I'm a left-hander myself, so this one is personal.
If you play left-handed, you already know the routine. You walk into a golf shop, find the rack, and discover the left-handed section is a quarter the size of everything else — usually tucked in a corner, often with one of each and nothing in your loft. I've been doing that since I started playing, and I've spent about 25 years on the other side of the counter as well.
It's a fair frustration and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. But there's a lot more available to left-handers in New Zealand than the shelf suggests, and knowing how the whole thing works will save you money and stop you buying the wrong thing.
Here's an honest guide to buying left-handed golf clubs in NZ.
Why the Left-Handed Range Is Smaller
Roughly one in ten golfers plays left-handed. Manufacturers build their production runs around that, so a driver that comes in six lofts and four shafts right-handed might come in two lofts and one shaft left-handed. It isn't retailers being difficult — the models simply aren't made in the same depth.
Retailers then stock a fraction of what's produced, because a left-handed club sits on the shelf longer. In a small market like New Zealand, that compounds. The end result is what you see: a thin rack.
The important part is that the shelf is not the range. Most left-handed clubs are available to order in far more specifications than any shop in the country will physically hold.
What's Genuinely Easy to Find Left-Handed
Some categories are much better served than others, and it's worth knowing where the easy wins are.
Drivers, fairway woods and hybrids are the strongest. Most major models come out left-handed at launch and the popular lofts are usually gettable. We currently have left-handed options from PING, Titleist, Callaway and Cobra in the shop.
Putters are better than they used to be. Blade and mallet options are both available left-handed — we carry PING Scottsdale and Odyssey Ai-DUAL models in left-hand. You won't get the full range of head shapes a right-hander does, but you'll find something that suits.
Package sets are genuinely a strong option for left-handers and I'd push them harder than I would for right-handers. Because the set is built as a matched unit, you avoid the main left-handed problem of piecing a bag together from whatever happens to be available. There are men's, women's and junior left-handed sets around.
What's Harder: Irons and Wedges
This is where left-handers feel it most, and I'd rather be straight with you than sell you something that doesn't fit.
Left-handed iron sets are rarely held in stock anywhere in New Zealand. They're almost always a special order. The same goes for wedges beyond the most common lofts — a 56 degree might be around, a 60 with a particular grind almost certainly won't be.
That isn't a dead end, it just changes how you buy. Instead of walking in and taking a set home, you get measured and fitted, we order to your spec, and you wait. I order my own irons exactly the same way, and honestly the result is better for it: you end up with a set built to your lie angle, length and shaft rather than whatever the shop happened to have. Plenty of right-handers would be better off doing it that way too.
Come and talk to us about lead times before you commit — they vary a lot by brand and time of year, and we'd rather give you a realistic answer than an optimistic one.
Why Fitting Matters More When You're Left-Handed
This is the part I'd most like left-handed golfers to take away.
A right-hander who buys off the rack has a decent chance of landing near the right spec, simply because there are enough options that one of them fits. A left-hander buying off the rack is usually taking the only one available, which means the loft, shaft and flex are whatever came in the box.
When your choice is narrower, the odds of the stock spec suiting you get worse, not better. So fitting isn't a luxury for left-handers — it's the thing that stops you spending good money on the wrong club because it was the only one there.
A club fitting also solves the ordering problem. Once we know your numbers, we can order confidently rather than you gambling on a spec you've never hit. If you haven't been fitted before, is club fitting worth it covers what's actually involved.
Try Before You Commit
Because left-handed buying often means ordering rather than walking out with something, hitting a club first matters more than usual.
Our driving range has left-handed hire clubs, and you can hit anything from the shop on the range or in a fitting bay before you decide. If you're ordering irons that will take a few weeks to arrive, it's well worth an hour first.
The Glove Catches People Out
Small thing, but it trips up new left-handed golfers constantly.
You wear the glove on your lead hand, which for a left-handed golfer is the right hand. So a left-handed player buys a right-hand glove. It sounds backwards and it's the single most common mix-up we see online.
If you're ordering, check the description says right hand. Browse men's gloves and women's gloves, and if you're unsure, ring us and we'll sort it.
Left-Handed Juniors
If you've got a left-handed child starting out, don't let anyone talk them into playing right-handed just because the clubs are easier to find. It's a false economy and they'll never swing as naturally. I'd say that as a shop owner and as someone who grew up hunting for left-handed clubs.
One thing worth knowing if your child hasn't picked up a club yet: golf handedness doesn't always follow everyday handedness. Some left-handed kids swing more naturally right-handed and the other way round. Bring them down to the range, let them try a few swings each way, and go with whichever looks and feels more natural to them. It takes ten minutes and it's a lot easier than changing later.
Once you know, junior left-handed sets do exist — we stock US Kids and Little Mate left-handed sets — and a properly sized junior set matters far more than brand at that age. Kids grow out of them quickly, so buy for now rather than for three years' time.
Buying Online as a Left-Hander
Two things worth watching.
First, check the hand before you check anything else. It's genuinely easy to get most of the way through a purchase before realising the listing is right-handed, especially where the hand is only mentioned in the fine print.
Second, be careful with overseas listings. Left-handed stock is often cheaper overseas because it's slow-moving there too, but you're buying an unfitted club you've never hit, with no warranty support and no one local to adjust the lie angle. When your options are already limited, that's a bigger gamble than it is for a right-hander.
Everything we hold left-handed is in one place — browse our left-handed collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are left-handed golf clubs more expensive?
Not usually. The same model is generally the same price in either hand. What differs is availability — you're less likely to find left-handed clubs in clearance or on special, simply because fewer are made.
Which hand does a left-handed golfer wear a glove on?
The right hand. The glove goes on your lead hand, which for a left-handed swing is the right. So you're buying a right-hand glove.
Can left-handed clubs be adjusted and repaired locally?
Yes. Lie angle, loft, length, grips and shafts all work the same way regardless of hand, and we do all of that in our workshop. Regripping a left-handed club is no different from any other.
Should a left-handed beginner buy a package set?
Often yes. It removes the problem of trying to assemble a matched bag from limited stock, and it's usually better value. Package set vs individual golf clubs goes into the trade-offs.
Can I try left-handed clubs before buying?
Yes. We have left-handed hire clubs at the driving range, and you can hit anything from the shop on the range or in a fitting bay before you commit.
How long does a special order take?
It depends on the brand, the model and the time of year, so ask us and we'll give you a realistic answer rather than a hopeful one. It's usually worth the wait for irons.
Final Thoughts
Being left-handed in golf means fewer options off the shelf. It does not mean worse equipment, and it shouldn't mean settling.
The approach that works is simple: get fitted so you know your numbers, take the good off-the-shelf options where they exist — drivers, woods, hybrids, putters — and order irons and wedges properly rather than buying whatever happens to be sitting there.
Come and see us at Golf 360 in Mount Maunganui. I've made most of the left-handed buying mistakes myself over the years, and I'd rather you didn't repeat them. We'll tell you honestly what we can get, what it'll cost and how long it'll take, and you can hit it on the range before you decide.
Happy golfing,
Scott Pickett
PGA Professional
Founder – Golf 360
Mount Maunganui
Related reading: What golf clubs do I actually need to get started, is club fitting worth it and what shaft flex should I use.
