Your First Golf Clubs: Start With The First 9 Method or Swap the Boxed Set

Short answer: you need three golf clubs to start: a putter, a 52° wedge and a 56° wedge. Add an alignment stick for practice. Nothing in The First 9 Method gets wasted later. When you buy a full set, it brings its own pitching wedge and irons, and your two wedges stay in the bag. If you haven’t bought anything yet, buy those three as single used clubs. If you already own a boxed set, don’t throw it out and don’t keep buying: keep what’s useful, sell or trade the rest, and fill the gaps.

Disclosure: Some store links on this page are or may become affiliate links. If you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what fits The First 9 Method. How affiliate links work here.

Pick the door that fits you.

Door 1: I haven’t bought clubs yet

Good. You get to skip the boxed set entirely. Big-box starter sets put ten or more clubs in your bag, and most of them are long clubs you won’t need on your first nines. You’ll learn faster, and carry less, with The First 9 Method. Then start with your height so the few clubs you buy fit you.

The First 9 Method

• Putter — for the strokes that finish every hole. Pick one that feels comfortable at your height.
• 56° wedge — for bunkers, chips, and short pitches around the green. This is the club most beginners end up using the most.
• 52° wedge — for fuller swings: longer pitches, approaches, and often off the tee on a short par-3 course.
• Alignment stick — a must-have for practice, not something you carry on the course. Lay it on the ground and it shows you where you’re actually aimed.

Why a 52° and a 56°

Nothing gets wasted later. When you’re ready for a full set, most iron sets (often 5-iron through pitching wedge) come with their own pitching wedge and 8-iron. They almost never include a 52° or a 56°. Start with a pitching wedge and an 8-iron and you’d end up buying them twice. Start with the two wedges and your starter clubs stay in your bag.

Distance depends on you. The 52° goes a bit farther than the 56°. Together they cover short par-3 holes and every shot near the green. Don’t worry about exact yardages yet. When you’re curious, you can find your own 52° and 56° distances in one range session.

The honest limit. Some par-3 holes are longer, roughly 120 yards and up. For those, borrow or rent a hybrid or a 7-iron. There’s no need to buy one yet.

Later, when you buy a set: most current sets have a pitching wedge around 43°–44°, which leaves a gap below your 52°. That’s fine. If it ever bothers you, add a gap wedge around 48° then.

Start with your height

Before you buy a single club, check one thing: whether standard-length clubs suit you. Most adults between 5′7″ and 6′0″ can play standard length. If you’re shorter or taller, a half inch to an inch can make the club easier to set down flat behind the ball. That helps the ball start where you’re aiming.

The full chart (by height):

Your height	Club length to start with
5′0″–5′1″	1½″ shorter than standard
5′2″–5′3″	1″ shorter
5′4″–5′6″	½″ shorter
5′7″–6′0″	Standard
6′1″–6′3″	½″ longer
6′4″–6′5″	1″ longer
6′6″–6′7″	1½″ longer

Source: the PING Color Code Chart, a static fitting chart that uses your height and wrist-to-floor measurement. PING plots both measurements to recommend a length and a lie angle (shown as a colored dot, from 4° flat to 5° upright). Your arms matter too. At the same height, longer arms usually mean flatter clubs and shorter arms mean more upright ones. That’s why wrist-to-floor can change the result.

A chart is only a starting point. A quick static fitting at a golf shop, or a lie check on a lie board, beats any chart. Many shops can also shorten, lengthen, or bend a used club for you.

What to look for in a used listing

• Length. Use your number from the chart for both wedges. Wedges are usually sold at one standard length, and many used listings show it. If your number is a half inch or more off standard, a shop can adjust it.
• Lie. Used PING wedges and irons have a colored dot that shows their lie, so you can match the dot to your color. Other brands rarely show lie in a listing, so a shop can check it and usually bend it a degree or two.
• Shaft flex. Regular (R) is the safe default for most new adult golfers. Senior (A, sometimes marked M or Lite) is a calm choice if you swing gently or want lighter clubs. Ladies (L) is the lightest. Wedges often come in “wedge” flex, and that’s fine.
• Grip size. Your glove size is a good shortcut. Using Golf Pride’s sizing guide: men’s M or M/L and women’s M/L or L usually suit a standard grip. Men’s L or XL usually suit midsize. Men’s S and women’s S or M usually suit undersize. A worn grip is cheap to replace.
• Wedge loft. The loft is stamped on the clubhead, and it’s usually in the listing. Look for a 52 and a 56. A degree or two either way is fine. Just keep the two wedges about four degrees apart.
• Brand. Any brand works. Your two wedges don’t need to match, and mixed brands are fine.
• Putter. Putters aren’t on this chart. They usually come at 33, 34 or 35 inches. Pick the one that lets your eyes sit over the ball without hunching.

Where to buy single used clubs

You don’t need a set, and you don’t need new. Used-club retailers sell single wedges and putters, so you can buy exactly what you need:

• 2nd Swing — a large used selection; browse wedges and putters.
• Callaway Pre-Owned — certified pre-owned Callaway and Odyssey clubs.
• GlobalGolf — used and new clubs; browse wedges and putters.
• Amazon — for the alignment stick and small accessories only (tees, a towel, a ball marker). Any store brand is fine. We wouldn’t buy clubs there.

A local golf shop, a used bin, or a friend’s garage works just as well. Prices change by season, condition, and model, so compare a couple of places. The shopping guide (free PDF) has our budget caps and a tear-out card to take with you.

Door 2: I already have a boxed set

That’s fine. Lots of people start here, and it isn’t a mistake you have to undo all at once. But here’s the part people miss: selling a boxed set isn’t an exit. It’s a swap. You still need the right clubs to play. And most boxed sets only come with a pitching wedge and a sand wedge, so they’re missing at least one of the two wedges beginners need most.

So the plan has three steps: keep what’s useful, sell or trade the rest, then fill the gaps.

Step 1: Keep what’s useful

Open the bag and pull out the putter. If it feels fine, keep it. Then look for a sand wedge (stamped “S” or “SW”). If its loft is around 54°–56°, it can stand in for the 56°. If the box happens to have a wedge around 50°–52°, keep that too. Most don’t.

Step 2: Sell or trade the rest

The driver, fairway wood, hybrid, the irons, and the pitching wedge can go. (If your local par-3 has a few longer holes, you can hang on to the 7-iron or hybrid for those, since you already own it.) You have two simple routes:

• Sell it yourself on SidelineSwap, a marketplace for used sports gear with a golf section. You set the price and ship it when it sells.
• Trade it in through a retailer program like 2nd Swing trade-in or Callaway Pre-Owned Trade In! Trade Up!, and put the credit toward the clubs you actually need.

An honest note: boxed-set clubs usually don’t resell for much, and trade-in programs have their own rules about which clubs and partial sets they accept. Check the value and the rules before you ship anything. If the numbers aren’t worth it, giving the extra clubs to a junior program or a friend is a perfectly good answer too.

Step 3: Fill the gaps

Now buy only what the box didn’t give you. For most people that’s a 52° wedge and an alignment stick, plus a 56° if the box had no sand wedge to stand in. Use the same stores as Door 1 and buy single used clubs.

Boxed-set swap checklist

Not ready to sell anything? Then don’t. Just pull out the putter and the wedges, leave the rest in the closet, and go play a par-3 nine. You can decide about the rest later. More on that: I bought the wrong golf clubs — what now?

Boxed set, The First 9 Method, or rent?

• Boxed “starter” set: often includes a driver and more irons than you’ll choose from on day one. Loud, expensive, easy to regret.
• The First 9 Method (three clubs + alignment stick): clear decisions, a calmer first tee, and a budget you can name: used clubs for a fraction of a boxed set, and an inexpensive stick. What we mean by the bag: what is a Sunday bag?
• Rent: a perfectly good first month. Learn what you like before owning anything. Can beginners rent golf clubs?

Calm budget detail: how much should beginners spend on clubs?

If someone gifts you a driver

Say thank you. Leave it home for the first few nines, or keep it in the bag unused. You don’t need a driver to start: skip the driver for now.

When to add more clubs

Only after a few calm nines, when a longer hole actually asks for more distance, not because a package-set chart said so. Until then, borrow or rent a hybrid or 7-iron for the long holes. When you commit to a full set, it stacks on top of your 52° and 56° with nothing wasted. Play your three clubs on a short course first: how to play a par-3 nine.

Either door, the next step is the same

Three clubs, an alignment stick, and a short course. That’s the whole start. If you want help with the next part, the free intro walks through it in one short PDF, and the free Getting Started guides includes the playbook and the shopping guide with used-price caps and a tear-out card for the store.

Disclosure: Some store links on this page are or may become affiliate links, which means we could earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That won’t change what we recommend: three clubs. Our affiliate disclosure.

FAQ

What clubs does a beginner actually need?

Three: a putter, a 52° wedge and a 56° wedge. Add an alignment stick for practice. That covers short par-3 holes and everything around the green. On longer par-3 holes, roughly 120 yards and up, borrow or rent a hybrid or 7-iron rather than buying one.

Why a 52 and 56 instead of a pitching wedge and 8-iron?

Because nothing gets wasted later. When you commit to a full set, the iron set (often 5-iron through pitching wedge) already includes a pitching wedge and an 8-iron. It almost never includes a 52° or 56° wedge. So your starter wedges stay in your bag. The 56° handles bunkers and short shots around the green. The 52° is the club for fuller swings. How far each one goes depends on you.

Should I buy a boxed starter set?

We’d skip it. A boxed set gives you ten or more clubs you won’t use yet and usually leaves out the ones you will: a 52° and a 56° wedge. Three good used clubs are a calmer start.

I already own a boxed set. Should I sell all of it?

No. Treat it as a swap, not an exit. Keep the putter if it suits you. If the box came with a sand wedge around 54°–56°, it can stand in for the 56°. Sell or trade the rest if you want, then buy what’s missing, usually a 52° wedge and an alignment stick.

What length golf clubs do I need for my height?

Use the PING Color Code Chart as a starting point. Most adults from 5′7″ to 6′0″ fit standard length. From 5′4″ to 5′6″, try ½″ shorter; 5′2″–5′3″, 1″ shorter; 5′0″–5′1″, 1½″ shorter. From 6′1″ to 6′3″, try ½″ longer; 6′4″–6′5″, 1″ longer; 6′6″–6′7″, 1½″ longer. Your wrist-to-floor measurement can shift this, and a quick static fitting at a shop beats any chart.

What loft is a pitching wedge?

It depends on the set. Most current iron sets put the PW around 43°–44°, while older and players’ sets usually sit around 45°–48°. You don’t need one to start. When you buy a full set later, its PW will leave a gap below your 52°. That’s fine. If it ever bothers you, add a gap wedge around 48° then.

Where can I buy single used clubs?

Used-club retailers such as 2nd Swing, Callaway Pre-Owned, and GlobalGolf sell single wedges and putters, so you don’t have to buy a set. Any brand is fine, and your two wedges don’t need to match. A local golf shop or a friend’s garage works just as well.

Where can I sell or trade a boxed set?

You can list clubs yourself on a marketplace like SidelineSwap, or use a retailer trade-in program such as 2nd Swing or Callaway Pre-Owned. Trade-in programs have their own rules, and not every club or partial set is accepted, so check before you ship anything.

How many golf clubs are you allowed to carry?

Up to 14 under the Rules of Golf. Beginners don’t need 14. Three is enough for a first par-3 nine.

Do I need a golf bag?

A light carry bag, or even a simple tote that holds three clubs, is fine on many beginner-friendly courses. Comfort beats logos.

Related guides

• What is a Sunday bag?
• How far should you hit your 52° and 56°?
• Can beginners rent golf clubs?
• What equipment do you need for golf?
• How much should beginners spend on clubs?
• I bought the wrong clubs — what now?
• Types of golf clubs
• Do beginners need a driver?
• The Beginner’s Golf Trap

Everything in one place: Golf for beginners — start here.