and durability is no longer going to be a concern. 

In terms of the tech, TaylorMade have placed two tungsten weights on the rear edges of the putter which increases the MOI this club provides, while also reducing the twist on the face through each putting stroke. The face also helps with stability, with its Pure Roll insert providing a smooth feel and nice sound on impact with the golf ball that we couldn't get enough of in testing. 

• Read our full TaylorMade Spider X Hydro Blast Putter Review

When it comes to value for money, you can't go wrong with anything from the Wilson Staff Infinite putter line-up. For this guide we have chosen the Buckingham, which like the other models in the Infinite family is named after a neighborhood or landmark in the company’s home city of Chicago.

The Buckingham has a large mallet-style head in a dark, anti-glare matte finish, although the women’s version is softer-looking as it incorporates a glacier blue and white colorway. The head shape should promote confidence for beginners when they stand over the ball, and whilst the parallel and perpendicular sight lines are not particularly flashy or attractive, they achieve their goal which is to help simplify alignment for the golfer.

You get a lot of technology for your money with the Infinite putters and we enjoyed testing the Buckingham. The counterbalance weighting means that the balance point is moved closer to your hands, which when combined with the heavy head and oversize grip design, allowed us to feel completely in control through the strike. The feel was a little on the firm side but still fine, and there was a pleasant enough sound off the double-milled face.

• Read our full Wilson Staff Infinite Buckingham Putter Review

The 2-ball is an iconic design that makes alignment much easier, especially for newer golfers. This new take on a classic features Odyssey’s revolutionary Stroke Lab technology that continues to dominate on tours around the world.

This particular 2-ball putter is one of three models in the collection and has been designed specifically for women, with a shorter length and a smaller grip. Although it's quite a large head it didn't feel cumbersome at all in our testing. It is best suited to a golfer with a fairly straight back and through putting stroke, and one of the things we noticed was that it is very stable on those nervy, short putts so having a putter like this in the bag can be a real confidence booster on the greens. 

This stability is achieved in part by 40 grams of weight that has been saved from the multi-material shaft and redistributed to the head and grip end of the putter. This rebalances the putter for improved tempo and consistency in your stroke. A soft feel is provided by the White Hot Microhinge Insert, which is commonly used on all of the best Odyssey putters, as it also promotes a pleasing forward roll as well as great acoustics and feel. 

• Read our full Odyssey Women's White Hot OG 2-Ball Putter Review

How we test golf clubs

When it comes to product testing, our reviews and buyers' guides are built upon a rigorous testing procedure as well as the knowledge and experience of the test team. 

For women's clubs our testing is conducted by several writers, chief among which are Carly Frost, Katie Dawkins and Alison Root. All three are golfers with many years of testing and reviewing golf equipment. The testing process usually begins by attending product launches where we will speak to manufacturer's in order to get a better understanding of the technology. Then we hit the golf clubs indoors, usually at Foresight Sports where we test the products with best golf balls on a launch monitor.

Next up is outdoor testing which usually takes place at West Hill Golf Club, a course in Surrey with top-notch practice facilities. The ultimate aim is to be as insightful and honest as possible in our reviews and it is therefore important to state that no manufacturer can buy a good review. Our team tells it how it is and will speak honestly based on their experience of a product. We want to try and find the best golf clubs on the market and give you some insight on them and that requires being thorough and transparent. 

How to choose golf clubs

What are the things you need to consider when trying to buy women's golf clubs? We have taken a look at some of the factors below...

Clubheads

Clubheads come in a variety of designs and colors, partly to suit a golfer’s ability but also to offer pleasing and confidence-boosting aesthetics when players address the ball. As such it is worth taking note of what you like the look and feel of when hitting shots, as well as how they look in the bag which may not be important for performance but we all like to have nice things, right? 

Shafts

Women generally have slower swing speeds which means they are better suited to clubs that are fitted with a soft flex graphite shaft. This lightweight material enables an effortless swing with increased clubhead speed, and subsequently more distance. Those players with faster swing speeds may want steel-shafted clubs in the irons. 

Loft

Each golf club has a different loft angle. To put simply, a club with a lower loft like a driver, will send the ball on a gentle climb with greater distance, whereas the ball will travel far steeper off the clubface of a pitching wedge.

Driver lofts vary between 8-14 degrees and a loft should be selected based on your clubhead speed. Most women’s drivers are designed with a higher loft between 11-12 degrees or more, to suit slower swing  speeds (90mph and lower) for easy launch. Stronger players that can generate a faster clubhead speed (100mph and above) will suit a driver with a loft of 10 degrees or less. 

Budget

Obviously budget is a key factor to consider when buying golf clubs, but even more so for beginners who are likely to quickly 'outgrow' their clubs as their skill level improves. At every level, and in every type of golf club, there are different price points so it is a case of working out how much you are willing to spend. Indeed, one other way to ensure value, and to cross off all your clubs in one swoop, is the package set which have become very popular of late. This is why we created guides on the best golf club sets for beginners, and best golf club sets.

Grip

Do not underestimate the importance of having the right size grip. If a grip is too small then you are likely to grip the club too tightly, causing tension to build in your arms and shoulders, which in turn prevents you from generating maximum clubhead speed. A grip that is too large has the opposite effect. With less hand action, this will encourage the clubhead to open at impact and exaggerate a slice. The easiest way to determine the size of your grip is to measure your hands.

Custom Fitting

Above all else and whatever your ability, a custom fitting session is strongly recommended. It is a misconception that the service, which is offered by a number of manufacturers, is just for elite players and professionals. For beginners, custom fitting should be considered as part of the learning process to boost confidence and help maximize potential.

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