Ohio is home to many kid-friendly golf courses and driving ranges. No one can complain that they can’t take their kids golfing in Ohio.
How exciting would it be to get your kids into golf? Or to watch them hit an amazing shot over a creek onto the green? Or having them actually play golf instead of just driving the golf cart.
It would be incredible!
Golf can be a very rewarding and exciting experience. We have had quite a bit of success getting kids started and coaching kids and have noticed a few things that most parents do wrong.
First of all, if you have never played golf or have no idea how to play, hire a professional and let them train you and your kid. It can be a lot of fun and very rewarding.
If you are already a golfer, you can get your kids started right away.
Step 1
It must be fun! Everything else is a non starter. If you can’t make it fun and enjoyable, you may as well not even try. Regardless of age, golf must be fun. We can’t stress this enough. Make it a fun game. Don’t make it a chore. It has to be a fun game you play with your kids.
Step 2
Get the right equipment. Do not let them lay with adult sized clubs. They will develop terrible swing mechanics and they will never be able to get out of those bad habits. US Kids Golf makes excellent, affordable kid size equipment and sells them in sets. They even have them categorized by how tall your kid is.
Step 3
Have them start with putting. It’s very easy to learn the putting stroke. Once they’ve mastered that, teach them chipping. It’s very easy. Throw a towel onto the chipping green or out in front of you on the driving range and have them try to hit the towel. Or try to chip balls into a bucket. Make a game out of it. It’ll be fun!
Step 4
Once they’ve started putting and chipping properly, you can take them to the driving range to teach them the full swing. Start with the fundamentals of grip, stance, and swing. Have them start out by only make half swings. Once they have perfected that, they can make fuller swings. Teach them the ten finger grip, it’s just easier, and if they have played baseball, hockey, or lacrosse, it is very familiar to them.
Don’t be a stickler if their grip isn’t perfect. Or if they aren’t standing exactly the way you want. Just get them to aim for a target and do what they can to get the ball to that target.
Start with higher lofted clubs like a 9 iron or a pitching wedge. Have them watch the ball go down the range. You can even put a little basket or target out in front of them and see if they can get the ball into the basket. Then keep moving the target farther and farther away. This will teach them distance control.
Step 5
Take them on the course and make it fun. Have them drive the cart around and have a blast. If they are just starting out, have them tee off with their driver, or a shorter iron. Then take them to their ball and have them keep hitting it until they reach the green. If you are really far away, have them pick up their ball and just drop one near yours and play from around the green. Then put together.
Step 6
Teach them course management. Once they have a consistent swing, they really need to learn course management. Nothing else will shave strokes off their game like course management will. This usually happens when they are about 10-12 years old, but some kids develop a nice swing much earlier. If your kid is in high school and loves the game and already has a great swing, try not to over-coach their swing, but teach them course management instead. This will do wonders.
Step 7
Enjoy the rest of your lives together playing golf as a family. No other sport can be played by kids and adults alike. Adults and children of all ages and sexes can play together.
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