If you watch my YouTube channel, you will find out that you can shave a load of strokes off your score within weeks, eliminating three-putts (and four-putts). It's that simple and sometimes you just need a decent putter to do it. Guys don't like to admit it, but the putter is the most important golf club in your bag. 

Practicing only an hour a week can easily knock 4 or 5 strokes off your score within a month. I know it can, because I did it. New players and high handicapper take upwards of four 3-putts per round. That's at least 4 unnecessary shots you can eliminate right now with a bit of practice and of course, one of the best putters for beginners on offer.

It's easy to see how important putting is to lowering your score and handicap - just check out B-Dog's round of 98 here. He used an Odyssey 2ball putter I bought him. By just two-putting every green, you can knock off a minimum 4 shots!

1. Odyssey Hot Pro OG putters (best putter dollar for dollar)
2. Cleveland Huntington Beach putters (best budget modern putter for beginners)
3. Odyssey Two Ball Triple Track putter  (best top end putter for alignment)
4. Cleveland Frontline ISO putter  (Sleeper pick)
5. Ping Sigma 2 Anser (best quality blade putter)

Without a doubt, the Odyssey White Hot putter insert is simply the best on the market. Odyssey is #1 on the PGA Tour and #1 in golf. There are pretenders to the crown but the true king of putter face inserts is Jon Snow...I mean Odyssey.

Whether you like the blade, the mallet or the oversized heads, each model in this range gives you the same White Hot insert and trusted Odyssey putting technology. And with that you get consistent lag distance control, soft feeling club face and superb alignment on the rear of the club.

The consistency of the strike with Odyssey putters is only matched by other large brands that cost you three or four times the price. I've used every Odyssey iteration since this line and can safely say for this price, I'd use this putter if I were a new golfer.

Cleveland golf have made a superb set of putters in this range. I personally own THREE, yes 3 putters from this range. They are all unique yet have common features. They're all very high quality, well weighted and have milled steel faces.

In contrast to the Odyssey putters above with the insert, the ball comes off the steel face of the Cleveland with a totally different feel. Inserts make for a very soft feel like you're hitting something with a marshmallow or pool noodle. Okay it's not that extreme but it gets the point across, because when you hit it with a steel putter, you notice a much firmer 'hit'.

This is preference you should work out for yourself by hitting a few with inserts and a few with steel or metal faces. I prefer the milled face on the Clevelands because it feels like I have more consistent roll on the ball. The insert can sometimes disguise poor strikes. 

The Huntington putters come in a wide range of head shapes. You get mallet putters, fang-style, blade and there are also center shafted models. My top tip for picking a putter is to go with what you like the look of. That's 80% of the battle won and it's very easy to find one model in the Huntington Beach range to suit your eye,  I am sure. 

With putting, we often find the most difficult part is starting the ball on the right line. Now, it's not that difficult to do, but what is difficult is to know when we adjust the putter face just before we hit the ball.

With an extended back, the two-ball, triple track alignment system is perfect to keep everything going where you want it. These are great mallet putters for those who struggle with aligning their eyes, the putter face and their mind to their target. 

Cleveland make very forgiving putters and the Front Line range is a step above their Huntington Beach range. The black color makes a very nice contrast to the green color of the greens. 

The contrast in the colors makes it especially easy to line the face up to the line you want to hit the golf ball down. The rear of the Iso model has squares cut out of it with a thin solid line extending to the back, maybe it incredibly easy to align your eyes, which is important for confidence, to the line you expect the ball to take.

The Tungsten in the putter moves the center of gravity to a place that allows consistent energy transfer from the club to the ball so your stroke and hit on the golf ball is always the same, producing a pure roll and more chance of getting the ball close to the hole or in the hole.

This type of alignment aid on the back of the putter is especially helpful for short putts where confidence in your alignment is key. You can stand behind it, knowing that the putter is aligned correctly. These are the strokes you can eliminate very quickly and shatter your scoring barriers.

PING is and has been the most famous name in putters. Their blade putters have always been sensational in feel and consistency. If you're a blade putter fan, literally anything in the PING range will suit you.

Keep in mind though that this style of putter is best suited to players who have a slight arc in their stroke. It's quite difficult to stroke these blades straight back and through, which is easier to do with mallet style putters, especially center shafted ones. 

They have expanded into all sorts of shapes and sizes and they are all in fact exception. The balance, the craftsmanship and the feel of the PING blade is much like Mizuno in irons. Nothing feels like a Mizuno they say. That's similar to a PING blade putter. 

A PING putter is not merely something to plug the hole. If you invest in one of these for your game, you won't replace. A putter is a very personal thing and once you find the one that suits you, hold onto it. Once people try PING putters, they very very rarely move onto another brand. Choose wisely.

Please avoid the double sided putt putt putter if you're looking for a decent putter to improve your game.

This is a great putter for mini-golf, offices and beating up home invaders. It's not however a suitable putter for beginners on the golf course.

There are numerous sites advocating for it but I don't care what the reviews say and I don't care if it's a top seller. This club won't help you improve your golf one iota. I won't allow any future beginner golfing buddies to be taken advantage of.

It's basically a lump of metal that's been stuck onto a stick and marketed as a "two-way putter". AVOID

While I believe a great driver you can hit straight and consistently is the biggest asset you can have, the quickest win thereafter will be from being able to two-putt every single green.

Think about it. Let's say you hit the driver well and get around or on the green in 2 or 3 shots. Then if you three-putt 4 or 5 times on the green per round as well as once or twice from around the green BUT then you learn to two-putt from wherever, you're going to save between 5 and 6 shots a round!

Two hours per week is all it takes

Step 1

Take your putter and 5 - 10 balls. Putt from one hole on the green to another hole on the green 20 to 30 feet away. Putt them until every single one is within 2 feet every time. When you can do that every putt, move onto step 2...

Step 2

Take the 5 to 10 balls and scatter them in a circle around a hole, 3 feet from the hole. Putt from 3 feet until you can hole all of the balls. Then do it again at another hole until you can make all the 3 footers. Once you can do that, go home. Do not leave until you sink every golf ball without missing around five different holes.

The PGA suggest "What you want to do is get into a correct address position. When you tilt from your hips, you want your eyes over the ball, hands under your shoulders, elbows bent but touching your rib cage, and hips over your heels. The putter needs to fit this set-up. If you grip a "standard" length putter and find you're gripping down the shaft, you will need a shorter putter. If you grip beyond the end of the putter, you will need a longer putter. Now with the correct length putter in your hands, the shaft would be in line with your forearms. I have found that most golfers play with too long of a putter."

Up until recently you could use a putter that was much longer than standard length and anchor it on your body for more stability. The two designs were broom handle and belly putters and while they're still permitted, you're not allowed to let them touch anything other than your arms and hands. I don't recommend these putters for beginners.

The broom handle was normally anchored to your chest with one hand and swung with the other hand and the belly putter was stuck into your abdomen with both hands on the grip swinging the putter like normal. 

Under rule 14-b enforced in 2016, all anchoring of putters to your body was banned. Pros who relied on this method of putting lost their advantage while celebrating the New Year as midnight struck on 1 January 2016. 

1. Srixon ZX4 MKII irons (best of the best metals and construction)
2. Cobra T-Rail irons (most forgiving Cobra iron set)
3. Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo irons (most forgiving iron-hybrids ever)
4. Callaway Rogue ST Max irons (max GI irons but look sleek)
5. XXIO 12 irons (designed purely for slower swings)
6. Wilson Launchpad 2 irons (best for slow swing to get the ball higher)
7. Cobra Air X irons (best for the technology and distance)
8. Titleist T400 irons (most forgiving iron in Titleist history)

I went with B-Dog from my YouTube channel to find new irons. He wanted Srixon so we tried the ZX4. They launched high when he hit them and the wide soles helped him to get under the ball. This will help from the deep rough. The heavy perimeter weighting meant BDog could swing it and trust the club to get the ball in the air and going far. 

The topline is a bit thick and that's to hide the wide body - from the 7 iron, I noticed the big booty in the back of the club. For BDog, that was the deal breaker. He wanted a more traditional iron so he settled on the ZX5 or ZX7 but they are not as forgiving as the ZX4. The ZX4 also have a large offset like all Game Improvement irons and the club head length is so long that the ball goes where we wanted it. The large face makes the golf ball feel small and unmissable.

One thing to keep in mind is the lofts are very strong and that is why we noticed a distance gain. The way they create these new clubs is mind blowing. Despite the cranked down loft, the ball launches as a 7 iron would anyway but goes as long as your prior 5 or 6 iron. Definitely forgiving and long.

There are many offerings like this in the market now, but Cobra have made one of the better looking versions. The big-bottomed Cobra T Rail iron are some of the easiest irons to hit. They rival the Cleveland HB Turbos in ease-of-use.

The rails on the sole of the club have been used for a while in the Cobra hybrids and fairway woods. Turf interaction is actually affected quite a lot by the rails. The club doesn't dig and the two rails help keep the face from twisting, gliding through the turf and grass super easily. It's not a joke when I tell you that the T rails assist in chunked shots to keep the club from digging, instead skidding into the ball for more success. 

Clubfaces on the irons look like standard irons but the hollow back helps to transform the irons into much easier to hit hybrids. The intimidation of a thin iron is significantly reduced when you look down at the Cobra T rails. 

There's consistent shaping in the set of T-Rail irons too so you set looks cohesive, but the clubs sound different as you work through them.  The pitching wedge makes more of a metal ping sound, but the 7 and 8 iron sound much more like a fairway wood or hybrid.  From 6 iron down it sounds like a fairway wood.  

These irons are aimed at beginners, people who struggle to get the golf ball airborne and players who may have lost some swing speed and distance. It can be really frustrating and demoralizing losing distance and height. Cobra promises you the easiest golf of your life. 

A friend in Bangkok, Tiha, got a set which starts with the 4 iron shaped exactly like a hybrid and as the set progresses toward pitching wedge, the hybrid back of the club gets smaller until you can't see it on the pitching wedge. The thick sole created by the hybrid design of the irons makes them easy to hit out of any lie and I found Tiha could hit her shorter clubs longer than usual.

She is normally GREAT with her long clubs and these hybrids suited her but she always fell short on shorter irons like 9 iron and 8 iron. I think these are the easiest to hit irons on the market. Tiha like thats the hybrid back of the irons is black to calm down the appearance because she is used to normal irons and with the black, it's less distracting.

Do yourself a favor and try these clubs. You might find they're the most forgiving irons you've ever hit.

The Callaway Rogue ST irons look good, like old-school-Ping-iron good. They don't look like Max Game Improvement irons at all but they are. You'll find Callaway to be some of the most forgiving irons around with their deep cavity back and permeter weighting.

If you need some help getting it in the air and keeping it in the air for longer, the Rogue ST Max irons have been designed to solve that problem. They've made the faces thinner around the edges with thicker areas near the sweet spot to maximize center strikes and rectify the off center hits. Like most Callaway game improvement irons, that do feel a bit chunky but you have to swing them at a ball a few times to understand they just plain work.

With stronger lofts on the irons, they need to raise the center of gravity to get that ball flying higher. Be warned that you may see an increase in distance, but it may just be down to stronger lofts, like with most modern irons. Do not fear though, because the ST Max provide a high ball flight with a steeper drop for more stopping power.

The basic idea is to find the easiest clubs to hit and cavity backs are the right choice.

How forgiving irons can improve your enjoyment

Why forgiving irons are the easiest irons to hit

Two things: shafts and club head design create the most forgiving irons.

Cavity Back irons - this is what we are looking for and the most forgiving irons ever have all been cavity back. 

How cavity back gives extra forgiveness

Perimeter Weighting

Cavity back irons usually have perimeter weighting, where the manufacturers hollow out the back of a muscle back iron and put that spare metal around the border of the back of the club.

The cavity back iron with perimeter weighting has a massive sweet spot for forgiveness.

Wider Sole

The wider sole lowers the clubs center of gravity which means more weight can get under and behind the golf ball on your shots. This produces an arching high ball flight even on mishits.

The extra beef on the sole will improve shots where you hit the ground before the ball too. That extra weight will “bounce” off the ground instead of digging into the earth like a thin sole would.

Additionally, newer golfers and high handicappers hit more balls in the rough and a wider sole will move through long or thick grass easily, allowing for good contact with the ball. The most forgiving irons out there will get you out of every lie: rough, sand, hard-pan and yes the fairways!

Offset Hosel

According to club designer Tom Wishon, “Offset is a design in clubheads in which the neck or hosel of the head is positioned in front of the face of the clubhead, so that the clubface appears to be set back a little from the neck of the club.”

“The more offset, the farther the head's center of gravity is back from the shaft. And the farther the CG is back from the shaft, the higher the trajectory will be for any given loft on the face. More offset can help increase the height of the shot for golfers who have a difficult time getting the ball well up in the air.”

The most forgiving irons on the market are going to have offset hosels. The low handicappers playing blades or muscle backs have such skill to square the club face at impact, they don't need the offset. The offset encourages a draw and reduces workability of the club to hit fades. Highly skilled players want to hit the ball both ways.

What's the most forgiving golf iron brand?

Srixon, Ping, Callaway, Cleveland and XXIO make some of the most forgiving and high quality irons on the market, while also offering high quality shaft options to pair with the iron. If you invest in a set from any of these brands, you'll be happy for a long time with the forgiveness and results you achieve.

What's the difference between a game improvement iron and a players iron?

You actually have 3 styles of irons nowadays all with differing levels of forgiveness:

1. Super Game Improvement irons
2. Game Improvement irons
3. Players irons

The Super Game Improvement irons might come with a closed back instead of a cavity back. They will have a rear end that protrudes out when you set the club to the ball. Mostly high handicappers and beginners will play the Super Game Improvement irons.

The Game Improvement irons are the best golf clubs for most high handicappers. These irons have cavity backs and sometimes closed backs but without the big protruding rear. These clubs help to get the ball airborne with low center of gravity and MOI. You can play these irons all the way down to single figure golf. 

The Players irons are not forgiving. Generally people who play other bat and ball sports, over time will be able to find the centre of the club and can move onto players irons. As a beginner or high handicapper, please avoid these clubs.

What is the most forgiving forged iron?

Srixon makes the best forged irons that are forgiving in the Z585 or ZX4 or ZX5 ranges. 

If the driver costs you shots, over and over, leave it at home for now and find yourself a trusty fairway wood that can travel over 160 yards off the tee. That's your new secret weapon my friend. Oozing forgiveness and a soft-landing ball, fairway woods can quickly become your favorite club and allow you to play lots of different golf courses. 

On top of that, for slower swingers, higher handicappers and beginners, a fairway wood with more loft will go further and straighter than a lower lofted wood and work much easier than the popular hybrids. You might find that the best fairway woods for high handicappers is the biggest reason you break 90 or 100 for the first time. 

1. Callaway Big Bertha B21 (easiest fairway wood to launch)
2. PING G425 Fairway Wood (most forgiving fairway wood)
3. Taylormade STEALTH Fairway wood (best Taylormade fairway wood)
4. Cleveland Launcher XL Halo (best for stopping a slice)
5. Cobra LTDx Max Black Fairway Wood  (ideal option for slower swingers)
6. Tour Edge Hot Launch E522 Fairway Wood  (best high handicapper focused club)
   

The Callaway Big Bertha B21 fairway wood is the easiest club to get into the air and keep it there for longer. I found it to be the easiest fairway wood to hit in a very long time. 

The Callaway Big Bertha B21 fairway wood is offset but the neck is not so obviously offset like a lot of the draw-bias clubs on the market. What really makes this fairway wood one of my favorites is that it has a shallow face, similar to the Pings.

The effect of a shallow, low profile face cannot be overstated. When you have a very tall clubface, it can feel like you're hitting a big old driver off the ground. That is incredibly intimidating as you may know.

The shallow face automatically makes you think you can get under the golf ball without trying and that is its main advantage and why I prefer a shallow faced fairway wood. Because of the shallow face, you can hit this thing from every single lie you can imagine: fairway bunkers, hardpan, dry lies, as well as lush rough and fairway.

Along with the excellent face shape, the dark blue crown is a pleasant sight to look at - not black and boring but not bright like a Nike.  The standard simple alignment aid rounds out the simplified look.

Despite this being a game improvement wood, the Jailbreak (artificial intelligence) tech that Callaway has in its high end models is in the B21, That means more distance, more forgiveness for you because of the lower spin rates and hot face. 

This wood may not be as widely available this golf season, but if you can get your hands on one, you have to try it. I usually do not recommend many fairway woods from Callaway for beginners or high handicappers, but the B21 is a standout. It's easily up there with the Pings in my experience. I may even put it in my golf bag! 

Available in 14.5,17.5, 20.5 and 23.5 degree lofts so you can pick any loft you need for the forgiveness of a PING fairway wood.

The look of the crown is a simple matte black and a traditional style head. The spikey things on the crown are gone now for alignment. They use three little dots on the crown making it a perfect and simple minimalist look to align the golf ball to the center of the face. A shallow face means it is not very tall. 

The low profile clubface is not driver-esque and so it feels easier to get the ball airborne. Off the face, the sound of the clubface is high-pitched and everyone around will know you're hitting a PING. it's easy to hit the ball from many lies on the golf course - the rough, hardpan, soft grass, fairway and the tee.

PINGs G425 is a simple golf club but it's not as easy to launch as the TaylorMade options. The golf ball comes off the face hot and if you're a PING fan, you'll love it. I have recently started to play Ping fairway woods and I'm converted. I have the Ping G425 3 wood and a Ping G410 seven wood in my golf bag and I've fallen in love with the game again. The seven wood has replaced my once trusty two iron and I am using it for a wide variety of shots. The higher lofts  and forgiving faces on these clubs allow me get the ball into play off the tee consistently and also hit greens from all lies and distances without too much trouble. 

If you're looking for a fairway wood that will help you straighten up that slice or fade, the SFT version is going to be much nicer for you. The PING G425 is definitely a consistent, easy to hit club regardless. 

First off you can ignore the 15 degree version my good man. The loft is too low. In addition to the 15° woods, they do have the 16.5, 18, 21 and 24 degree versions.

What's interesting about that is that 24 degrees is the modern 6 iron! But it's the traditional 3 or 4 iron loft. So don't be put off by the 24 degree idea. It's much easier to get one of these in the air than a jacked up loft on a 5 or 6 iron in todays irons.

It would be hard to beat the near perfect TaylorMade SIM fairway wood, but the STEALTH does just that. The excellent V Steel feature is still in this head with the addition of a 3D Carbon Crown and advanced Laser alignment. This new crown moves mass from the high toe area to the back of the club to maximise MOI and forgiveness. A laser etched alignment aid on the top of the club makes lining the face up a breeze.

As with all TaylorMade clubs, the tech keeps coming. We still have Twist Face technology to help compensate for off center hits, keeping the ball straighter and reducing dispersion left and right. The head shape of the stealth is really appealing to the eye at address. The matte carbon fiber crown and slightly shiny black detailing make you just want to rip one right down the fairway!

Site contributor Joe tested this club on a launch monitor at the Belfry Golf Club in the UK and was blown away. He tested the ball off a driving rage matt and grass and the launch monitor was showing really consistent number for his swing speed and delivery. A high handicapper friend of his hit the high launch option with a regular graphite shaft and it was showing 20-30 yard gains on his current 3 wood, even at a higher loft! If you can, try to hit this club on a launch monitor, you won't believe the numbers! 

Cleveland are the kings of game improvement clubs but very sneaky popular. There's not much fanfare out there, but a lot of golfers at club level jam Cleveland woods and irons. Their fairway woods have always been easy to hit and the Launcher XL Halo is a dream. 

The Launcher XL Halo 3 wood with 15 degrees is easy to launch but the 5 wood is where the game gets easy for the high handicappers. Cleveland have made a fairway wood that looks great and performs really easy because they moved attention away from developing the face.

They created variable stiffness and flexible areas of the sole and the crown to help focus more energy moving into the ball at impact with a bouncy face. 

The rails on the bottom of the club are reminiscent of the Cobra T rails and help prevent the fat shots. The club prefers to bounce through the turf gliding over a fat shot so the club still contacts the ball instead of digging in.

The face and hosel are created to be draw-biased to help eliminate that pesky slice. Now if you're slashing across the ball heavily, it's best to fix that swing, but if you're a light slicer, the offset can really bring the ball more left. 

BDog from the channel found it difficult to hit off the mats indoors and was just hitting hooks and big draws. He found it performed better on the grass and natural lies. For this reason, I think it works better on normal turf but not hardpan. But then again, which fairway woods do well on hardpan?

I found that at address, the toe and heel sit closer to the ground leaving more face area low down, where most golfers need help with fairway woods to get the ball airborne. The step-down shape of the crown also helps to get more weight lower, which also helps to get the ball in the air ASAP. 

Cobra golf clubs are always a hit with amateurs. The LTDx MAX is a really classic-looking fairway wood with a plain black carbon fiber head but with a touch of offset to get rid of a slice. The matte black crown looks inviting at address and stops any glare from the sun. 

If you're a slower swinger, the Cobra LTDx Max is a good choice

The inclusion of two strategically placed tungsten weights in the head, combined with a very lightweight shaft will help you get some more mph on your swing. Cobra placed the weight low and forward in the sole to reduce that spin down and reduce the weight on top of the club.

More swing speed means more distance. The weights in the head are also designed to eliminate a slice, so swing free and aim right down the middle. 

A very wide club face gives you a long surface area to make contact with. With more sweet spot areas to hit the ball, you'll find more forgiveness and straighter shots. I do not recommend getting a 3 wood in this range. It's a bit too big and cumbersome to hit off the deck especially as a higher handicapper.

You'll find the 3 wood good as a back-up driver but the 5 wood and up are going to be your best friend from the fairway. They are much easier to hit off the ground and at address, they just LOOK like they are easy to hit, giving you much more confidence. 

I recommend the 16°,  20° and 23° fairway woods. Combining a higher loft than normal fairway woods with light weight and the perimeter head weights means less slice and in turn tons more distance. The head is also adjustable meaning you can dial in you preferred loft. 

JMac from my YouTube channel is a Cobra fairway wood convert. Using them he has gone from a high handicapper to single figure player. 

Important information about fairway woods for high handicappers

Fairway woods for beginners and high handicappers are a tough subject. Because they're difficult to hit, I tried to simplify the whole process of finding the best fairway wood for you. 

1. Distance isn't everything 

Fairway woods don't need to be SMASHED and shouldn't be. A smooth swing with a slight downward hit on the ball will produce a nice consistent and accurate shot that will travel straighter and with more height.

Hitting a fairway wood HARD hurts your chances of that desired accuracy and consistency. My best advice for hitting a fairway wood is to relax and trust the club to do the work and swing EASSYYYYYYY. Trying to get the ball up in the air will result in a lot of slices and thinned shots. 

The clubs are designed in a way to make your life easier. Trust them.

2. Loft is your best friend

Low lofted clubs produce much lower ball flight. Usually, we would associate a lower loft with more distance. That is the case if the swing speed is fast enough. A slower swing speed and lower loft means a very low short shot.

The more loft a club has, the more forgiveness it has. This can be seen with a 3 iron vs a 9 iron. The 9 iron is much easier to hit. The surprising thing is that a golfer with a slower swing speed could hit the ball further with a higher lofted wood than with a lower lofted.

For example, a high handicapper is often able to carry a 5 or 7 wood much further than 3 woods because the 3 wood flies lower with less forgiveness. The extra backspin and loft of a 5 or 7 wood produces much more elevation and in turn more carry distance, even on mishits.

3. Different skill levels for different clubs

• Higher handicappers and beginners usually swing a little slower and require a bit more loft than normal and so a FIVE WOOD would be the best place to start for most higher handicappers - that's usually 17° of loft.

• Lower and mid handicappers are more experienced and have developed a faster swing. They can play lower lofted fairway woods because the lower a loft, the more skill and speed you need to elevate the ball.
  

4. Fairway woods are better to start with than hybrids

In my opinion, newer golfers should learn to hit DOWN on a fairway wood before moving onto the hybrids. Hybrids have made long iron play much easier but I believe a 17°, 19° or 21° fairway wood is far more forgiving and easier to hit than a hybrid of the same loft. 

Hitting hybrids requires a downward strike on the ball but learning to do that with a club that looks meatier like a fairway wood makes the transition to hitting hybrids so much easier. 

Learning to hit a 3 or 4 hybrid immediately as a beginner or high handicapper will be difficult because essentially it is still a 3 or 4 iron but it just has a chunk of metal stuck on the back. And you and I both know how difficult it is to master a long iron!

The best fairway woods for high handicappers and beginners must come in lofts higher than 17 degrees. You'll be able to hit them consistently and get them to travel longer distances. I also think you should have as many fairway woods as you like but never going below 17° of loft. 

The fairway woods you see the pro's hitting from 13° to 15° are much more difficult to get airborne off the tee and even harder to do off the fairways. The caveat to this is PING. PING woods are so easy to launch, it will make your hair stand on end!

I absolutely recommend you start with fairway woods and add hybrids later - once you're used to hitting down on the ball. If you're looking for a beautiful driver to help you as a high handicapper looking for a driver guide helpful. 

For months I struggled to get a 15 degree 3 wood into the air and carry more than 140 yards. At the time, I was still learning to play golf and someone told me 3 wood was better than driver to start off with. So I tried. And tried and tried and tried.

I practiced and practiced and nothing ever changed - I may as well have used a putter. I didn't have a great set of high handicapper irons.

Until one day, a retiree golfer at the course told me 'try a 5 wood or a 7 wood'. I never even knew there was such a thing as a 7 wood! 

I saw the man again a few days later and he gave me a Slazenger 5 wood. 

Let me tell you, it changed my whole universe. I hit that thing perfectly immediately! Carried 180 with a little draw! You read that right - a 19 degree fairway wood went further than a 15 degree  3 wood. Needless to say, I also got a 7 wood, dropped my handicap to 11 and since then I've been preaching the virtues of fairway woods to anyone who'll listen.

So as you can see, fairway woods come in handy and are made in a wide range of lofts to get you around the course easily. They're just so easy to hit and I hope the woods I've tried and found for you will change your game for the better too...

Can I use a fairway wood off the tee?

If you want to use a fairway wood off the tee, you want a taller face. What that means is the distance from the bottom of the face to the top of the face is a longer distance. 

This type of tall face club looks GREAT behind a tee and makes the club feel like a mini-driver. You can hit a shallow face fairway wood off the tee, of course. But if you're looking for a more dominant look, a taller face will serve you well. 

Is a fairway wood easy to hit off the ground?

Most of us want a fairway wood that we can hit off the ground a lot. That is why I prefer a SHALLOW face. What I mean by a shallow face is that the distance between the bottom of the face and the top of the face is shorter. 

It's easier to launch a shallower face fairway wood from a hard lie, a soft lie, a fairway lie or a lie in the rough. It's far more difficult mentally, to hit a tall-faced fairway wood because it feels like you have to 'help the ball' into the air. 

Tour Edge and Cleveland are well-priced because they do spend less on marketing and are a reputable brand. Their fairway woods will serve you well and you'll never regret purchasing from them. You make even use the same fairway wood for 5-10 years.

That will rarely, if ever, happen with a cheap brand that has thousands of reviews on it and under $75. There is no comparison between a decent brand and the cheap ones. You may enjoy the cheaper club but the day you switch it out for something better, only then will you realize what you've been missing. 

If there's just one thing I can recommend to any newer player or higher handicap, is that you should start at an advantage with decent clubs rather than cheap, ugly, awful golf clubs. It gives you a better start to your experience in golf and will help you stay with the game. The technology in the pricier clubs makes your life infinitely more enjoyable. 

I really suggest finding yourself a set of fairway woods that start at 16.5 or 17 degrees and work in intervals up to 24 degrees because these babies are going to be your new favorites!

You never have to be ashamed of how many of any club you have in your bag. Whatever gets the job done is what you play and with the assortment of woods and hybrids out there, you can practically fill your bag with them! Get out there and find the best fairway wood for your golf game. 

Three woods can be easier to hit off a tee and in my 25 years of playing golf with thousands of golfers, a three wood is often the answer for the wayward tee shots. Three-woods are not easy to hit off the ground though which is where it is valuable.

That is why I do not recommend the traditional 3 wood - I recommend higher loft. I believe this concept will revolutionize your game.  

For the most forgiving 3 wood I recommend something 16° or higher. Traditional 14 or 15 degree 3-woods are much more difficult to hit for the average golfer.

1. PING G430 MAX  (most forgiving fairway wood around)
2. Cleveland Launcher XL Halo (best fairway wood for most golfers)
3. Cobra LTDx  (best fairway wood to stop ballooning shots)
4. Callaway Rogue ST Max   (best large clubhead for confidence)
5. Taylormade SIM 2 Max (best in recent memory from Taylormade)
6. Titleist TSi2 (best for mid handicappers who want single figures)
7. Srixon ZX (best low spin, long carry forgiveness)

The shape of the G430 when looking head-on to the face definitely appears to be more of a hybrid shaped face. It's not a tall face like a mini-driver at all. This makes it really feel easy to hit off the fairway.

The sole is much flatter than what you would expect in fairway woods and sits very nicely on the ground behind the ball. Coupled with the low profile face, and it feels like an easier to hit hybrid. This will help getting the ball off tighter lies like fine-grass fairways and of harder pan ground.

It comes in 3, 5 and 7 wood with a 9 wood also included. I also play a 7 wood. Highly recommended. You can adjust the loft 0.6 to 1 degree up or down.

THE ONLY 3-WOOD I CAN RECOMMEND EVEN IN LOWER LOFTS

I play the older G425 3 wood and I can say, this is one of the only clubheads I would suggest that you can use a lower loft. The club is just that easy to get the ball airborne and fly far and land soft. My Callaway Epic Flash was more brutal in terms of massive distance but not nearly as easy to control as the Ping G425 and the newer G430 is exactly the same basically. 

The club is light but the head is just heavy enough to actually feel it which is important to know where the face is in the swing. This fairway wood will fit most levels of golfer and is right in line with their drivers...easy to hit and high launching. I play off between 1 and 3 handicap and this is forgiving.

Cleveland driver, irons and fairway wood ranges offer some of the most forgiving woods and irons around. I used Cleveland exclusively for many years as my choice for driver and fairway woods. 

The hallmark of Cleveland clubs is the lack of fiddly adjustability. The Launcher XL Halo is simple looking and easy to hit. 

From the top, at address, the club looks like their old school HiBore clubs. What that means is Cleveland have a tall face on the club but there is a step down from the face to the crown to place more weight lower down. This is to make the club function like an easy to hit hybrid instead of a mini-driver. 

On the sole of the club are two guiderails. It's a similar concept to the Cobra fairway woods where the rails stop the fat shots being really bad and help the club glide through the turf easily. 

WHICH DO YOU VALUE? ACCURACY OR DISTANCE?

The Launcher XL Halo FW is a counterbalanced club, meaning reduced swing weight, because of 8g of weight in the grip area. Lighter swing weight can mean more distance because you can generate more speed, but it's always good to check what your swing weight should be.  You can however, get the option without the counterweight in the grip in the Accuracy Build version. The club in the Accuracy Build is also 0.5 inches shorter than the standard issue. 

The usual understated graphic on the top of the crown makes aligning the matte-finish club head simple. As you normally find, this Cleveland wood has minimal face decal which means your eye is not distracted when sitting at address. 

It's a very basic point-and-shoot club and as always with Cleveland, is maximum forgiveness for almost any golfer looking to get a fairway wood that doesn't feel like a mission to hit. 

The Cobra LTDx uses a tungsten weight low and forward in the sole to reduce spin and increase ball speed for more distance.

The crown is made of a carbon composite to reduce crown weight. The remaining weight allowance means Cobra created three different weighting options for different players. For players who need pure forgiveness, the LTDx is the best choice.

The LTDx is the most forgiving because of an extra weight chip in the back of the head for better ball flight. The Max has more weight in the heel of the head to try stop slices and the LS is really for more advanced players looking to tweak minor things to adjust workability.

Cobra have become famous for the rails under the club which are hollow trips of metal designed in a way to improve the way the face flexes. They've been removed on the 3 wood in the range because the 3 wood needs a sweeping motion and the rails are less effective for most golfers on this club. That's why I recommend higher lofted clubs for the majority of players. 

GOOD NEWS FOR YOU

I mentioned earlier that the 3 woods in most ranges do not offer much forgiveness compared to slightly higher lofted options. In the LTDx range, the 5 and 7 wood, which are really the ones we're interested in, have those hollow T rails so you don't dig your club into the turf and get nice high, soft landing shots with more carry. 

WHICH ONE'S FOR YOU?

The LTDx is made for straight distance and forgiveness. You'll get a high-launch/low spin shot for better carry and rollout. There's a fixed 8g weight in the back of the club which is the ingredient that creates the magic. 

Callaway have improved on the Jailbreak support structure in the Rogue ST Max. I have reported on the difference the Jailbreak tech makes in prior posts and in their drivers. I'm not really INTO the overhyping of technology in most clubs but the Jailbreak tech was one I felt actually worked. 

Instead of two bars attaching the crown and sole right behind the middle of the face, Callaway moved that framing to the extreme ends of the toe and heel. On top of that, the bars that attach the crown and the sole are now diagonal and not straight up and down. Instead of stiffening the face, the bars now are far enough away to let the face flex more. You can be sure of a hotter face than prior models. 

There's a tungsten weight forward in the head to lower the center of gravity for high launch with lower spin. Callaway offer their fairway woods in 14 different lofts over three versions. The model we are most interested in for pure forgiveness overall is the Rogue ST Max. Other versios are the Max D for a draw bias club and the LS.

SO MANY CHOICES

The Rogue ST Max mixes stability with low spinning ball flight. The launch is mid to high, while the shot shape is a slight draw bias. You can get these bad boys in lofts from 15 to 27 degrees and I highly recommend anything in the 16 to 18 degree range as well as a 7 wood around the 23 or 24 degree range. You'll have tons of fun.

These are TaylorMade’s most forgiving fairway woods with larger faces to make mis hits less penal.

The Max uses a 190CC head with V Steel in the sole for smoother turf interaction and forgiveness when making contact with the ground.

Where the SIM 2 Max wins for forgiveness is not limited to the strike. The look of the matte finished crown with the much-more-pleasing-on-the-eye chalky grey line helps to align the face. On top of the alignment, the lighter grey color helps to frame the ball without looking intimidating to get the ball airborne. 

The range of fairway woods also wins because there are a variety of lofts to choose from and not limited to the standard 15 and 13 degree options.

Once again, the higher the loft and launch, the more fun  you're going to have on the course. Nobody wants to send those ground balls down the fairway every shot. 

Try the 16.5° fairway wood if you need some help getting the ball in the air. 

Srixon are easily the most unspoken-of top brand on the market. Matsuyama won the Masters with them and I play their irons. This fairway wood is excellent for those approaching the par 4 greens with fairway woods. 

They are creating some of the best clubs in the market and the ZX range is the improvement on the prior Z785 and Z585 clubs. Srixon don't release new clubs every 6 months like some manufacturers, preferring to actually make impactful changes in their clubs, releasing every couple years. 

Even though the ZX fairway wood has some offset to, when you place it at address, the face sits nice and square to the ball. The head has a shiny crown and a more triangular chape than a lot of fairway woods. 

Srixon have created a “Rebound Frame” which separates the face from the crown and makes a sort-of ridge across the head, which looks quite close to the PXG and Callaway. 

The fairway woods create a low spin number but couple with a high launch to be able to stop on the greens instead of bounding on.  This means longer carries that land at a steeper angle of descent for quicker stops. 

The TSi2 is the first time I can recommend a Titleist wood of any sort. I have never viewed Titleist's clubs as being aimed at the average golfer but this is the first time they've released really easy to hit clubs.

Immediately the face is what stands out. It's decorated simply with white lines across the face. The classic look continues into the clubhead which is a very traditional shape although quite big. This gives it a more "driveresque" feel which covers the ball, giving a dense of confidence.

While this club is forgiving, it's going to need a level of skill of a mid handicapper (15 and under) to hit, as the feedback from off center hits is clear and you'll known when you haven't hit it well. It's very easy to hit off the tee and sometimes can be hit low in the face off the fairways.  l.  

A lot of other fairway woods for a higher handicap are much more forgiving in terms of mis hits and feedback into your hands. That's why I say this TSi2 is for slightly more skilled golfers especially if the driver is a trouble club - this works great off the tee. Once again the 16 or 18 degree loft is going to be ideal for anyone trying to break into the 70's so they can get that all-important go-to club off the tee on tight holes.

From my experience, I very strongly urge you to get a 3 wood with a loft of 16 or 17 degrees, which is essentially a 4 wood.

And I'm not just spinning you a line. I put my money where my mouth is and I gamed a 16-17 degree four wood for 10-15 years. Granted, some manufacturers make 15 degree heads that are easier to hit, like PING and Tour Edge. But in general, more loft is better for most people.

It's my go to club off the tee and approaches over 230 yards. It's simply MUCH easier to hit than anything with lower loft.

If your swing speed is slow all the way up to average...

This setup will benefit you a lot more than a 14 or 15 degree 3 wood. You'll see more carry and have way more fun hitting a higher lofted 3 wood than with the standard loft of 15 degrees. Often the higher loft will get you MORE distance than a lower lofted 3 wood.

A lot of press is given to the driver because it's the club everyone wants to hit like Bubba Watson or Dustin Johnson. Drivers take up most of the hype in the marketing campaigns but there is the little brother that should be a superstar too...the 3 wood.
For ordinary golfers like you and me, the 3 wood presents an alternative to a driver. Sometimes we struggle with the driver, slicing it OB or topping it and not even reaching the ladies' tee (embarrassing). But enter the 3 wood and we can use it in so many situations:

• For long par 3's you can't reach with your irons/hybrids
• For long approach shots just outside your hybrid range
• Excellent distance off the tee, often equal to a driver!
• Accurate shots due to increased loft which increases forgiveness
• Reaching par 5's in two shots
• Customization of modern 3 woods means you can adjust settings to suit your needs

Choosing a 3 Wood Loft - How Many Degrees?

My next suggestion is where I might deviate from conventional thought...

I highly and super strongly recommend  a 3 wood with 16 or 17 degrees loft for the majority of golfers instead of a 14° or 15° club.

Essentially this is a 4 wood loft. This club is going to benefit the majority of players out there. The extra loft is easier to get the ball up in the air off the fairway and will actually produce far more consistent results than a 14° or 15° club.

Some golfers are very skilled and with their skill level they can get the ball airborne easily with a low lofted 3 wood. While this is good for them, I want to help the average golfer and the most forgiving 3 wood in my opinion is a 4 wood.

What to Expect with 3 Wood Distance

This is a tough question. It all depends on your swing speed, your hitting ability and the loft of the club. 

If you're a slower swinger you would benefit more from a higher lofted 3 wood (16°-17°) because you'll get more carry. This will translate into longer shots. The lower lofted 3 woods (14°-15°) will be MUCH more difficult to get travelling in the air and would actually perform too poorly for you. As a slower swinger, you could hit the 16 or 17 degree 3 wood around 180-200 yards. 

If you're an average swinger of 80-90mph then you'd also gain more from a 16° or 17° 3 wood. You'll be able to get it to travel 190-215 yards easily. In fact, a higher lofted 3 wood might go FURTHER than a lower lofted.

If you're a faster swinger and want to use a stiff shaft (90-100 mph) then you could benefit from 14° to 17° 3 woods. You have the swing speed but it depends on your reliability. I still suggest selecting from the upper range of lofts. Even lower handicap players prefer a higher lofted 3 wood for ease of use. You could find yourself hitting the club anywhere from 200 to 240 yards. 

A 3 wood is the equivalent of a 1 iron. A one iron is impossible for 99% of golfers to hit whereas a 3 wood is actually quite easy.

A 3 hybrid is there to replace a 3 iron. 3 irons are infamous for being difficult to hit for most golfers. The creation of hybrid clubs means that a lot of golf iron sets now start at 5 iron because you're expected to buy a 3 and 4 hybrid separately. A bit cheeky from the manufacturers, but it's clear no one misses their long irons after hitting a hybrid.

The heads of the 3 woods are made from steel, titanium and composites. Technology has advanced so much that some 3 woods can be as long as drivers. Henrik Stenson prefers his 3 wood to the driver. 

3 woods now all come with a graphite shaft. The shaft length makes a big difference - a longer shaft means more distance while a shorter shaft means more accuracy. Talk to your local club fitter about shortening your shaft length to make the club even more forgiving for you.

A high lofted fairway wood will serve all golfers better than lower lofted woods. The premise is simple. More loft = more forgiveness. As I mentioned in the beginning of this guide, my 17 degree wood is my go-to club and when I have no confidence with the driver, I reach for it in a heartbeat.

What will most surprise you is the extra distance you'll get when increasing the loft especially if your swing is a bit slower. Any of the clubs on this list will serve you well and get you in the right areas of the course more often.

But don't worry, my goal is to get as many beginners started on the right track as possible.

A lot of us start with a hand-me-down set or an old set from dad's era. Sound familiar?

Sometimes you get lucky and find a decent set but they're often made for someone a bit better at golf. Some clubs are even counterfeit. A friend of mine, Stuart started playing with a beautiful set of Ping Eye irons about 20 years ago. Whenever I hit his beautiful clubs they went 15 yards shorter than mine. After asking around, it turns out they were knock-offs! So be careful out there guys. Keep reading for the lowdown on the best golf club sets for beginners.

Tl;dr - The best golf clubs for beginners are the Wilson Profile golf clubs. Learn why below. 

The Wilson Profile set is the best set of golf clubs for beginners. It's come as a ten piece set with great club selections for a new player. They come in a longer version as well if you're over 6 foot 2 inches tall.

The forgiving driver is 460 cc but be aware the loft is only 10.5° and can be more difficult to get in the air as a new golfer. The more loft we can get on a driver, the better so keep that in mind when contemplating the XD set.

You also get an easier to hit #5 fairway wood and a #5 hybrid which will almost certainly become your go to golf club over the driver. These are easier to hit than irons and with the hybrid in mind, they've included only 6,7,8,9 iron, pitching wedge and sand wedge. This is a perfect start to a beginners career, giving you the easiest to hit golf clubs without providing too many options to confuse you.

The woods and hybrids all have headcovers and the stand bag is quite a catchy color, depending on your tastes. 

* There are multiple options for this set. Players over 6'2 are encouraged to go for the 'LONG' set. 

The Callaway Strata range is a comprehensive starter set for beginners. It oozes forgiveness and at around this price it's the best value for money set for new players. There are multiple sets to choose from but I really do recommend going with as few as possible. 

This Callaway golf Strata 14 piece set will do well for you. That will give you 11 clubs, plus the bag etc. The reason I say go for the 14 piece set over the 12 piece set is in the 14 piece set, they include a SAND WEDGE.

This is actually one of the clubs you definitely will need when you start so you can get out of bunkers and learn to chip and pitch with. The 12 piece doesn't include it. You can get by without it no problems I am sure. But I'd say it's gonna be a club you'll need.

It's tempting to want to purchase the largest set possible but truth be told, by the time you'll be able to hit all those extra clubs and every golf club in the bag, you'll already be buying a new set of clubs. If you are tempted to get the 16 piece set, which I am sure you might be, here's some top tips.

Remove the 3 wood and don't hit it. Use the 5 wood. The loft on the 3 wood is too low to start hitting to start the game. A 5 wood has more loft and it will be easier to hit. You'll have a 4 and a 5 hybrid club. This is an iron that they add a booty to so it looks like a  fairway wood. Pick one to use...either the 4 or the 5 hybrid. You don't need to learn both. If I were you, I'd learn with the 5H first.

*For golfers 6'2" and under

The Prosimmon X9 +1 is for the taller player over 6'2".

The "+1" in the name is important so it is recommended you confirm it is the +1 when purchasing if you're a big guy because the normal X9 V2 set is made for us who are under 6'2" tall. The +1 means the clubs are made 1 inch longer than standard sets.

A titanium matrix 460cc driver with 10.5 degrees loft is included and as a taller player you'll usually be able to generate more swing speed because of your longer arms so 10.5° would be an acceptable loft. You also receive one fairway wood and two hybrids. 

Having two hybrids is a massive advantage because they're so simple to hit and also go a long way. Any time you see a set with two hybrids, you should be getting excited! The driver, fairway wood and hybrids give you 4 options off the tee which you can work out on the driving range. 

The rest of the set is five iron down to pitching wedge and the best part for you is the clubs are about an inch longer than the other sets listed for beginners. Having the right length of clubs is vital to playing good golf.

A large mallet putter which is easy to align to your target completes the set making these easily the best golf clubs for beginners who are taller than 6 foot 2.


*There is no Sand Wedge
* For golfers 6'2" and over

• Forgiving clubs have larger clubfaces - this increases the striking area, increasing the chance of actually hitting the golf ball
• Forgiving clubs have larger sweet spots - this allows you to get good distance even when missing the center of the club face.
• Forgiving irons have the weight of the club head distributed around the perimeter of the back of the club and a hollowed out back to get more weight behind your shot. These clubs are are called Cavity Back and are the easiest to hit.

No. Although, according to the rules of golf, you're allowed up to 14 clubs in your bag, it doesn't mean you HAVE TO have 14. And very often, starting with a handful of clubs is more beneficial.

Now as a beginner, you don't even need half of that to be perfectly honest. You just need a few sticks to get you around the course and learn the ropes as simply as possible.

Beginner sets come with between 9 and 12 clubs but the most important clubs for an absolute beginner are the hybrid, the 7 iron, pitching wedge and the putter. Learn to hit those ones first and golf will come easy as you start to build you game from the ground up. 

Here's part 1 in a video series of 6 episodes on How to Break 100. If you watch this, you'll begin to understand it's much simpler than you think to play golf.

Alignment is key for good putting. Get that part hacked and all you need to do is work on the feel of hitting it the right distance. You're going to be three-putting quite a lot in the beginning of your golf career, but it gets better with time.

Having a putter that has a little offset to keep your hands in front of the ball is ideal. This promoted a forward roll of the ball instead of a skidding hit up into the ball with hands behind it. The mallet patter is easy to align with the lines on the back of the club.

Check out our putters for beginners guide to get some budget ideas for decent putters.

• How to hit a 9 iron 

• How to hit an 8 iron
• How to hit a 7 iron 
• How to hit a 6 iron 
• How to hit a 5 iron
• How to hit a hybrid golf club
• Driver Swing vs Iron Swing 
• When to use a 56 degree wedge 
• When to use a 60 degree lob wedge  

The game inside 120 yards is the most important part of golf and in this one area alone, you can drop from a high handicapper to a mid handicapper in weeks. You need to be hitting the greens when you have a wedge in hand. But if you don't, you want that same wedge to help you get up and down.

The confidence that you get on the golf course from a good wedge game, bunker game and chipping game is unlike any other high in golf. It's an emotional protective shield around you. You're untouchable when you have one of the best wedges for high handicappers in your hands. It filters up into the rest of your bag, relieving pressure on the approach, on the tee shot, and making you a happier golfer. 

If you're unsure what kind of wedge you need, if you’re only going to buy one wedge, get a great sand wedge with either 56 or 58 degrees of loft and at least 10 degrees of bounce. Keep reading to find out why.

1. Cleveland SmartSole 4 S Wedge (best sand wedge for bunkers and green side chipping)
2. Wilson Harmonized Wedge (best budget option)
3. Cleveland CBX 2 Cavity Back Wedge (most closely resembles the rest of your irons)
   
4. Ping Glide 3.0 SS Wedge (easiest to use premium model)
5. Square Strike Wedge (best 'gimmicky' set of wedges for chunkers)
6. Callaway Mack Daddy CB Wedge (best performing wedge long term)
7. TaylorMade Hi-toe wedge (get spin from anywhere on the face)

Cleveland golf make the best wedges for high handicappers. They’ve really thought about the higher handicap player with the way they've designed this wedge. Thick bottom and 58° so you don't even have to open the face up. 

Their data analysis showed that golfers with a handicap over 12, find the green only 54% of the time out of the bunker so they've created a sand wedge that will get you out 100% of the time.

The Smart Sole S wedge gets you out the bunker in one shot with almost no effort with the very wide sole. The weird looking underside is unnoticeable from the top when addressing the ball and actually looks like a standard wedge. The face already has 58° of loft, so there really isn't much need to open the face like you do with other wedges.

But if you do want to, you can because that big fat booty is not going to let you dig into the sand. It's going to bounce right out and get the ball floating out on a magic pillow of sand.

The weight behind the sweet spot has been distributed around the perimeter of the club like a standard iron. The Tour style wedges are designed with all the weight behind the sweet spot which makes them harder to hit.

This perimeter weighting makes the wedge even more forgiving and will more than likely match your cavity backed irons in design. 

These things work, period.

You can find me using both C and S wedge in this video on my Youtube channel. The newest version of these wedges now includes a G wedge so you have C, G and S for a full complement of wedges.

Add the C wedge and G wedge in unison with the Smart Sole range and you have two potent wedges that are going to severely lower your scores. The C wedge is 42 degrees which is pretty much an 8 iron while the G wedge is 50 degrees to give you a nice gapping between the C and S wedge These 8 degrees allow for a lot of versatility for the shots inside 100 yards.

With the large sole of the club, you're going to glide through tall grass and fairways alike. Around the green you're not gonna hit those duffed chips that go a a foot or two. You know, the ones you hit and look around to see if anyone noticed...

The C wedge has less loft at 42°and has been designed for playing around the green but can be used just as effectively from 125 yards with a full swing. While it looks quite radical, this club gets the job done every time. The G wedge at 50° is the between club for more chipping precision and a bit of a shorter full shot than the 42° club. 

Easily the best wedges for a high handicapper or beginner struggling with the short game or looking for their first wedges. These two clubs have the potential to rapidly revolutionize your short game from bunkers to green side to pitch shots within 100 yards. No BS.

PING make superb irons and drivers, but their wedges are just like the rest of their golf clubs - easy to hit and easy to use.

The PING Glide comes with a specially designed grip with white markings on it to use as a guide for where to put your hands when gripping down. They designed the wedge from the hands down so you can be in control as much as possible.

Weighting has been shifted to the perimeters to improve the off center strikes on the longer shots so there is less distance variability. This is a massive help because those partial shots are everyone's worst nightmare.

Site contributor Joe from the UK has a 54 degree PING glide sand wedge and he uses it for a variety of shots on the golf course. He find that the forgiving look of the club makes it easier to hit committed three quatre swings and he loves the amount of bounce the club has. This is ideal for the different ground conditions he can find on his home golf course. 

I have to say, I thought hi-toe clubs were a gimmick when I first saw them. I couldn't see how the full face grooves could make a difference. Then I tried one. Wow.

Out of thick rough and sand, this thing is a DEMON. Have you ever hit a wedge high in the face out of the cabbage, and watched it run off the back of the green? I have, and that didn't happen with this club. 

Out of the sand, I found it really easy to manipulate the face to get maximum spin, even in the ball was sat down or plugged. Around the green, the club performed like any premium wedge. 

The more triangular shape of the head might put some people off, especially if you favour a more traditional "tear drop" style head like a Vokey. If that sort of thing doesn't bother you, give this a try. It's as forgiving as any wedge I've played. 

From my experience and taking inspiration from master club fitter Tom Wishon, I recommend a sand wedge with a wide sole to take your short game to the next level. This bigger sole gives the wedge what is called bounce. More bounce means it's easier to get the ball airborne.

But you’re probably thinking “what the hell is bounce”? Before we get into that, understand that it’s the most important characteristic of a wedge to give us more forgiveness. Forgiveness is our priority as higher handicappers so we can get the ball off the ground and going where we want when we want. Bounce helps us do that. 

To help you find the best wedge for high handicappers & beginners, I focused on bounce as the main criteria.

“Bounce refers to the lowest part of the sole, that part of the wedge sole that is actually in contact with the ground at address and that causes the front of the sole to be off the ground at address.

Bounce angle is a measurement, expressed in degrees, of the angle between the leading edge of the sole and that lowest point on the sole. The higher the bounce angle, the more the leading edge of the sole is off the ground at address.”

Do you find it difficult to hit the ball out of bunkers first time? I know I used to. There's nothing more embarrassing than taking 4 to get out of a bunker. But check out my guide to hitting bunker shots for beginners.

For 90% of golfers, the wedge should have a lot bounce to literally bounce off the surface of the sand and float the ball out on a pillow of sand.

When we start golf we all hit a lot of fat shots. Fat means you hit the earth before your ball.
If your SW has too little bounce, it will dig into the ground on a fat shot and your ball will go nowhere.

If the wedge has more bounce, it will literally bounce off the earth and make good contact, sending the ball to your target. This will help your shots inside 100 yards.

What’s a wedge?

What defines a wedge from an iron is loft. The 9 iron normally has around 44° of loft. Anything above 45° is considered a wedge.

Wedges can be used on fuller shots from 140 yards and in depending on your swing speed. It’s often said that a wedge should not be hit at full power. The idea behind wedges is to use them for controlled shots instead of power shots. Their job is to get you close to the hole, not long distances.

The higher loft produces higher ball flight and often more spin.

What wedges should I use as a high handicapper or beginner?

If you only own the Sand Wedge from your set, you can definitely try a stand alone wedge. But you need to know what you're looking for. Then you can narrow down what you should purchase and try out.

There are a handful of reasons people have for needing wedges in all skill levels. I will list them here in order most applicable to higher handicaps down to what is more applicable to lower handicaps.

1. Get out of bunkers first time: If your primary concern is just getting out of that damn bunker, I definitely would go with something with a VERY thick sole and loft between 56 and 59°. You can start with a Cleveland Smart Sole or one of the other crazy fat soled wedges like an X-out or Tour Edge 1out. These are great for JUST GETTING IT OUT OF THE SAND.
2. Chipping: Now here you can actually get away with chipping with your irons if you learn the bump and run style chip which I promote on my Youtube channel. But of course, you may find yourself in some tricky spots as a high handicapper and want to chip over bunkers and water and obstacles.
   You want a wedge that will be versatile from the rough as well as the fairway so something with a cavity back like a Ping Glide or a Cleveland CBX wedge can really do wonders for you. The Smart Sole is also very suitable for chipping as well. The G wedge in the Smart Sole range is a potent chipping club.
   
   The loft range for these types of shots can be 50° up to 56° and you will be fine with one or two of these wedges.
3. Shots from 30-100 yards: These are going to be clubs with 58° loft down to 50° which are swung more 'full'. The types of wedges that are best for this are up to you entirely. You just need to practice with the one you choose and find the distance you hit it with a FULL SHOT and a HALF SHOT. Then adapt your game to use that club and that swing for the specific distance it goes. 

HERE IS MY MAXIMUM WARNING FOR ALL HIGH HANDICAPPERS AND BEGINNERS!

Forget the 'flop shot' and the high lobber. You DO NOT need to learn this shot at this stage. Learn the very basic chipping and pitching move which you can find on Mr Short Game's Youtube channel as well as my Youtube channel and just GET THE BALL ON THE GREEN. Those flop shots you see the pro's playing took YEARS to create. 

Our goal as normal golfers is to get it on the green and then try make a putt and at worst, two putt. EASY LIFE. Avoid a lob wedge with over 58° of loft. 

When do we use wedges?

We use wedges from bunkers and for chipping around the green. Most golfers end up finding one club they like to hit out of bunkers with, chip greenside with and hit ¾ shots with. Personally I like a pitching wedge for greenside chipping, lob wedge from the sand and sand wedge for ¾ approach shots as well as chipping from the rough.

The choice is yours and there is no right or wrong way when you find what works but starting with the above best wedges for high handicappers and beginners will make life a lot easier.

We also use wedges inside 100 yards. This is the absolute most important part of golf and most professionals will tell you that if they took over the game for a 24 handicapper inside 100 yards, that 24 handicapper will play off no more than a 12 handicap. 

Armed with a decent wedge and a LOT of practice, you can significantly SLASH strokes off your score. Treat yourself to a nice investment in a wedge and watch how you quickly nip and tuck a stroke from the bunker here, a stroke from a chip there and some more from inside 100 yards here and there. 

What are the Four Main Wedges?

Pitching wedge

The pitching wedge is most common and has a loft between 44° and 48° which you will get in your set of irons. These are great for greenside chipping.

Gap Wedge

50° to 53° which fills the gap between PW and SW for when you need to close the gap in distance. You will need to get this separately because most good high handicap iron sets don't come with one.

Sand Wedge

The sand wedge normally has 54° to 58° loft with fat soles that have 10° to 12° bounce which is essential for bunkers and shots within 100 yards. The thick underside helps to glide through longer grass and sand while also getting the ball airborne off shorter grass. In our opinion, the best wedge for high handicappers and beginners is a sand wedge.

Lob Wedge

The lob wedge at 60° to 64° loft is perfect for hitting it over bunkers around the green, short bunker shots and within 80 or 90 yards. It can add another dimension to your game allowing you to take fuller swings inside 100 yards instead of those tricky half swings with sand wedges! Lob wedges over 60° are not practical for the average golfer.

Here is how all four wedges work:

How important are wedges?

Specialized wedge clubs are a dream to play and the number of shots you'll hit with a wedge will surprise you:

• Pitch from 20 to 100 yards
• Green side chipping
• Chipping and pitching over hazards and bunkers
• Green side sand shots
• Chips from the rough

If we add up the total shots you play per round with these few clubs in these situations, you’ll see it can be up to 40% of your of the game.

The best wedge for high handicappers and beginners are from the Cleveland Golf Smart Sole 4 Wedge range.

My main aim is to help you pick the best clubs for your game without breaking the bank or being lured into buying crappy clubs that will disappoint you. I hope this guide was helpful and you find yourself a decent wedge or set of wedges to take your game to the next level from within 100 yards.

More articles to help you learn to hit your clubs

• How to hit a 9 iron 
• How to hit an 8 iron
• How to hit a 7 iron 
• How to hit a 6 iron 
• How to hit a 5 iron
• How to hit a hybrid golf club
• Driver Swing vs Iron Swing 
• When to use a 56 degree wedge 
• When to use a 60 degree lob wedge  

In my 25 years of playing golf, once you learn the short game, the next biggest leap you can make to slash your golf score is to have a reliable and forgiving driver. Having a driver you have no confidence in will kill your game before you even tee off. That's why I have searched for the best driver for beginners. 

Using one of the best golf drivers for high handicappers, you'll feel that awesome confident feeling. It's a feeling we all want - to KNOW where the ball is going. To have the ball in play so we can approach the green and start cutting strokes quickly and dramatically. 

I'm a proponent that you can get into the mid teen handicap with nothing more than a fairway wood and hybrid, but if you do want to get some more distance off the tee, make sure you can hit it well at least 6 out of 10 shots before bringing it to the golf course. Before that stage, please practice your driver at the driving range.

The best golf driver for most higher handicap golfers is currently the PING G340 MAX for its forgiveness.

1. PING G430 Max driver (most forgiving driver on the market today)
2. XXIO 12 driver (most expensive but highest quality golf driver)
3. Cleveland Launcher XL Lite driver (best for slower swing speeds)
4. Tour Edge Exotics E722 driver (best value beginner golf driver)
5. Mizuno STX 220 (easiest driver to launch with draw bias)
6. Callaway Big Bertha B21 (high loft options easy to hit)

The XXIO brand is under the Srixon and Cleveland umbrella (Dunlop) and it is their high-end premium brand. I know this one is expensive, I know!

But let me explain why I included it. 

I have a friend in Bangkok. Well a friend is a strong word - he is an acquaintance and we have played golf twice. He couldn't hit a driver to save his life - his swing speed is a bit low and he was going for all the ego drivers from the brands we all know - Taylormade, Callaway, you name it. 

Then he discovered the XXIO at a fitting where a pro threw this at him. He hit it a few times and the machine was registering some good drives, so he bit the bullet and spent them money.

Bill can now hit a driver and he is getting 230-240 yards off the tee, where before, all he was hitting was worm burners to the left, about 100 yards. I have hit his XXIO 12 driver and even with a soft regular shaft in it, I can hit it straight. It's a beauty. 

The XXIO 12 driver is super lightweight and made of extremely fine materials. They design these drivers specifically for moderate swing speeds. If your swing speed is below 80 mph, you can really benefit from the smooth and effortless swinging and power of the XXIO 12. 

Cleveland may seem like a name that is not heard much on tour, which it isn't. This is the everyday golfers driver and one of the easiest to hit in the available ranges. The Launcher XL Lite is the version of the Launcher range designed for maximum swing speed and forgiveness. 

Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry play Cleveland and Srixon (the same company) but the truth is that Cleveland make EXCELLENT clubs for the high handicapper and beginner. Their drivers are also in the game improvement category to help launch it higher and longer.

I used a Cleveland driver back in the day to get down to a scratch handicap. They've always made very simple-looking driver faces and very forgiving hitting areas. They fit high end shafts and you can pick one based on your swing speed to maximize your abilities. 

Looking down at the club, it looks like a PING with the matte finish and spines running across the crown. It's simple to swing and easy to hit but mainly for slower swingers. If you swing like a brute, there will be minimal benefit for you.

There is also a version of this driver for you if you want to eliminate a slice and want the ball to shape right to left. It's called the Launcher XL Lite Draw

The club comes in 10.5 and 12 degree versions. Usually I would say anyone with a slower swing speed would do well to pick a higher lofted driver (12°) to get it launching longer with more carry. It's almost always the case that you'll see an increase in yardage by going higher loft. 

It's tempting to think the clubs the pros play on TV are the ones we should be playing. There is a massive difference between pros and amateur golfers so there is no shame in playing different clubs to the guys who do it for a living.  Play what works for you. That could be a used club from the junk store or it could be the latest Titleist 8.5° monstrosity. 

Also remember, the clubs on television are "Tour Issue", that means they have been made available only to the Tour players. The golf drivers you find in a retail shop are NOTHING like the one the pros are playing. I only state this so you can make a selection based on performance and looks to YOU, not what Brooks Koepka or Dustin Johnson or Tiger Woods is hitting. They have the means to fine tune their equipment with the best information and technology possible. 

The best driver for beginners is the Ping G425 Max due to its forgiving face and interior club head weighting. If you haven't hit a PING driver before, you MUST try out the G425 and you will be amazed. 

I hope this guide was useful in finding the best drivers for beginners. If you decide to put a driver in your golf bag to take your game to the next level, always have it fit with a shaft by a professional club fitter to fully maximize its potential. It can literally change your life.

You can find confidence off the tee, which will put you in a better position for your approach shots and that puts you in a better position to score. 

Once you've become more experienced and are becoming more consistent with the driver in hand, you'll be ready to check out this driver guide for mid handicappers. 

If you're on a budget and looking for the best value golf drivers, check out this guide. There you may find the best second hand driver for high handicappers. 

A lot of golfers don't realize the importance of matching a golf ball to swing speed. Most players without high swing speeds regard all golf balls as the same. You and I know that's not true, especially at 100 mph swing speed and above.

In fact, our swing speed will make different golf balls behave in different ways. High swing speeds just hit the golf ball differently. If you're a 100 mph swing speed or MORE golfer, you have to check out the best golf balls for high swing speed to maximize your game. They'll take you to the next level and bring your scores way down.

The SaintNine is not going to be one you've heard of. It wasn't one I heard of but I saw it had cute pictures on it and felt soft in the packaging, promising a urethane cover. 

That was the day my life changed forever. 

My experience

I'm not into making a big deal out of equipment, but this is easily the best golf ball I have ever played golf with. At my swing speed of around 110-115 mph now, I noticed this ball feels nice a firm and flies further than most others I have played.

I would play these golf balls over any other in the world including the Pro V1. But as I will point out later, when they are available to me!

It came as a surprise of course that I would fall in love with these golf balls, because I had no clue about them before I bought them. The ball went easily 10 yards further than any other ball I've played and sat down about the same as a Kirkland Signature. Not intense rip back but drop and stop where it lands which is always preferable. 

On the wedge around the green, the ball stops as usual, providing consistent roll out on the chips, with a firm feeling on the face, which is what I prefer. I don't like marshmallow feeling golf balls and the UPro Tour strikes a good balance. The little animal pictures on the golf ball are intended to chill you out during the round, and now that you know that, you'll look at them and chill out!

The one concern I have is they are often not available or if one supplier runs out, you might find some really jacked up prices. Use your discretion with these as anything above 50 bucks and you're paying too much.  

These balls are rare to find where I am so I ordered some online and I have to tell you, if I lived in the US, this would be my ball of choice. It's so cheap yet goes like a rocket. I don't really like to proclaim too much distance off the tee with a ball but this one was really quite phenomenal. I noticed distance gains, but I was skeptical about their stopping power. 

My experience

In this Youtube on my channel, I was playing with Steve and included a couple of my shots with the Kirkland signature and on the 10th hole, it was amazing to see how quickly the ball stopped. On the 11th hole, I hit the longest driver I have ever hit on that hole and then followed it up on the 12th with a 6 iron that stopped BEHIND the pitch mark.

I can safely recommend this ball to anyone who is on a budget, hits it hard and doesn't want to lose expensive premium balls!

I played this ball at Pebble Beach and Spanish Bay to shoot 74 and 71 respectively. Yes, I like this golf ball and there is not much wrong with it.

Bridgestone - the famous tire and Nike golf ball manufacturer - have made it super easy to find the best golf ball for high swing speeds. It tells you on the box! 

These balls are for people swinging the driver faster than 105 mph. The 'S' on the end of the name stands for Spin. The Tour BXS has a soft feel to it for golfers wanting more feel and spin around the greens. 

In the B XS, you get oodles of control and feel. Distance is equal to any other premium golf balls with a 100 mph swing speed or more. But the feel and spin from wedge shots and short irons is something to behold. A redesigned SlipRes cover keeps it gripped to the club face longer for more spin and high trajectory. 

My experience

Overall, one of the best golf balls for high speed swings. I did notice the balls scuffed easily on harder driving wedge shots. Along with that came up to 6 feet of zip backwards when hitting the greens.

You'll need to control that spin when hitting these. The dimple pattern is a little different to what you may be used to and seems much shallower. Sometimes these looks put us off. But you have to hit them to understand it makes no difference and the ball performs just as well as others in the premium category.

There is nothing more to say other than yes this ball is the best in the world. 

The main reason to play these is because they are the most widely used on the PGA Tour. That means the pros trust them, the winners use them so in turn, we shall too.

A lot of the time, it comes down to how secure you feel with a golf ball. If you're second-guessing yourself because of the ball, you're not committed to your shot. If you have no worries about the high compression golf ball performing the way you want, you hit better shots.

The Pro V1 is my choice as it flies a bit lower than the Pro V1x which seems to generate more spin. 

The Callaway Chrome Soft is the most popular ball at golf shops but for the 100 mph swing speed or above, Callaway also produce the Chrome Soft X.

There was a bit of controversy a while ago with My Golf Spy claiming the Chrome was a short golf ball. Callaway addressed that. They also introduced the Triple Track marking on the side of the ball which lines up perfectly with their Odyssey Triple track putters. 

They've used a four-piece construction with a larger Dual SoftFast core to get the ball to go as straight and long as any other top premium golf ball when swung at high swing speeds. 

A compression of 95 makes the Chrome Soft X  a high compression golf ball, perfect for higher swing speeds. Callaway ball features hexagonal dimples. If your speed is not high enough, these golf balls will feel like rocks. With a 100 mph swing speed, the ball will spin enough and instead of creating the ripping effect, of 5 yards of spin, you can control the ball enough to get it to stop closer to the pitch mark.

Bottom line is the ball works well for higher swing speeds especially if its 100 mph or higher. Callaway needed to create a supplement to their popular Chrome Soft range to have something that big bombers and tour players can use and provides an all-round good performance.

The Germans have produced a minimalist and slick-looking four-piece urethane covered golf ball with the Vice Pro Plus. But look at that logo. If that doesn't scream sexy, nothing does.

My experience

The Vice Pro Plus feels firmer than the Titleists - pretty similar to the B XS from Bridgestone reviewed a little higher up. With a four-piece construction, golf balls fly a little lower, so if you're looking for a more penetrating flight, the Vice Pro Plus works beautifully. 

Sound off the driver is also different to Titleists Pro V1x. It gives a bigger smack and with a faster swing, the Pro Plus feels firmer and hotter off the face than a lot of Tour balls.

For you big hitting beasts who want some finesse into the greens from inside 150 yards, this ball stops where it drops. The trajectory is high, generating a lot of spin, making the ball stick right where it lands. Can I say it's identical to the market-leader? No, but how about 90% as good? Yes. For so much cheaper, this is a tough competitor to the best golf ball for high swing speeds, the Pro V1x.

Are Pro V1 and Pro V1x the best golf balls for high swing speed?

The number one ball in golf is Titleist and the Pro V range in particular. Of course, the fastest swing speeds in the world play these balls on the PGA Tour with the average swing speed around 110 mph. Is it the best for you? It depends on your budget and propensity to lose golf balls. 

So yes it's the best golf ball...if you're good enough. 

Premium expensive balls do not benefit anyone who is shooting high scores and losing a lot of golf balls. Fearing the loss of an expensive golf ball while standing on the tee is a sure way to sabotage yourself mentally before the shot.