You can ensure then your child avoids learning bad habits early in their golfing career! Golf is a sport that requires persistence and consistent practice. Junior camps, leagues, and lessons are a vital part of learning the game and learning how to play golf with each other on the course. The following are some tips to help you help your junior golfer to have fun and make progress over time…
You can ensure then your child avoids learning bad habits early in their golfing career! Golf is a sport that requires persistence and consistent practice. Junior camps, leagues, and lessons are a vital part of learning the game and learning how to play golf with each other on the course. The following are some tips to help you help your junior golfer to have fun and make progress over time… When Should a Child Start Playing Golf?
If you love golf, you may want your children to jump right into the sport also, but waiting until they are truly mature and ready for golf is key. When they are ready on their own, there is plenty that you can do to encourage their love of the game. Let them explore the game on their own at first, allowing them to ask questions and discover the game at their own pace. Don’t try to correct them or push them too quickly. The most important thing is that you have fun with them. Show your enthusiasm, and laugh off your own mistakes. The fun atmosphere you create will be contagious to your kids.
What Age Should Junior Golfers Begin Golf Lessons?
The best thing for children is to let them play golf to have fun. FUN! Golf is a great way to get the kids physically active in a safe environment and a sport they’ll love. And the benefits go beyond physical fitness too — it can help with mental and emotional development as well as help develop social and emotional skills that will last their whole lives. You can play golf if you are young or old, tall or short. It doesn’t require a specific physique. Golf is a fun activity the whole family can enjoy together and it is a sport you can enjoy your whole life no matter what your age. Ensure your child avoids learning bad habits early in their golfing career. Keep in mind you are there to do what they want to do and make golf fun. You will know when it is time to have them take lessons when they reach a current skill level maturation and current playing goals. Until the child decides that they want to play competitively, the rules are what you and your child decide that they are. Unfortunately, many a good young player burn out at an early age if pushed too hard too soon.
What Golf Equipment Do Juniors Need?
Luckily the junior golfer of today does not have to deal with the challenge many of us had when we were given a chopped off club from our parents or grandparents set. Clubs are now not only built to proper sizes but they also have proper weight club heads making it easier for the kids to swing. Even when kids venture onto the course, many have such slow swing speeds that 14 clubs become a pointless abundance.
Players need swing speed to create distance gaps between clubs. Distance gaps are usually quite small or unnoticeable with kids. Therefore, a driver, a hybrid club, a 7-iron, a wedge, and a putter is a perfect set for young golfers. It makes sense to have 12-14 clubs only when a kid can swing harder, and sees a distance gap that’s larger than five yards between clubs.
How Often or How Much Should Junior Golfers Practice?
Practice is a key to success in any sport. Even at the professional level, you’ll find athletes who spend many more hours on the practice field than they do in actual competition. For the young, developing athlete, practice is even more important. If your child is in junior high school or younger, leave it up to them. Once they are in high school and want to play competitive golf, they should be setting goals and keeping track of their progress. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how frequently a junior golfer should practice. Several coaches advise golfers of all ages against judging the quality of their workouts by the time they spend practicing or the number of balls they hit. Some say the most productive practice sessions have lasted all of 20-30 minutes.
Keep Golf Fun for Kids and Yourself
If your children are not in high school the main goal is to keep the game of golf fun for them so they want to continue playing. Golf is known to be played in nine-hole or eighteen hole increments. That does not mean that it has to be played that way. Your child may like to hit a bucket of balls and only play about four holes of golf. Who cares??? If they are having fun. Find times that are not as busy to take your kids to the golf course. That will keep other players from wanting to play through or passing you. It will be a fun day and less stressful for all of you.
Make Golf Your Bonding Time With Your Child
Put away your phone, do not answer emails, no texting, and communicate with your child. Making it safe for them to fail will slowly gain the trust of your child. Every round is not going to be a great round. Your child needs to know that their worth is not dependent on one round of golf. This is much more important than building a champion golfer. We all fail at various things in our lifetime. This gives you an opportunity to mold how they are going about improving on those mistakes and failures. They just need your encouragement. Golf can be the vehicle that allows you the connection. Produce champion people, not champion golfers.
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Golf Lessons
- Lessons for Beginners are Essential – Simply put, golf is not intuitive. Everyone has to learn how to swing a golf club. No one, not even the best pros have simply picked up a club and knew what to do with it.
- Lessons are the Best Way to Improve Your Game – Lessons can help knock the rust off your skills or pinpoint why your game got worse. They are also a direct way to improve your game once it plateaus and your professional’s opinion about your gear, can save you money!
Contact Heidi Mitchell (678-637-2802) to Learn More!
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About Heidi Mitchell
I’m an LPGA Class A golf professional with over 26 years of experience in teaching golf. I can bring your game to a new level by teaching the fundamentals, psychology and functional body movement of golf based on each student’s individual learning style. I use techniques learned from highly acclaimed golf instructors and organizations such as Jimmy Ballard, David Leadbetter, Dr. Gary Wiren, Jim McLean, Dr. Debbie Crews, The LPGA, and The Titleist Performance Institute. I’m on the NIKE golf staff and I’m a TPI level II instructor, US Kids certified instructor as well as a PGA Hope Veteran program instructor and a GSGA adaptive golf instructor.
Stop Talking About It and DO IT!
See it, here it or do it! I will find the quickest way to communicate the fundamentals of the game. I use video analysis and send you images and notes for a better understanding. This means you get out on the course playing to your potential sooner!
What You Get…
Golf instruction that lets you understand the how, what and why about ball flight. Learn about the body swing connection and how YOU create the most efficient and effective swing for you. When we are done you will have practice drills and stretching tips to get you better quicker.
