The Best Golf Clubs on the Market Right Now

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There are few times more exciting in a golfer's life than when they're in the market for some new clubs. While it feels like every season there's a new piece of equipment that renders everything currently in your bag obsolete, only every once in awhile is the timing just right to pull the trigger on something new. And at the same time, every time a major golf equipment manufacturer releases their latest and greatest, it can feel like Christmas—and so tempting.

Also, Christmas is, strategically, when you'll see a lot of the new releases, namely drivers, start popping up. No surprise as clubs are the highest ticket golf gifts out there, and it lets brands do a holiday-Father's Day double in most cases. But it's not until, usually, the depths of winter that we're able to have a semi-full look at what that year's best new options are. So, here we are on the verge of spring, and the biggest golf brands in the equipment game, save for one big dog, have released their new ideas.

Now that the full crop is mostly available, you can take the first step in getting new sticks. Spend some time comparing the differences in each new club or set, and how the offering relates to your golf goals. Maybe you're having trouble getting the ball up in the air, or maybe you've been working so hard that you're ready to spend big on closer to what the pros play. Either way, each golf club manufacturer spends all year finding a way to explain the newness to you, and why you should choose it over another. (This year, 10K MOI is the buzz phrase). This research is key, because golf club sales often come down to marketing.

Once you've narrowed your golf clubs search down to a few general ideas, the most important part of buying new golf clubs comes into play. You have to hit them. Few people have pulled the trigger on new clubs blind to their feel and found much success. That's because a golf club is made up of a few key components—a grip, a shaft, and a head—that can all be customized to fit your body, your swing, and your goals.

Getting "fitted" for clubs isn't just a good suggestion, it's the only way to be sure you're making the right decision. Golf clubs are not one-size fits all. The irons you'll see below, for instance, all feature steel shafts. But maybe your swing lends itself to a lighter, graphite shaft. That's an option. Maybe you've got big hands and the standard grips that come on these clubs need to be bigger (it's a thing!). These are all golfing conversations to be had with a fitter to make sure you're not missing the fine details.

That all being said, long before that morning you're waiting by the door for the UPS truck, you need to know what's out there and what's buzzing. Below, we've compiled a high-level hit list of drivers, irons, wedges, and putters on the market right now. The golf club market isn't limited to what you see below, in fact these selections—considering the aforementioned importance of fit—are the tip of the iceberg. But, in the day and age of high fashion golf collabs, golf streetwear, menswear brands, and new ventures from the GOAT, we'd be remiss not to consider a club for its aesthetic appeal, too. So if you like the way something below looks, and sounds, it's worth going to your local fitter (or just checking out the guidance on the club manufacturer's website) to dial in exactly how it should be shipped to you for your golfing pleasure.

Drivers

Paradym Ai Smoke Max Driver

The X-factor in Callaway's New Ai Smoke suite, which features three head options, is in it's most forgiving face to date. Callaway boasts up to 12 yards of added distance from shots hit outside of the club's sweet spot, so mishits don't hurt you as much.

Qi10 Max Driver

TaylorMade has been the loudest voice in the 10K MOI discussion with its new Qi10 suite of drivers. TaylorMade also adjusted the shape of the head on the Qi10 suite to optimize inertia.

DarkSpeed Max Driver

Of its new DarkSpeed drivers, the MAX model offers the most in terms of accuracy and forgiveness, allowing you to dial in the draw-bias of the club. It's great for those that deal with a left-to-right ball flight.

G430 Max 10K Driver

Another driver that achieved records in forgiveness with 10K MOI, is Ping's G430 series. It's also produced its largest head profile ever, still within the 460cc limit.

TSR2 Driver

Titleist's TSR series isn't a new release for 2024. (We're still waiting on whether a new driver drops in time for spring play). But, it remains a favorite both on the tour and amateur circuits. Of them all, the TS2 is a great starting point to get fit from, offering the best mix of player utility and forgiveness to build off of.

PXG 0311 Black Ops Driver

PXG is known for making some of the most forgiving clubs in golf. It's no surprise that its new driver for 2024, the Black Ops, got high remarks across the industry in a year where forgiveness was everything.

Fairway Woods

Qi10 Fairway Wood

The Qi10 fairway wood suite also goes big on MOI, with a low center of gravity for the feel you need in the fairway.

G425 Max Fairway Wood

Ping's G425 fairway woods use innovations known as "Facewrap Technology" and "Spinsistency" to deliver more distance and spin. Two other variations include models for straighter ball flight, and a reduced spin (LS) model for faster swing speeds.

Paradym AI Smoke Max Fairway Wood

Like its Driver counterpart, the Paradym AI Smoke fairway wood series features an "Ai Smart Face" that adds sweet spots where mishits used to be. Same as the driver, you get more useful forgiveness on heel and toe shots.

TSR2 Fairway

Titleist optimized the center of gravity on the TSR2 woods as well, adding a new "Open Hosel Construction" that produces a new sound.

Hybrids

Qi10 Rescue

TaylorMade's Qi10 rescue clubs are versatile in the types of players they can assist. From high-level, low handicappers to beginners trying to get more distance and forgiveness from longer distances in the fairway, anyone can benefit here. The Qi10 rescues use the same twist-face technology as TaylorMade's suite of woods and adds proprietary V-Steel technology for better turf interaction.

Pro FLI-HI 2024 Hybrid Iron

Mizuno's Fli-Hi series is a hybrid in its definitive sense: It combines the look and feel of a long iron with the forgiveness and trajectory of a rescue club or wood.

Paradym AI Smoke Hybrid

Callaway's rescue iteration of the Ai Smoke comes equipped with the same smart face as its wood and driver counterparts, adding forgiveness in spots that produce misses, typically.

Launcher Halo XL 2024 Hybrid

Cleveland's Halo XL is designed to help players escape from a variety of non-ideal lies. With a larger head for added forgiveness, it makes it easier to get around the course.

DarkSpeed Hybrid

For adaptability across lies, Cobra's DarkSpeed hybrid family offers a higher launch and spin optimization through its "H.O.T. Face" tech.

Irons

Pro 243 Irons

The cavity-backed 243 from Mizuno's new iron suite are the most playable across the spectrum. They're built for the forgiveness handicappers need with the slim profile strong players prefer.

Blueprint S Irons

Ping worked with its top pros to develop its Blueprint S irons. The result is a compact profile that top professionals and amateurs can both appreciate, complete with Ping's unique sound and feel.

Staff Model CB 2024 Irons

Wilson came back in a big way this past year, re-energizing it's Wilson Staff line with modern treatments. The Staff CB irons for 2024 focus on toe weighting to avoid the low, left miss.

T100 Irons

Titleist's most versatile iron, the T100, also happens to be—despite the fact that the brand makes a blade—the most played iron among its Tour players.

P790 Irons

TaylorMade has optimized its mass distribution to get a larger sweet spot and better forgiveness in its P790 irons. This makes them a great option for when you're stepping up into the world of players irons.

JPX923 Tour Irons

Mizuno's JPX line is among the most popular among iron heads for its slimmed down, tour-like profile on a cavity-back iron.

ZX7 MK II Irons

Srixon's ZX7 line, specifically the MK II model, aim to deliver a blade like look and feel in players iron construction, with added forgiveness thanks to its enhanced framing tech.

Apex Pro Irons

Callaway's latest Apex Pro irons boast a hollow, forged construction designed with Ai to maximize ball speed and forgiveness.

PXG Gen 6 0311 P Irons

PXG offers two versions of its Gen6 iron, the P and XP. The XP has a larger head and a more offset hosel for players who need a little more help with contact. The P offers a more standard head shape for confident ball strikers. Each come in different finishes.

CB-302

Miura makes some of the highest quality golf clubs, and most coveted irons, in the market.

Wedges

Vokey SM10 Tour Wedge

Bob Vokey's been making some of, if not the, best wedges in golf for decades. You can rest assured his latest, the SM10, and Titleist's varied offering of grinds and bounces will be a good bet around the greens.

s159 Wedges

Ping added more customization to the s159 wedge suite, so players can further address distance gapping through an expanded bounce and grind menu.

CBX4 Zipcore Wedges

Cleveland's newest Zipcore line combines a trifecta of proprietary technologies into their most useful wedges to date.

Jaws Raw Chrome Wedge

Callaway's Jaws series is the result of attention to detail in the grooves department, now even sharper for spin maximization around the greens and on approach.

Milled Grind 4 Chrome Wedge

Lighter weight, better control in wet conditions, and a beefy flange make the Milled Grind 4 a killer wedge.

Putters

Ai-ONE Jailbird Mini DB Putter

Odyssey's Jailbird-style mallet putters have become popular on and off the pro-tour. The mallet style balance combined with strategic sight-lined details, the Ai-ONE series is packed with tech, too.

Ai-ONE #2 CH Putter

Similarly, Odyssey's Ai ONE CH brings all the psychological design and tech to a blade shape, for players who prefer the more traditional style.

Super Select Newport 2 Putter

The modern godfather of puttermaking, Scotty Cameron, spared no detail on the latest iteration of his Newport 2. It's a classic putter any golfer is happy to get their hands on.

Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 Putter

For mallet and Scotty Cameron faithful, the Phantom X is the pinnacle of putting. Tour pros like Justin Thomas and your friend Justine alike are choosing the Scotty mallet as their flat stick of choice.

MEZZ.1 MAX Broomstick Putter

LAB's MEZZ.1 MAX putter features ten, yes, ten, weights. You can feel it, too. Coupled with a 2.5-degree loft, these putters are among the buzziest new innovations in the space.

Spider Tour Counter Balance Putter

Pros like Rory McIlroy trust TaylorMade's Spider line of putters on the hardest greens in the world. One key feature of the Spider is its Hybrar Echo Dampener—a feature behind the face to "dampen unwanted vibrations, delivering premium sound and feel on every putt with the best possible sensation."

TP Reserve TR-B29 Putter

TaylorMade's TP Reserve line is like the luxury vehicle option in its lineup (and they make mallet versions, too). Dual weighting and a slim profile head up this putter's best attributes.

PLD Milled Anser Putter

Ping stripped away all the jargon and made a solid putter with a "meticulously" milled face for a soft feel off the ball.

2024 INOVAI 6.0 Mini Plumber's Neck Putter

Bettinardi's INOVAI line offers six different options of varying lengths and head styles, and a groove design made after consultation with top pros.

Why You Can Trust Esquire

We’re not going to say something is great unless it’s actually great. Every product in Esquire’s round-ups is carefully curated by our highly selective editors. In terms of golf gear—and clubs, specifically— well, we've been playing long enough to know that buying clubs off the rack is for suckers. That's why we created this guide to steer you in the right direction. While we admittedly cannot hit every single golf club on the market, our team spends time in the field gathering stories and nuances that will help you step into a club fitting feeling a bit more knowledgeable than if you didn't find your way here.

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