Grip Modern day technology has helped make junior equipment lighter, therefore important fundamentals such as the grip can be learnt at an early stage. Be certain to acquire this type of equipment as they too have thinner shaft and grips to enable the youngsters to acquire a positive grip. Having spent 12 years teaching youngsters from as young as 3 I have found that even from as young as this with the help of lighter equipment the perfect grip (see back to basics/grip) can be found with one exception in certain cases. I allow the thumb of the right hand to be positioned on top of the grip instead of being on the left of the grip as the youngster looks down. After a couple of months this can be corrected to the ideal grip. The correct grip regardless of age always feels a little weak. This is because you are using muscles that are rarely used for anything else. As a beginner this is your best opportunity to achieve the most important fundamentals quickly. See back to basics / grip

Posture

• The term ‘posture’ describes the way in which you position you body, ready to make a golf swing.
• The aim of posture is to find a very tall, athletic position.

Follow this posture drill: 1. Position your feet shoulder width apart Keep the shoulder back Arms straight Club level (parallel) with the ground (see photo right)

(see photo left) 2. Allow the club to drop to the floor only by tilting from the hips (sticking the bottom backwards). The reason for this is to keep the spine (back) straight and not rounding the shoulders. 3. Bend the knees just a little. 4. Keep your chin up away from your chest

Check Points

1. The body weight should not be on your heels or toes, but the middle of your feet.
2. If you take your right hand off the club there should be just enough room to pass it between the end of the club and your body.

Club Length

• There is nothing worse than witnessing youngsters having to make do, generally with a club that is too long for them.
• If you are taking lessons then a credible PGA Professional, they would notice this and offer an alternative.
• The club will be able to be shortened usually at a small charge or even free in some cases.
• Equally a club that is too short will encourage a youngster to crouch (poor posture) and hit the top of the ball. They will soon loose interest!
  

Alignment I like to encourage youngsters to curl a golf ball o the left. Two very important reasons for this are: It promotes more positive movement than negative It makes the ball go further.   The term ‘alignment’ means the line across the feet, knees, hips and shoulders and which way this line points in relation to your target line. To keep it simple aim the body 5 yards to the right of where you want your golf ball to finish. This alignment helps with 2 things: (see photo above) 1. It encourages a full shoulder turn 90 degrees 2. It encourages the body weight to move onto the inside of the right knee.

Ball Position Position the ball opposite the inside of your left Photo ball position heel for all woods. Position the ball in the centre of your stance for iron shots. Note: As you develop and progress to 5,4,3 iron then the ball position must very. (see back to basics/ball position)

Taking Divots

• What is a ‘Divot’? This is the piece of grass and earth scooped up by the clubhead during the strike of a golf ball.
• At a young age I do not encourage golfers to even attempt this because it requires:
  1. A high degree of technique
  2. A sufficient amount of clubhead speed.
• If divots are taken at a young age the clubhead speed simply reduces even more as divots are taken and;
• It can cause damage to young wrists and install fear into the mind which will prohibit future progression.
• Initially therefore, I encourage the youngster to try to sweep the golf ball from the ground.
• As a youngsters technique and strength develop divots will be encouraged with iron shots.
  

Backswing

• The younger golfer will initially find the golf club rather heavy, particularly if the backswing is made with speed (see photo right).
  This will cause an over swing:
• Left arm collapsed (bent)
• Club shaft travelled too far
• Left heel raised.
  

At an early age this is not too much of a worry. However I like to encourage a certain speed backswing to help control this. From starting the swing to the top of the backswing count 1-2-3 at the normal speed you speak. This is slow enough to assist control but maintain rhythm. As a golfer develops you can see from the photo (above left) the changes: A straighter left arm The club travelling a shorter distance The left food firmly fixed to the floor

Posing
It is natural for all of us to want to hit the ball as far as we can and I encourage this in youngsters, however I do insist on one very important thing – ‘Balance’.

• A chain reaction of good balance during a golf swing will mean a classic pose as a result. This tells me that although you have tried to his the ball hard, you are also in control of your movements. This has one very important meaning you can repeat yourself.

Balance = control = greater distance. (see photo’s left and right and notice) Your weight is on your left leg You are on the big toe of you right shoe Your belly button faces the target Your hands are high next to your right ear The club is held clear of the body so firmly in the hands.

From as young as 3 years old the pose is achievable

Relax
When you do eventually make it onto a golf course remember this:

• You will have some bad holes
• We all have bad shots
• The better players forget their bad shots quicker
• Instead, make a mental note and try to learn from them
• You are out there to enjoy it. Attack that golf ball!

Rules And Etiquette

• Good manners and common sense are what make up ‘Golf Etiquette’.
• Ask a fellow golfer, the professional, or a family member who plays
  

Rules
Knowing all the rules in golf would be a little too much to ask, however reading the rules book will help you:

• Learn how they can help you.
• Avoid being disqualified in competitions.

Positive Thinking
Ask any top Pro if he hits bad shots during a round of golf and what will his response be? Of course. What does he do about it? Puts it out of his mind instantly and moves onto the next shot with positive thoughts and energy.
Do The Same!

A Note To Parents

• Parents are crucial to junior golf. Offer your children support, comfort and encouragement but don’t be pushy with it and….
• Leave the coaching to the professionals
• Many golf centres like my own offer junior classes at weekends, which require no booking. The beauty of this is that if it is a little cold, or your child is sick or just fed up with golf, you don’t have to push them along.
• I am sure they will tell you when they WANT to go.

Head Movement
The first thing many golfers are told by their friends is ‘keep your head still – WRONG

Notice from the (picture below left) how the head is allowed to move a little to the right
during the backswing.

It’s the up and down movement (dip) of the head which you must try to cut out
(see photo below right).

Focus on putting