All posts by Matt
Most Forgiving 3 Wood in 2019
I'm sure you'll agree that drivers are hard to hit straight.
And sometimes we need a little help from the fairways on those long approach shots when we are at that upper range of our irons or hybrids.
That's where a forgiving 3 wood steps in to give you a safe "go-to" shot on tight holes off the tee and that extra reach when you're just out of range of the green.
I love the confidence I have on tree or water-lined par 4's, short par 4's and long approaches - all thanks to my trusty 3 wood.
But I don't use or recommend an 'official' 3 wood - I really think it could revolutionize your game.
As great as traditional 14 or 15 degree 3 woods are, they're tough as hell to hit so I have a slightly different take on what the best or most forgiving 3 wood is.
Four is the new three in fairway woods!
The most forgiving 3 wood is not actually a 3 wood!
From my experience helping hundreds of fellow golfers, I very strongly suggest 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've gamed a 17 degree four wood for the last 10 years - I play off a single figure handicap now too.
It's my go to club off the tee and approaches over 220 yards. It's simply MUCH easier to hit than anything with lower loft.
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.
Why, you ask? Well, for average swing speeds, more loft means it's easier to get the ball off the naked turf in the fairway and into the air to carry longer distances. Higher lofted woods are the most forgiving fairway woods in a similar way a pitching wedge has a higher loft than a 4 iron and is easier to hit.
If you swing at a faster swing speed (100 mph+) PROFESSIONAL LEVEL though, feel free to try 15 degree 3 woods.
Most Forgiving 3 Wood
- Tour Edge Exotics EXS (best fairway wood for all golfers)
- Cobra F9 Speedback (super distance and easy to hit for ANYONE)
- Callaway Rogue (large club head feels like a driver)
- Taylormade RBZ Black (best for mid to high handicappers)
- PING G400 (most forgiving driver around)
- Titleist TS2 (best for mid handicappers looking to go single figures)
- Taylormade M4 High Loft (straightest shooter)
Tour Edge Exotics EXS
High end fairway wood at a very affordable price
Not really a big name on the tip of anyone's tongue, yet Tour Edge Exotic range are some of the finest fairway woods and for many years, Tour Edge have been famous for the fairway woods they produce. The Exotics EXS range come with Mitsubishi shafts which are excellent and
The wide range of weights of shafts (50g, 60g and 70g) help you to pick whether you want some more swing speed (lighter ) or more control (heavier). On top of that, there are five different lofts available. Now if you're a skilled playa, then 13 or 15 degree may be your go-to tee club from now on. But if you're like most people, the 17 and 18 degree option is going to really help you off the tee and the fairways.
The low profile of the club, as well as the white lines contrasting the black simple club head, makes this club easy to align and also easy to hit off the fairways. This is genuinely a FAIRWAY wood and will fly high and handsome as all Tour Edge products do.
Despite appearing to have a low profile, the club face is actually quite deep when looked at head-on. This will be great for those of us who like to hit it off the tee.
Lots of options
The wide range of weights of shafts (50g, 60g and 70g) help you to pick whether you want some more swing speed (lighter ) or more control (heavier).
On top of that, there are five different lofts available. Now if you're a skilled playa, then 13 or 15 degree may be your go-to tee club from now on. But if you're like most people, the 17 and 18 degree option is going to really help you off the tee and the fairways.
You can also switch the two weights in the sole around to experiment with ball flights.
Pros
Cons
Cobra F9 Speedback
Most forgiving 3 wood for massive distance
Cobra keep bringing out better and better clubs with more forgiveness and distance. The best part about the newer range is they've reintroduced the Baffler rails under the club. They're two chrome colored rails which are used in a way to get the club through the turf instead of digging which is making their hybrids and fairway woods TOP choices for forgiveness.
Of course with the added forgiveness, you're able to swing freer and getting through the turf better means more distance. To really benefit from the club, you should decide on which loft you want. Are you looking for less loft or quite a bit more, for more forgiveness?
The F9 Speedback lets you change the loft of the face by removing and reinserting the shaft. If you're keen to try a 14 degree, it will also allow you to loft up to 16 degrees. The 5/6 wood option allows you to start at 17 degrees and adjust to 20 degrees. The F9+ (plus) 5/6 option lets you adjust from 16 to 19 degrees which I think is the sweet spot of lofts for amateurs.
Only one thing that isn't great
If you're a stickler for a classic look and shape of a club head at address, you might not enjoy looking down at this. The new range from Cobra has taken a leaf out of the Taylormade and Ping book and have made a crown with some strange shapes on top.
The big difference is that Cobra have kept the crown black compared to Taylormade's white or grey, and Cobra have also put a little logo on the crown whereas the Ping has the same matte top just without a logo.
If you prefer silver and black, you're in luck. The yellow is an option as well as the grey.
Pros
Cons
Easy to hit point-and-shoot weapon
The 17 degree Callaway Rogue is right in the sweet spot of being a 4 wood which allows for much better ball flight that will give you more carry as well as a quicker stopping ball when hitting into the greens,. The 15° is a great option if you have a faster swing speed or play off a lower handicap. Slower swingers and mid to high handicappers are going to love the 17° for that extra forgiveness and distance in the air.
The Jailbreak technology from the previous driver to this, the Epic has been put into this one too. The technology does add a few yards as I experienced with my Epic driver. But what we're looking for is forgiveness and with a nice tall face right around the sweet spot, the Rogue gives you a large surface area to hit the ball.
Looks and loft range
The Sub Zero version of this club have a much more classic, smaller head look with fewer decorations. The face is merely lined with a few white lines across the whole face while the standard Rogue has a spider looking decal on the sweet spot.
With a wide range of lofts, there are so many options to look at and if you're convinced by the higher loft being easier to hit, like I am, you'll find a 5 wood and even a 6 wood in there.
Pros
Cons
Taylormade RBZ Black HL
Dollar per cubic centimeter the best value
Taylormade has a top range and they have a mid-range and for those of us who don't want to spend a fortune on the top range clubs, the mid-range provides equal forgiveness and distance. The RBZ range of Taylormade has been so popular on the golf course, it's hard to find a mid to high handicapper without some model or form of an RBZ in his bag.
They've changed the crown and head color to black from the older versions which were white. That clearly wasn't everyone's cup of tea.
What you find with the RBZ range is the club has no adjustability which is a great feeling for a lot of us who have the FOMO (fear of missing out) where you think about all the settings and which ones will be optimal; always doubting that the ones you're using are even right for you. It's always good to keep that in mind when thinking about buying an adjustable club.
Pick the HL (High Launch) model
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.
These clubs are great for slower swingers, seniors, beginners and those who don't want to spend much. The bang for the buck is incredible and easily one of the more popular ranges from Taylormade.
Pros
Cons
PING G400
Forgiving fairway woods as good as their drivers
Personally, not a big fan of the spikey looking things on the crown but overall, without any flash colors on top and it being matte black definitely does appeal. .
The shape when looking head-on to the face definitely appears to be more of a hybrid shaped face. The sole is much flatter than what you would expect in fairway woods and sits very nicely on the ground behind the ball. 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. But you can adjust the loft only 0.6 to 1 degree up or down. Choose wisely.
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.
Pros
Cons
Taylormade M4 HL Fairway Wood
Extra loft to get it airborne easier
Taylormade has to be on the list of best 3 woods because Taylormade have expanded on the M2 which were superb and made the M4 even more forgiving with longer distance off more of the club face. They've made the face thinner so it catapults the ball further with less effort. This 'high loft" comes in 16.5° without a sliding weight so it's a simple point and shoot wood to avoid decision paralysis when finding your "ideal" settings.
Most noticeable is the extra distance you get from a shot hit lower in the face and there's no more white all over the crown. The top has a silver piece which offers the same contrast to the black crown for easy alignment, without the blinding white.
Choose the HL - High Loft version for more forgiveness
The M3 by Taylormade is a similar club with similar lofts but you can adjust the lofts as well as move around a little weight on the sole of the club. The M4, featured here, is a set 16.5° and reduces the anxiety that the adjustable lofts and weight plate can introduce to your game. I'm a firm believer in making this game simple but if you like tinkering, then the M3 would be more up your alley. Keep in mind, the M4 is more for the mid handicapper, while the M3 would be for mid to low handicappers.
The M4 however is a great piece of weaponry and goes a little further than the M3 from what I have seen. Club head size is also a little larger than the M3 which gives you that feeling of covering the ball, making it difficult to hit a bad shot.
Pros
Cons
Titleist TS2
Great for a go-to club off the tee
This 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.
For the mid handicapper on the cusp of single figures
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 TS2 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.
Pros
Cons
3 Wood Buying Guide
Why you need a 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.
When to use a 3 wood
When NOT to use a 3 wood
- If you're a slower swinger and/or a higher handicapper then a forgiving 3 wood (higher loft, softer shorter shaft) will help you gain more distance.
- When you want to get close to a green in two shots on a par 5. Hit it only when you know you can reach. Leaving a half shot into a green is never ideal.
- When you're "a long way out" just to advance the ball up there somewhere. This is a big reason golfers have blow-out holes because the 3 wood is not the most forgiving club. If you're 260 yards from a green on a par 4, get it to your favorite distance so you have an easy 3rd shot in. That might mean hitting a 6 iron and then a wedge for those 260 yards.
- When there's water around the green and you're at the edge of your 3 wood range
What's the difference between a 3 wood vs a 3 hybrid?
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.
3 Wood
- Better from the fairway and tee
- Potentially longer carry
- Lower ball flight
- Rolls much longer
- More forgiving than a driver and long irons
- Difficult from fairway bunkers
- Needs a sweeping swing like a driver
3 Hybrid
- Better from the rough
- Potentially shorter carry
- Higher ball flight
- Lands softer
- More forgiving than a wood and long iron
- Easier from fairway bunkers
- Best results from a steep swing hitting down on it like an iron
Modern 3 wood design & materials
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.
Conclusion
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.
Best Golf Clubs for Beginners
Are you new to golf?
Have you played a few times and struggling to get the ball in the air on every shot? Are you losing a ton of balls in the woods and the water?
You might actually be playing the wrong clubs for your skill level.
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 beginner clubs.
Best 2 options for beginners
Picking a set is intimidating with all the marketing hype and peer pressure out there. So what I've done is give you two options and how to do either one without spending too much:
- Get a complete prepackaged set
- Make your own set
I wish you luck and welcome you to the golfing brethren. I hope you find happiness on the golf course!
Be sure to check out the Driving Range for Beginners guide to help you improve with your new clubs.
Top Golf Set: Wilson 10 XD 10 club set
The overall best set of beginner clubs on the market. The Wilson XD set comes with the easiest to hit clubs you could put into a golf bag. A driver, 5 wood, 5 hybrid, 6 iron down to sand wedge with a putter is ideal for a new player.
The Best Golf Clubs for Beginners
Beginner Golf Set Reviews
Below we'll take a look at the four best beginner golf sets. However, if you're interested in building your own set, scroll to the bottom of the page and have a look at my advice for individual club selection.
Don't I need more than 10 clubs to play golf?
No. Although, according to the rules of golf, you're allowed up to 14 clubs in your bag. 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.
Perfect selection of easiest to hit clubs for any beginner
The Wilson XD set is a ten piece set with great club selections for a new player.
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 clubs 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 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 'TALL' set. Kids and ladies sets are available too.
Pros
Cons
Best budget set
The Callaway 12-piece 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.
In the set, the titanium alloy driver is 460cc in volume with 12° of loft for long straighter drives off the tee. This loft is really what separates this set from the Wilsons and Prosimmons which only have 10.5° of loft on the driver. With the Callaway driver, you'll be hitting a much longer and straighter ball if your swing is a bit slow or unsteady. More loft on the driver is going to make it easier to learn with too.
A fairway wood and a hybrid plus five offset irons and you're ready to go. Included in the set is a mallet putter and a durable stand bag making these the best golf clubs for beginners who want the bare minimum.
*Sand Wedge is not included
*For golfers 6'2" and under
Pros
Cons
Callaway Strata Ultimate 18-piece Golf Set
Most Complete Set
Callaway's 18-piece is a comprehensive golf set with 12 clubs. It's a bit pricier than the 12-piece which only has 9 clubs but what is awesome about this set is that it comes with two hybrids and two fairway woods.
Besides the 3 wood, you also get a much easier to hit 5 wood. This is going to be one of your favorite clubs as a beginner, I can promise you. The hybrids in the set are also lifesavers. 3 and 4 irons are so difficult to hit for even intermediate players that hybrids were created to solve the problem. You get TWO in this set which gives you three awesome options for long shots into the green or off the tee.
The titanium alloy driver is 460 cc in volume with 12 degrees of loft for long straighter drives off the tee. You also get a bonus two forgiving fairway woods and two hybrids for maximum value.
Six iron down to sand wedge make up the rest of the set. This is a very complete set any beginner would be excited to have.
Woods and hybrids all have headcovers and the stand bag is full of storage.
*The putter is offset but not a mallet shape - it's a more traditional Ping shape
*For golfers 6'2" and under
Pros
Cons
Prosimmon Golf X9 V2 +1
Best for Tall Beginners
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
Pros
Cons
Mini Guide to Beginner Golf Clubs
The Key to Great Beginner Clubs
To improve your game and become a consistent ball striker, you need a set of clubs designed for beginners or high handicappers. Hitting the center of the club face makes the ball travel further but beginner clubs are created with large sweet spots to allow you to hit the ball straighter and longer even when you miss the center of the club face. We call clubs that improve new players mishits, ''FORGIVING' clubs and they make the best golf clubs for beginners.
What does an Ideal Beginner Set look like?
Above we said the best clubs for beginners are forgiving, but let's dig deeper into what forgiving means.
• Forgiving clubs have offset heads - the face is a little bit behind the shaft to allow the face to be square at impact
• Forgiving clubs have larger clubfaces - this increases the striking area, increasing the chance of actually hitting the ball
• Forgiving clubs have larger sweet spots - this allows you to get good distance even when missing the center of the club face.
Clubs to AVOID like the plague as a beginner
Expensive clubs
They do look lovely and they will help you, but later. For now it's best to start small and get a hang of the game and once you learn more about your swing and your game, you can splash some cash on a swanky set. It takes a lot of time to get to that level so the key is patience. You will get there, I am sure of it, but only if you start prudently.
Blade irons
No. нет. nein. いいえ
Blade golf clubs from Jack Nicklaus days as well as modern blades are strictly for players with a handicap of 6 or lower.
The back of the club is solid and gives the look of a knife blade.
The sweet spot is tiny and missing it results in actual physical pain throughout your hands and arms. No kidding! These are by far not the best golf clubs for beginners.
Any wedge over 60° loft
These are quite gimmicky and require even more skill to use at all. Phil Mickelson can play with one.
The one I once had ended up wrapped around a tree.
Check out our wedge guide for beginners
The Best Driver for Beginners
As a beginner you will love the confidence you get from a big driver head (460cc) with a big wide face to hit the ball with. The big head gives us more forgiveness since there is more surface area to make contact with the ball.
To give us even more forgiveness a beginner driver should have 11° to 14° degrees of loft. This will get the ball airborne and stay in the air longer. The higher loft also makes it easier to hit it straighter by giving us more backspin.
A a new golfer, you should try find used equipment but if you're interested in new stuff or seeing some ideas of what would suit you, I wrote a Driver guide for beginners and high handicappers
The Best Clubs from the Fairway for Beginners
Generally beginners have longer shots into the greens while learning the game. Long irons are probably the most difficult club in the bag for new players to master.
Fairway woods and hybrid clubs take their place and are extremely easy to hit and forgiving because they have more mass behind them to get the ball airborne and going straight than irons.
Luckily manufacturers are targeting the beginner and higher handicap group of players with awesome fairway woods and hybrid clubs. They take the place of 2, 3, 4 and even 5 irons in the set, making mid to long distance approaches easier than ever.
But don't think these clubs are only for long approaches. You can also use these clubs and SHOULD use these clubs to get the ball in the fairway off the tee when starting out at golf. It's satisfying hitting one big bomb drive per round, but shooting a good score is far more satisfying after the round by playing conservatively with fairway woods and hybrids off the tee.
Check out our fairway wood and hybrid guides for high handicappers for some ideas on suitable clubs.
The Best Irons for New Golfers
There are a few buzzwords you'll hear in the golf world when researching clubs. Super Game Improvement and Game Improvement are two popular ones at the moment.
The basic idea behind a Super Game Improvement iron is that it is aimed at rapidly improving your game as a beginner or high handicapper by using the most forgiving technologies available. Check our guide for the best clubs for beginners.
Can you spot the cavity back, perimeter weighting and wide sole?
Technology used to produce forgiving golf clubs
The Best Putter for Beginner Golfers
Mallet putter with alignment aid
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.
The Best Sand Wedge for Beginner Golfers
Beginner sets often don't come with a sand wedge and you might like to have one for escaping the bunkers. In fact, I'd say if your set doesn't have one, you must get one to have some fun chipping and pitching onto the greens.
We're looking for sand wedges that give us a lot of forgiveness. Big bounce and a wide sole is essential for a forgiving sand wedge. The best type of sand wedge for a beginner is one with 56° to 58° of loft with a minimum of 10° of bounce.
Check out our Wedges for Beginners article to learn more about bounce and wide soles and forgiving wedges. I've found only the best for your game.
Best Wedges for High Handicappers and Beginners
Upgrade your short game and watch your scores drop
Ever hit a golf ball 400 yards in two shots and then take 4 more shots within 100 yards for a delicious double bogey?
That sticks with you, and usually affects the rest of the round too.
The secret to better golf is being lethal inside 100 yards and I want to help you become lethal inside 100 yards.
So what I've done is found the best wedges for high handicappers and beginners to give you some suggestions to get more joy on the course without breaking the bank and splurging on unnecessarily expensive equipment. I should also mention, I LOVE saving money on golf equipment so I don't usually recommend the expensive stuff.
If you get only one wedge, get a sand wedge
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.
Top Wedge: Cleveland SmartSole S Wedge
Easiest wedge to get out of bunkers first time and chip around the green. With a bit of practice, it's a great club for approaches inside 100 yards.
The Best Wedges for High Handicappers and Beginners
- Cleveland SmartSole 3 S Wedge (best for bunkers and green side chipping)
- Wilson Harmonized Wedge (best budget option)
- Cleveland CBX Cavity Back Wedge (most closely resembles the rest of your irons)
- Tour Edge 1Out Plus Wedge (best bunkers-only club)
- Pinemeadow Pre 3 Wedge Pack (best introduction set of wedges)
What makes a wedge lethal?
From our experience and taking inspiration from master club fitter Tom Wishon , we 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.
What is bounce?
“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.”
Bigger soles increase bounce
How does bounce make a club forgiving?
Bounce moves the club through sand in the bunkers
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.
Bounce controls the digging of the club into the turf
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.
The Best Wedges for High Handicappers and Beginners Reviews
Best wedges for immediate results
Cleveland has been the foremost name in wedges for years. They’ve really thought about the higher handicap player with this club. 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 guys out 100% of the time.
Never fear bunkers again
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 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.
Add the C wedge in the Smart Sole range and you have two potent wedges that are going to severely lower your scores.
Beyond bunkers
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.
Recommendation
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.
Pros
Cons
Best Value for Money Wedge
Wilson is a very underrated but excellent golf club manufacturer. They’ve designed a winner with this range of wedges and it’s going to be very difficult to find better value than the Wilson Harmonized Golf Wedge at this price.
Maximum bang for your buck
The 56° Sand Wedge has optimal bounce of 12° which promotes forgiveness and helps you strike clean wedge shots consistently. For under $50, it's going to be difficult to get better bang for your buck.
The leading edge of the club is designed to get under the ball and prevent too much digging. The feel off the face is responsive and the ball flies high and drops with spin to stick on the greens.
Consistent distance control made easy
If you find you enjoy your 56°, Wilson produce 52° and 60° models to add to your set. For very little money, you can get your hands on 3 wedges: 52°, 56° and a 60°. That makes a perfect 4° gap between the pitching wedge in your set (48°), the Gap (52°), Sand (56°) & Lob (60°) in the Wilson Harmonized wedges.
The Wilson Harmonized wedges are the best wedges for beginners to start with and getting the consistent gapping between your wedges will help with hitting the right distances from 120 yards down to 70 yards time and time again. The confidence you’ll get by not having to hit half shots into greens will change your outlook on life.
Recommendation
At this stage of your golf career, you probably won't be able to discern between a premium wedge and a value wedge. So it makes sense to keep the wallet fat and try out a wedge like the Harmonized.
Pros
Cons
Most forgiving premium wedge
Once again Cleveland appears on this list. There’s no escaping the quality of their wedges. I really like the 56° Cleveland CBX wedge. This wedge is really easy to hit because Cleveland have put 12 degrees bounce on this club with a nice thick sole to glide through the turf, getting the ball into the air easily.
Cavity back makes it more forgiving
The cavity-back design in the CBX is more forgiving than the blade wedges most often found nowadays. Forgiveness is the magic word for high handicappers and beginners and in a wedge, it's even more important so you can get onto the green easily to putt for some pars.
With the cavity back and chunky sole on the CBX, it's going to be much easier to get out of the bunkers, prevent chunked chips around the green and improve approach shots onto the greens.
Like with irons, the cavity back allows for more perimeter weighting which is unique for a premium wedge.The perimeter weighting means you’ll still get distance and spin on off-center strikes because of the extra weight behind the ball even on mishits.
This premium wedge functions as a game improvement club by bringing all the elements of forgiveness to the club head. It's always a safe bet with Cleveland wedges but this is easily of the best wedges for high handicappers and beginners looking to upgrade.
Pros
Cons
The Ultimate Sleeper Pick
Tour Edge is no stranger to the golf market. And their Bazooka driver range is quite famous indeed. Their Bazooka wedge range might be a little less well-known. At 56 degrees loft and 11 degrees bounce, the 1Out Plus is exactly what we're looking for to escape the sand and never duff a chip again.
In a similar way to the Cleveland Smart Soles, this club looks really weird. It's reminiscent of the Ray Cook Alien wedge which was also a head-turner.
Feels like you're cheating
This club is an ideal fit for you struggling to get out of bunkers. When you hit the bunker shot, the club usually gets stuck in the sand or you decelerate on the shot and the ball stays in the damn bunker.
With this club you pick the spot 2 inches behind the ball and hit down on that spot and your ball flies out of the bunker, first time, every time. It does make it kind of a one trick pony but with some practice can become a deadly chipping club
Takeaway
The 1Out Plus has been designed to get out of sand specifically but is effective on shots inside 100 yards and greenside chipping over obstacles.
You'll find the heavy, wide sole will make the club do the work and you won't need to manipulate the club for a consistent ball flight. The heaviness and shape will take time to get used to but once the trust in the club is there, it's incredibly easy.
Pros
Cons
Best Budget & New-Player Wedge Option
Not everyone is looking for expensive premium wedges or wants to spend a ton of cash on golf. You might be someone who plays very casually, for business or on a shoestring and this might be the first time you've looked for wedges.
Whichever way you play this game, these Pinemeadow wedges kill three birds with one stone.
Non-stop rave reviews for the Pre Wedges
The Pre Wedges (strange name) are an incredibly popular club and for the price it’s easy to see why. You get a set of 52°, 56° and 60° with wide soles and sleek stainless finishes.
Get these to learn how to use wedges first
The Pinemeadow Pre Wedge set are the best wedges for high handicappers and beginners looking for a one stop solution. For a low investment, you can punish and put these through their paces. You can learn the ins and outs of wedges with this set and once you've learned enough, you can go ahead and get yourself a premium wedge.
A sensible choice
This is a one stop solution for beginners or high handicappers. If you're new to wedges, this is a great set to start your lethal superhero short game training before you're ready for upgrading to the ever-pricey premium wedges.
The clubs have been designed with the beginner in mind which is evident in the sand wedge having 56° loft and 12° bounce - great for what we're looking for. Add in the AW (attack wedge) & lob wedge and for under $80, you're smiling.
Pros
Cons
Short guide on the best wedges for high handicappers and beginners
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.
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.
Four Main Wedges
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.
50° to 53° which fills the gap between PW and SW for when you need to close the gap in distance.
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.
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 wedges fly
Are wedges really that important?
Yes. Specialized wedge clubs are a dream to play and the number of shots you'll hit with a wedge will surprise you:
If we add up the total shots you play per round with these few clubs in these situations, you’ll see it's roughly 20-30% of the game.
What is the best wedge for high handicappers and beginners?
The best wedge for high handicappers and beginners is one with maximum FORGIVENESS.
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.
Related posts of interest
Best Driver for Beginners & High Handicappers – Most Forgiving Drivers
Putt for Show. Drive for Dough.
The biggest handicap drops I've seen in my group of 40 or so golf buds have come from introducing one club into the bag - a great driver like my top choice Tour Edge Hot Launch 2 which eliminates slices.
I'll never forget my friend Hercules. Yes his name is really Hercules.
Hercules dropped from a 19 handicap to a 9 in one year. All he did was get a driver he could hit straight and long. Let that sink in for a moment. The rest of his game fell into place over the course of the year just because he was in good positions off the tee. Before that, his only struggle was to be in play off the tee. Because his tee shots hurt him so much, he could never break 90.
I remember the day he broke 90. I was playing with him and we won the betterball tournament by 10 points! He didn't just shoot 89, he shot 80! Every drive was center of the fairway, 260 yards. It was something to behold. I've never seen anyone with a bigger smile on their face at a golf course.
But 'Drivers are a waste of time for high handicappers'
And that was the day I realized when people tell you drivers are not important for beginners & high handicappers and working on the short game is the most important...they're wrong.
Drivers have advanced so much in the last 20 years that big and straight bombs off the tee are accessible to everyone.
They're easier to hit than ever but selecting the best driver for beginners and high handicappers can be confusing. I hope this guide helps you select the best, most forgiving driver possible.
Ideal specifications for your driver
Ideal characteristics of a high handicapper driver
The Best Drivers for Beginners and High Handicappers
Tour Edge Hot Launch 2 Draw Driver
Tour Edge Golf has been producing equipment for 30 years and are refocusing on their original message of "Golf's Most Solid Investment". What's different about Tour Edge is they focus on making high quality clubs for an affordable price just without all the marketing hype. The Tour Edge Hot Launch 2 fits into that theme nicely.
Great for slower swing speed and reversing slices
The Hot Launch 2 Draw is designed to help golfers with a slice. The club face is offset which means the face is actually a little bit behind the shaft, to allow the face to be square at impact instead of wide open.
The club is loud and explosive which is going to benefit slower easy swingers. No matter where you hit it on the club face, it travels long and straight. All those mishits we get so used to are going to give you much better results with this driver.
What you see is what you get with the Hot Launch 2 Draw. It's a high flying point-and-shoot. The ball launches high and carries longer. You might need to adjust your approach game because you're going to be pulling short irons into the greens after bombing it off the tee with this slice-remover.
Two great budget options for beginners and high handicappers
The other option in this range is the standard Hot Launch 2 (without offset). The head looks more traditional without the offset and the face is squared up to the hosel so the club has much less draw bias than the one above.
For higher handicappers lucky enough to not slice the ball, this is a good choice of club. The ball flies off the face hot and distance is no problem.
The loft can be changed in the non-offset High Launch 2 by detaching the shaft from the head and adjusting settings from 8.5° to 12.5° - perfect upper range for bogey golfers.
Both these models are so well priced it's hard to find better value for a brand new driver.
Recommendation
If you have a slice, I recommend the Hot Launch 2 Draw with 10.5°,12° or 14° with a regular flex shaft.
If you don't like or need the offset and hit the ball straight enough, the Hot Launch 2 Standard driver is recommended with the ability to adjust lofts from 8.5° to 12.5°. Check your swing speed but generally we recommend the regular flex shafts for newer golfers.
Well-priced with a Lifetime Warranty
What we like most about the Tour Edge Hot Launch 2 is the price to performance ratio. This is going to be a home run for beginners and higher handicappers looking for a new club without cashing in the 401k to afford it. Even more impressive is you get a Lifetime Warranty with Tour Edge.
Pros
Cons
Cobra King F6
Rickie Fowler has done a lot as Cobra's marketing tool on the Tour in the last few years to raise brand awareness. But Cobra's been in the game for ages. They've always been known to make drivers like the King F6 that maximize distance for the average Joe.
Straight shooting long bomber for higher handicappers
Once you find the right settings for you, it's difficult to miss fairways and distance is one of the longest in the Game Improvement driver category. Some golfers report that even on toe hits the Cobra King F6 is out-driving their previous drivers.
A pleasant pop sound at impact rounds off the show-stopping looks of the driver.
Adjustability made simple
F6 hosel settings
You can easily adjust the loft of the F6 with the MyFly8 hosel between 9° and 12° in increments of 0.5°.
What's more is you can also change the ball flight by switching the heavier weight on the sole to the front and the back. Putting the weight in the back will produce a higher ball flight while putting it in the front will lower it.
Recommendation
I recommend the Cobra King F6 if you're looking for just plain straight distance without too many bells and whistles.
Adjusting the lofts is simple and the weights are easy to use. Cobra eliminated the paradox of choice by giving us a set amount of settings. I suggest trying out the 10° to 12° settings on the range fitted with a regular shaft.
Pros
Cons
Tour Edge Exotics EX 10
The Sleeper of the Year
The Exotic EX10 is a superb driver from Tour Edge. And the amazing thing is hardly anyone will know it. While everyone is raving about the Callaways and Taylormades, this one is slipping under the radar.
Tour Edge Exotics are famous for their fairway woods which go long distances but they've created an amazing driver in the EX10.
The EX 10 launches high and has very low spin numbers which means straighter shots with longer carry. Even on mishits, you'll be hitting the ball further and straighter. This driver is so forgiving.
The adjustability of the EX10 is simple. You have one nine gram weight in the sole of the club while Tour Edge have a range of weights you can buy separately if you prefer a heavier or lighter feeling.
The club comes in 10 degree and 12 degree versions. Both can be adjusted up or down 2° so the 12° is a good option for higher handicappers giving you the chance to play anywhere between 10° and 14°.
Recommendation
The 12° Exotics EX10 with a regular shaft is a perfect fit for high handicappers and beginners. The loft can be adjusted down to 10° and up to 14° which puts it in optimal loft ranges.
Pros
Cons
Callaway XR 16
Callaway is one of the top manufacturers on Tour and in the amateur ranks. Every release shows new innovation and cutting-edge technology to make golf a fun sport for anyone. And the Callaway XR 16 continues that tradition.
Boeing & Callaway combine for more club speed and distance
This time Callaway paired up with Boeing to design the aerodynamics of the driver. The club head moves smoothly through the air producing more clubhead speed, in turn meaning more distance.
Free forgiveness included
The extra clubhead speed will add distance to your tee shots but even more exciting with the XR16 is that it's one of the most forgiving drivers on the market. Callaway used R.Moto Face Technology on the face, which is just a fancy way of saying the face is thinner than previous models.
What that means is that the clubface can rebound quicker and over a larger surface area at impact. The face is thinner throughout the face so it means the sweet spot is massive. That means longer and straighter shots even on mishits.
Recommendation
I highly recommend a 10.5° XR 16 with a regular shaft.
The loft of the club can be adjusted by unscrewing the head from the shaft. The loft can be reduced to 9.5° and increased to 11.5° and 12.5° putting this driver perfectly within our loft range for high handicappers.
Has been in the bag of: Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson
Pros
Cons
Taylormade M2
Taylormade seems to release new clubs every third day. But that is great for golfers looking for equipment with recent technology. The prices plummet as soon as the new model comes out. And that's the case with the M2 from 2016. It's a great little club!
The simple way to big distance and forgiveness
The 2016 M2 is one of the best drivers Taylormade has ever created because it's a point-and-shoot forgiving bomber with only a few settings for loft. It's grip it and rip it with this club and that's perfect for golfers who don't want to fiddle with weights and settings.
What's so simple about this driver is there are no adjustable weights. You can however adjust the loft of the club to get more or less height which is best for a high handicapper or beginner looking for more distance with higher ball flight.
Yuge sweet spot for massive forgiveness
The sweet spot is huge on the M2 club face and even when you miss the center of the club face, the ball travels straight and carries LONG.
The white crown is unique and the contrasting black and white really helps to align your club to the target. The looks might put some people off but that's the nature of innovation.
Recommendation
If you like the white color on the crown, we think this is the best driver for beginners and high handicappers. The best options are the 10.5° Regular shaft and the 12° Regular shaft.
The loft of the club can be adjusted so your 10.5° can be changed to 11.5 and 12.5° while the 12° version will be able to go up to 14°! That's perfect for beginners or high handicappers.
Has been in the bag of: Rory McIroy, Sergio Garcia, Tiger
Pros
Cons
What makes the best driver for beginners and high handicappers?
FORGIVENESS
What makes a driver forgiving?
Forgiveness refers to how much or little a driver punishes a bad strike. If you miss the sweet spot of the club, there'll be a loss of distance and direction. Forgiving clubs lose much less distance and promote straighter ball flights on mishits than tour spec drivers.
Luckily, modern drivers aimed at the casual golfer are the most forgiving ever made. Mishits are very common for new golfers. Older drivers used to punish mishits with pain in your fingers, shots that went nowhere and lost balls. Mishits now go further and straighter than ever before making it easier to find the best driver for beginners and high handicaps.
Higher loft means more forgiveness
A driver has the lowest loft in the bag. Automatically that makes it harder to hit in the air and keep straight. An easy analogy is the difference between a 3 iron and a 9 iron. The 3 iron (24° loft) is difficult to control while a 9 iron (44° loft) is very easy to hit high and straight due to higher loft.
Pros use lower lofted drivers (7°-10°) and because their swings speeds are incredibly fast (110+mph), they are able to get the ball flying 280+ yards.
Amateurs generally swing at 80-90 mph and require much more loft to make up for the slower swing speed. The additional loft also creates more back-spin which prevents too much movement left or right in the air.
For maximum forgiveness for a beginner, we recommend loft of 10.5° to 14°
Softer shafts for slower swings
The shaft is the most important part of the driver. It will determine how the ball flies through the air and consistency of your shots. Shafts in the driver are all graphite now and steel is used only in irons and putters.
Shaft flexibilities are labelled in the following ways:
- L for Ladies
- A or M for Senior FLex
- R for Regular
- S for Stiff
- X for Extra Stiff also called Tour
The faster your swing, the stiffer you need the shaft to be, so you can hit a consistent ball flight. A shaft that is too stiff for your swing produces a ball flight that goes low and to the right. A shaft too flexible for your swing causes an inconsistent shape on your shots
In general, beginners’ swing speeds are between 80 and 90mph so we recommend a Regular ( R ) flex shaft to help promote a straighter, consistent ball flight.
Big club heads for big forgiveness
Nowadays, all drivers’ heads are between 440 and 460 cubic centimeters (cc). This has increased the club face size and with it, the sweet spot. It is always advisable for newer golfers to go with a 460cc driver head because well, it’s the maximum!
Adjustability technology increases options
Adjustable & Fixed Weights
In the latest drivers there are weights attached to the sole of the club head that can be adjusted by sliding them around into different positions to alter the shape of the shot. This technology sounds good, but it can be highly confusing for a new player to grasp all the combinations and effects on center of gravity and MOI and all the other jargon terms used to market the clubs. We don’t recommend these expensive drivers for new golfers.
On the other hand there are weights that can be replaced or moved to fixed locations which are much easier to play.
Adjustable Lofts
For the purpose of this guide, which is to find you a simple-to-hit and forgiving driver, this is the technology that can help you most. Some of the recommendations here have this technology.
The shafts can be unscrewed from the head and rotated to increase or decrease the loft of the driver from 9° to 14°. This is very valuable tech for a new player to adjust the loft to their preferred number.
Difference Between the Pros and Us
Feature | High Handicappers | Pros |
|---|---|---|
Swing speed | 75-85 mph | 105+ mph |
Loft | 10.5° to 14° | 7° to 10° |
Shaft | Regular | Stiff/X Stiff |
Forgiveness | High | Moderate |
Club Head Size | 460 cc | 440-460 cc |
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.
Conclusion
I hope this guide was useful and if you decide to get a driver 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.
Related posts of interest
Best Golf Ball for High Swing Speed in 2019
Boom! That feeling when you nut one down the middle and everyone's staring in wonder as you pick up the tee casually. Just another day in 100 mph plus heaven.
But with great power comes great responsibility. And by hitting booming drives with no short game, wedge or iron play, you're letting down the rest of us big bombers. We're being painted with the same brush worldwide... big hitters with no finesse, no touch!
So I'm here to help you long hard swingers out there. Hulking brutes without a delicate touch, heavy hammer swingers lacking tenderness at their finger tips. I've found the best golf balls for high swing speed to help you hit it long, knock it closer and shoot lower scores. Go forth and prosper. Keep reading below.
My own swing speed
I swing at around 100 mph and was up to 117 mph when I was 22. A desk job and less playing time has reduced it a bit!
The Best High Swing Speed Golf Balls
- Bridgestone Tour B330 S (Best all-round golf ball)
- Taylormade TP5x (Top value brand name ball)
- Vice Pro Plus (For Pro level fast swings)
- Snell My Tour (The Dark Horse, the sleeper pick)
- Callaway Chrome Soft X (My personal favorite and regular choice)
Are Pro V1 and Pro V1x the best golf balls for high swing speed?
The number one ball in golf is Titleist. But does that mean their Tour balls are the best for amateurs too? If you're a consistent 2 handicap through to + handicapper, then I say a firm MAYBE. For everyone else, I don't think so at all.
You're going to be able to get great performance out of the Titleist at your swing speed but only....ONLY....if you're a consistent player. If you're shooting 78 one week and 86 the next losing 4 golf balls, I don't see the value in playing Titleist Pro V golf balls.
Golf gets expensive like that and with the options that are available out there, you can get the same benefits as the Pro V range for much less money. As amateurs, we can't really tell the difference between a Bridgestone B330, a Pro V and a Vice Pro Plus. They're all multi-layer balls with urethane covers. They all spin the same and travel the same distances. The results are almost identical between premium golf balls for us.
Only the scratch and '+' handicaps will be able to truly use the Pro V to the maximum value. Overall, I don't recommend the Titleist Pro V range at all for amateur golfers and urge you to give some new ones a try. You'll be very pleasantly surprised.
What about higher handicappers with high swing speed?
I recommend that you play off a solid 15 handicap or less to benefit from using the balls on this list. Check out this list to find some more budget friendly, yet acceptable balls to try first.
Best Golf Balls for High Swing Speed Reviews
Of course, everyone touts the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x as the greatest golf balls ever made. While they are the number 1 ball on Tour, supplying that many balls to that many pros pushes the costs onto you the consumer. Below are our best alternatives to the expensive Pro V1 golf balls.
Callaway Chrome Soft X
My favorite and the ball I jam 8 out of 10 rounds.
The Callaway Chrome Soft is the most popular ball at golf shops but you know, there's something additional they want to give us high speed swingers. So Callaway produce the Chrome Soft X.
They've used a four-piece construction with a harder Dual SoftFast core to get the ball to go as straight as the Chrome Soft but when your high speed swing makes contact with the Chrome Soft X, it goes further and gives you more control over the shot shape.
A compression of 90 makes the Chrome Soft X the same as the Pro V1 but as usual the Callaway ball features hexagonal dimples. Truth be told, we don't know why they didn't just call this the Callaway Harder because it is a harder version of the Chrome Soft.
Bottom line is the ball works well for higher swing speeds. 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.
My favorite golf ball
I use this golf ball for most of my rounds unless there is a new one to try. In particular I love the soccer ball print Truvis design. Initially I wasn't sure but I shot some great scores with it and there's always a comment or two when you tee it up with a soccer ball.
Have a look at my Youtube channel and you'll see it in action. Long off the tee and very soft off the face. In particular I like putting with it because of the soft feel and almost trampoline effect when you stroke it. I swing it at about 110 mph.
What makes me select this ball over others is that it sits down almost on the spot with the wedges. I don't like too much back spin and prefer if the ball stops near the carry distance to make it easier to judge when approaching the greens, knowing it will stick where I hit it.
The cover is also very durable and I've used the same ball for 3 rounds in a row - when I don't hit them in the water!
Pros
Cons
Bridgestone Tour B330-S
For maximum distance and Tour spin
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! Tiger has started playing since Nike abandoned putting their name on Bridgestone golf balls.
105 mph +
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 B330-S has a soft feel to it for golfers wanting more feel and spin around the greens.
In the B330-S you get oodles of control and feel. Distance is equal to any other premium golf balls with the swing speed above 100 mph. 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
I played the B330-S for the first nine at Thai Country Club and noticed a firmer feeling on the putter which is preferable because the feedback lets me know how I've struck the putt. Pitching with the low one-bounce-and-stop on the Bermuda greens was so very easy. The ball bites HARD. In terms of distance off the tee, I hit it out there 280 to 310 yards - same as other premium golf balls.
The ball performed a miracle on the 6th hole. A 210 yard par 3 dead into the strong wind. Pulled a 3 iron and flushed it. Usually my shots will balloon into a wind like that with a Pro V1. The B330-S penetrated right through the wind with a boring dead-straight trajectory and stopped a foot from its pitch mark leaving me 8 feet for birdie.
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.
Pros
Cons
Taylormade TP5x
Well priced brand name premium ball for high swing speeds
Taylormade's five-piece, 90 compression TP5x from 2016 are designed for the lower handicap player with a fast swing speed. Rory McIlroy even switched to it this year.
The balls have the fifth layer to help golfers who trap the ball against the ground with their irons instead of sweep it away. Results of every shot become predictable and boring with this ball really. You know where the ball is going off the tee, you know where it's going on approaches and you know it's going to stop near the pitchmark.
My experience
An interesting observation using the TP5x for a round was how the ball held a straight shot shape in the air.
There was much less movement left and right than I normally hit even on my Sonic Boom drives. Those 110% drives usually produce a large fade but they seemed to land right of center of the fairway throughout the round which added distance because less time was spent travelling sideways.
This also meant I tried harder to work the ball left and right because the ball produced less shape. That's not necessarily a bad thing and after I realized I could just shoot darts at the pin, I aimed right at it.
Approaches stopped within feet of pitch marks and came off the club face with slightly higher trajectory than normal which also contributed to it sitting down very quickly.
Around the greens, the ball stopped after two short hops and was very special out of bunkers giving me three out of three sandies. Off my milled steel putter face, the ball felt as good as any other ball in the premium range.
A value option
An alternative and more value option is the older Taylormade Tour Preferred model which is very similar in performance to the TP5x.
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Cons
Vice Pro Plus
Good for very fast swings - 110 mph +
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.
Vice take on Pro V1x with the Pro Plus
The Vice Pro Plus feels firmer than the Titleists - pretty similar to the B300-S 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.
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Snell My Tour
Best for golf ball snobs to have their minds blown
Dean Snell, the man behind the Snell golf brand is a golf ballin' superhero. He holds 40 patents in golf ball manufacturing. Then there's his resume.
Golf Ball Designer Extraordinaire
He's been in the business of designing golf balls for 28 years. 18 of them were at Taylormade where he created the Burner, Noodle, Rocketballz and Project (a) golf balls. Before that, he worked at Titleist and is the inventor and co-inventor of the Pro V1, Professional and Tour Prestige! In 2015 he started his own company and now produces some of the best golf balls for high swing speeds in the premium category.
The cast urethane cover on this ball is the same as what you find on balls like the Pro V1 and Taylormade TP5 giving it that soft, thin and durable property.
It's a three-piece golf ball and boasts a low compression to reduce the spin with the longer clubs giving you handsome distance. Around the greens, the ball is a star. The check on chips and pitches is comparable to the very best on the market.
My experience
I noticed a gain in yardage off the tee with the My Tour Ball. It wasn't a huge difference but around 5 yards or so. With my long irons, I noted the usual clubs I hit on the par 3s at my regular course were overshooting the usual landing areas by no more than 3 yards on each hole. Off the putter, the ball felt firm with a little 'give' from the soft cover. The tuning fork definitely went off in my loins with the feeling of this ball off any of the club faces.
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Conclusion
Most of the top end balls will suit your game it just depends on your skill level. If you are consistent and don't lose many balls, the premium balls are for you. If you're a bit erratic, it's going to be best to test a few balls. The urethane covered premium balls will give you more feel and spin around the greens which the harder balls won't do with your fast swing.
I love Callaway Chrome Soft golf balls and also play the Bridgestones. The Bridgestone has a much firmer feel off the putter face which is why I prefer to tee it up with the Callaways.