“Which size should we buy?” “Can my child use cut-down adult clubs?” “How many clubs do they need?” This guide brings together advice from junior club makers, the PGA of America, the Rules of Golf and research, with a few notes for families in Japan.
Junior clubs come in sizes by height, not by age. U.S. Kids Golf, for example, asks parents to measure their child’s height with shoes on and choose the size that matches[1]. Its sizes change every 3 inches (about 7.6 cm).
Even on average, children in Japan aged 6 and 11 differ in height by about 30 cm[2]. As Fig. 2 shows, height changes quickly with age, and from about 13 the gap between boys and girls widens.
The PGA of America’s guide for parents suggests judging length by how far your child has to choke down (hold lower on the grip)[3].
Your child can play it by choking down about 1 inch (2.5 cm). A club like this usually lasts about two seasons.
Your child has to choke down more than 2 inches (5 cm). This can build habits that are hard to fix. A driver that is too long also upsets timing.
Rather than buying long because “they’ll grow into it,” choose clubs that fit your child’s height now, with just a little room to grow.
Check the grip thickness too. A grip that is too thick makes children hold the club like a baseball bat, which changes the swing[3].
The advice on weight and shafts comes down to three points: “as light and short as possible,” “watch the stiffness of cut-down adult clubs,” and “match the stiffness to the child.” The PGA of America explains[3]:
Make it hard to reach the top of the backswing.
Are made soft enough to bend by hand.
Makes the shaft much stiffer, so the ball is hard to get up in the air.
Light and short: The Titleist Performance Institute (TPI), which studies golf fitness, advises keeping juniors “in clubs as light and as short as possible for as long as possible, so the swing grows with the athlete.” Clubs that are too heavy invite swing faults that can take years to undo[4].
Watch the stiffness of cut-down adult clubs: Some children outgrow junior sets and use cut-down adult clubs. Japanese shaft maker Mitsubishi Chemical explains that cutting an adult shaft short can make it stiffer than needed. Because few clubs fit children about 135–155 cm tall, it made junior-only shafts for that height range that can be chosen to suit the child’s swing timing[5]. If your child uses cut-down clubs, check that the ball still gets up in the air and that they can swing to the top without strain.
Match the stiffness to the child: In a study comparing shaft stiffness in junior golfers, 21 of 30 players did best with one particular shaft, and which shaft that was depended on their strength, arm length and experience[6]. Choosing by build and strength, not just age, makes sense.
The PGA of America suggests adding clubs gradually[3]. Junior sets are often sold with only 5 or 7 clubs (U.S. Kids Golf sets, for example)[1].
The limit in a tournament is 14 clubs. Under the Rules of Golf, starting a round with 15 or more clubs costs a 2-stroke penalty for each hole where the breach happened, up to 4 strokes per round (stroke play)[7]. Count the clubs before the start so a spare practice club isn’t left in the bag.
Sizes are set by height, so it is time to look at the next size.
A sign the club is too long. Choose a length that fits rather than waiting to grow into it.
Above about 60 inches, fitting each club makes a bigger difference. At a driver head speed of about 90 mph (40 m/s), it is time to move to adult clubs.
Children whose swing speed is increasing can also move to a slightly stiffer and heavier advanced junior model. U.S. Kids Golf’s Tour Series, for example, is for children with a driver head speed above about 70 mph (31 m/s)[8]. Driving ranges in Japan usually show head speed in m/s.
But the right stiffness differs from child to child. In a study of adult golfers, changing shaft stiffness changed how the hands moved, and the change varied from person to person. The researchers advise testing shafts on each golfer[9]. Before buying, have your child hit a few clubs and compare ball height, direction and how easy each is to swing.
Some skilled juniors hit the ball a long way with stiff, long clubs. Most of them are bigger, stronger and swing faster, so those clubs probably suit their build and speed. Don’t copy another child’s clubs. Decide by your own child’s height, swing speed and ball flight.
Junior clubs are made in two broad ways: fixed sizes chosen by height, and custom builds for each child. Here we list only what each maker states officially.
Nine sizes by height. Length, weight, shaft flex, lie angle and grip size change with each size[8]. For faster swingers there is the slightly stiffer and heavier Tour Series[8].
Specifications are set from height, wrist-to-floor measurement, driver distance and more[10]. Each club can be built to a range of lengths (7-iron about 29¼–36 in / 74–91 cm), with five lie options and Regular or Stiff shafts[10]. It uses technology from PING’s adult clubs, and buying five or more clubs includes one free adjustment as the child grows (reshafting, length, weight, grips)[10].
Builds each club from a swing video and player details, and sells direct[11]. Head weight, shaft flex and length can be chosen, and the drivers have large heads. The founder names choosing a driver that is too long as a common mistake[11].
Either way, the starting point is height and swing speed. Fixed sizes are simple to follow; custom builds can be tuned to each child. Whichever maker you choose, check with that maker’s own size chart or measuring method. We do not recommend any particular maker or product.
Information as of October 2026. Check each maker’s and organization’s official pages for the latest. We do not recommend any particular product.