Every good golfer knows just how important it is to have the right equipment for the job.

There are already many different types of golf clubs that you can take to the course with you and they all play their own special role in allowing you to play your best game. However, before knowing which type of club you need for each shot, you should consider whether the clubs you have are the right length for your height and playing style.

Having the right length golf club can make all the difference over the course of 18 holes and it’s one of the key things to have right if you want to play to the best of your abilities.

However, we know it can be confusing to choose between the hundreds of varieties of clubs available to you from any pro shop, so we’ve come up with this handy guide to help you measure the length of your clubs to apply it to your specific needs.

Why does the length of a golf club matter?

The main benefit of having a golf club that’s the right length is that it will give you consistency in your technique across different types of club.

The foundation of being able to hit the golf ball properly is having the correct set up addressing the ball which will be a lot more difficult if your clubs aren’t the correct length. If your clubs are too short you’ll find yourself bending over too much at address, and if they’re too long you’ll most likely be standing too tall or too far away from the ball.

Of course, different club types all have slightly different lengths, but as long as your clubs are all the appropriate length for your body, your technique has a greater chance to remain consistently across all of them. You would always buy the appropriate sized bike for your height, and golf clubs should be no different.

Algonside the correct set up, changing the length of a club can affect the distance you’re able to hit the ball, as well as the level of accuracy.

What this means is, with all other things remaining consistent, a longer golf club will be able to hit the ball further. This is why the drivers at long drive competitions are always longer than standard, and why the R&A and USGA also limited the driver length in professional and elite amateur competitions.

On the contrary, you’ll likely find more accuracy with a shorter club. It’s therefore important to get your clubs measured to the right length for your body to be able to find a perfect balance between sheer power and accuracy.

How are golf clubs measured?

There are different techniques for measuring club length, this is the most basic method.

Step 1 – You’ll need to hold the club as you normally would, with the head placed flat against the ground. By flat, we mean that the toe and the heel of the club head should both be touching the ground.

Step 2 – Place a measuring stick (a 48-inch measuring stick is the standard to use for golf clubs, but any one of sufficient length will do) on the ground, next to the heel of the club head. Line the rest of the measuring stick along the length of the club’s shaft and measure up to the end of the grip.

You don’t want to measure any kind of grip cap that may be on the end of the club’s grip, as this part is not included in standard measurements.

This is the basic technique for measuring any golf club except for the putter. The only difference with measuring a putter is that your measuring stick should not go to the ground next to the club head, rather through the centre of the putter’s club head.

What’s the right length of golf club for my height?

This is the important part. It’s all well and good knowing how to measure a golf club yourself, but that information means nothing if you don’t know how to apply it to your game.

Different golfers have their own unique styles and every shop you go to might tell you something different, so there’s really no single correct answer to this question. However, there is an average rule of thumb you can follow.

Most golf club manufacturers will stick to roughly the same ‘standard length’, which alters based on the type of club. Depending on your height, you might want to use a club with a slightly different ‘length factor’ based on this standard.

The basic rule of thumb is that for every 6 inches of height difference, there should also be a 1 inch difference in club length.

Here’ a little guide to help you understand what the right length might be for you:

• 6’9”-7’0” = add 2 inches
• 6’6”-6’9” = add 1.5 inches
• 6’3”-6’6” = add 1 inch
• 6’0”-6’3” = add 0.5 inches
• 5’9”-6’0” = standard length
• 5’6”-5’9” = subtract 0.5 inches
• 5’3”-5’6” = subtract 1 inch
• 5’0”-5’3” = subtract 1.5 inches
• 4’9”-5’0” = subtract 2 inches

As you can see, this guide follows the same rule of changing the club length by 1 inch for every 6 inches of height difference.

However, as we’ve already established, different lengths will work better for different people, regardless of their height or this guide. That’s why, if you have the opportunity to do so, it can be very beneficial to have a golf club fitting when buying any new clubs and experiment with different club lengths to find the one that gives you the most consistent results.

Final thoughts

You now know exactly why it’s important to have a golf club that’s measured correctly and is appropriate for your height and style.

Every shop you go to will have their own methods of measuring club length against your height and those methods will be pretty much the same all over the world.

However, you should always put different club lengths into practice to work out what’s best for you.