Individual golf clubs

Individual clubs: add instead of replace

A complete set is a fine starting point, but over time you'll often notice that one or two clubs no longer suit your game. That doesn't mean replacing your whole bag. By buying individual golf clubs you keep what works and change only what could be better. Below you'll read which club types exist, what the numbers and letters on the head mean and what to watch for on sizing.

What types of golf clubs are there?

A set is built from clubs for different distances and situations. These are the types you can order separately:

• Driver – the longest club with the least loft, for tee shots on long holes.
• Fairway wood – distance from the fairway or the tee, with a bigger head than an iron.
• Hybrid or rescue – the ease of a wood with the control of an iron, replacing long irons.
• Individual irons – the core of your set for approach shots, numbered 3 through 9.
• Wedges – plenty of loft for short, high shots and for bunker play.
• Chippers – for short shots around the green, using a putting-style stroke.
• Putters – for the final metres on the green.

What do the numbers and letters on a golf club mean?

The sole or head of a club carries a number or a letter. It tells you how much loft the club has, and therefore how high and how far the ball flies. With irons: the higher the number, the more loft, and the higher and shorter the ball goes. A 5-iron carries further than a 9-iron. Woods work the same way — the 1 is the driver, followed by the 3, 5 and 7.

The letters appear on the wedges:

• P – pitching wedge, usually around 44 to 48 degrees of loft. Often still included with an iron set.
• A (sometimes G or U) – approach or gap wedge, around 50 to 52 degrees. Fills the gap between the P and the S.
• S – sand wedge, around 54 to 56 degrees. Built for bunkers and short, high shots.
• L – lob wedge, around 58 to 60 degrees. The most loft, for the shortest and highest shots.

Note that exact lofts differ per brand and model, so two wedges with the same letter can sit a few degrees apart.

Individual club or complete set?

If you're new to golf, a complete set is usually better value and gets you everything in one go. If you've been playing a while, individual clubs make more sense: you replace exactly what no longer works and build a set that matches your distances. Many golfers do both — a base set, topped up with individual clubs they picked themselves.

The right length and size

An individual club still has to match your current set. Check the length, the shaft flex and whether you play right- or left-handed. The golf club size chart shows which club length suits your height. Club length is measured from the end of the grip to the sole of the clubhead, along the shaft.

Brands, used clubs and sale

You'll find individual clubs from all the well-known golf brands; see the complete overview of all golf club brands and compare by brand. Looking for something cheaper? The golf clubs sale regularly features reduced clubs, and in used golf equipment you'll find second-hand clubs we've checked over.

Frequently asked questions about individual golf clubs

How many clubs are allowed in a golf bag?

Under the Rules of Golf you may carry a maximum of fourteen clubs during a round. Which fourteen is up to you. That's exactly why individual clubs are useful: you assemble your own fourteen instead of playing whatever came in a set.

How many golf clubs are in a set?

Most complete sets contain between eight and twelve clubs — typically a driver, one or two woods or hybrids, irons from 5 or 6 up to 9, a pitching wedge and a putter. That leaves room to add individual clubs up to the fourteen-club limit.

What does the P on a golf club mean?

The P stands for pitching wedge, a club with roughly 44 to 48 degrees of loft. It's the wedge with the least loft and often comes as standard with an iron set. The S stands for sand wedge and the A for approach wedge, both with more loft than the P.

How is golf club length measured?

Length is measured along the shaft, from the end of the grip down to the point where the shaft meets the sole of the clubhead. Compare that figure with the clubs you already own so a new individual club feels the same in your hands.