Junior (Kids) Golf Lessons Thread

Hawk

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We have a couple threads scattered around here, but none of them are really worth resurrecting. So, here it is. A thread to talk about the development of your children's golf games.

Age doesn't matter and whether they are in actual lessons probably doesn't matter either. We can share what has worked and maybe help our kids both get better and enjoy the game more. The bottom line is always that we want them to have fun and play if they want to.
 
When I was young, maybe 10 or so, we used to go to FL for 2 weeks every July to the family home which was on a golf course but no one played golf except my uncle. I bugged and bugged my parents and they got me a used set of clubs and let me take lessons from the club pro. We spent some time on the range, course and the putting green. One day it rained and we spent the 2 hours just on and around the putting green. I still use what he taught me that day when I play today. Learning good habits at a young age helps build a solid swing and mechanics. Yeah you will develop and learn more and more but the basics are what matter most. Once you have those, you have a good foundation.
 
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A little background on my situation:

Son is 5 and has had a club in his hand since he was a little more than a year old. Mainly just because he follows me around and wanted to chip balls in the yard with me. Started with a plastic set, which I upgraded to a small 7 iron when he was 2-1/2. First range time around that age. Range time at that age is an exercise in patience to say the least, but I learned that aside from not bothering other people, there really doesn't need to be any rules. I let him hit some balls when he wanted and let him chase butterflies when he wanted to do that. Most of all, I let him leave when he was ready.

Second year on the range he really started to love going and would hit an entire bucket with me before his brain moved on to something else. We went to the putting green at least once a week. We also started doing pitch and putt golf that year and continued both things last season. In that time I've added a hybrid (that is too heavy for him) and a US Kids Golf driver that he absolutely loves to hit. It's 18° and really the perfect size and weight.

A couple things I learned about equipment.

-A few clubs is plenty.
-Good chance you'll end up carrying either their clubs in your bag or their bag. If you want to play more than 10 minutes at least lol.
-Light is a big thing. If a club is too heavy they just can't swing it.
-Same with length.
-US Kids Golf is great and worth the money if they play much.
-Loft is your friend. Kids want to hit in the air.
 
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So this year we started lessons. A junior clinic that my instructor hosts. 24 kids total - usually of which about 12-20 actually show up. It's indoors on a sim and they split the kids into four groups (four sims). It's solely working on the basics - some haven't ever swung a club and others are more like my boy. They start off with stretching and then hit balls taking turns. Usually there is a game or competition between the groups at the end, which the kids love. Supposedly the winning team gets a juice/soda, but the truth is that they all get it.

Kids love to compete in little fun games. Great way to keep them interested.

The clinic is an hour long. It sort of has to be since there are so many of them, but what I'm noticing is that an hour is too long. About 75% of them check out after 30 minutes and just want to pretend the club is a gun and shoot each other. That varies of course.

I'm thinking he'd like 1x1 lessons becuase of a few reasons. 1) I asked him and he said he did 2) less waiting 3) they are shorter 4) he'll get more attention. We're going to look into that when the clinic is over I think. The goal of course isn't to make a super golfer out of him at five. It's just a way to help him do the things he tells me he wants to do - hit the ball higher and farther basically. Everything is positive and lots of 'good job buddy' statements from everybody involved.

One thing I found out is that he is 100x more likely to listen to a teacher than he is to listen to me. Kids don't like dad/mom telling them what to do - bottom line. However, they listen to teachers pretty well. Case in point, he swung cross handed from the beginning and I always tried to gently help him swing conventional, but he absolutely did not want to do it. I didn't push him or get bossy about it on purpose, but we talked about it. Over the course of two years - nothing. Well, it took 30 seconds to change that in his lesson. Literally hasn't grabbed the club crosshanded since his first swing at the clinic.

Anyway, I'll update things as time goes on. Always looking to learn, so if you've been there have at it.
 
My kids are 7 and 10.

We are very fortunate to have two facilities in our area that offer superior programs. One offers half and full day summer camps, as well as after school/weekend clinics. The other is a First Tee affiliated Children's Course which, among other things, offers a Girls Golf once a week clinic from May - August. Both places offer solid instruction and make it fun. Fun is a big key. We have had them in both programs. I think it's good to get kids in a setting like this vs trying to teach them ourselves.

Some things I've observed as we transition from instruction to taking it to the course: don't keep score, do what you have to do to keep it fun and engaging (we tee it up in the fairway), and don't turn it into a playing lesson (we don't like it when someone gives us unsolicited advice, they don't either). I also started a tradition where we always go for a small ice cream together after golf (thank you $1 McDonalds menu)....this adds a purely social element where we get to spend some dad/daughter or dad/son time together, which they sometimes seem to enjoy more than the golf :)

One other thing - it is about a billion times harder if I take them both to play golf vs just taking one of them.
 
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Never thought about getting double teamed Frankenstein. Good point. I'm a few years away from that, but it'll come around eventually I'm sure.
 
I agree with Hawk about the clinics and games. I get my kids to go practice with me now ...except I don't tell them it's short game practice, I ask them if they want to go play putting and pitching games. Games plus the after golf ice cream always means the answer is yes.

One game they learned in clinic is called Poison. It is basically tag with a golf ball. Place two tees 10 feet or whatever apart. Start at one tee and putt until you hit the opposite tee. When you hit it turn around and putt at the first tee. When you hit both tees you are poison and can putt at other people's balls - hitting their ball Knicks them out of the game.
 
For me I started in grade school when my dad had a buddy make a shortened muscle back 6 iron for me and would beat around with that. There I learned my swing (which hasn't changed all that much and what I believe causes it to have a smooth tempo) which is ingrained. Around age 9-10 I got a set of junior clubs (2W,5i,7i,9i,putter) and got more into it playing goat tracks with my dad every few weeks and going to golf camp 1 week a summer at the local course. I never had private lessons or anything like that but the tempo and smoothness of a swing is what has stuck with me since then.
 
Equipment...

The clinics offered free stuff to use.

We eventually bought Lynx sets from GS on sale for like $100???

They are now sharing a Ping Moxie set, with a couple of throw in clubs that are their own. They have their own putter. I may buy my girl her own set...TBD based on how much they golf.

Things like color matters to my kids. My boy likes red, my girl likes pink. They are more excited about their stuff if it's their favorite color.

I find cheap ways to get them stuff so they are "real" golfers. Example: each have spikeless golf shoes, like $15 each for Adidas and FJ shoes from TGW??? That's less than a new pair of tennis shoes and they like having real golf shoes like real golfers. Sometimes it's the little things...
 
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I'll have to look at the shoes. Good one.

We do paintfill on his clubs.
 
I have twin 8 year olds and will echo a lot of what has already been said.

They have been out for 5-6 9 hole rounds but will often take a hole or two off as they get distracted.

Some key things for us:

1. Taking both on the course is usually a bad idea. The range and putting green goes ok most of the time but due to the walking and short attention spans they usually end up bickering.

2. Making sure they each have their own set of clubs was huge. No more "it's my turn for the hybrid". They each have a set, one Wilson, one Nike (and yes color was a consideration when we purchased them). Each set has a driver, hybrid, 7i, 9i, SW, and putter. Hybrid is the club of choice for 80% of their swings.

3. Keeping score on paper is not something we have got to yet. Though they will keep a mental note just so they can say they beat their brother on a hole.

4. On slow days they are free to tee up from the big boy tees if they choose. Usually 3-4 shots before they get a good one or just pick up and go to the forward tees.

5. They are highly competitive, for better or worse, so telling them they can't take atleast one swing from the big boy tees causes them to get frustrated. It's they old I will do it just because you say I can't. But when they smack one 130 yards down the fairway the look on their faces is priceless.

6. I coach them in baseball and basketball, not on the course. It's just great father sons time. I will give a few pointers here and there when they are having a hard time but leave the teaching to the instructor.

7. I let them make their own pars for each hole. Usually +2 whatever the hole is marked, ie par 3s are par 5s.

8. Putting and pitching games are always fun. We usually play first to the hole gets to pick the next hole. This makes it a short little game that can hold their attention and incentive to get it in the hole first, back to that whole competitive thing again.

9. I bring my clubs and will hit with them. I usually use this time to work on shots that I need to. The plus side to that is it's a huge smile maker when I re hit three or four chips for practice and count them, it gives them a chance to beat old Dad on that hole.

10. A hot dog, chips and a soda along with discussion of the round is always a great way to end.
 
Delaney is stating lessons this spring. Last fall we just beat the ball around the range, but this year she said she wants lessons and wants to improve :)
 
My kid is two months shy of 8 years old. He was in the first tee all last year and stated the Little Linksters program through our club this year (starts his second round of classes tonight). I like First Tee because the focus on life skills as well as golf. There isn't a whole lot of teaching at First Tee (at least at his age), but he gets basic pieces of info to digest here and there. There is roughly 25 kids in a class and the instructors are all volunteers who aren't actual golf instructors. It's a morning class so we always go get donuts before practice which he enjoys more than the golf I'm sure.

The Little Linksters is similar to First Tee in that it's around 25 kids, split into groups where they work on different skills. This cost more, but all the instructors are actual certified PGA instructors that work for our club. While there isn't one on one time, these coaches go from kid to kid giving them tips and making adjustments. Just enough to help them see a few better shots and enjoy there time there, not so much that they get frustrated. They usually have opportunities to compete with each other by hitting pitch shots into a barrel, chipping or putting, etc. They also have junior play days where they get tee times and play sort of a mini tournament at the club. One of the courses has forward tees for juniors and kids around 5-10 can pick between playing 3 par 3's, or 5 holes of varying distances from forward tees. We haven't participated in it yet because the last one was rained out, so I don't know if they keep score or let that be up to each individual kid/parent.

When we practice I let him do what he wants to do and help him if he asks. He usually hits some balls on the big range, and then goes and plays in the short game area. He likes to practice in the bunker a lot. I use his time at the Little Linksters class and time on the range to work on my own game so we both have something to do.

On the course with me, my kid plays from forward tees and doesn't have to keep score (though he tries to count in his head and compare after each hole). We just don't make it a stressful thing for him. We also do little competitions against each other in putting or chipping and I usually offer an incentive like going to the comic book store (a comic book doesn't cost much more than an ice cream cone).

As far as clubs, he has a junior Wilson set from academy. It has a "wedge", "short iron", "long iron", hybrid, and driver (there are no lofts listed) that came with a carry bag. I'm actually worried that he is a little too tall for them already. The box said for kids up to age 10, but he's already taller than the average 10 year old (54" tall). When do kids transition to real clubs? And do you cut them? I looked at the US Kids site and it looks like we will do that next, but I'm hesitant to do so for another year (maybe this next Christmas) because it current set is barely over a year old.
 
I just bought a new iron for him at the teacher's suggestion, but it was a cheapo from Kmart. Seems too long to me, but we were on limited time.

US Kids has a very helpful site though and if you look hard enough you can find some pretty good deals on places like amazon and ebay using the specs you get from their site.
 
Problem I've had with cutting the clubs is finding grips small enough to fit on the shafts since they are so skinny. I'm sure they are out there though.
 
The US Kids deal looks like the way to go, especially since you can buy individual clubs at around $50 or less. Their driver price for kids gets ridiculous in the bigger kid models ($170 or so), but the fairway wood is only $50 or so and might be a better option for an 8-10 year old. I like the idea of being able to buy additional clubs if/when they improve enough to need them.

The finished putter length is 30" for the 8-10 year old set. My SeeMore FGP is only 34". Might be a project to convert to a Junior FGP when the Giant is released, assuming my kid doesn't feel like it's really heavy when putting.
 
This is the set we bought for one of the twins. They are taller than your average 8 year old. They use fingertip to floor measurement for fit. One nice feature is the whole set is super lite, so carrying it is not a problem.

http://www.rockbottomgolf.com/wilson-golf-profile-junior-set-large-black.html

That's what my kid has, but it's the medium set with more gray on the bag (on the back of the box picture. I'm really least impressed with the putter. My kid always looks like the lie angle is way off or something. It definitely looks uncomfortable to putt with. The rest seems okay though.
 
One thing I heard Michael Breed say, and I try to keep in mind with my 5 y/o daughter... Just make sure they have the correct hand on the bottom (not cross handed), other than than that just let them have fun wacking the ball around. Having fun is more important than proper form when they are real young...probably till at least 7 or 8 or so.
 
The finished putter length is 30" for the 8-10 year old set. My SeeMore FGP is only 34". Might be a project to convert to a Junior FGP when the Giant is released, assuming my kid doesn't feel like it's really heavy when putting.
I just did this conversion with an Odyssey White Ice putter for my daughter, including some pink paint fill and thanks to Musicmaster a pink grip. The modifications ended up being a super easy DIY project. The only thing I'd recommend is putting an extra wrap of tape on the shaft to make sure the grip fits properly.
 
Great thread! I have a almost 6 year old and a three year old who both have had a club in there hand as soon as they could walk. A lot like Hawk they would want to swing a club in the back yard as I chipped the ball around (been hit with balls and clubs many times). Last year was the first year my oldest went and actually played some golf on the course and is getting an understanding of the game. I've taken them out almost every day I could to the driving range and the chipping green. At this point I'm kind of letting them find their own way around with the club. My oldest has been to a couple of my lessons with me and my instructor, who is great with kids, with give him a few pointers just to get the basics down.

I think Hawk is right about a few things in one of his first post, you WILL end up carrying the clubs at some point, so just be ready for that. I'm going to get my oldest a new set come spring and the old set will go to the youngest. Ever since I put the putting green in the basement, and spend ample amount of time on it, they are both getting the same itch we all do and want to go to the course.

I know I read some where to only take one kid out at a time, but with all my free time I'm going to take both of them with me. It might require taking a cart, which I don't care for, but to keep both under control and speed things up it might be the only way at this point. I'm lucky where my course is pretty empty weekdays after about 4pm. I'm excited to see what this year bring with the two of them and how they take to the sport. I've never force either of them to the course it's usually the other way around. There are days the last thing I want to do is go, especially after a long day on the course, and hit balls with them. I've found it enjoyable to sit on the bench relax and watch them hit as many balls as they want.....usually only about 30 min before ADD kicks in and they want to putt or chip.

None of us can wait until the weather changes a bit here.
 
I just did this conversion with an Odyssey White Ice putter for my daughter, including some pink paint fill and thanks to Musicmaster a pink grip. The modifications ended up being a super easy DIY project. The only thing I'd recommend is putting an extra wrap of tape on the shaft to make sure the grip fits properly.

My son is a mini me and would probably really like the idea of playing the same brand/style putter as me.
 
My son is 9 and started lessons last summer when he was 8. Our town offers golf lessons at a semi-private course that's 2 minutes away from us, the classes are 1 hour long and 3x a week for 2-3 weeks. Almost everything focused on either chipping or putting, and he had a blast. He knew one of the kids in the class, and ended up becoming friends with 2 or 3 of the remaining 5 kids.

Everything was a game - the pro would set up obstacles, bridges, loop the loops, etc when the kids were putting, and chipping was always a contest to see who could land the ball where. My son absolutely loved it. We ended up on the course a few times together, he'd tee off on par 3s using his driver, and on longer holes I'd have him tee up at the 150 yard marker. For the most part, he really likes the short game, and on some holes would opt just to go to the green and chip around while I was 3 putting :D

At home, this time of year we both keep putters in the living room so we'll have games with each other, who can roll a ball and have it stop closest to a certain toy, or roll the ball over a dime, who can get the most balls into the ball return in a row, etc. He's already talking about having lessons again this summer now that he has his own clubs, some Top Flites we got on sale at DSG.
 
That's what my kid has, but it's the medium set with more gray on the bag (on the back of the box picture. I'm really least impressed with the putter. My kid always looks like the lie angle is way off or something. It definitely looks uncomfortable to putt with. The rest seems okay though.

That is the exact set I got my 7 year old for Christmas this year. I would agree with the putter. He was lights out with his old putter (seriously, it was really annoying how good he was. Made me feel like a crappy putter). He struggles with this putter a bit.
 
my youngest son liked to go to the range and to practice putting. but the icing on the cake was driving the cart!
 
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