Junior Golf Clubs - Getting the Kids Involved

Now that golf has become more popular, golf players are getting younger and that means the equipment has also changed to satisfy their needs. It helps out children and junior golfers when they can learn the sport with a set of clubs that is made to fit them. Using an adult set of clubs to learn the sport is neither easy nor practical for the younger players. Children do have the tendency to go through growing spurts so it's very important for parents to find good clubs in their size at a price that is affordable. It's not hard to find auctions or even sports centers that offer exchange programs on children's equipment. There is always a way to find cheaper gear without losing the quality or integrity of the product.

You should always have your child with you when you go to get his next set of clubs. "Measure twice and buy once" is a good motto when it comes to golf club purchases. Clubs are usually sold to fit the height of the user but it's never a bad idea to have your child with you when choosing the clubs. You want to make sure your child is able to handle the clubs properly to avoid any problems when they are out on the golf course. The golf club grip on the junior golf clubs is a bit smaller than the adult grip making it easier for the child to handle when playing. Junior clubs are made with children in mind; they are not just a shorter version of an adult club.

Junior golf clubs are lighter and made to be handled by children easier. These clubs need to be calibrated to offer the same feel as an adult club when on the course. They need to simulate the adult swing and this can be difficult to achieve. If you go with a cheap set of clubs, you may not get the quality your child needs to become a great golfer and that can cause unnecessary frustration when the child is out on the course.

With a junior golf club set, there are fewer clubs than with the adult set. Normally, there are 14 clubs including woods and irons but in a junior set, you will see much fewer clubs. Children do not need the advanced set of clubs until they start to get used to the positions, swings, and formations used in golfing. These clubs come later as the child becomes more advanced and comfortable with his swings. The putter is the most important club to fit the child. Usually the putter is measured to the waist height of the child for accuracy in putting.

Terje Brooks has been writing articles online as well as off-line for many years now. Terje writes about sports, health and fitness, home and family issues among other topics. Take a look at his women's golf shoes site, which contains reviews of women's golf shoes as well as other womens golf clothing reviews.

How to Find the Best Junior Golf Instruction

Finding the best junior golf instruction is sometimes easier said than done. What sometimes tends to happen is the instructor's goals and the child's and parents' goals conflict. You might just want your kid to learn to play golf just for the love of the game. Your instructor might think you want to create the next Tiger Woods. That's not all that bad. The reverse situation is even worse. So, with this in mind, how can you find the best junior golf instruction for your child?

The first thing you need to do is to find out if your child really wants golf lessons. They might just say so to please you, especially if you have a "golfing" family. If your child isn't that interested, lessons are just going to be a source of frustration and ill will between you and your child. Children tend to change their minds and have short attention spans, so if they're all hot for golf lessons this month, next month might be a different story. That's okay. Part of the point of junior golf lessons, or any lessons for that matter, needs to be to help your child explore their world, themselves, and their likes and dislikes.

The second thing you need to figure out in order to find the best junior golf instruction is exactly what do you want your child to get out of this. Your answer to this doesn't have to be carved in stone. You can get your kid junior golf lessons and then realize you have a potential PGA golf pro on your hands, and change your goals and strategy as far as coaching. But in order to find the right type of instruction for your child, you need to know what your goals are.

The answers to these first two questions will help you figure out the next thing you need to know, which is what type of program you want your child to be in. There are all levels of junior golf instruction, everything from private coaching to classes to school teams. Where your child falls into this will be determined by your goals and your child's desires.

Of course, there are considerations like cost and availability. One good thing to do is to call a few courses near you and see if they have any programs. Also, you can contact your child's school to see what they have. Using the Internet you can also get in touch with various providers of junior golf instruction in your area.

As far as choosing a program or individual coach, the most important point about junior golf instruction, here, is does your child like the experience? No matter how hard you push, if your child doesn't enjoy the lessons the results are not going to be there. Worse, they'll be counter-productive. Golf can be everything from a great career for the gifted few, to a wonderful lifelong sport for all of us. Giving your child the gift of playing golf well will benefit them greatly as they grow and mature. Picking the right junior golf instruction is a big component of this.

Next, to learn more about how to learn to play golf, take a look at Golf Instruction Online, a free, online golf instruction site.

Lee Cole is a true golf enthusiast. Visit his website at Golf Instruction Online for all the info you need to learn how to play this game well.

Junior Golf Camps - Helping Kids Learn and Love Golf

If you're a golfer, regardless of your ability level, you know what a great game it is. Not only does the game challenge you every time out, but you keep playing because you know you can constantly improve.

There is a handicapping system which lets you be as competitive as you want to be, or you can play just for the fun of it, competing only with yourself. It focuses you, letting you put work, school, and personal issues in the back of your mind for a while.

Then there is the beauty of the golf course, the ability to be enjoying the great outdoors without the four hour drive to the country, and the fact that golf is a game you can play and enjoy for the rest of your life.

No wonder then, that parents who have learned to appreciate golf want to help their kids do the same.

At first, though, golf can be frustrating. Even a good athlete is apt to miss the ball on his or her first swing - and that dimpled sucker is just sitting there on a tee, almost laughing at you! So one way or another, we all have to learn how to play this game.

For kids, there are two approaches you can take. Individual instruction with a PGA professional may be the best approach. For many, though, group instruction makes more sense. Junior golf camps are often best for young people learning the game of golf.

Junior golf camps, when run properly, offer relatively inexpensive golf instruction with advantages including:

• Fun - a good instructor will introduce golf concepts to the group with stories, examples, and the opportunity for everyone to make mistakes together. You will laugh with each other, not at each other
• Competition - simple things like chipping for accuracy, putting contests and the like
• Practice Time - Camp sessions last several hours, giving people time to work on what they are learning; individual instruction by the half hour relies on the student practicing on his/her own
• Etiquette - The pro will introduce etiquette concepts gradually throughout a camp session
• Completeness - A camp over several weeks can focus on driving, iron play, chipping, putting, strategy, etc.
• Rules

There are all kinds of formats for Junior Golf Camps. The easiest take place over a 4-6 week period, then you can take a break or sign up for another session. Kids are grouped by ability to keep it fun and keep the pressure low. Of course there are more intense camps, sleep away full week camps, etc.

But if you are wanting the best shot at getting your son or daughter to learn and love the game, the lower pressure approach of a local camp, a few hours per week for a month or so, is going to be easy for them to enjoy.

In northern Virginia, check out Wakabal for a great Junior Golf Camp program - affordable with lots of satisfied parents and kids. Elsewhere in the country, check Google and you'll find pros who really enjoy teaching kids.

Most kids are never going to be golf pros - why pressure them? Try Junior Golf Camps, and see if they don't start to develop the same love of the game that you have. Soon you will be enjoying the time they want to spend on the golf course - with you!

Tom O'Dea is the President of WSI Bottom Line, an Internet Marketing company based in northern Virginia. He specializes in helping small to mid-size companies leverage the power of the Internet by tailoring the right combination of social media, search engine optimization, paid advertising, web design and content to enable each client to reach their target market.

Please visit Tom's website at http://www.wsibottomline.com You can also follow him on twitter (tomodea) or even contact him using old fashioned email todea@wsibottomline.com

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