Put Your Best Foot Forward: Top Five Picks for Women's Golf Shoes

Enjoy this informative guest golf blog post on selecting the right golf shoes for your walk along the fairway, written by Guest Golf Blog by Melinda Bailey, 9 & Dine Women’s Golf Apparel.

The days of "one-style-fits-all" golf shoes are long behind us. Today's women's golf shoes offer an unparalleled selection of designs to please even the most style-savvy fashionistas, with comfort technology that makes a five mile, 18-hole course feel like a walk in the park. Say goodbye to blisters and hello to bliss with our top five picks for women's golf shoes, all of which offer no sacrifice of style for substance. Your feet--and your stroke--will thank you.

Adidas adizero Tour Shoe

A longtime leader in the woman's golf footwear industry, Adidas's roster offers a competitive field of contenders. At the front of the pack is the Women's adizero Tour. Featuring all the great elements of the men's adizero Tour,  these have a distinctly feminine flair that is at once sporty and stylish. 

Cutting-edge technology like stability-enhancing internal SPRINTWEB and a six-spike configuration enhanced by THINTCH ensure optimal traction and stability. At only 9.2 ounces, the Women's adizero Tour is  Adidas's most lightweight cleated tour shoe yet, and is guaranteed to spare you foot fatigue in the home stretch.  Our favorite? The white/passion-fruit combination: this eye-catching pop of color will put just the right lift in your step. 

Nike Ace Golf Shoe 

The aptly named Women's Nike Ace Golf Shoes deliver groundbreaking innovation that supports the needs of players ranging from amateur to elite.  

Balance-enhancing and weight transfer technology are just a few of the ergonomic design elements that support walking comfort and foot health in this sporty shoe.  A little rain never hurt anyone, and it won't hurt the Nike Ace Golf Shoe, either, thanks to water-resistant features which will keep your feet dry in the greens. 

FootJoy LoPro Collection

FootJoy lives up to its name and more with the popular LoPro Collection golf shoes. Designed to contour to the natural shape of your foot, these shoes provide maximum comfort, breathability and durability under the most rigorous conditions. Advanced engineering features like PU Fit-Beds, Dri-Lex covers and Softspikes cleats--the industry leader and favorite of tour professionals--round out the reasons why these tough togs are a top pick. 

PUMAGolf Cat 2 Shoes

While "golf" and "cute" aren't typically words that go together, the Golf Cat 2 defies the odds, delivering an irresistibly appealing look with intelligent design features like traction-enhancing SmartQuill Technology rubber clusters. Lacking cleats, these fit like a sneaker, and do the work of one, as well.   For head-turning clubhouse-to-street style, look no further than the PUMA Golf Cat 2.

ECCO Golf Street Sport Shoe

Another choice that can take you from the course to whatever comes next, this European shoe not only promotes walking comfort, but also features environmentally friendly elements. 

The hybrid design ensures that you'll look and feel great--thanks to supersoft calfskin and innovative water-resisting Hydromax treatment--while promoting optimal traction and durability on all surfaces. This good-looking shoe transitions easily from the golf course to a variety of other walks of life. 

The right footwear can mean the difference between average and extraordinary when it comes to your golf game. By choosing a comfortable shoe, you guarantee optimal performance. By choosing a stylish shoe, you guarantee that you'll feel great along the way. Luckily, today's golf shoes for women offer both options--truly the best of both worlds!

Melinda Bailey is an avid golfer and the Executive Editor of 9 & Dine Women’s Golf Apparel blog.  You can connect with Melinda via Twitter @9Dine.

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and Like Golf for Beginners on Facebook.

How to Select The Best Golf Clubs for Women

Enjoy this informative guest blog post on how to select the best golf clubs for women, written by Melinda Bailey, 9 & Dine Women’s Golf Apparel.
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What Women Should Look For in Golf Clubs to Enhance Performance:
1. Lightweight Shaft
2. Large Sweet spot on Club face
3. Higher loft
4. Clubs made especially for women (not generic)
5. Hybrids instead of long irons
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You think men are better than women at golf? Psht, yeah right!

Well… okay. Men may have a little more power behind the golf swing but, contrary to conventional wisdom, the reason is not totally due to size.

In general, women tend to have a slower swing speed.  So how do you improve your swing to help you join the ranks of your male counterparts?

Start by choosing a fitting golf club to enhance women’s performance.

To begin, by using a lighter shaft a woman can increase her swing speed to great result. A graphite shaft, while more expensive, should be chosen over metal. A graphite shaft is lighter, and will quicken a women's speed of swing. However, a woman should not stop there. A ladies shaft should be specifically chosen. This is because these particular shafts will have more bend, thus launching the ball farther.

The heads on the woods are mostly metal or titanium these days. Sometimes, the two are combined. Again, metal is less expensive, but smaller and heavier. A titanium head, because it is lighter, is also larger. There is more head to hit the ball, and to hit it at a quicker speed.

Before looking at some of the better clubs for women, it should be noted that a driver does not have to be used for teeing off. Most golf drivers are used by excellent players who hit the ball a country mile. The drivers, therefore, have a lower loft. Women, as do many professionals, find teeing off less difficult and more rewarding by using something like a three-wood for the task.

Adjustable drivers are currently the hot new item in golf for men or women. 

Callaway makes a women's adjustable driver, the Razr Fit Xtreme, which has adjustable lofts from 8.5 all the way to 13. These drivers have an adjustable hosel. This is the part of the club head where the shaft is fitted. 

The player can adjust either the loft, the face angle, and even the lie of the club by making partial rotations of the shaft. One of the added benefits to these adjustable drivers is that it allows a player, as her game evolves, to keep her driver and make simple adjustments.

It should also be noted that long golf irons do not have to be used on the golf course either. A blend of iron and wood, hybrid golf clubs are easier to hit and you will make better contact with the golf ball.

Perhaps Ping leads the field in making excellent golf clubs for women. Long considered one of the best golf equipment manufacturers, Ping has their “Serene” line especially for women. These clubs are not only tailored to a woman's swing, but they offer a “Serene Lite” and a “Serene Ultra-Lite.” The women will love the swing rate per iron, which is a C4.

For women who are just starting to golf, Wilson makes an excellent starter set for ladies at an affordable price. The clubs may be a tad heavier than pricier women's clubs, but nobody should overspend on their first set of clubs, just in case they find the game too maddening. 

There is an amazing variety of quality women's golf clubs available on the market today, and a few of the better ones have been mentioned above. 

It is important for women who are particularly diminutive, perhaps 5'2 and under, to understand something about golf clubs. No woman should fall in love with a particular club designed for taller women, and then have it adjusted or resized to fit her own stature. Many times, this will harm the balance of the club. There is a golf club out there for every person, so every player should be sure to find the club that is right for them.

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Melinda Bailey is an avid golfer and the Executive Editor of 9 & Dine Women’s Golf Apparel blog.  You can connect with Melinda via Twitter @9Dine.




Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and friend on Facebook.