Best Golf Clubs for Beginners and High Handicappers in 2023

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***If you’re looking for the most recent reviews for 2023 gear, we will be updating this page in the summer after we’ve had a chance to review them!

If you’re in a hurry and just want to know our top choices, here they are:

Starting out with the game of golf can be a daunting task. Finding people willing to play with beginners, choosing the right clubs, finding the right course, and a host of other issues arise right away. 

When these decisions are made, however, the game is a lot of fun even starting out. You can play 18 holes, hit 120 shots, and that one drive down the middle of the fairway or that one long chip that fell in can make you forget the 115 terrible shots that barely made it off the ground. 

To make the beginning of your golf journey easier, read the following article to learn about the best golf clubs for beginners and high handicappers. We will tell you about the clubs and why they can help you hit more of the “memorable shots” each time you go out on the course.

Best Golf Clubs for Beginners and High Handicappers in 2022 Reviewed

 

Best Driver For Beginners and High Handicappers

Cobra King SpeedZone Extreme

In a market with a lot of excellent choices, the Cobra King SpeedZone Extreme stands out. It is one of the straightest and longest drivers out there, which is exactly what most beginners and high handicappers are looking for. On top of the added distance, the sweet spot on this driver is one of the industry’s biggest which means less mishits and more balls hitting the fairway.

Add to that the lower center of gravity giving each shot less spin and a higher launch angle, this driver is exactly what most beginners need. You get extra distance with less spin and the design is great. This driver will not fix your swing, but it will give you more opportunities to land in the fairway and it will help you to look good while doing it.

Pros
  • One of the lowest shot dispersions recorded for a driver which means it is very straight, consistent, and accurate.
  • Produces high end ball speed and distance.
  • The matte black design or the yellow and red writing looks as good as it performs.
  • CNC milled infinity face expands the sweet spot and makes it one of the most forgiving drivers out there.
  • A simple and straightforward club which is great for beginners and pros alike.
  • Includes Arccos swing technology in the grip.
  • The weight was moved lower and toward the center to promote higher ball flight and less spin, 2 things that are very important to almost every beginning golfer.
Cons
  • On the higher end of the price range.
  • Not customizable. 

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To see the full list and learn how the Cobra King SpeedZone Extreme fared against the competition, check out this article: Most Forgiving (Best) Driver for Beginners and High Handicappers in 2020!

Best Fairway Wood For Beginners and High Handicappers

Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220 

One of the few fairway woods that performs just as well from the tee as it does from the turf. The focus of these fairway woods are forgiveness and launch, and these are the most important things for most beginners and high handicappers. These clubs can also be found at a great price.

While the focus is on forgiveness, these clubs provide a lot of distance as well. The diamond face produces great ball speed with 44 different diamond shapes that act like mini-trampolines behind the club’s face. The bottom line is that these fairway woods limit mishits, increase distance, and are easy to get up in the air. 

Pros
  • The focus on forgiveness and launch is crucial to new golfers.
  • A low price point for a high quality club.
  • Increased MOI with additional weight in the back not only provides forgiveness, but helps to limit spin.
  • Perform very well from the tee if your driver is not working.
  • The sweet spot is almost the entire face of the club.
  • There are a lot of shaft and loft options.
  • Features a high launch angle.
  • Looks great at setup and inspires confidence standing over the ball.
Cons
  • Not as long as some of the other high end fairway woods.

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To see the full list and learn how the Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220 fared against the competition, check out this article: Best Fairway Woods for Beginners and High Handicappers in 2020!

Best Hybrid For Beginners and High Handicappers

Callaway Mavrik Max

We love the AI technology that went into developing these hybrids, and the product that it produced is top notch. As hybrids grow in importance and use at every level, owning a good hybrid for a beginning golfer is of utmost importance.

The Callaway Mavrik Max features a huge sweet spot with as much forgiveness as you will find in a hybrid and the length to match. Callaway put all of the technology and research that went into the development of their driver into these hybrids as well and the results are one of the best hybrids on the market for any skill level.

Pros
  • One of the most forgiving hybrids on the market which is one of the most important features for a beginner or high handicapper.
  • The “Flash Face” technology produces a lot of ball speed and distance no matter your skill level.
  • Setup to produce a high launch angle no matter the lie.
  • It is a very customizable product with numerous lofts, shaft options, and club lengths from which to choose.
  • Fairly consistent ball speed across the club face so that mishits are few and far between.
  • Some of the straightest, longest, and most consistent shots of any hybrid.
Cons
  • One of the more expensive hybrids on the market.
  • While it performs well, it does not look as good at setup as some of the other hybrids out there.

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To see the full list and learn how the Callaway Mavrik Max fared against the competition, check out this article: Best Hybrid Golf Clubs for Beginners and High Handicappers in 2020!

Best Irons For Beginners and High Handicappers

TaylorMade SIM Max OS

Your irons are your most used and most difficult to consistently hit clubs in your bag. Beginners and high handicappers, in particular, need to find a good, cavity back iron set like the TaylorMade SIM Max OS. Featuring an oversized head and wide sole, these irons were made specifically as a game-improvement club and they can help golfers of any skill level hit a more consistent shot towards the green.

The Speed Bridge technology adds distance while the lower center of gravity gives it a high launch. These irons are also offset to help fight against the dreaded slice that so many high handicap players face. These clubs were made specifically for beginners and they do everything that a new golfer needs their irons to do.

Pros
  • Developed and made with beginners in mind.
  • The oversized cavity back design is very forgiving.
  • A low center of gravity gives the ball some added lift.
  • The large face area and wide sole both provide forgiveness and cut through the turf well.
  • Less expensive than many name brand iron sets.
  • Speed Bridge technology gives you extra clubhead speed which should lead to extra distance.
Cons
  • Does not have the classic look at setup that some golfers desire.
  • Lack some of the feel and spin options that can take your game to the next level.

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To see the full list and learn how the TaylorMade SIM Max OS fared against the competition, check out this article: Most Forgiving (Best) Irons for Beginners and High Handicappers in 2020!

Best Wedges For Beginners and High Handicappers

Cleveland CBX 2

The Cleveland CBX 2 was the easy choice for best wedges for beginners and high handicappers. They were revolutionary when they first came out because they took the game improvement aspect of cavity back irons and brought them to the short game. Wedges, in general, are blades.

Cleveland saw an opportunity to take what the vast majority of golfers use in the rest of their irons and make wedges just as easy to hit. The best thing about these wedges, however, is that they offer the advantages of a cavity back without losing many of the features of the traditional blade design.  

Pros
  • The “full shot” wedge play is maximized with the CBX 2.
  • The positive aspects of a cavity back iron in the wedge. These features include:
    • Added forgiveness.
    • Easier to hit.
    • Less mishits.
    • Similar distance.
    • Easier to launch.
    • Larger club head.
  • 3 different sole grinds maximizes the positive of each wedge.
  • Groove system produces a lot of spin and feel around the green.
  • Was designed for ease of play and game improvement.
Cons
  • Some golfers will be thrown off by the slightly different look of the cavity back wedge.
  • There is not as much flexibility or shot making capability in these wedges.

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To see the full list and learn how the Cleveland CBX 2 fared against the competition, check out this article: Best Wedges for Beginners and High Handicappers in 2020!

Best Putter For Beginners and High Handicappers

Callaway Odyessey Triple Track Marxman

We cannot say enough about the Triple Track Marxman putter. It is one of the easiest putters on the market to align which, in and of itself makes it ideal for beginners and high handicappers. The mallet design includes a very high MOI which means that your putter will not twist at impact.

The sweet spot is virtually the entire face of the putter so that your speed is very consistent. The weighting of the shaft is up towards your hands so that you have great control on every swing. The white hot insert is very soft so that the feel of this putter is top notch as well. There are just not many negatives with this putter, and it takes away a lot of the guess work in putting so that beginners can focus on tempo and speed while standing over a putt.

Pros
  • One of the easiest putters to align.
  • A high end putter for a mid range price.
  • The white hot insert is as good and soft as advertised.
  • Great feel for a mallet putter.
  • The tip heavy weighting gives it optimal control in your hands.
  • The Odyssey name is one of the best in the world.
  • The sweet spot covers most of the face so that mishits are a thing of the past.
Cons
  • The club head size may be a little large for some golfers, especially those used to a blade putter.
  • Gets best results with the triple track golf ball.

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To see the full list and learn how the Callaway Odyssey Triple Track Marxman fared against the competition, check out this article: Best Putters for Beginners and High Handicappers in 2020!

Choosing the Best Clubs for Beginners and High Handicappers

When choosing your first set of golf clubs, talk to a pro. Go to a club fitting shop or pro shop and explain to the club fitter what your swing is like.

Let them take some measurements and take some practice shots into the net so that they can see which clubs best fit your game. The above recommendations are based on the features of each club, and we believe that beginners and high handicappers would benefit greatly from each of the clubs that made this list.

Take a few swings with each of these clubs and see how they feel in your hand and with your swing.

Features and Attributes to Look for in Clubs for Beginners and High Handicappers

Forgiveness. For most beginners and high handicappers, forgiveness is the most important aspect of club selection. As you are learning how to play the game, it is discouraging to see so many mishits and to leave so many shots short. Bigger sweet spots and more forgiving clubs are vital as you are learning the game both psychologically and so that you can see how you’re particular swing works. Many game improvement clubs focus on this particular aspect of the game more than any other.  

Distance. Distance is important, but it is not nearly as important as consistency and accuracy. I remember starting out bombing drivers off of the tee and then immediately foraging through the forest to see where it ended up. That kind of golf is not fun. When you are starting out or trying to get your score in double digits, distance is not as important as you may think. You want to find clubs that provide those extra few yards, but consider some of the other features first before you make the mistake of focusing on being long.

Launch. Getting the ball off of the ground is a lot more difficult than you may think. Finding clubs with a low center of gravity and that interact well with the turf will help you get the ball up in the air because few things are as discouraging as topping the ball in golf and watching it run along the ground for a few yards. Make sure your clubs are sized correctly and designed for a high launch angle.

Price. Price is especially important for beginners and high handicappers because you hope that your swing is going to improve and that the clubs you are using now will not be sufficient when you start hitting the ball well. Be mindful of price knowing that you want high quality but that the clubs you are purchasing may not be the same as the clubs you are playing with in 5 years.

Spin. Spin is not necessarily a bad thing on the golf course…If you know what to do with it. Most high handicappers, however, do not. As your game improves, you may want to shape your shots in different directions and spin the ball onto the green, but that is not what you are looking for to start out. To begin with, you want as little spin as possible so that your ball has a better chance to go straight and to go long.

Advantages of Golf Clubs for Beginners and High Handicappers

The main advantages of golf clubs designed for beginners and high handicappers is that, in the game of golf, many beginning mistakes are similar. Golf Digest estimates that as many as 90% of golfers struggle with slice tendencies.

Topping the ball is one of the most common occurrences for new golfers. Leaving the ball short, over swinging, mishits, etc. are all things that almost all high handicappers do.

Club manufacturers take these common swing inconsistencies into account in their development and many game improvement clubs exist to fix these problems. 

Should I Really Purchase Clubs for Beginners and High Handicappers?

The short answer is a resounding “yes.” Game improvement clubs are called “Game Improvement” clubs for a reason…They were made to help improve your game. They are more forgiving without losing distance and they are easier to hit as well.

Many golfers make the mistake of trying to play with the clubs that the pros use because they want the best. The mistake is that the “best” for many high handicappers is a lot different than the best for a touring pro.

Find the clubs that help you have fun and compete on the course and use those until your game outgrows them.

Conclusion

I remember playing a course in Stone Mountain, GA when I was a sophomore at Georgia Tech. Me and a few friends were very high handicappers, but we had a lot of fun playing. 

On this particular day, there was a short 340-yard par-4 that doglegged to the right and I immediately pulled out my driver to go for the green. I was waiting for the group in front of us to clear when my friends started making fun of me because there was no way I would drive that green. 

About 45 seconds later, I was yelling “fore” and then asking forgiveness for driving my ball about 12 feet from the hole in the center of the green and in the middle of the group ahead of us. I probably shot a 120 that day, but all I remember is that one drive and the subsequent 4 putt bogey. 

When you are a beginner, you live for that shot and it is what keeps bringing you back to the course for more. The clubs reviewed above will help those shots to come much more frequently and they will help you have an even better time out on the course.

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