10 Best Intermediate Golf Clubs

Buying golf clubs may be exciting, but finding the right ones for your skill class can be tricky to do. What’s more, at this point in your golfing career, you’re probably yet to hone in on what really works for you, so it can be hard to know where to start.

It’s not as simple as forking out as much for them as possible, as pro-level golf clubs aren’t necessarily going to improve your game. In fact, as an intermediate, there’s a good chance that buying gear above your abilities will be detrimental to your game.

Not to worry, though, friend. You’ve got promise, and we’re not going to let it go to waste. We’ve already done all the research, and we’re happy to pass on what we’ve learned to you today.

10 Best Intermediate Golf Clubs – Reviews

Top Pick

Callaway Golf Men’s Strata Complete 12 Piece Package Set

Not only does this Strata set fall within the ideal intermediate price range, but each club type has also been designed to enhance a mid-handicap player’s game.

The irons, for instance, are perimeter weighted in order to widen the sweet spot for more consistent approaching shots. 

With a large yet lightweight striking face, the driver is primed for adding yardage, boosting swing speed, and reducing side spin.

The mallet putter is perfectly aligned in order to increase scoring game accuracy, and the low profile 5 hybrid and 3 wood encourage optimal contact with the lower portion of the ball for maximum lift and carry.

Pros

• Weighted Perimeter Irons – Wide, forgiving sweet spot.
• Wide Driver Striking Face – Increases the chance of making good contact.
• Comfortable Bag – Easy to carry and keeps your clubs safe.
• Price – Just within the suitable range.

Cons

• Branding – Not actually produced by Callaway

Second Pick

TaylorMade Mitsubishi SIM Driver

If you’re an intermediate with a lightning-fast swing speed, the SIM should be a serious consideration. With 9 degrees of loft, it offers the optimal launch angle for maximum distance.

A large portion of the weight is situated in the rear, amounting to a higher moment of inertia (MOI) providing a more forgiving experience off the tee — perfect!

By calibrating the club head to the threshold of the legal speed limit (83%), the club face offers incredible energy transfer, improving distance and ball speed.

What’s more, this driver features sliding weight technology, allowing you to adjust the feel of the head to your liking.

Pros

• Rear Weighted – Raises MOI for extra forgiveness.
• Adjustable Weight – Tweak performance to suit you.
• 9 Degrees of Loft – The perfect recipe for distance shots.
• Optimal Energy Transfer – Faster balls and longer distances.

Cons

• Loft – 9 degrees is a little low for slow swing speeds.

Third Pick

Wilson Teen Profile SGI Complete Golf Set

This Wilson set is amazing if you’re trying to keep costs low, so you can allocate funds to some lessons and perhaps even a custom club or two.

The irons are well-balanced and have an incredibly responsive feel to them that guides you as you play.

The 5 hybrid arrives with an exceptionally wide sweet spot, making troublesome shots from the rough far less, well…troublesome. They allow you to get back on track with ease, so you don’t waste a single stroke in the jungle.

All in all, it’s a nice low-profile set that really helps you find your way beneath the ball for some extra lift and extended carry during your approaching shots.

Pros

• 5 Hybrid Sweet Spot – Gets you out of trouble in a snap.
• “Feely” Irons – Responsive feel tells you when you’re doing something wrong.
• Price – Great if you’re on a budget.
• Comfortable Bag – Reduces strain on shoulders.

Cons

• Bag Quality – It’s comfortable, but it could be better made.

Fourth Pick

Cleveland Launcher UHX Iron Set

Finished with high strength, variable steel striking faces, the Launcher heads encourage high ball speeds, power, and distance even when you fluff the central impact.

The V-shaped soles only add more forgiveness to the equation, whizzing through all manner of turf to provide quality contact with the ball, even during those embarrassing fat hits.

Longer irons in the set feature a forgiving large cavity back for easy distance shots from around the 200-yard zone. As the irons get shorter, the cavity is reduced, allowing you to shape the shot and bring it on home.

Pros

• Wide Sweet Spot – Encourages good ball contact.

• V-Shaped Sole – Cuts through turf smoothly and reduces the severity of fat hits.

• Variable Cavity Sizes – Forgiving long irons and controllable short irons.
• Contact Frequencies – Nice, crisp impact sound.

Cons

• Deep Cavity Backs – Make it hard to shape your long game.

Fifth Pick

Callaway Epic Speed Driver

What’s in a name, ay? Everything in this case. The Epic Speed Driver is an AI-optimized beast of a golf club, engineered with a taller ribbon and flatter crown to enhance aerodynamics. 

This reduced drag alongside the weight reductions achieved by expanding the triaxial carbon cover amounts to a slightly faster swing speed.

Furthermore, the striking face has been enlarged and optimized to provide high ball speeds even after off-center impacts, which is an incredibly forgiving feature.

The artificial intelligence aspect of design also imbues this driver with extra rigidity that can improve stability and consistency — a definite boon for intermediate golfers.

Pros

• New Lightweight Shape – Increase swing speed, improving distance shots.

• Speed-Optimized Face – Hits hard across a wide area.
• AI Aided Design – Cutting-edge design technology improves ball speed.

Cons

• Price – It’s a costly club for an intermediate.

Sixth Pick

Callaway Golf 2021 Apex DCB Iron Set

It doesn’t get better than this iron set from Callaway. Built on the deep cavity back blueprint, they offer a stable shooting experience from a wide variety of lies. 

Intermediate players are able to make better contact with the ball, amounting to longer range, more accurate shots.

Covering the carbon steel body of the head is Callaway’s proprietary urethane microsphere technology that improves the feel of an impact, giving you feedback on each shot.

The Elevate ETS 85 shafts have been employed to bring the overall weight down and bolster your swing speed, so you can improve your distance game.

Then, perhaps best of all, we have the tungsten energy core providing enhanced forgiveness, reducing the severity of a miss-strike.

Pros

• Cavity Back – Offer more stability than muscle backs.
• Urethane Microspheres – Enhance the feel of each shot.
• Lightweight Shafts – Increase swing speed potential.
• Forgiving Center of Gravity – Off-center shots will still fly.

Cons

• No Sand Wedge – Only includes an approach wedge. 

Seventh Pick

Odyssey White Hot Pro 2.0 Putter

Although we highly recommend treating yourself to a custom-fitted putter for intermediate golf, the Odyssey White Hot Pro is the next best thing.

This thing ticks all the boxes for the intermediate short game. The specially engineered insert produces a satisfying noise and vibrations for an insanely communicative feel, allowing you to refine your scoring game to the fullest.

Utilizing a laser milling cutting process, Odyssey manages to keep tolerances tight for enhanced shot consistency across the face, reducing the spatial punishment of a mishit.

Adding the cherry on the forgiveness cake, the heel-toe weight placements help to keep the putter face straight for accurate shooting, and contrasting alignment lines provide visual cues for targeting — nice!

Pros

• Engineered Insert – Creates a responsive feel.
• Tight Tolerances – Consistent shooting across the putter face.
• Heel:Toe Weight Ratio – Perfectly balanced to reduce twisting during shot.
• Alignment Lines – Think of them as a crosshair.

Eighth Pick

Aspire X1 Ladies Women’s Complete Golf Club Set

This Aspire set is designed for intermediate female golfers, but it just so happens that it’s perfect for young and senior intermediates too.

The graphite shafts are roughly 40% lighter than steel shafts, meaning you’ll be able to swing faster, which in turn leads to faster ball speeds and longer distance play.

On the other hand, the wing-flared putter is nice and heavy in order to keep the striking face true throughout the shooting motion.

Perfect for pristine turf interaction and cutting in beneath a ball in tricky situations, the low-profile hybrid ensures you can get out of trouble after a bad shot.

With weight spread around the perimeter of the irons, the heads remain stable during off-center impacts rather than twisting away from the ball. This means that you’ll always get a rock solid strike, even if it’s not quite what you intended to do.

Pros

• Light Shafts – Increase swing speed.
• Perimeter Weighted Irons – Stabilizes the head during off-center impacts.
• Low Profile Hybrid – Cuts in under the ball through tricky terrain.
• Well Weighted Putter – Encourages measured, even strokes.

Cons

• Size – Not suitable for taller intermediates.

Ninth Pick

TaylorMade Spider X Putter

A durable steel frame boosts the weight of the Spider X in order to eliminate the dreaded face twist as you go for gold on the green, and the strategically placed perimeter weights encourage a measured strike.

It also offers a semi-modular approach to your game, allowing you to adjust the weights as you see fit. Once you get everything just right, use the True Path alignment system to visualize your shot.

This versatility ensures you’re never caught off guard by a fast or slow green, so if you play on lots of different courses, it’s a reliable companion.

Pros

• Perimeter Weights – Forgives off-center strikes.
• Modular Weights – Fine-tune the feel of the putter to suit your game.
• True Path Alignment System – Helps to visualize your shot.

Cons

• SS Grip – Kills some of the feel.

Tenth Pick

TaylorMade SIM 2 Max Rescue Hybrid

The SIM 2 Max Rescue Hybrid golf club features a V-shaped sole that absolutely flies through longer grass due to the depressed heel and toe shaping. It all adds up to a very forgiving swing and launch when you’ve struck one into the rough.

It’ll also bring the magic of TaylorMade’s Twist Face technology to your bag, a revolutionary striking face curvature that minimizes the effects of fumbled hits, keeping your mistakes from costing you the hole.

And, of course, we couldn’t finish this review without mentioning the Thru-Slot Speed Pocket. It guarantees pace on low face-contact strikes, protecting you from lofty, slow shots that don’t quite make it back to the fairway.

Pros

• V-Shaped Sole – Clean turf interaction = clean contact.
• Twist Face Technology – Curved face keeps off-center shots alive.
• Thru-Speed Pocket – Ensures ball speed in the air.
• Versatile – Effective in various lies.

Cons

• Set Loft – No adjustability.

10 Best Intermediate Golf Clubs – Buyer’s guide

What makes a golf club good for an intermediate? It’s not such an easy question to answer, is it? That’s why I’ve composed this brief yet informative buyer’s guide with some general tips as well as some product specifics too.

Intermediate Golf Club Traits – What Do You Need from Your Clubs?

Let’s take a quick look at the three essential aspects of an intermediate golf club.

Forgiveness

Nope, I’m not talking about turning the other cheek. I’m talking about the forgiveness of your golf clubs.

In golf, forgiveness refers to the relief an aspect of design can bring to a poor shot. For example, a forgiving driver may provide a bit of extra yardage despite a slow swing speed or perhaps have a larger striking surface to improve the chances of making good contact with the ball.

An iron, on the other hand, may have a weighted perimeter rather than central weighting in order to expand the sweet spot.

Of course, you’re no longer a beginner (congrats!), so you don’t need your clubs to be as forgiving as the ones you’ve already been using, but neither are you ready for the pro stuff.

Finding a healthy middle ground between forgiveness and performance is absolutely essential when shopping for intermediate golf clubs.

Feel

A lot of people will turn their noses up when you start talking about the feel of a golf club or the feel of a golf ball, but it’s a legitimate aspect to consider when stocking up on new gear.

Feel essentially refers to two distinct things. The first is the high-frequency sound that different areas of the club face make during contact with the ball, and the way the vibrations feel as they resonate through the shaft into your hands.

The second aspect of feel has to do with the weight of the club head. You need to be able to feel the weight of a club head in order to sense where it is without looking at it.

Whereas affordable beginner clubs don’t have much feel to them in either sense of the word, intermediate clubs must have it in abundance.

Now’s the time to really improve your game, and a club that tells you what you’re doing wrong via the feel of the shot is like a second teacher.

Feel is mostly determined by the mass of the club head and the elastic modulus of the materials used to make it. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you exactly what to look for when it comes to feel, as different feel-types resonant with different golfers. Your best bet is to try as many clubs out as possible, and assess which you really connect with.

Workability

At its core, workability means a golf club gives you plenty of options for controlling the ball in different situations. This could be the ability to chip the ball with a ton of backspin in order to nail a drop-and-stop shot on the green from the fairway or rough.

Workability may also refer to the ability to hit a knockdown shot with a club that would otherwise provide a much higher trajectory.

As an intermediate golfer, the reason you want your clubs to be workable is that you’re going to be learning how to hit more complicated shots than you have done in the past. In order to shape the ball as the pros do, you need clubs that make it possible.

Some aspects of club design that affect workability are the width of the heel (thinner is more versatile), the center of gravity (higher is more versatile), and the offset.

Budget – What Should an Intermediate Golfer Spend on Clubs?

Price point is almost always the only way to determine which part of the market a golf brand is targeting with their products, so it’s important to learn the market to some extent. That way, you can assess your own position as a player within it.

You don’t want to be spending too much at this point in time, as once you advance, you’ll be switching your clubs up again. You can think of it like buying new shoes for a kid. Expensive footwear should be avoided because they’re only going to outgrow them before the year’s out.

A good rule of thumb is to stick to golf club sets that cost less than $600. You can use any remaining funds to book some lessons on a championship golf course; however, you should also be ready to spend a little more on a few custom clubs.

The one-size-fits-all approach is great for beginners, but now you’re refining your game, you’ll need a custom putter and 8 iron at the very least. 

A custom putter is especially important, as now’s the time to get your short game on lock!

Remember, you don’t need a whole set of custom clubs at this level, but feel free to gradually start building your bespoke collection that will follow you forward into the advanced stage of your career.

Avoiding “Hard to Hit” Clubs

A lot of intermediate golf club sets will only include irons 6, 7, 8, and 9, but don’t worry about it. You’ll notice that they’ve been replaced with a 5 hybrid.

This is because irons 3, 4, and 5 are incredibly difficult to use, whereas the 5 hybrid is far more forgiving and can help you spend more time on the fairway and the green, mastering the game.

5 hybrids are your friends, people!

10 Best Intermediate Golf Clubs – Frequently Asked Questions

We know you’re excited to order your clubs and hit the links, but it’s always good to mull over a few common queries before you settle on any new gear.

Q: What is a good set of golf clubs for an intermediate?

A: I think the Callaway Golf Strata Set is the best for intermediate players. It’s a little pricey but offers the perfect combination of forgiveness and workability.

Q: What is considered an intermediate golfer?

A: This is a fantastic question. How the heck do you know you’re ready for some intermediate clubs? Well, an intermediate golfer should be able to stabilize their handicap index at 35 or better.

You should know all the rules of the game, show initiative, and exhibit the ability to strategize when shooting, accounting for lie and yardage.

Q: What are the best irons for the intermediate golfer?

A: The best irons for intermediate golfers have weighted perimeters to add some forgiveness to the design. They also have a responsive feel, versatile workability, and don’t cost the world (perhaps with the exception of a custom 8 iron).

Q: How much should I spend on intermediate golf clubs?

A: You shouldn’t spend any more than $600 on intermediate sets of golf clubs, as at this point, you’ll start to fill out your collection with custom clubs. An intermediate set is only eventually going to be replaced with better ones, so try to save some money if you can.

Q: What’s the most forgiving iron for an intermediate player?

A: The Cleveland Launcher UHX Iron Set offers the most forgiving performance of any others on our list, and they arrive at a fair price too.

Final Thoughts

There you have it, folks, ten of the best intermediate golf clubs for intermediates. Was there anything that appealed to you?

We’ve covered a lot of ground here today: some lovely sets, some awesome individual clubs. Any of them could be the tools you need to unlock your true potential moving forward.