Golf clubs explained: a one-page guide for new golfers
What each club is for, the loft most clubs sold today are built with, and space to write down how far you carry each one.
| Club | What it is for | Typical loft* | My carry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Tee shots on longer holes. The biggest head and the longest shaft in the bag, usually hit off a tee. | 9°–10.5° | |
| Fairway woods (3, 5, 7) | Long shots from the fairway, or off the tee when the driver is too much club. | 15°–21° | |
| Hybrids | Long shots that are easier to launch than a long iron, including from light rough. | 19°–26° | |
| Long irons (4, 5) | Long approach shots. Many beginners replace them with hybrids. | 21.5°–24° | |
| Middle irons (6, 7) | Medium approach shots into the green. The 7-iron is the club most people learn with. | 27°–31° | |
| Short irons (8, 9) | Shorter approach shots that fly higher and stop sooner. | 35°–39° | |
| Pitching wedge (PW) | Full shots from close range, and longer chip-and-run shots around the green. | 43°–46° | |
| Gap wedge (GW, AW, UW) | Fills the loft gap between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge. | 48°–50° | |
| Sand wedge (SW) | Bunker shots, short pitches and chips that need to stop quickly. | 55°–56° | |
| Lob wedge (LW) | Very short, high shots over a bunker or to a tight pin. Optional for beginners. | 58° and up | |
| Putter | Rolling the ball on the green. Most strokes in a round are putts. | – |
Three things worth knowing
- You may start a round with up to 14 clubs (Rules of Golf, Rule 4.1b). A beginner can play well with far fewer.
- The number on an iron is not its loft. A 7-iron sold today lists 27° to 34°; the median 7-iron in 1982–2001 charts was 34.5°. Compare clubs by loft, not by number.
- With the same swing, more loft usually sends the ball higher and shorter, and less loft lower and longer.
How to fill in “My carry”
- Hit 5 to 10 balls with each club at a range, or on a launch monitor.
- Write down your typical carry, where the ball lands, not your best shot.
- Leave a club blank until you hit it often. Update the sheet as your swing changes.
*Middle half of the published lofts in the Golf Club Reference database: 50 iron sets on sale in 2025–26 from 10 brands, plus the loft options published for 156 drivers and the fairway woods, hybrids and wedges in the catalog. Lob wedges are the wedges at 58° or more; wedge families in our database go up to 64°. Your own club may differ, so check its model page.
golfclubreference.com/tools/printable-golf-club-guideFree to print and share · Updated October 10, 2026