Introducing your child to the game

[Wilts]

My son is starting to show some interest in the game his old man disappears for 5 hours a time to play.

I have found a couple of second hand clubs for him to hit on a driving range, but he now says he wants to play on the "green field" with me.

I am no coach and have tried to install the basics of hitting the ball and the swing (hit it as hard as you bloody can son!!!!) and I am now thinking how or if I should take it further and get some lessons or for him.

He is 6.

Golf lessons are expensive, and the last thing I want to do is spend a lot and end discourage him, if he finds it boring. I am not convinced at this age he is mature enough to really benefit from the lessons, but at the same time I would love to see him progress and get out on the (9 hole) course in a few years.

Should I carry on doing what he is doing until I am convinced he will benefit from the lessons, or get someone qualified to help him now.

Anyone on here gone through the child golf rearing thing that can offer any wisdom?

(appreciate this is a golf forum and not a parenting forum - just interested what others have done or would do)

Cheers

 

[Fish]

I see & watch a large group of youngsters from that age upwards in group sessions at our club, I think it's the best and cheapest way forward as they are amongst their own age group and it comes across as fun as well as getting into the basics which must be important to get over to them at such an early age.

I think one-on-one coaching at such an early age could test the interest and attention span, unless they are showing a real hunger, otherwise, group sessions is what I'd do and then let them show you what they are learning and help and practice along with them between the group sessions.

 

[bobmac]

Lots of pros give free/cheap junior group coaching.
Ask around your area to see whats available

 

[ScienceBoy]

I am so very lucky in Cambridge. Our local par 3 course is geared up to get children into the game. Large group lessons with the pro and one or two helpers. It works a treat! The course seems to run youth competitions all through the summer too!

One on one lessons are best left until they have a handicap etc, go group all the way for the early years! Develop social, teamwork etc skills.

I'm hoping to get my boy down there one birthday just to try it.

Seek out those pros who have a focus on youth coaching, they will give the best start and offer the best value for money.

 

[Capella]

I second what has already been said. Find a regular group session for him. They normally mix the practice up with a lot of challenges and games, so the kids don't get bored.

 

[Shooter McPowick]

It's easy to get frustrated but you've got to hold back on trying to tutor kids yourself and just let them hit the ball.

A pro told me to just make sure they set up properly and make sure they lift their right foot at the end of the swing, everything else just ignore as they don't take kindly to constant criticism. Positive reinforcement even if it's a bad shot, kids do it for fun and are just happy to be out there.

 

[Deleted member 1740]

My two kids 9 + 6 go to junior coaching at our local range every Saturday and it costs £8 each, they get a basket of balls each and the pro does chipping and putting games then takes them the range and works with them there and they love it..

It's superb value as a basket of balls is £6 each. I'd give your local courses a call and see if they do anything similar.

 

[need_my_wedge]

My lad started when he was 8. I just got him a pitching wedge and a putter, he followed me round and would start chipping and putting. When he got keener, he started in the junior group lessons that our club does at weekends. Great value, about £2 each for an hour on a Sunday. Depending on the weather, sometimes he'd have the hour to himself, sometimes split between 5 or 6. Look for somewhere close that does group sessions, it's a much more cost effective way to progress for now.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

IMO six is to young for lessons, wait a couple of years.

Some tips
Make sure he enjoys practice and keep him safe.
Things like recording longest drive work well, pace out the good ones.
Putting/chipping at that age is very important spend time on that but don't make it boring.
Set targets [records] best score round the putting green, number of chip shots on the green out of ten etc.
Kids love being competitive.
Most important..... keep it fun and don't be a pushy dad.

 

[Roland]

My daughter is 10 and doesn't want to go to coaching sessions at my club. She likes to mess around on the short game area and putting green with me or push my trolley around the course. I just let her do what she wants and the important thing is have fun which might mean going home after 6 holes.

 

[Hosel Fade]

My son is starting to show some interest in the game his old man disappears for 5 hours a time to play.

I have found a couple of second hand clubs for him to hit on a driving range, but he now says he wants to play on the "green field" with me.

I am no coach and have tried to install the basics of hitting the ball and the swing (hit it as hard as you bloody can son!!!!) and I am now thinking how or if I should take it further and get some lessons or for him.

He is 6.

Golf lessons are expensive, and the last thing I want to do is spend a lot and end discourage him, if he finds it boring. I am not convinced at this age he is mature enough to really benefit from the lessons, but at the same time I would love to see him progress and get out on the (9 hole) course in a few years.

Should I carry on doing what he is doing until I am convinced he will benefit from the lessons, or get someone qualified to help him now.

Anyone on here gone through the child golf rearing thing that can offer any wisdom?

(appreciate this is a golf forum and not a parenting forum - just interested what others have done or would do)

Cheers

A range I go to quite regularly has free group coaching early on one the weekend days and at my club there are after school sessions on various days that I think are under tenner each amongst other options. You just have to have a look in your area

 

[stokie_93]

As a young teen when I started playing my course had Junior Academy days, I think it was something like £4/5 which was brilliant, at the time our junior section flourished, we had about 20-30 junior comps.

We had one of these days every other Saturday and each one focused on different areas, the pro mainly took it but then others stepped in and we had a Junior Organiser etc.
In it we would get coached for a couple of hours and put it in to practice, we'd then all get lunch and then usually follow this by a competition in the afternoon.
It was something that really improved my golf at the time and kept my interest in the sport.

I've heard recently they've stopped doing these and the junior section is down to around 10 which is disappointing.

 

[Spear-Chucker]

Group sessions are great if available to you, much trickier if not as it's harder to keep them interested and enthusiastic. Lots of short game challenges work well and develop essential skills - your local pro will have lots if ideas around this theme. Lessons are ok to get the basics but let them learn how to hit it themselves also.

Also good to remember that if they prefer to kick a football around instead [insert alternative activity here] do that. Obvious I know, but easily forgotten when you'd really like them to be playing some golf.

 

[Odvan]

I take my lad to a pitching area at our course almost every weekend. He's 4 at the end of September. We have no more than 1hr 15mins there.

He absolutely loves it. Thanks to two kind forum members I acquired a cut down masters putter and a couple of wedges. I take my putter and SW and just mess about as its carnage on the green with him knocking balls about.

The clubs are still possibly a tad long for him and probably a wee bit heavy for his wrists but he doesn't complain about this, he just 'plays' without concern. He knows that the putter is for the 'green bit', likewise the wedge is for the 'far away' bit .

When we first started earlier this year he went on auto pilot and grabbed the club cack-handed. I let him attempt to hit it and after numerous failed attempts started to not let him have a go until he'd swapped his hands over. He no longer does this but I do not try and set a grip for him! He just isn't holding it baseball style so i'm happy with that.

J55TCC is bang on. All I've really tried to teach him is to line up his toes and where the ball should be in his stance to give him the best chance of hitting it, making him enjoy it more. He's gotten to the stage now that he has a cute little stance but because the clubs are slightly too long for him, he's naturally gripping down them. Its going wrong when the ball is too close to him so now all i'm asking him to do is step a little back and hold the grip higher. When he hits the ground about 6inches before the ball, the little tyke simply tells me he's practising before proceeding to crouch down behind the ball lining it up before having another go like he sees on TV - its brill and we have a right laugh.

We played a putting game last weekend - i popped 4 balls down around the hole, all about 2ft away for him and around 4ft away for me. We each had a turn at putting our balls - he knocked all his 4 in, first time, his Dad didn't, sadly not deliberately . He won and now thinks he's better than his Dad which, to be fair, isn't too far off the mark!

He gets a buzz out of getting the ball in the air which he can do and I see a notable difference each time we go - the short bursts are definitely helping him and he isn't getting overloaded with info, he seems to just remember from the previous week.

He's way, way too young and small for lessons yet but I really hope he still has the bug in a couple of years time. I reckon by the time he's 9 it won't be just his Dad that's always taking a tenner off Lincoln Quaker

 

[NWJocko]

I take my lad to a pitching area at our course almost every weekend. He's 4 at the end of September. We have no more than 1hr 15mins there.

He absolutely loves it. Thanks to two kind forum members I acquired a cut down masters putter and a couple of wedges. I take my putter and SW and just mess about as its carnage on the green with him knocking balls about.

The clubs are still possibly a tad long for him and probably a wee bit heavy for his wrists but he doesn't complain about this, he just 'plays' without concern. He knows that the putter is for the 'green bit', likewise the wedge is for the 'far away' bit .

When we first started earlier this year he went on auto pilot and grabbed the club cack-handed. I let him attempt to hit it and after numerous failed attempts started to not let him have a go until he'd swapped his hands over. He no longer does this but I do not try and set a grip for him! He just isn't holding it baseball style so i'm happy with that.

J55TCC is bang on. All I've really tried to teach him is to line up his toes and where the ball should be in his stance to give him the best chance of hitting it, making him enjoy it more. He's gotten to the stage now that he has a cute little stance but because the clubs are slightly too long for him, he's naturally gripping down them. Its going wrong when the ball is too close to him so now all i'm asking him to do is step a little back and hold the grip higher. When he hits the ground about 6inches before the ball, the little tyke simply tells me he's practising before proceeding to crouch down behind the ball lining it up before having another go like he sees on TV - its brill and we have a right laugh.

We played a putting game last weekend - i popped 4 balls down around the hole, all about 2ft away for him and around 4ft away for me. We each had a turn at putting our balls - he knocked all his 4 in, first time, his Dad didn't, sadly not deliberately . He won and now thinks he's better than his Dad which, to be fair, isn't too far off the mark!

He gets a buzz out of getting the ball in the air which he can do and I see a notable difference each time we go - the short bursts are definitely helping him and he isn't getting overloaded with info, he seems to just remember from the previous week.

He's way, way too young and small for lessons yet but I really hope he still has the bug in a couple of years time. I reckon by the time he's 9 it won't be just his Dad that's always taking a tenner off Lincoln Quaker

Great stuff mate :thup:

Just started my 4 year old last weekend, pro has free group lessons every Sunday and told her how to stand and grip it, couple of pointers and that was it. Just hitting balls at the chipping green and on the practice putting green. She absolutely loved it so got her own US Kids clubs now for us to go down and keep messing about

Lessons are a long, long way off, just great to see her enjoying it, she keeps badgering me to go down so long may it last

 

[ScienceBoy]

I've decided I'm not going to teach my kid. I will offer group lessons, if he liked it then great, if not there are many other sports.

Can't wait for the day he will beat me.

Spoiler: probably day 3 😞

 

[vkurup]

My son started off when he was 5. He is a golf nut and the like your nipper he was curious where daddy disappeared. My old club has a lot of kids in it because we also have a par 3 course as well as a 'pirate golf'. He could not get enough of Rory and then he switched his liking to Rickie. He almost sat thru the last Ryder cup and cheered europe. I had to bring him home crying and screaming after he would have hit about a 100 balls and wants to hit some more.

I got him into group lessons and some holiday camps. The holiday camp was fun because they did little golf but would get fish fingers and ice cream at the end. Our pro organises kid comps which generally the older (8-10 yr) kids win but he went along and played a few. His high point was a chip in birdie for which I bought him a nike golf shirt (it was in a sale at the pro shop).

Just when i thought I had my pension sorted, it came crashing down. For the past 6-8 months, he hasnt touched a club. He watched the Open and an odd video. Partially I am to be blamed, since I dont play very often, I dont take him to the course/range. Partially because he does not seem to see Rors or Fowler in the winning circle and partially because he has fallen in love with cricket and football - his current motto is that he will help Chelsea win the Premier league some day!!

In my experience (and I am no expert), let the lad play. Take him to the range. Get him into group lessons if he is interested, reward him when he achieves something. Dont get too technical with him - they dont have a body that allows them to do so. Finally, dont loose too much sleep if he falls out of love as they are fickle at this point in time + they need to play as many different sports as possible esp team sports.

Good luck and enjoy the ride

 

[Wilts]

Thanks for all this very good stuff, J55TTC, this makes a lot of sense.

Will look around locally for kid group sessions, although where I am (Bangkok) seems to all about fleecing expats for as much money as they can get away with, don't think any of the local courses will do this, certainly not below £20 a go.

he seems interested and enjoying it so will keep it light and easy and fun for him!

 

[jdpjamesp]

My two boys absolutely love coming with me to the course. I've been very lucky to have a 9 hole pay and play where they are very relaxed about stuff meaning they can accompany me on rounds. I've got a 5 year old and a 7 year old. I recently bought them each a putter and a 6 iron at a car boot. When I've taken them and it's been quiet they love chasing a ball down the fairway 10 yards at a time until they get to the green and then grabbing the putter to get it in the hole.
For me, the focus is for them to love playing. I don't give them any tips on technique. They're not mature enough for that (your lad might be more attuned to that sort of thing - everyone's different).
It's also great for me because I can get out more often as I can take one of them out of MrsP's hair for a few hours. Oh and they sleep better too!
At some stage I'm sure he'd benefit from lessons, but I would definitely focus on the enjoyment factor for now.

 

[Robster59]

We employed a new assistant pro last year at our course and he now runs the Junior coaching sessions. He is excellent and works very well with the kids. It's something we have offered to try and increase the junior membership. Not every child wants to take part in a group but I think for many it's a better way as it is less intimidating for them and if done in a fun way then hopefully they'll get the bug.
We don't charge much at all as we are looking at long term benefits to the club.