| Ladies are at a disadvantage when it comes to | | | | case ask your club maker if he or she can offer |
| putting together a set of golf clubs that fits them | | | | options. As for club face loft, the slower your |
| well and from which they can get the most out | | | | swing, the higher the loft is needed. If you can |
| of their games. The reason is that there are few | | | | easily get the ball in the air, a loft of 13-14 |
| choices in normal off-the-shelf ladies golf clubs. | | | | degrees should work well for your driver. If you |
| With typically less than 10% of sales for a golf | | | | have trouble getting the ball in the air, you may |
| club company coming from ladies golf clubs, there | | | | need to use a 16 degree 3 wood to get the most |
| are simply few choices in club styles, shaft flex, | | | | out of your swing. Other ways to help get the ball |
| swing weights, or lofts normally available in most | | | | a bit higher in the air are to use an offset hosel or |
| golf shops. An exception to this is the excellent | | | | a more flexible shaft. |
| line offered by Nancy Lopez Golf Clubs. That is | | | | Fairway Woods |
| the subject of another article, but you can easily | | | | Fairway woods are critical clubs for women or |
| find their web site with a simple search. | | | | men with slower golf swings. If your swing speed |
| In general women have slower swing speeds than | | | | is in the 60MPH range, you should start your |
| men and need shorter clubs and higher loft. There | | | | fairway woods with a 5 wood and leave out the |
| are of course women with better and stronger | | | | 3 wood. Your other woods would then probably |
| swings than most men. Lorena Ochoa of the | | | | need to be a 9 and 13 wood. The reason for |
| LPGA tour averages about 270 yards on her tee | | | | skipping an odd numbered wood is because you |
| shots. This is astonishing for a woman who | | | | wont be hitting the ball that much farther with a 5 |
| weighs about 115 pounds! She is the top rated | | | | wood than you will with a 7 wood, for example. |
| professional woman player in the world, however, | | | | In other words the gap in distance between the |
| and this article is meant for women with less | | | | two clubs is not enough to justify carrying the |
| ability than the top LPGA pros possess. | | | | other club. Regarding club length, there should be |
| Driver Considerations | | | | at least a one inch difference for each odd |
| You must know your swing speed with at least a | | | | numbered club. That is, the 7 wood should be one |
| driver and preferably with both driver and 5 iron. | | | | inch shorter than the 5 wood, and the 9 wood |
| Women who can swing the driver more than 70 | | | | should be 2 inches shorter than the 5 wood, for |
| MPH can use titanium faced drivers effectively | | | | example. |
| and take advantage of the spring effect off the | | | | For women who swing 70 MPH or greater, a 3 |
| face that such a club offers. If your driver swing | | | | wood could be a good choice, but it should have |
| speed is more like 60 MPH, you would have to | | | | at least a 16 degree loft in order to keep the ball |
| find a special titanium face, and these are not | | | | in the air longer. This group of golfers can justify |
| readily available. If you are that serious you will | | | | having every other odd number wood in their |
| probably be having custom ladies golf clubs made | | | | bags, such as 3, 5, 7 and 9 woods, for example. |
| by a certified fitter and club maker. So in that | | | | |