What Size Are Junior Golf Clubs?

Figuring out the right size golf clubs for a junior golfer isn't just a detail, it's one of the most important first steps you can take for their game. Using clubs that don’t fit properly can create frustrating swing problems and make the game feel like a chore instead of a joy. This guide will walk you through exactly how to determine the correct size, what to look for when you're checking the fit, and why skipping this step can cause big issues down the road.

Why Standard Adult Clubs (Even When Cut Down) Don't Work

As a coach, one of the most common mistakes I see well-meaning parents make is giving a child a set of shortened adult clubs. It seems like a logical, cost-effective solution, but it inadvertently sets the young golfer up for a struggle. It’s like asking them to run a race wearing clunky hiking boots that are three sizes too big - they might finish, but it won’t be fun, fast, or pretty.

Here’s the breakdown of why simply chopping down an adult club is a problem:

• They are way too heavy. The head of an adult club is significantly heavier than a junior club's head. This excess weight makes it incredibly hard for a child to swing the club on the correct path. Instead of their body leading the swing in a smooth rotation, they are forced to use their arms and hands to hoist and heave the club, ingraining a choppy, inconsistent motion from day one.
• The shafts are too stiff. A golf shaft is an engine. It's designed to bend (or "flex") during the swing to store and release energy, creating clubhead speed. Adult shafts are built for adult swing speeds. A junior golfer doesn't have the power to flex an adult shaft, so the club feels like a rigid, unresponsive board. A proper junior shaft has a much softer flex, helping the child launch the ball into the air.
• The lie angle will be wrong. When you shorten an adult club, the relationship between the shaft and the clubhead changes, making the clubhead sit much flatter than intended. The "toe" of the club will be pointing sharply down, which causes the heel to dig into the ground at impact and sends shots veering off to the right (for a right-handed golfer).
• The grips are too big. A child can't properly hold on to a thick adult grip. This forces them to use their palms more than their fingers, killing their ability to develop feel and control over the clubface.

True junior clubs are engineered from the ground up for kids. They have lighter heads, more flexible shafts, proportionate grips, and are designed to promote a fun, athletic swing.

The Two Most Important Measurements for Sizing Junior Clubs

Forget guessing games. To get a truly accurate starting point for your junior golfer's club size, you only need two simple measurements. Most quality junior club manufacturers base their entire sizing systems on these numbers.

1. The Junior Golfer's Static Height

This is the first and most fundamental measurement. The child's overall height is the main factor that club companies like U.S. Kids Golf, Top Flite, Callaway Junior, and others use to group their sets into different color-coded or numbered levels.

Have your child stand up straight, shoes off, with their back against a wall. Use a pencil to mark the wall at the very top of their head and then measure from the floor to the mark. That number is your starting point.

You’ll then match this height to a manufacturer’s chart. For example, a major brand like U.S. Kids Golf uses a system where a specific player height range corresponds directly to a club size:

• Players 39" - 42" tall might use the "UL-42" set.
• Players 45" - 48" tall might use the "UL-48" set.
• Players 51" - 54" tall might use the "UL-54" set.

Each brand has its own system, but the principle is the same: height is the primary filter for finding the right range of clubs.

2. The "Wrist-to-Floor" Measurement

While height gives you the ballpark, the wrist-to-floor measurement is what dials in the fit with precision. This is what club fitters use because it accounts for a player's unique proportions. Some kids have longer arms for their height, while others have shorter arms, which directly impacts the ideal club length.

Here’s how to get this measurement accurately:

1. Have the junior golfer stand straight up in their golf shoes on a flat surface.
2. Ask them to relax their arms and let them hang naturally at their sides. They shouldn't be tense or reach for the floor.
3. Using a tape measure, measure the distance from the floor up to the major crease in their wrist (the one where a watch would sit). Do this for the hand they will have highest on the club (left wrist for a righty, right wrist for a lefty).

This measurement helps confirm the recommendation from the height chart. If a child falls between two size ranges on the height chart, the wrist-to-floor number can be the tie-breaker. A longer wrist-to-floor measurement might mean they need the longer set, while a shorter one suggests the smaller set would be a better fit.

How to Check if the Clubs Fit Correctly

Once you have a set of clubs, it’s a good idea to do a quick visual check to confirm the fit. Get your junior golfer in the backyard or at the range and have them take their normal setup with an iron.

Step 1: Check the Stance and Posture

A properly fitted club allows a child to get into an athletic golf posture. This means a slight bend in their knees and a gentle tilt forward from their hips, with their spine relatively straight. Their arms should hang down naturally and relaxed from their shoulders, with a small gap of a few inches between their hands and their thighs.

• Symptom of Clubs Being Too Long: The child will be forced to stand very upright and may choke down excessively on the grip. They lose that athletic tilt and can't rotate their body properly.
• Symptom of Clubs Being Too Short: The child will have to bend over too much from the waist and reach for the ball. This hunched-over position puts a lot of strain on their back and makes a balanced swing nearly impossible.

Step 2: Look at the Clubhead at Address

When the junior takes their stance, look at how the sole of the iron is resting on the ground. A perfectly fitted club will have the sole sitting almost completely flat against the turf. This is what we call the "lie angle."

• Toe Up: If the toe of the club (the part farthest from the player) is pointing significantly up in the air, the club is likely too long or its lie angle is too upright. This will cause the heel to dig in at impact, often making the ball go left.
• Heel Up: If the heel of the club (the part closest to the player) is lifted off the ground with the toe digging in, the club is likely too short. This will often cause shots to be pushed out to the right.

What's In a Typical Junior Golf Set?

One of the best apects of junior clubs is simplicity. Your child does not need 14 clubs like a tour pro. Too many clubs create confusion and unnecessary weight. A well-designed beginner set focuses on fun and fundamentals with just a handful of easy-to-hit options.

The number of clubs increases with the age and size of the golfer:

• Youngest Golfers (Ages 3-5): These sets are the most basic and might only contain a high-lofted iron (like a 7-iron), a putter, and a lightweight, oversized fairway wood. The goal is just to make contact and have fun.
• Early Elementary (Ages 6-8): The set might expand to 4 or 5 clubs, often adding a driver, a sand wedge for shots around the green and from bunkers, and possibly a second iron (like a 9-iron) to create different distances.
• Pre-Teens (Ages 9-12): Here, the sets begin to look more like a "half set" for adults. They may include a driver, a fairway wood, a hybrid, a few different irons (e.g., a 6-iron, an 8-iron, a pitching wedge), a sand wedge, and a putter. This covers a wider range of yardage gaps as they begin to hit the ball farther.

A Word on Buying For the Future: The "Growing Into It" Trap

It's tempting to buy a set of clubs that your child can "grow into" to get more value for your money. Please avoid this. Providing a young golfer with clubs that are too long or heavy in the hopes they'll fit in a year or two is one of the quickest ways to extinguish their interest in the game.

Struggling with ill-fitting equipment teaches them bad habits - like standing too far from the ball or developing a slow, heaving swing - that a coach will have to spend months trying to correct later on. It’s far better to get a correctly sized set now. Many junior brands offer trade-in or trade-up programs, and the used market for junior clubs is very strong.

Your goal in this early stage isn't to create a champion, it's to create a golfer for life. And that starts with giving them equipment that makes the game a pleasure, not a struggle.

Final Thoughts

Picking the right size junior golf clubs comes down to a few simple steps: measure your child’s height, take their wrist-to-floor measurement, and then check that the clubs allow them to set up in a balanced, athletic posture. Resisting the urge to buy clubs that are too big is the single biggest favor you can do for their swing and their long-term love of the game.

As your junior golfer’s game develops, the questions will move beyond equipment and into course strategy. We believe that understanding how to play a hole is just as important as how to swing. It's why we designed our app, to provide on-demand, expert-level advice. Once you face a tricky tee shot or are stuck with a tough lie, Caddie AI acts as your 24/7 golf coach and caddie, giving you a simple, smart plan so you can navigate the course with confidence and focus on what truly matters: anjoyed time together.