Junior golf is one of the fastest growing youth sports in the world. The sport will teach your child important life lessons, build friendships, and will motivate them to spend time outside.
It is a great approach to instill patience, manners, and the value of hard work in your child. It is a game that can be played competitively for the rest of your life and it encourages healthy competition in a secure setting.
Why Should your child Play Golf?
Playing golf offers numerous benefits for children, making it an excellent sport for their development. As a low-impact exercise, golf helps children build stronger muscles and improve their overall health. The act of swinging a golf club enhances coordination, flexibility, and balance essential skills for any physical activity.
While it may not be the first sport that comes to mind, golf is a lifetime sport that anyone can pursue competitively or recreationally, regardless of talent or ability level. Many golf courses now offer programs for various skill levels which foster a welcoming environment for young players.
Moreover, golf encourages healthy competition in a beautiful outdoor setting, enhancing flexibility, focus, and hand-eye coordination. It is ultimately a mental game that rewards positive outlooks and sharp wits, making it an enriching choice for kids.
How To Introduce Golf To Juniors?
Introducing a young child to golf is best done by making it fun and starting closer to the green than on the tee box. Starting from the tee box will most likely produce frustration and force your junior out of the game. That being said, let’s start from 25 yards out and work our way back to the tee box. Strat by purchasing your junior a wedge and a putter and making the goal to shoot even par or better starting at 25 yards out. A program we offer at MLaB Golf is called Operation 36, our principal with this program is to build junior golfers up by starting close and graduating to the next yardage. There are many companies that offer great junior club options, most notably U.S. Kids Golf.
Before even heading to the course your child can have some fun by chipping around in the backyard, or going to your local course to chip and putt around the practice greens., For backyard use, we suggest plastic or foam balls (or even indoors in colder climates).
Once you feel your child is ready to play some holes, keep it fun, simple, and start close. We would recommend starting at 25 yards out and only playing a few holes until your child becomes more competent.
Furthermore, MLaB Golf Coaching in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is rated as one of the top junior golf coaching facilities in the area, they offer programs for juniors of all ages and abilities with their number one goal of making the game fun and building friendships. For more advanced golfers the team at MLaB Golf will sit down and discuss long term training plans for your junior golfers success, and if you cannot visit the facility, they also offer virtual lessons.
Above all, don't forget to have fun, over time as they get more excited about the game you can start to sprinkle in some competition by seeing if they can beat mom, dad, or their friends on each hole. As they progress and start asking to go to the course more often you can start to teach them the rules, etiquette, and history of the game.
Remember that you cannot teach your child everything in one day. Start with the easy stuff and build a strong foundation based on that.
Choose The Right Time And Age
If you play golf, your kids have likely grown up watching you or watching golf on TV. As early as three or four years old, you can start your child on a golf course (ideally on a tiny pitch and putt course or even around the practice greens or the backyard). Even while junior golf competitions begin at age five, it's okay if your child takes up the sport later in life.
Choosing the ideal time to take your child to the golf course is another crucial consideration. At 7 AM on a Saturday, your junior might not be excited to go for a walk! You don't want to push the game or make it uncomfortable for them because you can unintentionally discourage them from playing. Let them enter the game at their own pace, ask them if they would like to join, versus telling them they’re going to the course. Take them out on the course in the evenings when it is less busy and allow them to drive in the golf cart with you and steer the wheel on your lap. Give them a scorecard to draw and color on. Allow them to walk the greens and through the bunkers, make it enjoyable and allow them to make the decision of when they would like to enter the game. Pushing them into the game will just discourage them from falling in love with it.
For junior golfers getting started keep it simple, start close to the hole as mentioned before, but keep the practice to a minimum, and get them on the course, this is where they will learn the most and most importantly let them enjoy their time with you.
Allow Kids To Have It Their Way
One of the hardest things about parenting is having to learn how to set reasonable expectations for your children. Things may get even worse if you start acting as their teacher. If you're a golfer, you most likely already have firm beliefs about appropriate behavior on the course.
During the child's initial stages, make things simple and joyful. It's okay if they are unable to perfect little things like the grip, this will come with time. It's acceptable and a teaching opportunity if their posture is pointing into the woods. Naturally, parents' support in reinforcing proper form will become more crucial as their child gets older and works with a coach, but in the early stages, let them do things their own way.
Reinforce enjoyment of the game and explore the beauty, wildlife, hazards, and shape of the golf course. Teach by example and keep it interesting and light-hearted.
Invest In The Right Equipment
Using golf clubs that are excessively stiff, too heavy, and long, will not help your youngster develop properly, this will only hinder their movements and make playing the game frustrating. It will also produce poor long term movements as they get older and will not allow the club to swing on the appropriate swing plane.
A young player is likely to struggle with controlling their ball flight and trajectory already, so adding a golf club that is too stiff and long can just complicate matters and increase the likelihood of a poor swing purely from equipment.
Generally speaking, always begin with lighter and shorter clubs. A few companies to look into that make golf clubs specially for juniors include: U.S. Kids Golf, PING, Callaway, and Taylormade. If you’re new to the game, start with U.S. Kids Golf, they make clubs specifically for junior beginners, they offer a much more reasonable price point, and you can use their sizing chart online to make sure the clubs you order for your junior golfer fit correctly. As your junior grows, gets stronger, and swings faster you can then upgrade to one of the other companies that offers more equipment that’s geared towards better players.
Conclusion
The junior golf industry is growing rapidly and is rather vibrant. Players of various skill levels can find challenge, enjoyment, and competition in this sport. One of the rare sports where the player is fully accountable for the result.
The majority of this advice is intended for parents whose children have never played golf before. If your junior is more advanced, please check out our website for more specialized areas of junior golf.
Frequently asked questions
What age is best for my child to begin playing golf?
As early as three or four years old, your child can begin to play golf, preferably, on a tiny pitch and putt course, practice areas, or starting close to the hole. Between the ages of 7 and 10, when kids often have the motor abilities necessary to enjoy the game, is when people start playing golf the most.
Which equipment is ideal for young golfers?
Start with short, light clubs made especially for younger players. Check out U.S. Kids Golf
How can I play golf with my child in an enjoyable way?
Initially, provide your child with one or two junior clubs, a wedge and a putter, and allow them to practice on the putting green or in the backyard. Involve friends and play easy games to make it enjoyable. The intention is to create a joyful learning environment.
How can I tell if my child is prepared for golf instruction?
If your child expresses interest in golf and enjoys practicing or hitting balls, they might be prepared for instruction. It's crucial that they enjoy themselves and don't feel under any obligation. Local group classes are a good place to start, check out MLaB Golf, which provides specialized instruction.
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