If you want to improve your golf game, one of the first things you need to do is check if you have the correct equipment. The best golf clubs have evolved in the last 20 years, and if you are still rocking a small metal wood or an unforgiving driver, you are losing distance and accuracy.
While drivers and fairway woods have been the primary beneficiaries of this technological progress, irons and wedges are much more playable now. Game improvement irons provide much more distance, and sleeker designs offer even more forgiveness than ever before. Options have improved for lower-handicap golfers, too.
Companies are now making player-distance irons, which provide the much-needed distance for players who have already hit it straight enough. And with putters, there are so many more options than ever before, from armlock putters to blades, mallets, and many more.
If you aren't making sure that your equipment is the best, you are likely losing strokes out on the course. This article will cover some of the best golf clubs of 2022.
Drivers
For the longest club in the bag, you should be looking for drivers that maximize forgiveness and give you the most distance possible. Today's drivers are much easier to hit than those of years past, and you'll see the greatest return on investment by buying a new driver. Here are some of 2022's best drivers.
Titleist TSi Series
The Titleist TSi series consists of 4 drivers to suit any player. The TSi1 is best suited for slower-swing players who see a high right miss, the TSi2 for those seeking more forgiveness, the TSi3 for lower-handicap players looking for a mid-launch flight, and the TSi4 for elite players who want minimal spin.
When looking at the TSi series, most players will gravitate towards the Tsi2 and Tsi3 models. The TSi2 is best for those looking for forgiveness on those off-center hits, and the TSi3 offers playability and some shotmaking.
All models come with 16 adjustable settings, meaning lots of options are available and making the best golf drivers even more personalizable. And, for those who love to focus on the club, Titleist fixed its long-standing issue of making “ugly” drivers with the TSi series, creating a sleek design that is among the best in the market.
Taylormade Stealth Series
Like the Titleist set, the Taylormade Stealth Series provides distinct options for every player. The Stealth driver is a viable option for many players, especially those looking for forgiveness. Meanwhile, the Stealth Plus provides some lower spin and is best suited for better players. And the Stealth HD is suited for those aiming to get rid of their high slice and instead hit high draws (HD).
All drivers also have injected twist face, which the company introduced in previous models to ensure fast ball speeds and straight shots on off-center hits. Furthermore, to increase speed and performance, the Stealth builds upon the Sim2's forged aluminum ring by adding a carbon fiber crown, making the head much lighter, delivering more club head speed and thus high ball speeds.
This club is unique because the entire face is made of carbon composite, which makes it much lighter than old titanium models. Carbon composite hadn't made it onto driver heads earlier because it sounded and looked weird, but Taylormade found a way to engineer a striking red clubface that sounds and feels like a great titanium driver.
Fairway Woods
Fairway woods are sometimes the oldest clubs in many players' bags. For elite players, that tends to be because today's fairway woods go exceptionally far, making them less useful off the tee and especially into greens. However, today's woods are so much easier to hit for the average player and will help you get the ball airborne off the fairway, maybe even going further than your driver.
Callaway Rogue Family
The makers of the leading metal wood back in the 1990s, Callaway has reemerged as a leader in the fairway wood market. Their new woods are made with computer-aided design and machine learning, providing even more innovative technologies like a new jailbreak system to provide more face stability. And, like the original Steelhead, they are one of the best-looking woods available.
If you want to complement your Callaway woods with a good hybrid, I'd highly recommend looking at the Rogue golf clubs set, as they include one of the best hybrid club options to fill the gap between fairway woods and long irons.
Irons
Nowadays, irons come in many shapes and sizes. In this article, we will be focusing more on the medium-level players by tapping into game improvement and players' distance irons, the latter of which tends to provide more distance without sacrificing that elusive workability.
Game Improvement– Taylormade Sim2 Max
The sequel to the Taylormade Sim Max irons, the Sim2's are even hotter than their predecessor. They also have an even better feel – traditionally, distance irons tend to feel a little rough and firm– a result of a huge cavity back and lots of metal to create more speed off the face. However, Taylormade found a way around that with its echo damping system, which reduces vibrations during turf interaction.
Despite these new additions, the company stuck by what has worked, using their speed pocket technology to maximize flex on the bottom of the club, almost breaking the legal USGA limits for efficiency. Taylormade has made some of the best golf irons even better by implementing new technology and keeping what has always worked.
Players Distance– Ping i525
In the golf world, Ping has long been one of the leaders in producing high-quality irons. With the i525, they have continued improving in a previously unfamiliar space– forged irons. Forged irons have a much softer feel and are easier to bend, meaning that they're more customizable and can be easily adapted to fit players' needs.
These have increased feel, but they are also quite hot, creating distance. This, all combined with a massive sweet spot, creates the perfect blend of distance game improvement and players' irons that Ping sought to make.
Wedges
Titleist Vokey Wedges
Largely regarded as the best golf wedges, Vokey Wedges offer the most versatility in terms of loft and bounce. Furthermore, they are extremely easy to hit and can be used by virtually any player, regardless of whether you think you have a good short game.
Putters
Taylormade Spider
Not really known as a big producer of putters, Taylormade has burst onto the scene with its Spider line over the previous years. The Spider, which has many different versions, including the SpiderX and SpiderMini, is extraordinarily forgiving and provides a true roll by using an insert. The face is also very stable due to its mallet-like design.
It's a putter that many PGA Tour champions have been using, and it's extremely easy to putt with. It is also available for customizing on the company's website, where you can change the colorway, neck, and specs to your choosing.
Best Golf Club Sets
Although all the new golf clubs mentioned above are great, some beginners may be looking to start the game with the best budget set possible. These beginner golf clubs are cheap, reliable, and easy to hit. For those who just started playing, the following sets are some of the best on the market. If you're looking for women's or men's complete golf sets, this section is for you.
MacGregor Golf DCT3000
The MacGregor Golf DCT3000 set is one of the best beginner sets to get you started playing golf. The entire set has graphite shafts, creating maximum distance, more forgiveness, and a higher ball flight. The irons are oversized, meaning they have a larger sweet spot, making off-center hits fly much straighter. Through the bag, this set is sure to have you hooked to the game and wanting more!
Callaway Strata Set
The Callaway Men's Strata Complete Golf Set, made by Callaway Strata Golf, is one of the best-reviewed sets available. It includes a lightweight stand bag and great hybrid golf clubs to eliminate those pesky long irons.
You can trust this set will be of the highest quality because it comes from Callaway, one of the world's leaders in producing the best fairway woods. This 16 piece set is highly touted, topping lists and being known as one of the best 11 best golf sets for beginners.
Wilson Women's Profile SGI Complete Golf Club Set
Wilson Golf makes a fantastic option for female golfers. Their specific focus in making this set was making super game improvement (SGI) irons, making it easier to hit higher and longer shots into greens. And while you are using Wilson clubs, the Wilson Harmonized Golf Wedge is a great option to complement the set, as they provide some of the best value for high-quality wedges.
What about used golf clubs?
My suggestion for used clubs is to be extremely careful with them. If they are relatively new (less than 5 years old) and in seemingly good condition, they could be a great purchase and save you lots of money. However, before you buy any used club, make sure that they are in good condition. Some places, like PGA Tour Superstore or Dick's Sporting Goods, will tend to certify their clubs before putting them on the shelves, but this may not be true for all sellers.
The Best Golf Clubs of 2022
I hope this list of the best golf clubs of 2022 has been informative. If you have decided on what is your best golf club for the upcoming season, I encourage you to order it online or go to Dick's Sporting Goods, your local pro shop, or any other large retailer before they sell out!
While you may never find one complete golf club that offers everything you need, I know you can use this list to complement your set effectively and prepare you to shoot your lowest rounds.