Best Golf Club Set for Intermediates
What’s going to be the best golf club set if you are an average level of player? This is an interesting question to answer as you do fall in between the clubs that are either designed to help a novice, or offer a more experienced player greater adaptability with their shots.
So, you could expect these sorts of sets aimed at the average player to sort of include both. But let’s check them out to see if that is indeed the case.
Table of Contents
- 1. Best Premium Set - Callaway Strata Set
- 2. Best Women’s Set - Wilson Profile SGI Complete Set
- 3. Best Budget Set - Precise M5 Complete Set
- 4. Best All-Round Set - Wilson Men and Teen Complete Set
- 5. Best For Juniors - Precise M7 Complete Set
- Why Getting a Set for Intermediate Players is Important
- What to Look for in These Sets
- What to Avoid
- Overall Verdict
1. Best Premium Set - Callaway Strata Set
Available in either 12-piece or 16-piece set
Contains lightweight 460cc driver
Also contains a 5-hybrid club
Comes with a mallet putter
Has a uniflex shaft throughout the set
The first set we are looking at is the Strata set courtesy of Callaway. Now Callaway does have a reputation for producing quality clubs, so you are already going to be onto a great thing when you pick up this set.
You get to choose between either a 12-piece or a 16-piece set, and that does make for an interesting decision. However, the split between the different clubs is also worth checking out before you go ahead and decide.
In general, you are looking at a mix of three different woods, a nice 460cc driver, a 5-hybrid is thrown in there for good measure, as well as a seleciton of irons. Basically, the set has you covered for every eventuality.
But it’s what’s in the clubs that’s also important.
Here, you get irons that are perimeter weighted. This is going to provide a bigger sweet spot and the irons are far more forgiving than you will get on sets aimed at more experienced players.
The driver in this set is also pretty cool. It has a tendency to hit long as it’s lightweight with a nice flex while the ability to reduce the amount of spin it generates is another nice touch. Ultimately, you always feel as if you have a lot of control over the shot as a result.
If you go for the 16-piece, then you are going to get an extra hybrid thrown into the mix as well as a sand wedge. Those could prove to be useful for a number of players, so it may be worth paying that bit extra due to the clubs you receive.
Overall, the main aim of this set is to provide you with better control over your shot while still being pretty forgiving and generous when it comes to that sweet spot across the board.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
It’s easy to see why this set is so good for the average player. It covers the bases you would expect, and it does so to the high standard you would expect from Callaway.
However, we do take a point off due to the cost associated with Callaway. Also, it’s just so tough to choose between the 12-piece and 16-piece set.
2. Best Women’s Set - Wilson Profile SGI Complete Set
Comes with lightweight graphite shafts
Has a high lofted driver with a huge sweet spot
Contains their easy-launch sand wedge
Set has a heel-toe weighted putter
For the average standard of female golfer, one of the best complete sets out there on the market is this one by Wilson. Their SGI set is going to provide you with everything you need to get through your round, and it does so with some style.
First, let’s look at the driver. It comes with a high loft, and it also has a massive sweet spot. Coupled with a lightweight shaft, it does mean you will drive greater distances, but that sweet spot means you can do so with confidence in the club.
We mentioned the sand wedge, and this is a fantastic club. The weighting in it is set very low indeed, and that has the ability of pushing the ball up into the air faster than before, and with less effort on your part. That should help get you out of trouble, which is always key.
The putter in a set is also going to be something people stress about, but in this offering from Wilson, it seems they have selected a good one. It is a heel/toe weighted putter, and it also has their soft alignment grip. This provides excellent feedback on your putts allowing you to really get to grip with the shot.
In this set, you get not only the driver, but also a #5 fairway wood, a #5 hybrid, and a selection of irons including #6, 7, 8, and 9. Throw in a pitching wedge, sand wedge, putter, bag, and head covers, and you have the complete set.
Overall, this set covers all the bases. It gives you ample shot selection from the clubs while it’s also going to not break the bank either.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
This ladies set by Wilson is one of the best around. It too is capable of bridging the gap between what you need when starting out, and what you are looking for as a more experienced golfer. It may not do anything spectacular, but the overall balance of the clubs, as well as their level of forgiveness, should help correct a few aspects of your game.
This set is going to get 5 out of 5 simply because of everything it contains. The sand wedge also makes such a difference to the set especially as you don’t always get one in other sets.
3. Best Budget Set - Precise M5 Complete Set
Graphite shafts on the woods, and steel shafts on irons
Provides you with 460cc driver
Oversized heads
Off-set works well for correcting shots
This Precise M5 complete set also falls into the bracket of being produced for intermediate players, and it’s all due to what they offer in not only the set, but the clubs themselves.
First, you get everything you need from the driver, to a fairway wood, hybrid, irons through #5 to a pitching wedge, and a putter.
With the clubs, you do get oversized heads, and that’s going to improve the odds of you getting a clean hit, but the help the club offers you does not end there. They also come with a great sweet spot and the off-set that comes with the clubs will work well in pulling your shots back into line.
Also, the off-set is going to improve the flight trajectory of the ball. It helps you get it up off the ground without sending it sky-high. Ultimately, this leads to improved distance without losing power.
Overall, this is a basic set, but it’s still going to be something that’s suitable for intermediate players.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
This Precise M5 set doesn’t do anything elaborate, but that’s a good thing. It keeps life simple, and it also provides you with the ability to focus on other parts of your game instead of worrying about those connections.
As a budget set, this is going to work well for not only intermediate players, but also those starting out in the game. For that reason alone, it’s going to get full marks.
4. Best All-Round Set - Wilson Men and Teen Complete Set
460cc driver with game improvement technology
Perimeter weighted irons in the set
Low COG throughout the set for improved accuracy
Heel/toe weighted putter included in set
Perfect for both men and teens.
We mentioned a set by Wilson earlier on for the female golfer, but both men and teens should not be missing out. This set by Wilson covers the key bases for the intermediate golfer while also promising improved accuracy in your game.
This set is also part of their Profile range, and that’s a good thing. The set comes with a driver, #5 wood, #5 hybrid, and irons through 6 to pitching wedge, as well as a sand wedge. Also, you have the putter and a lightweight bag.
The inclusion of the sand wedge is a nice addition. You don’t get that with every set and instead have to find one on your own. This set does away with that hassle, and that’s great to see.
The irons in the set come with a deep perimeter weighting, and that’s going to reduce the center of gravity. This offers you greater control over your shot and more precision, which is something you should be looking at doing once you get more involved in the game.
For the driver, it has a 460cc head, so that’s pretty standard. It also comes with a lightweight shaft, so the club is going to swing faster through the air, and that means more power.
But a quick word about the sand wedge.
This model also comes with their easy launch technology helping you get the ball up out of the sand with less hassle. It also comes with a wider sole to the club. That provides more control in and around the green allowing you to land a better shot closer to the pin.
Finally, there’s the putter. It feels well balanced, and has a soft grip. It provides a great deal of feedback from the shot helping you gain a better understanding of your putting game.
Overall, this set does the basics without making life difficult. It doesn’t give you too many options when it comes to the clubs, but that means you get to focus on your technique rather than the technology.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
When it comes to a set for an intermediate player, then this Wilson set ticks all the boxes. It performs well straight out the box, and it does allow you to focus on your shot selection without stressing too much about the swing and connection part.
We give this set full marks because it provides a set that has perfect balance and that sand wedge is out of this world.
5. Best For Juniors - Precise M7 Complete Set
Lightweight clubs make for easier swings and less tiring
Lightweight bag included in set
Stainless steel heads to prevent rusting
Available in different sizes for different ages
The intermediate junior player also deserves to have the best set around, and the Precise M7 is such a set. It delivers everything they need while they not only grow physically, but also grow into the game itself.
Available in different colors, the clubs come with extra loft attached, and that’s going to help them get the ball up into the air with less fuss. Being able to do that makes a huge difference to their confidence levels with their game, so don’t overlook the importance of that loft angle.
But the cool thing is that they still incorporate the same technology as you find in the adult clubs. That means the irons have perimeter weighting to open up the face and provide a larger sweet spot. That’s going to boost confidence even at an early age.
You also know that how clubs look plays a role for kids, and these clubs look the part. They are well made, but they do keep things nice and simple, and that even comes down to the number of clubs. They keep the numbers low to make life so much easier, but each club should last them until they outgrow the set.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
If you are looking for a set to help a junior get on with their game, then the Precise M7 set could prove to be the ideal solution. The clubs offer a large enough sweet spot to help bring their scores down, and that’s only going to be a good thing for their confidence.
As a junior set goes, we can only really drop half a mark because of the limited clubs. In saying that, you could add to them on your own depending on how their game is developing.
Why Getting a Set for Intermediate Players is Important
Considering you may have had the same set as you work your way through learning the game, why would you then see about switching sets once you build your experience?
Well, we see there being a few reasons as to why getting a set that is aimed more at the intermediate player is indeed so important.
The first reason is simply because of the way in which the areas you are struggling with will have changed as you get more experienced. At first, you are focusing on just hitting the ball, and that’s why clubs for a novice have a massive sweet spot.
If clubs for novices did not have this large sweet spot, then people would be slicing and hacking their shots all over the place. Now, that’s not going to happen to the same extent when you have played the game for some time, but an average player will still have some difficult moments.
But then, as you slowly start to master the art of hitting the ball in the heart of the clubface, thoughts turn to slightly more advanced approaches that were previously so far out of your mind that you would never think about them.
What we mean here is that you will start to look more at how you can gain more control over your shots. We aren’t talking about just the drive either.
You will want to investigate how the clubs affect the trajectory, or even getting some extra yardage on your shots. You will have more confidence in your swing, so you will let go and generate more energy as a result.
What that means is you should look to see how the sets work when it comes to balance, the center of gravity, and how much spin it produces. After all, you should be working on these parts of your game once you become more experienced.
What to Look for in These Sets
But what should you actually be looking for when it comes to buying a complete set when your game is sitting in the middle of the two extremes? Well, there are a few key areas to pay attention to.
The first area is how forgiving the clubs are going to be. You still want the set to have an impressive sweet spot. At this standard, you may not have the consistency of more experienced golfers, so you still need the club to play its role from time to time.
Knowing the club has this sweet spot has your back does help you to go ahead and relax through the swing. The more relaxed you are, then the smoother the swing, and that tends to lead to a better connection.
Another thing to look out for is how much control over the shot the different clubs in the set can offer. The clubs should be able to reduce spin while also making it easier for you to get the perfect trajectory from the tee or with your longer shots.
The reason why these areas are so important is because of the fact that they tend to be the parts of the game where people struggle the most. However, as a slightly more experienced player, it stands to reason that you should not have the same level of problems compared to those starting out.
What to Avoid
With these sets, you do have certain features that you should still avoid.
Don’t look at buying sets where the clubs appear to over-complicate matters. You don’t need to get involved in clubs that allow you to change loft angles or move the weight distribution around. That is getting too advanced, and it only makes life harder for you.
Also, avoid getting drawn into talks about reduced spins. Don’t focus on MOI or anything else like that. You can easily be confused by jargon when your main focus here is on getting better length on your drives and improving your accuracy.
Aside from that, the sets listed above do seek to make life as easy as possible, and that’s part of their appeal for this type of player.
Overall Verdict
Each set we have mentioned above is going to prove to be a fantastic set for the intermediate golfer. In saying that, we do feel that the Wilson sets for both men and women are the best options, and it’s all to do with the sand wedge.
However, any set is going to help your game. Also, don’t forget the juniors either as they deserve to have a great set that can grow with them as their game develops.
