Proper size for kids clubs?

[dnett 16]

I started my granddaughter playing golf last year. She was 9 and about 49 inches tall then, and I bought her an inexpensive Top Flight starter set from a big box sporting goods store. The box stated that it was for kids 46 - 52 inches tall, so seemed perfect. She's still definitely a beginner and doesn't always hit the ball cleanly. We are working on her swing, but I noticed that she had a growth spurt, so I measured her a week ago, and she is now 53 inches tall, and will turn 11 in a couple weeks. So I figured maybe an upgrade to some better equipment and a little increase in the length of the shafts might help her out. 

So I hit up eBay, and found what looked like a great set of kids Callaway irons (7, 9, & SW) and a matching 3 wood. These are the XJ line, and they indicate they are for girls from 53 to 60 inches tall. So just barely above the beginner set, and right at the bottom of her current height. Should be perfect, right? Well, the three irons showed up in the mail today, and the 7 iron is fully 5 1/2 inches longer than her starter 7 iron!!! WTH? That seems like an ENORMOUS jump to make at this point in her development. So were the original clubs way too small for her? I think I would trust Callaway over the cheapies from Top Flight to know the proper size club length, but I'm worried that this jump is going to be a huge adjustment for her. 

I've attached a photo showing her current 7 iron, the new one, and mine to demonstrate the differences in length. 

[GolfSpy MPR 12,232]

That is a huge jump.

Fitting kid's clubs is a special challenge, I think. They're always growing, for one thing. But they don't grow in golf-OEM-approved bursts. Given what you've described, I can see why there could be such a huge difference in club length: at the extremes, the short club has to work for someone who's 3'10", and the tall one has to work for someone who is 5'. That's a pretty major difference in height.

Depending on how avidly you're daughter is into golf, you might find it to your advantage to cultivate some club-building (or at least club-tweaking) skills. There's a good chance that with a bit of grip solvent and a compressor, you could pull the grips from the new clubs and cut them down a couple of inches and re-grip them. I've basically gotten into a routine of re-shafting my son's clubs every other year.

[dnett 16]

22 minutes ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

That is a huge jump.

Fitting kid's clubs is a special challenge, I think. They're always growing, for one thing. But they don't grow in golf-OEM-approved bursts. Given what you've described, I can see why there could be such a huge difference in club length: at the extremes, the short club has to work for someone who's 3'10", and the tall one has to work for someone who is 5'. That's a pretty major difference in height.

Depending on how avidly you're daughter is into golf, you might find it to your advantage to cultivate some club-building (or at least club-tweaking) skills. There's a good chance that with a bit of grip solvent and a compressor, you could pull the grips from the new clubs and cut them down a couple of inches and re-grip them. I've basically gotten into a routine of re-shafting my son's clubs every other year.

Thanks for the reply! Yes, I have dabbled in the club building area, so that is something I'm thinking about. My real question though is "What IS the optimum length for her clubs right now?" If the old ones are really waaaaay too short, maybe the new ones are the correct length, and we just need to soldier through an adjustment period. I'm planning to take her to the range this afternoon and we'll get an idea of how awkward the new clubs might be. But I really wish I could find a table of suggested lengths for various heights. I'm having a hard time finding that even though I've been googling for a quite a while today. 

[GolfSpy MPR 12,232]

4 minutes ago, dnett said:

Thanks for the reply! Yes, I have dabbled in the club building area, so that is something I'm thinking about. My real question though is "What IS the optimum length for her clubs right now?" If the old ones are really waaaaay too short, maybe the new ones are the correct length, and we just need to soldier through an adjustment period. I'm planning to take her to the range this afternoon and we'll get an idea of how awkward the new clubs might be. But I really wish I could find a table of suggested lengths for various heights. I'm having a hard time finding that even though I've been googling for a quite a while today. 

My starting point for fitting is going to be the clubs from US Kids Golf. Given what you've said about your daughter, I would start with their UL51 7 iron, designed for kids from 51"-54" tall. That club is 30.5" long: https://www.uskidsgolf.com/ul51s-7-iron?quantity=1

[dnett 16]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

My starting point for fitting is going to be the clubs from US Kids Golf. Given what you've said about your daughter, I would start with their UL51 7 iron, designed for kids from 51"-54" tall. That club is 30.5" long: https://www.uskidsgolf.com/ul51s-7-iron?quantity=1

Thanks. That makes a lot more sense as her current 7 is about 28 inches and the new one is 33.5 inches. I suppose I could cut 2-3 inches off the butt of the shaft. I kinda hate to do that, as she is getting to the age where she's likely to grow 6 or more inches in the next couple years. But best that she play now with what fits her. She is in the PGA Jr program and we have a match tomorrow, so I will show these to the pro and see what he thinks.