As a coach I get asked the question all of the time; “my daughter is heading to high school, how should I encourage her to start playing regularly and maybe even make the golf team?”
I can personally relate to this question, I didn’t pick up a club until the week before Freshman year. Growing up in a small town we didn’t have a junior golf program. I did, however, grow up playing basketball, soccer, softball and volleyball, a true multisport athlete. I believe that is why I picked the game up so quickly. Don’t let me fool you, I didn’t love the sport that first year and I was shooting in the 120’s for 18 holes, but I stayed with it while continuing to play basketball in the winter and soccer in the spring. By my Senior year, I was medaling at State and winning tournaments.
Eventually, I developed a love for golf and started to play more than just the three months during the fall season and I got some proper coaching.
Here are six ways that you can get your daughter involved in golf
Take Her to the Range
If you are a golfer, take her to the range with you! Make it fun!! Don’t give too much instruction. Just let her explore hitting the ball. Most importantly, take her to the short game area as well. Too many times I see parents focusing on hitting the ball with their kiddos and not getting them to the putting green.
Find a Program or Class
I recommend starting them in a beginner group setting if your area has one. Find an all-girls class or even an adult class. If mom and dad aren’t golfers sign up for a beginner Golf Clinic together!
FIND THE RIGHT INSTRUCTOR
Get her an LPGA or PGA Instructor. It is important that after she has explored hitting the ball a bit that she works with a coach who can show her the fundamentals to putting, chipping and full swing. I always suggest a package 4 to 5 lessons to start with a week or two to practice in between the lessons.
PRACTICE
Once she has started taking lessons, she can’t practice too much!! The more she is getting a club in her hand the better and doesn’t focus on being perfect at this stage. She needs to develop her own game, the Coach will continue to help her with mechanics.
Try a Local Junior Tournament
I really like the atmosphere of the U.S. Kids Tournaments, and most areas of the country have a local chapter. Make sure she has ZERO expectations of herself. She is out there to have fun and learn about the game.
If she decides to try out for her high school team she will get an enormous amount of practice and encouragement from her fellow teammates!
At this point, it’s important to keep her motivated and interested in the game. Keep taking her to practice and play. It’s important to keep her working with a Coach, it doesn’t have to be weekly or bi-weekly but once a month to check in is good if she is practicing on her own.
Equipment
Lastly, let’s not forget about equipment. It is so important that Juniors get correctly fitted clubs into their hands. U.S. Kids has a great philosophy, “kids should grow out of clubs, not into them!” Meaning, don’t cut down Grandpa’s old set that would make them way too heavy and stiff. Girls, for the most part, need lightweight usually graphite, junior, ladies petite or ladies length, and weight. There are some great boxed sets on the market right now that are very affordable. Affordable enough that if your daughter decided not to play after two years you didn’t break the bank and she can still use them to play recreationally.
At the end of the day, golf is fun and rewarding if approached the correct way. It is never too late to start this amazing game or even to become a competitive player!
Maureen
For more advice and lots of articles for young golfers and their parents see our Junior Golf section presented by Michelle Holmes
Maureen Olson obtained her PGA Class A Membership in 2009 and holds a Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Golf Level 3 Certificate. She is also a U.S. Kids Certified Coach.
Awarded the prestigious 2016 Midwest PGA Section Award Winner for Player Development and 2017 Coach of the Year for The First Tee of Greater Kansas City, Maureen’s passion is teaching golf and helping others learn to enjoy the game she loves so much.
As Director of Instruction in Overland Park Kansas at both St Andrews and Sykes/Lady Overland Park Golf, Maureen works with all skill levels and believes everyone can improve no matter where they are in their golf career. Her impressive career stops include Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland, Pinehurst #2 in North Carolina, Kansas City Country Club, Wilderness Ridge Golf
Maureen will help you find what works for you and your golf game and hopefully, you will have fun doing it!
