Don't overcoach your junior golfers!

Having worked as a golf coach for 12 years and being a father of 2 kids, I believe that I am qualified to write this blog post.

Far too often, I talk to parents who tell me that little junior won't listen to them, so it is better that they take lessons from me. As I agree with the lessons part, I often wonder what goes on between the dynamic between parent and child. I see it on the range daily...parents giving their kids a checklist of how to swing a golf club ”(1) keep your eye on the ball (2) remember to aim (3) don't forget to follow through (4) you looked up on that last one, so keep that head down (5) come on...concentrate on what you are doing (6) stop goofing off, etc......” Wow. I am not sure that I would want to play either.

So my advice. Leave them alone. Let them hit indifferent shots. Don't define what is good or bad. Stop judging your kids. All in all, don't overcoach them.

Remember when your little ones where just learning how to walk? Often times, they looked at you and decided that crawling was OUT, and walking is IN. The toddler crawled over to the edge of the couch and pulled him/herself up and then fell. What did YOU do next? Tell them HOW to walk? Probably not. You probably encouraged their effort and let him/her do it again. What happened next? Maybe the toddler stood on their feet for a second or two and then fell. The toddler was pushing the limit of what they could do, whilst falling in between and learning from each fall. Approach golf the same way with your little ones. When your boy / girl tops the ball or hits another ”bad” shot, ask him/her what they thought about that one. Ask them if they hit the ball or the ground. Don't give them the answer (if you YOURSELF know it). Ask them what they would have to do to hit it up into the air. They may surprise you and say ”I have to hit the ground.” Kids are smart.

Learning golf comes from lots of screw ups and mis-hits. It's all about pushing the limits of what they can do. Here are some final words of advice for parents:

* Encourage, don't judge your kids results
* Praise him/her for their effort
* Let them watch you and your technique...no checklists!
* Add variety to the game: Par 2 on the putting green, chip/pitch up and down game, closest to the hole from the bunker, Junior hits the fairway and Pappa does a pushup, etc...make it fun!

Make it fun! Grow the relationship! Learn the game!

Thanks for reading,

Steven