Best Golf Clubs For Tall Women

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Probably the most obvious difference between men’s and women’s clubs is the length of the shafts. The average height for women is around 5’4” while the average man is around 5’9” so it’s no great surprise that golf clubs designed for women tend to be shorter.

If you’re an above-average height lady (let’s say 5’6” or taller) then there’s a chance that you might find standard ladies’ clubs a little too short for you. It also depends on the length of your arms and your posture. If you have longer than average arms or you tend to bend over more then ordinary women’s clubs may well still be the correct length.

This is why I have said in many other articles on this website, if you are spending serious sums of money on golf clubs then you need to get custom fit in order to get the greatest benefit. None more so than if you don’t conform to the “average” that off-the-shelf golf clubs are designed around.

If you are a recreational/occasional player (once a week or less) then an off-the-shelf set may suffice especially if you are on a limited budget but if you have aspirations to improve then longer term you will definitely need to find clubs that best suit your game and physique.

Unfortunately for lady golfers, the golf market is dominated by men. Naturally, this means manufacturers produce fewer different models for ladies so when you also add in the fact that you are taller as well then there probably aren’t that many options in your local golf shop.

What do you do?

You could do what a lot of people do and play with completely the wrong clubs which will no doubt lead to you making compensations in your swing and potentially even causing you needless injuries. The chances of getting the most from your game will be reduced though.

As a taller lady depending on your strength and clubhead speed, you may find it quite possible to use men’s clubs rather than having extensions added to ladies’ clubs. You could try finding one of the few sets designed for taller women but they are very hard to track down new and you will struggle to find any used models due to the relatively small number of sales.

What Are The Differences Between Men’s And Ladies Golf Clubs?

Besides the length of the shaft, there are a few other differences between men’s and ladies clubs. These include:

• Grip Size: Ladies’ hands are on average an inch shorter than a man’s so it makes sense to fit clubs designed for a lady with thinner grips.
• Shaft Flex: On average women will have lower clubhead speed so more flexible shafts can help them gain a few extra miles per hour.
• Shaft Weight: Ladies’ clubs tend to have lighter shafts as it is likely that lighter shafts will help generate a little more clubhead speed.
• Loft: Ladies’ clubs usually have higher lofts to help get the ball airborne with a slower swing speed.
• Aesthetics: Ladies’ clubs will often feature “feminine” color schemes such as pink.

If you are an above-average height lady then there’s a fair chance that your clubhead speed will be that bit closer to male golfers. A senior flex graphite shaft might bridge the gap nicely for you given its lightweight and slightly greater flexibility than normal regular men’s shafts. 

If you are a more accomplished player with a driver swing speed of 80-85+ mph then you’ll probably find men’s shafts should suit you fine although you may still prefer to err towards lighter graphite shafts. They will also have the added benefit of reducing the amount of vibration compared with steel shafts.

Should I Use Ladies’ Grips?

Again it comes down to your own physical attributes. The general rule of thumb has always been that players with smaller hands will play better with thinner grips as this helps promote the proper hand action. 

However, there is a school of thought that suggests thicker grips would actually benefit many players. A lot of tour players have switched to using thicker grips to avoid getting too handsy. There are also some manufacturers that have started producing grips that taper less so your bottom hand is holding onto a similar thickness of grip to the top hand.

If you happen to suffer from arthritis for example, then thicker grips should help reduce the pain during or after playing golf.

Sorry to belabor the point but it really comes down to speaking to a professional fitter who can show you the benefits of different components. The only way to know whether thicker or reduced taper grips will produce better results for you is to try them. 

Don’t forget this isn’t so much about achieving maximum distance as it is about improving the quality of your bad shots. You should also be considering the dispersion of your shots both direction and distance.

Can Women Use Men’s Golf Clubs?

There is nothing to stop a woman from using any golf club, whether they are designed for juniors, seniors or men. Golfers should be selecting clubs that are best suited to their size, strength and standard of their game. If that means a tall woman with a 90 mile-per-hour swing uses regular men’s steel-shafted irons then that’s fine. Similarly, there is nothing stopping a man from using ladies clubs if they are the ones best suited to his game and physique.

You shouldn’t really think of clubs in terms of being male or female-only but look at the level of performance you can achieve with the club based on your physical parameters and how you swing a golf club.

Best Golf Clubs For Tall Women: Conclusion

Assuming you are a taller-than-average lady then you will struggle to find many sets designed specifically to accommodate your height. I’m afraid that you will either have to get some ladies’ clubs lengthened or check out clubs designed for seniors or men.

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