Your child just attended a junior golf camp this past summer, and now they’re hooked. Registration for local fall junior programs has opened, and you want to take advantage. Pretty soon, it’ll be the holidays, and it looks like junior clubs are on the wish list. Or maybe it’s been a couple of years since your child first picked up the game, and now they want to take it more seriously, perhaps even competing in tournaments.
So, what should you do now? What’s the next step?
I get bombarded with these types of questions from parents all the time. What clubs should we get? What kind of program should we look into? Or simply, what’s next? Here are some answers to help point you in the right direction.
1. Get the right sized clubs
Properly sized or fitted clubs are extremely important for junior golfers, regardless of age or skill level. For younger children, lightweight clubs specifically designed for juniors are the way to go. Remember, too, that purchasing junior clubs isn’t like buying clothes or sneakers for a growing child, where you might go a size or two larger and let them grow into them. With junior clubs, you want your kids to grow out of them instead.
Longer clubs can do a tremendous disservice to your child’s development. They can be 15 to 30 percent heavier than clubs properly sized for the child’s height. That means that even if your child chokes down an inch or so on the grip, the clubs will still be too heavy and stiff. This can lead to poor swing technique and compensatory movements. Time will eventually be wasted trying to teach those bad habits out of your child as they get older. Most importantly, poorly sized clubs can lead to pain and injury. Even if the clubs are slightly shorter than the standard length for your child’s height, they won’t hinder their development or well-being.
Simply cutting down adult clubs is also a no-no. Trimming a shaft by one inch makes it roughly a half- to full-flex stiffer if the head weight stays the same. That means a regular-flex shaft cut down by two inches could effectively become a stiff or even extra-stiff shaft — and that’s for an adult. Imagine what that must feel like for a junior.
If you’re shopping for a set of junior clubs and the box lists age groups as the primary sizing guide, you should look elsewhere. Companies like US Kids Golf and PING do a masterful job of providing top-notch junior equipment, emphasizing proper fitting based on a golfer’s height rather than age. US Kids Golf has an extensive yet easy-to-understand fitting chart for parents to use, which you can see here.
One thing I see more and more, especially among young competitive junior golfers, is adult clubs showing up in their bags. The latest, longest-hitting driver appears in one kid’s bag, and peer pressure kicks in. Suddenly, every kid needs the same driver or something similar, all in the constant pursuit of more distance. This desire for instant gratification can hurt your child’s long-term development.
Keep this in mind: The average driver clubhead speed of a woman in her 50s is in the low-to-mid-70-mph range, while a man in his 60s typically swings in the low-80s to low-90s. Those speeds roughly correspond to what today’s equipment companies would label as ladies’, senior/lite and regular flexes. If your child isn’t swinging their junior driver at 75 mph or faster, you shouldn’t even consider putting an adult driver in their bag.
2. Find proper instruction
Look for an instructor with a good reputation for working with juniors and a development program that is fun, engaging and challenging. Operation 36 and US Kids Golf each maintain extensive lists of certified instructors and their locations on their respective websites.
Over the last 10 to 15 years, junior golf coaching has benefited from excellent educational opportunities, including Operation 36, Titleist Performance Institute’s Junior Golf Coach Seminars and US Kids Golf certifications. As a result, junior development programs around the country have become increasingly well-informed, with greater resources, education and planning devoted to the long-term development of young golfers.
Junior golf programming is becoming the new gym class. With education budgets being slashed across the country, physical education classes are increasingly focused on walking around a track rather than developing physical fitness and athletic ability. What other athletic program uses equipment from other sports, such as tennis racquets, baseballs and soccer balls, to help train athletes for its own sport the way golf does?
When searching for golf instruction and coaching for your children, do your homework. Research your options, try out different programs in your area and see which one is the best fit for your child.
3. Listen to proven experts
Once you find the right instructor and program, let them do their jobs. An integral part of a good program is understanding that the instructor is educating both your child and you. Make every effort to participate in the educational opportunities the junior program offers, such as rules tutorials and parent meetings.
Don’t rely solely on YouTube videos and parents’ forums on social media. It’s a 50-50 gamble whether the information you find will help or hurt your understanding of the game and your child’s progress.
Follow the instructor’s practice plans to avoid conflicting information. If you have thoughts or ideas you’d like to share with your child, talk with the instructor first and get their input before passing them along. Doing your own thing or giving your child advice that contradicts the instructor’s guidance only serves to undermine the developmental roadmap the program has established for your child’s long-term growth in the game.
Good junior coaches understand that parents want only the best for their children. Long-term development, rather than immediate gratification, should always be the focus. That’s why I emphasize to other teachers that working with juniors is a “two-for-one” transaction: We’re teaching and coaching both the child and the parents.
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