Junior clubs buy or build?

[jomatty]

I’ve got two godchildren that I have been introducing to the game.  One is 9 and the other is 11.  Both are crazy athletic and have tons of potential.  Both play baseball very seriously so understand the basics of how to swing something.  I’ve got them some old junior clubs that are serving them okay and probably are just fine.  That said, Christmas is coming, and I’ve been thinking about upgrading them at that point.  How well are most kids club built?  I would think that the heads would be considerably lighter but I don’t really know if they are properly made.  I don’t know if buying women’s or senior clubs and cutting them down would be a better option.  I assume I could get a much higher quality head going that route but my worry is if the heads will be too heavy (mostly from an overall weight perspective but also swingweight could be difficult to get right even with some effort).

Has anyone else gone down this path and what did you find was the best option?

[xkilgorextroutx]

A lot of OEMs make decent kids sets - Cobra, Callaway, and Tour Edge come to mind. You could also go the US Kids route which will allow them to easily move up in sizes as they grow, if they stick with the game. My son started in Top Flite and then moved to a combo of Cobra and US Kids clubs.

 

There's so many great sets out there made specifically for kids that it doesn't make sense to cut down a set and completely throw off the weighting and shaft stiffness. Put them in something built for their size and swing and they'll be much happier and play better. 

[Milfordlefty]

If they are average size for their age, buy junior clubs. Recognize junior clubs only last a couple of years as they grow. US Kids clubs are designed to be extended (remove grip, add extension, new grip). Remember, kids are fickle, just because they like an activity now, doesn't mean the will have the same love in a couple of years. You are a great credit as a God father.

[Abh159]

Just like anything else you buy for kids it's going to have an end date on it. I'm sure you already know this but at those ages they'll quickly outgrow anything you buy for them. Until you know for sure that they are going to get serious about golf, I'd hold off on investing a significant amount of money on clubs. For all you know, they may decide in 1-2 years that they don't like golf anymore and only want to play baseball.

 

For the 9 year old I'd stick with a kids set (Driver, fairway wood, a few irons/wedge, and a putter). The 11 year old should be fine to get men's clubs in a year or two and just have the shafts cut to fit their height. It's pretty simple to reshaft irons and not overly expensive either ($400-500 compared to $1000+ for a whole new set). At least with this method they'll have a decent set that they can use for a long time even if they just play casually.

 

I'd avoid women's or senior clubs. They may be a bit lighter compared to men's, but if you're going for that you might as well just get a junior set.

[wildcatden]

Lots of threads here in the forum on kids and clubs.  For both, I'd look at USKidsGolf, Flynn or Ping Prodi-G sets.  For both, I would try to find used sets on eBay, local Play-It-Again store, Craigslist, Nextdoor, etc...

 

Otherwise, if I just want the easy button, I'd go with USKidsGolf.  https://uskidsgolf.com/products-home-alt

[BloctonGolf11]

USKids Golf simple as that. The Cobras and others are not much better than toys and are as expensive as the USKids sets. Go with USKids or Flynn, same money but you set them up right. DO NOT build clubs for kids starting out. 

Edited November 20, 2020 by BloctonGolf11

[MB19]

On 11/20/2020 at 11:04 AM, BloctonGolf11 said:

USKids Golf simple as that. The Cobras and others are not much better than toys and are as expensive as the USKids sets. Go with USKids or Flynn, same money but you set them up right. DO NOT build clubs for kids starting out. 

 

On 11/20/2020 at 10:43 AM, wildcatden said:

Lots of threads here in the forum on kids and clubs.  For both, I'd look at USKidsGolf, Flynn or Ping Prodi-G sets.  For both, I would try to find used sets on eBay, local Play-It-Again store, Craigslist, Nextdoor, etc...

 

Otherwise, if I just want the easy button, I'd go with USKidsGolf.  https://uskidsgolf.com/products-home-alt

Exactly this.

 

Play-it-again (if you have one local) sells USKG used clubs for like $9 per club, often in mini-starter sets like 6/8/PW and sometimes they throw in the USKG bag for like $20.  This is an unbeatable value when you can find it.  One of the great things about buying here is they will cut down clubs and regrip right there for you with little wait.  Not so say you really want to cut down a USKG club, but say you find a cheap-but playable putter your kid likes--modify it right there.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to buy used on either the USKG Outlet page, eBay or from a respected online retailer like 2ndSwing or Global Golf/3Balls.  I've bought mens, ladies and kids clubs from these outlets and even the value-rated clubs are extremely playable.

[heavy_hitter]

On 11/19/2020 at 8:36 AM, xkilgorextroutx said:

A lot of OEMs make decent kids sets - Cobra, Callaway, and Tour Edge come to mind. You could also go the US Kids route which will allow them to easily move up in sizes as they grow, if they stick with the game. My son started in Top Flite and then moved to a combo of Cobra and US Kids clubs.

 

There's so many great sets out there made specifically for kids that it doesn't make sense to cut down a set and completely throw off the weighting and shaft stiffness. Put them in something built for their size and swing and they'll be much happier and play better. 

 

Cobra, Callaway, and Tour Edge clubs for juniors are garbage.  Most OEM junior clubs are terrible and are simply toys.  They do not fit.

 

The 9 year old needs to be in Flynn or US Kids.

 

Depending on size and ability you could look at ladies/senior adult clubs for the 11 year old.

[tiger1873]

For Juniors under 10 DON"T EVEN THINK ABOUT BUILDING THEM unless you have a very specific reason it is a complete waste of time and money.

 

US Kids and Flynn golf make pretty good sets for less then $500 new.  With US Kids you want the tour series the regular set is junk and only a cheap set to see if your kid likes golf. The same can be said for any other brands as well including major oem Junior sets.

 

The 11 year old is probably better suited for adult clubs and you usually get a cheap set on eBay for them if they are just starting out. Just look for ladies and senior shafts for them or take them to a demo day to try stuff out.