Golf Club Set Buying Guide 2024
August 22, 2024
When deciding on the best golf clubs, or asking yourself “what is the best driver for me” or “how to tell what golf club is best for me”, a complete golf club set is an all-in-one solution. This page explains everything you need to hit the course without requiring an in-depth understanding of the equipment. If you’re new to golf or prefer to avoid the complexity of choosing individual clubs, a complete set is a practical choice. However, before making a purchase, it's important to consider factors like shaft material, club length, and the type of golf bag included. Let's dive into the details of golf club sets and explore how they might suit your game.
What is a Complete Set of Golf Clubs?
Complete golf club sets, also known as box sets, are pre-packaged collections that include all the essential clubs, along with a bag and headcovers. These sets are especially popular for beginners and those who want to simplify their buying process, eliminating the guesswork often associated with selecting individual clubs.
According to various golf club buying tips and golf club reviews and ratings, these sets provide a cost-effective and convenient way to start playing without needing to mix and match equipment.
How Many Clubs are Included in a Complete Set?
The USGA's Rules of Golf permit a maximum of 14 clubs in a bag, but most complete sets feature 8 to 12 clubs.
The best complete sets typically include a combination of hybrids, irons, fairway woods, wedges, a putter, and a driver. This variety ensures that golfers have the right club for every situation on the course, making it easier to learn and improve.
While professionals use a full set of 14 clubs, many amateur players find that fewer clubs can still deliver a satisfying game without complicating their decisions.
What Clubs are in a Complete Golf Club Set?
A complete golf club set includes a selection of clubs that are designed to help golfers navigate every part of the course.
Expect to find a driver, a fairway wood, a hybrid, several irons, one or two wedges, and a putter. This assortment provides the versatility needed for different types of shots, from long drives to precise putts.
For beginners or those who play occasionally, these sets are both budget-friendly and effective.
Buying Complete Sets vs. Buying Individual Clubs
When comparing complete golf club sets to buying individual clubs, each approach has its benefits.
Complete sets are generally more affordable, costing between $399 and $1,399, and they provide all the clubs you need in one purchase. However, purchasing individual clubs allows for greater customization in terms of materials, construction, and adjustments, which can be particularly important for more advanced players.
Golf club comparisons and reviews often highlight that while individual clubs can be more expensive, they offer the precision and performance needed by serious golfers.
Skill Level Considerations
Complete golf club sets are specifically designed for beginners, occasional golfers, or high-handicap players. These clubs are typically forgiving, offering features like slice correction and high launch angles to help improve performance.
Junior golfers also benefit from complete sets tailored to their height and skill level.
On the other hand, experienced players looking to fine-tune their game might find that complete sets don’t offer the customization and advanced technology needed to reach a higher level of play. For them, buying individual clubs with specific specifications might be a better option.
Loft Gapping
When purchasing individual clubs, you can ensure that each club has a properly gapped loft, meaning that the difference in loft between clubs is optimized for distance control.
This customization allows for precise shot-making and can be critical for advanced golfers.
In contrast, complete golf club sets are pre-gapped to cover a wide range of distances, providing a club for every situation.
For those who start with a box set and later decide to expand their collection, the fewer-than-14-club sets offer room to add specialized clubs, such as a lob wedge or a 3 hybrid, when you're ready to upgrade.
If you want to learn more about loft gapping, Shot Scope has a great article covering it here.
Customization
The main limitation of a complete golf club set lies its lack of customization.
While you can typically choose between different shaft materials and flex options when buying a complete set, that’s usually where the customization ends.
Taller or shorter golfers might find sets designed to better fit their height, but more advanced customizations, like adjusting the loft, lie angle, or grip size, are generally only available when buying clubs individually.
Advanced golfers often prefer this level of customization as it allows them to optimize their equipment to suit their unique swing and playing style.
What to Consider When Buying a Complete Set of Golf Clubs?
Even though buying a complete set is more straightforward than selecting individual clubs, there are still important factors to consider.
Handedness
For example, the handedness of the clubs must match the player’s dominant side—right-handed players will need right-handed clubs, and left-handed players will need left-handed clubs.
Club Length
The length of the clubs is also crucial, as it affects the player's posture and stance.
Most complete sets offer standard, short, or long lengths, with women’s clubs generally being an inch shorter than men’s.
This chart below is a good start in determining what club length is right for you.
Additionally, shaft flex options like stiff, regular, light, and ladies should be chosen based on the player's swing speed.
If you want to learn more about shaft flex, this five-minute read by Stix can help you deepen your understanding.
Golf Bag Options
Complete golf club sets typically come with one of two types of golf bags: a cart bag or a stand bag.
A stand bag is lightweight and convenient for golfers who prefer to walk the course, while a cart bag offers more storage space and is better suited for those who ride in a golf cart.
Choosing the right type of bag depends on how you plan to use it and your preferences on the course.
When looking for the best clubs to suit your needs, whether through golf club buying guides or golf club ratings, we hope this comprehensive guide will have helped you make an informed decision.
