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Club Advice for 5'11 Tall Female Golfer

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mrsmounty

mrsmounty

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Hello!

I am new to this forum and to golf in general. Years ago I got a standard ladies set of golf clubs and might have hit them under 10 times. I recently took a serious interest in golf and actively want to play and get better. I am 5'11" (female) and quite athletic. I have been told my original ladies clubs looked WAY too short for me. The few times I played with them back in the day, I noticed that I topped the ball often and my drive was horrendous.
A few weeks ago I bought a new driver - Women's Cobra AMP Cell and I compared it to some men's clubs and the length seemed just as long- so I thought it was a good choice. I took her out a few times to play 9 holes and have been consistently hitting 200-210 yards. I don't have a whole lot to compare to, but I love it so far!

My issue now is with my irons. I have been playing with my original women's irons and they look and feel way too short for me, I have to take a wider stance and bend my knees a lot- they just don't feel comfortable to hit, especially in comparison to how my driver feels. I top the ball often, but when I do get under it I don't seem to be getting the distance like I can with my driver. My 5 iron is only going around 115 yards :( even when I do get what feels like solid contact.

I have been trying to do a little research and get a little advice if I should be using men's clubs?
I have heard that a Senior Men's flex is an option? I also read somewhere that taller women like me pushing the 6 foot mark and being young and athletic, perhaps I could hit regular men's flex?
I am pretty lost to be honest - I tried to get advice from the Golf store I have around here, but I didn't get very much advice. I'm also worried to buy the wrong thing as you don't really get to swing them much in the store.

Any advice?

Thanks!!:banghead:
 
Welcome to THP

Hard to really say without have swing numbers or being fit. Going off what you said, you are tall and athletic, so if you find a set with a lightweight graphite in senior flex, that might do the trick for you. At the golf store are you able to demo any sets with senior flex in them?
 
First off, welcome to THP. I love your screen name.
Lots of questions in there and THPers will give you great advice.
I would discount the whole mens vs womens clubs. Choose the club you want, regardless of gender. Women can certainly play anything men can play, albeit making sure it fits. As for shaft flex, its tough to say, but my gut says with that type of distance, Mens regular flex might just work. Senior flex definitely would work, assuming those distances are accurate.

Hope this helps.
 
Welcome to THP!

I personally think you should get at least a basic fitting, to give you an idea of what your swing speed and temp is doing so you can figure out a flex. But yeah, based on those numbers, men's regular would very likely be fine, depending on which shaft we're talking about (not all "regulars" are created equal). And any golf store can get your basic wrist to floor measurements and such to give you an idea on what length/lie you need.

Best of luck, and welcome to this great game!
 
mrsmounty said:
Hello!

I am new to this forum and to golf in general. Years ago I got a standard ladies set of golf clubs and might have hit them under 10 times. I recently took a serious interest in golf and actively want to play and get better. I am 5'11" (female) and quite athletic. I have been told my original ladies clubs looked WAY too short for me. The few times I played with them back in the day, I noticed that I topped the ball often and my drive was horrendous.
A few weeks ago I bought a new driver - Women's Cobra AMP Cell and I compared it to some men's clubs and the length seemed just as long- so I thought it was a good choice. I took her out a few times to play 9 holes and have been consistently hitting 200-210 yards. I don't have a whole lot to compare to, but I love it so far!

My issue now is with my irons. I have been playing with my original women's irons and they look and feel way too short for me, I have to take a wider stance and bend my knees a lot- they just don't feel comfortable to hit, especially in comparison to how my driver feels. I top the ball often, but when I do get under it I don't seem to be getting the distance like I can with my driver. My 5 iron is only going around 115 yards :( even when I do get what feels like solid contact.

I have been trying to do a little research and get a little advice if I should be using men's clubs?
I have heard that a Senior Men's flex is an option? I also read somewhere that taller women like me pushing the 6 foot mark and being young and athletic, perhaps I could hit regular men's flex?
I am pretty lost to be honest - I tried to get advice from the Golf store I have around here, but I didn't get very much advice. I'm also worried to buy the wrong thing as you don't really get to swing them much in the store.

Any advice?

Thanks!!:banghead:
Click to expand...


Welcome to THP!

200-210 drives are pretty solid! If you're getting good club speed, a senior flex shaft may work, but you might even be able to fit into a regular flex. Stores should have plenty of those around, so I would say even if you can only swing them a little bit, try a couple swings with a regular flex iron and see how it feels. at 5'11'', normal length clubs should probably be fine as well, but getting fit would be able to answer that question for you if that's an option. I'm 6'0" and play standard length just fine, but that's not the only factor in the equation unfortunately.
 
Welcome to THP!

As someone who drives the ball similar distances, I dont see any reason you couldnt game a mens reg flex. I have tried stiff and senior flexes but I always get the best results with reg flex.
 
The CG Black line from Cleveland has your name all over it.
 
Welcome to THP! Id try to get a fitting as that will very much help you with lengths etc. Topping the ball is very common especially if you just started so it may just be a matter of a little practice / lessons. I'm 6'3" and play standard length just as an example height isn't the only factor (arm length etc). Congrats on starting back up and best of luck
 
Welcome to the club! Maybe research in your area someone that is well thought of in the fitting/pro teacher arena and lean on them for some good advise. Good luck!
 
Welcome to THP!

To piggy back on some of the advice already offered and hopefully provide a little context, consider this chart from one of the major manufacturers: https://www.google.com/search?q=pin...ubs%2Fdriversdetail.aspx%3Fid%3D15149;800;505

That maybe provides some context for the suggestion to get fit enough to know your swing speed see how speed is an indicator of potential shaft flexes but not the sole factor. Remember, the club doesn't know who is holding it - good, bad, tall, short, man or woman.

I have had enough bad big box golf store experiences that I am skeptical of relying on them 100%. I might suggest going there again to get your basic fitting and come back with some of the numbers and their recommendation. People here will be able to give you a ton of help.
 
Hawk said:
The CG Black line from Cleveland has your name all over it.
Click to expand...

welcome to thp.

i was going to say the same thing. I saw a female of similar stature get fitted into this set with mens sr flex and probably could have gone mens reg flex.

getting fit will be the best option and as JB mentioned earlier i wouldn't worry about womens vs mens labels and go with what works. another option but a little pricey would be XXIO also part of the Cleveland/Srixon family.
 
Welcome to THP. I would personally try to find a professional to give you a proper club fitting. Playing with the proper length and flex does wonders for one's golf game. Just my opinion though.
 
I'll just tell you my experience and hope it helps. I'm a woman in her 50's, 5'7" and have played ladies, senior and regular flex. I find ladies standard length to be a little short and men's length to fit better if I choke up slightly. I have been fit to a men's regular flex driver and senior flex irons but recently switched to ladies flex irons (with added length) although I could easily play either. I still play a regular flex driver.

I went to Dick's a few months ago and got on their launch monitor. I hit the regular flex drivers much better than their ladies flex. There was a considerable difference in yardage and that changed with every make that I hit. The ladies flex definitely doesn't work for me in drivers though.

My bet is that you would do best with men's regular and/or senior flex than women's both because of length and width of your swing. Of course, only a fitting will give you the facts.

Good luck and welcome to THP!
 
My wife is the same height as you and the best thing we ever did was get her men's club just in senior flex for her irons and regular flex in her driver. Her enjoyment has gone up significantly since making the change.

One more thing to look at is grip size as the women's grips were too small for her as well.
 
Welcome to the forum. THe previous posts are spot on and should be a good start in your search for gear that fits. I will repeat what others have mentioned though and say even a basic fitting would give you the best results instead of just buying and guessing.
 
Welcome to THP... hopefully you have a few spare hours each day that you can spend on this site..it's more addicting than Angry Bird, Candy Crush and Farmtown combined....haha

I have read and heard many stories of athletic women walking into the big sporting good chain stores and having "Womens" flex "fitted" to them before they ever open their mouth or swing a club... try to steer clear of those type places... You need to find a golf specialty store that takes some measurements, watches you hit a few balls and monitors your swing speed before they start to recommend anything.

Doing a quick look on the Cobra site tells me that their womens irons have the same or similar lofts as the mens version of each type, but the shafts are typically an inch or more shorter in the womens sets. My gut tells me that you would be more suited to mens irons...and I agree with many on here that senior or reg flex would probably be just fine for you... but shaft length and lie are as important if not more important than shaft flex.

You mentioned your Cobra driver... My bag is almost completely Cobra clubs now and I love them....actually on my 3rd set of Cobra irons.... if you already feel confident with the brand you should for sure take a look at the Baffler line of hybrids and irons... I talked both my brother and stepdad into taking a look at them, they both purchased a set online without doing any fitting, and they both love them..their consistency and fun levels have increased exponentially.. they had very little experience and were each playing older blade-ish irons and struggling a ton. Many people feel that the shape of the baffler iron heads is downright ugly, but the ballflight and forgiveness they provide more than make up for the untraditional appearance.... and they can be found all over the place at ridiculously low prices new.... I mean silly low prices.. 2 or 3 hybrids and 5-6 irons in senior or reg flex, steel or graphite shafts, for 200 bucks give or take 20... I actually saw a 7pc set new for 169 on sale somewhere last fall....

They look like this....

http://www.cobragolf.com/baffler-irons-single-iron

and everybody I know who has hit them is amazed at how well the ball gets in the air....definitely worth a look I think for anybody getting started in the game...male, female, short, tall, young, old
 
I have a friend who is around 5'6" and he plays ladies clubs and loves them. Like a few other guys have said play what you feel more comfortable with. The best thing to do is go and get fit and try as much as you possibly can. Also welcome to THP!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Welcome to THP!

My wife's friend is 5'11" and swings men's reg flex, she tried the seniors flex and found it just a bit too 'whippy'. She can hit them out there at 220-240. Find somewhere to go and check your swing speed and measure you for length but I would guess standard men's length would be very close.
 
Lol! I thought u were my sister until I got further into ur post.

Anyway one of my sisters is 6 foot tall in her socks and let's just say has a faster slapshot / curve ball than most men. She hits men's stiff shaft, regular length, usually around 290 off the tee. Don't worry what the sticker says, use whatever works.
 
darnall said:
Welcome to THP... hopefully you have a few spare hours each day that you can spend on this site..it's more addicting than Angry Bird, Candy Crush and Farmtown combined....haha

I have read and heard many stories of athletic women walking into the big sporting good chain stores and having "Womens" flex "fitted" to them before they ever open their mouth or swing a club... try to steer clear of those type places... You need to find a golf specialty store that takes some measurements, watches you hit a few balls and monitors your swing speed before they start to recommend anything.

Doing a quick look on the Cobra site tells me that their womens irons have the same or similar lofts as the mens version of each type, but the shafts are typically an inch or more shorter in the womens sets. My gut tells me that you would be more suited to mens irons...and I agree with many on here that senior or reg flex would probably be just fine for you... but shaft length and lie are as important if not more important than shaft flex.

You mentioned your Cobra driver... My bag is almost completely Cobra clubs now and I love them....actually on my 3rd set of Cobra irons.... if you already feel confident with the brand you should for sure take a look at the Baffler line of hybrids and irons... I talked both my brother and stepdad into taking a look at them, they both purchased a set online without doing any fitting, and they both love them..their consistency and fun levels have increased exponentially.. they had very little experience and were each playing older blade-ish irons and struggling a ton. Many people feel that the shape of the baffler iron heads is downright ugly, but the ballflight and forgiveness they provide more than make up for the untraditional appearance.... and they can be found all over the place at ridiculously low prices new.... I mean silly low prices.. 2 or 3 hybrids and 5-6 irons in senior or reg flex, steel or graphite shafts, for 200 bucks give or take 20... I actually saw a 7pc set new for 169 on sale somewhere last fall....

They look like this....

http://www.cobragolf.com/baffler-irons-single-iron

and everybody I know who has hit them is amazed at how well the ball gets in the air....definitely worth a look I think for anybody getting started in the game...male, female, short, tall, young, old
Click to expand...



I love the Cobra lines as well! I am really drawn to them, because of their look lol.... I did swing a few different drivers and I did best with the Cobra drivers in the women's line. I did not try any men's drivers in Cobra - but I'm thinking of giving it a shot. I have been looking on ebay and a few other golf sites and you are right, Cobra iron sets are really affordable. I was leaning towards a Cobra set - but after reading your post I'm definitely convinced - so thanks :)
 
Thanks very much for all the responses. Interesting, I would have never ever thought I could swing a Men's Regular Flex! I was thinking Senior and Ladies were my only two options. I am going to see if I can get a proper fitting done - whoever said this large retail stores don't do proper fittings is correct. They really didn't look at my swing or stature and offer me any advice really, they just seemed to focus on bringing me expensive clubs to buy and choose from.

Someone mentioned, hand size for grip - and that is another very good point! Like I said, I am 5'11 and I do have very large hands (feminine hands ofcourse lol) but my fingers are really long.

I do thing my swing speed is a little on the slower side, as I'm new and I'm really focusing on my ball contact, my hips, etc.. Once I get more comfortable I think I will be able to hit with more intensity. Like, I said though I am really pleased with how I am hitting my driver - as soon as I got the Cobra AMP Cell, I was hitting it 200+ yards on my first time out. That gave me a lot of hope!! Now I feel that the more I practice and get the proper clubs in my hands I will be improving more and more.

The length of my clubs is a huge issue I think though... I am very tall and I have long lanky arms! I have never been measured for my hand to floor length or anything but I do know I have super long lanky limbs lol
 
fairband said:
My wife is the same height as you and the best thing we ever did was get her men's club just in senior flex for her irons and regular flex in her driver. Her enjoyment has gone up significantly since making the change.

One more thing to look at is grip size as the women's grips were too small for her as well.
Click to expand...

Interesting! Men's regular flex! She must have a faster swing? The women's grips are definitely too small for me, I have really long fingers!
 
mrsmounty said:
Interesting! Men's regular flex! She must have a faster swing? The women's grips are definitely too small for me, I have really long fingers!
Click to expand...

Her swing speed isn't the fastest but she hits driver around 200 yards and the regular flex was more stable through her swing and gave her more accuracy.
 
mrsmounty said:
Thanks very much for all the responses. Interesting, I would have never ever thought I could swing a Men's Regular Flex! I was thinking Senior and Ladies were my only two options. I am going to see if I can get a proper fitting done - whoever said this large retail stores don't do proper fittings is correct. They really didn't look at my swing or stature and offer me any advice really, they just seemed to focus on bringing me expensive clubs to buy and choose from.

Someone mentioned, hand size for grip - and that is another very good point! Like I said, I am 5'11 and I do have very large hands (feminine hands ofcourse lol) but my fingers are really long.

I do thing my swing speed is a little on the slower side, as I'm new and I'm really focusing on my ball contact, my hips, etc.. Once I get more comfortable I think I will be able to hit with more intensity. Like, I said though I am really pleased with how I am hitting my driver - as soon as I got the Cobra AMP Cell, I was hitting it 200+ yards on my first time out. That gave me a lot of hope!! Now I feel that the more I practice and get the proper clubs in my hands I will be improving more and more.

The length of my clubs is a huge issue I think though... I am very tall and I have long lanky arms! I have never been measured for my hand to floor length or anything but I do know I have super long lanky limbs lol
Click to expand...
Definitely get a fitting done. I'm 6'0", hit the same distance as you (200-225 driver), and straight up play regular flex. I don't see any reason why that wouldn't work for you too.

In fact, if you do get a fitting, I would suggest telling your fitter before hand that you want to look exclusively at men's gear unless there's a *really* good reason mid-fitting to try the ladies' stuff.
 
Mrsmounty- Off the rack womens clubs are probably geared toward an average height (5'7" I am guessing) woman. Even a simple fitting for you getting the correct length and lie would make a big difference. Then you have to learn with your irons to hit the small ball first and then the big ball :smile-big:
 
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