As more juniors get involved in the game of golf I am often asked by parents about junior golf clubs. In this article I will go over what you will want to consider when purchasing clubs for your junior golfer. This article is broken up into the following sections:

• • An overview of the most important considerations

• • A review of golf club options

• • The author’s recommendation

Important Considerations

As a golf coach and instructor I have seen a lot of juniors come into programs or lessons with hand me down clubs that are often the wrong length and weight. Length and weight are going to be the two most important considerations when getting clubs for your junior. When it comes to these two considerations there are a number of reasons why they are so important. First, clubs that are too long or too short will force your junior to make a number of swing adjustments to account for the length. Second, the incorrect length makes it that much harder to hit the ball. When that happens the player will become frustrated and may eventually quit. It’s simply setting them at a disadvantage from the start.

The weight consideration is larger about protecting the junior’s body. While a club that is too heavy can certainly make it difficult to hit a golf ball, the more important consideration is their health and avoiding injury that could potentially occur. Back injuries are common in golf and we want to make sure our juniors avoid these injuries early on.

Golf Club Options

Three brands that stand out are Ping, U.S. Kids Golf and EPEC Golf. Let’s look at the benefits/drawbacks of each.

Ping (ProdiG)

ProdiG Junior Clubs – PING

Ping is perhaps the most recognizable of the three brands and they make a very good junior club line called ProdiG. Ping’s Website has an online fitting tool called WEBFIT which is also a nice feature. You can enter in a few simple measurements (height and wrist to floor) and it will generate options of which you can buy single clubs or sets. Ping also has a “Get Golf Growing” program that allows for a one time no cost adjustment on the clubs to keep up with the junior’s growth. As far as quality goes it’s hard to beat Ping’s ProdiG. The clubs perform well and benefit from the company’s expertise in club design.

The biggest drawbacks with Ping are 1) cost as it will be a more expensive option even with the one-time no cost adjustment and 2) length options. Unlike U.S. Kids and EPEC, Ping’s shortest set configuration is built for juniors who are 52″ tall. By comparison, EPEC starts at 42″ and U.S. Kids starts at 36″ (and even has putter options for infants). With length being one of the most important considerations those parents wishing to start their junior younger should probably look to the other brands.

U.S. Kids Golf (Ultralight, Tour Series and epTour)

Products Overview (uskidsgolf.com)

Perhaps less known than Ping, U.S. Kids Golf has been at the forefront of junior golf equipment for some time. Unlike Ping whose junior line is a smaller part of its overall business, U.S. Kids really specializes in junior golf equipment. They provide the most length options and also have different product lines based on the junior’s abilities. There are lightweight options for beginners and ‘tour series’ and ‘epTour’ options as juniors progress. A simple color-coding system is used to determine which golf set the junior falls into. The first set is made for juniors between 36″ – 39″ and each progressive set falls in a 3-inch height range. The quality is good and the amount of options is unmatched within the industry.

Cost here will be another potential drawback especially as juniors progress from the beginner sets to the more elite sets. There are trade-up options available but the value of the trade is nominal and only applies to certain clubs. Another potential drawback is brand appeal. Juniors sometimes don’t want ‘kiddie’ clubs and there is perhaps the connotation that these clubs fit that designation. While that is not true I have seen juniors express that feeling towards the clubs. Like Ping, U.S. Kids is a good product and certainly one that gives juniors a lot of options. It really should be the brand parents look to first especially if starting your juniors young.

EPEC

Shop Clubs – EPEC Golf

Relatively new to the scene EPEC has a lot of good ideas centered around making junior golf clubs affordable for parents. Sets and individual clubs are available for juniors starting at 42″ with a one club line. A couple of things that set EPEC apart are: upgrades that are very affordable and a try to buy rental set program. For parents who might not be sure if their junior is fully committed to golf EPEC might be the way to go. I have worked with juniors who have had EPEC clubs and for the most part they perform perfectly fine. The try to buy rental program is $75-$125 depending on whether you get a 3 or 5 club set with a really nice window of time to keep them (basically 6 months).

The biggest drawbacks are lack of line options and brand recognition and some of the issues that potentially come with that. Essentially there may be some what ifs with a newer, smaller company that is still growing. For the most part EPEC seems to make a decent product while having parents and their wallets in mind.

Author Recommendation

As U.S. Kids Golf continues to grow it has a good eye for what juniors need. It recognizes the importance of length and weight and is continually producing products centered around developing juniors. For those reasons it will always be my first recommendation. That being said, parents who are interested in getting their juniors into golf but want to wait and see if they like it, EPEC’s try before you buy rental program is a great option. Ping will always be good quality but you will have to wait until your junior grows a bit before looking at it as an option.