If you are an avid golfer, then there is nothing else like it in the world. The feeling of hitting an approach shot 2 feet from the hole, drilling a drive 350 yards down the middle of the fairway, or chipping in from a bunker is a feeling you cannot describe unless you have felt it. Golfers love golf, and because of that many of them want their children to love it as well. It is a way to bond, to have fun together, and it could be something that you enjoy together for the rest of your life. It does not really matter if they turn into PGA pros or if you just get to chase balls with them in the woods on a Saturday, starting your child early in the game of golf could teach them skills and lessons that stay with them for life. The following is a review of some of the best toddler golf clubs on the market and we hope that it helps you decide the clubs your child will most enjoy.
What Is the Best Beginning Age for Playing REAL Golf Clubs?
As long as the golf clubs are junior-specific, light enough for your child, and they fit your child’s height, you can start your child with real golf clubs anywhere from 3 to 6 years old. You probably do not want to start lessons until they begin school at around 5 or 6, but you can go ahead and get a club in their hand and have them feel what it is like to hit a golf ball way before that.
What Golf Clubs Should Toddlers Start With?
There are 2 different types of golf sets you can purchase: Toy Sets or Real Sets. Many people assume that toy sets are the way to go for young children, but that is not always the case. Junior clubs now are built for all ages, from birth until the teenage years, and there are many toddlers who have the coordination and desire to begin hitting the golf ball with a real club.
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Toy Sets
Toy sets are going to be made with plastic, can be used inside or out, and are generally safer to use for the youngest of children. Most of the time, with toy sets, you cannot really get under the ball or hit it well, it is just a simple introduction to swing a club into a ball.
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Real Sets
Real golf club sets are essentially miniature versions of the adult sets, but they are weighted slightly differently and usually made with different materials. They are very lightweight with thin grips and are perfect for young children learning to play. They generally have graphite shafts, steel heads, and come with a golf bag.
Our Choices
There are quite a few choices out there for a set of toddler clubs, but the 5 listed below are our favorite when it comes to real toddler clubs rather than their toy counterparts.
Tour Edge HL-J Complete Set
This set comes in different sizes for different ages, but it is one of the best and most complete for children between 3 and 6 years old. For toddlers, you get a 4-piece set that includes a low profile fairway wood, a 7/8 iron, a putter, and a golf bag. It is a small set, but you get the clubs that will teach your toddler how to play the game of golf.
The grips are thin, putter grips built specifically for a toddler’s hands, and the graphite shafts and smaller size of the club make it light enough for a toddler to swing easily. One of the best things about this set is that, as you grow, you can purchase this same basic set in different sizes until you are ready for an adult set. The Tour Edge set is our favorite real toddler set on the market.
Pros
- Made specifically for toddlers.
- Tour Edge is one of the best known brands that makes a toddler specific set.
- The carry bag is high quality and makes your toddler look and feel like a real golfer.
- The fairway wood features a low profile head that is easy to launch off the tee or the turf.
- Left and right hand options.
- The mallet putter is big enough to use easily, but it is small enough for a toddler to swing.
Cons
- Toddler options are limited in terms of clubs offered.
- No driver.
- Only for outdoor use.
Merchants Tour X
It is made for children under 5, but it looks just like a miniature set of adult clubs so it will make your toddler feel like he is playing just like you. You get a oversized driver, a perimeter weighted hybrid, a blade putter, and a really nice looking carry bag.
It comes with three plastic golf balls, but it is better for outdoor practice because of the metal construction of the clubs. It also comes in blue or pink options so that the set can be a little stylish as well. If you are planning on taking your toddler out to the course every week and playing 18, you will probably want to look at a different set. But if your plan is to practice the game of golf with your toddler and teach them how fun it can be while bonding together, this is a great practice set made for children under the age of 5.
Pros
- Easy to swing.
- The driver is the perfect size for a toddler and it is easy to hit.
- The putter is very lightweight and small enough for your toddler to start learning how to read greens.
- The hybrid club is great for beginners.
- They look just like an adult set so it makes your toddler feel just like you.
Cons
- Not as technologically advanced as a couple of the other sets.
- They can be on the expensive side depending on where you buy them.
- No irons in the set.
Orlimar Golf ATS Junior (Individual Clubs)
With the Orlimar ATS Junior clubs, you can purchase one club at a time and fill out a set in whatever way suits you. Orlimar offers a driver, hybrid, wedge, and a putter which is more than enough to get a toddler started in the game. These are some of the brightest and best looking toddler clubs on the market.
Pros
- A light and flexible shaft in a bright and stylish color.
- Easy to hit and easy to launch.
- A great value.
- The driver is easy and fun to hit.
- The clubs look great and will hold your toddler’s eye.
Cons
- No bag available.
- You cannot purchase them in a whole set.
Aspire Junior Plus Complete Set
The Aspire set is one of the more complete toddler sets out there and includes a golf bag, a fairway wood, a 7-iron, a PW, and a putter. They all feature graphite shafts, airplane grade aluminum, and bright and noticeable colors.
They are made to be easy to hit and fun to show off. If you want to teach your toddler how to play the game and hit all the different types of clubs out there, the Aspire is a high quality set with all of the clubs you will need.
Pros
- The fairway wood is easy to launch and fun to hit.
- The bag looks great and is lightweight.
- The clubs will look just like an adult set so your toddler will be excited to look just like you on the course.
- The shafts are very lightweight to make them easier to swing.
- A thorough and complete set of clubs.
Cons
- On the expensive side for a toddler set.
- No hybrid option available.
Ray Cook Manta Ray Junior
This set comes with a driver, wedge, putter, and stand bag. The club looks great and is very bright and colorful so your toddler will love how it stands out.
There are only three clubs, but they are more than enough to begin teaching your toddler to play the game. The shafts are graphite and they have putter grips on them so that they are lightweight and easy to hold for children under the age of 6.
Pros
- It looks like a kids’ set of clubs.
- The clubheads are very high in quality.
- The stand bag looks great, but even more it is light and easy to lug around the course.
- The putter is excellent and easy to align.
- The sweet spot on all of the clubs is large and the clubs are very forgiving.
Cons
- If you do not like the color orange, you will not like this set of clubs.
- Some sets have more clubs.
How to Choose Real Golf Clubs for Toddlers
In the past, people have simply cut down old adult golf clubs to the size of their toddler, but that has been shown time and again to be the wrong way to do it. Toddler and junior golf clubs are built differently than adult clubs, they are built with a child in mind. The clubs are lighter, built to specific heights, and even have child-specific grip sizes. Even if you perfectly cut down a golf club to the exact right height, it will be too heavy, weighted incorrectly, and even the club head and materials will not be suited for your child’s swing. Here are some things to take into account when purchasing a golf set for your young child.
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Weight
The reason you cannot just cut down an adult club is because they weigh too much for a toddler to swing. Clubs made for toddlers will be light enough for them to swing.
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Age Compatibility
A lot of the clubs reviewed above also offered options for higher age groups, and there is a reason for that. As a child grows, it is not just their strength that changes. The way they swing, the size of their hands, and their goal for playing the game all change as well. Children under the age of 6 are simply learning to appreciate the game. As a child ages, they also want to score well and hit the ball farther. A good club takes age into account.
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Material
Toddlers are not trying to hit their drives 300 yards or their wedge shots 3 feet from the hole. They just needs clubs that they can swing easily and can get the ball off the ground. The material used in toddler club production should take that into account.
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Height
A toddler club should be built with the height of a toddler in mind. The flex should be in the right place, the grip should be thinner up top, and the club should be shorter in general.
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Grip Size
Toddler’s hands are smaller and need less grip because they will not swing the club as hard. Most toddlers clubs use putter grips on every club.
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Portability
The major part of portability has to do with the bag that comes along with the set, the bag is also one of the things that toddlers like the most because it makes them look like their parents. A good bag is important for portability.
Conclusion
As golf continues to grow in popularity around America and the world, the toddler golf set market is going to grow as well. If you want to teach your young child how to play, you should look into an age specific set because these clubs will be builts specifically for the physical demands of being a toddler. The sets listed above are some of the best kids golf clubs out there, and the Tour Edge is especially good for quality, choice of clubs, and ease of use. Toddlers can begin learning the game of golf at an earlier age than most people realize, so starting them early gives them a leg up in muscle memory and confidence on the course.
