All golf clubs have core components that are similar. However, buying junior golf clubs that help your child love the game means understanding the individual components of the club and how they are modified for a child's strength and swing speed. Remember that as your child grows, you'll need to buy new golf clubs as clubs that are too long or too short may hamper a promising golfer's swing.
Shaft
The shaft is the section of the club between the club head and the end of the club; it runs under the grip. Besides the obvious difference in length, the shaft of a junior club is often made of less expensive materials. Zinc or stainless steel are common materials used to form shafts that are flexible enough to support a junior golfers swing, but not too heavy or too light. You can consider using cut-down clubs to simply shorten the shaft, but the grips will likely be inappropriate for a junior golfer.
Grips
The grip is the top part of the club, often covered in black, rubberized material. It's the only contact between the golfer and the club. Since children's hands are smaller than adult hands, a cut-down club is often much too thick for a child to comfortably hold. Junior clubs have thinner shafts, and thus thinner grips.
Club Head
The head of the club is the area that is at the base of the club. The face contacts the ball, regardless of whether it's an iron, wood, putter or wedge. Loft and lie angle are two terms specific to the design of the club face. The loft refers to the angle of the club face measured from a perfect flat face. Lower lofts are generally used on longer clubs. The lower the angle of the loft, the farther the ball should go. Lie angle refers to the angle of the shaft from the club head. A putter for example, has a much less severe lie angle than a wood.
Considerations
Most junior golf sets are defined by age. However, that age range can be misleading. Look at the height information, not just the age range, when buying the clubs. A tall 8 year old, for example, may be better suited to clubs for a 9 to 12 year old. Also inquire about trade-in programs; many manufacturers or stores sell junior sets that can be exchanged for a credit toward the next larger version of the clubs.
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