A woman definitely can play with "men's" golf clubs, and there are many men who should be playing clubs designed for women. The distinction in gender is more of a marketing device than anything else. While the average woman golfer might get better results with women's clubs, it's because her swing speed, size and ability level make women's clubs a better fit. Lots of women have the swing speed, size and ability to use men's clubs. And if you are a woman in that group, and you don't play with men's clubs, you won't play up to your capabilities.
Length
About 80 percent of golfers should use standard-length clubs. For fitting purposes, standard women's clubs are one inch shorter than men's: a standard driver is 43.5 inches for men and 42.5 for women. If you fall into the 20 percent of golfers who are short or tall, your ideal club length will vary accordingly. For example, professional star Michelle Wie, who is 6 feet tall, would not use women's standard-length clubs, since they would be far too short for her.
Swing Speed
Your swing speed is a crucial factor in determining what type of shaft you should play. The design of most women's clubs shows that clubmakers think women will generally swing slower than men and therefore need more loft and shaft flexibility. Perhaps this is true as a general rule, but women who generate as much swing speed as men are better off with men's clubs.
Flex
Flex refers to the amount of bend in the shaft of the club. If you have a slow swing speed, you want as much flex as you can get to generate more distance. If you have superior swing speed, you want less flex; because you are already generating enough power for maximum distance, more flex will make the club too whippy and lessen control. There are five categories of flex. The most flexible shafts are called ladies flex and meant for people -- man, woman or child -- whose swing speed is less than 60 mph and who drive the ball less than 180 yards. The least flexible shaft is extra stiff or X stiff and is intended for those with swing speeds of more than 93 mph who hit their driver at least 240 to 260 yards. Wie and most of the players on the women's golf tour use stiff or X stiff shafts.
Considerations
Chauvinism has been well-entrenched in golf throughout its history, and labeling of men's and women's clubs is a symptom, similar to "men's tees" and "ladies tees." While it's true the average woman doesn't hit the ball as far as the average man, that has little relevance individually. Talented women golfers should be playing clubs and tees that match their abilities, and labeling anything in golf as "men's" or "women's" -- except for restrooms -- is anachronistic. Since custom fitting of clubs has become more available, every player can be fitted to maximize their abilities.
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