The Golf Guide for Teens: Solid Golf Fundamentals to Improve Teen Golf Performance and Strategy

We all want our children to learn the game the right way. As golfers, we also have firm notions as to what the "right" way is and tend to teach by rote, as if we were in school. For a young child, this is not the way to go. Learning the correct grip may be fundamental, but to a fertile, inquisitive mind, the grip can be drudgery. The kid just wants to have fun. Let them explore the game on their own at the outset. Follow them around and explain the things they're curious about. Golf is an excellent challenge, physically as well as mentally, and it's also a great social activity. Golf is a safe sport but injuries can happen.

Two common problems juniors have are directly related to equipment. First, they're using clubs that are too long, too stiff and too heavy. The second problem is a result of the first one: With a club that is too long, too stiff and too heavy, a smaller player swings on an arc that is too flat relative to his height, so the swing bottoms out behind the ball. And simply cutting the shafts down to a shorter length isn't the right answer. A slow-swinging young player already has enough trouble getting the ball to fly at the right trajectory. Stiff, heavy clubs with grips that are too big for him will just make that more difficult.

If you're looking to purchase clubs for your teenager, it's likely they already know their way around the course; perhaps they'll be playing the game for years to come. It's important to remember, though, that the teenage years are years of transition, and even if your teenager thinks he's old enough for adult clubs that could last him through the years, he may not be. In fact, if you have a boy, you might have to tell him that he'll be hitting with ladies' clubs.

This depends, of course, on how hard your kid swings. These days you can find a variety of clubs designed for the transitional teenage years. They go by different names: ladies, varsity and junior are all categorized as very light men's clubs. No matter what kind you get, a few club features remain essential for teenage players. These clubs will help improve their game and carry them through the transitional period as they progress from junior player to adult golfer.

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