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JUNIOR GOLF DAVID VAUGHT
WHA T’S IMPOR
WHAT’S IMPORTANT IN
TEACHING JUNIORS
TEA CHING JUNIORS
By David Vaught, USGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional and Examiner, Sarasota, Florida
assing down the great game of golf to
Pyounger generations has many rewards and
provides a unique gratification. The strength
and duration of the game also relies on it.
We have an obligation to teach our love of
the game to the youth of the world, and you
never know when you may be the fuel that
ignites a junior golfer into having a chance for
a better education through attaining a college
scholarship, or even a career in the game.
For teaching juniors, we have to look at the
unique requirements and guidelines that their
age and development dictate. Because of this,
I have separated juniors into two age groups:
1) Elementary school age: The surest way
to turn a junior in this age group away from golf
is to get into technique. While fundamentals
need to be learned, the priority is fun. The
kids must find enjoyment in the game. A few
thoughts here to accomplish this:
Teach in groups. Kids at this age are used
to learning in groups. Keep the activities fast-
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moving and interesting. Splitting up into pairs
for fun competition works great for this age.
Your goal should be to teach the fundamentals
with short, easy visual cues and phrases that
are blended into activities. Another way to
think about this is to teach the kids things like
alignment, grip, rules and etiquette, without
them realizing that is what they are learning. A
common misstep is to teach segmented lessons,
as you would an adult.
I would also urge an instructor to make two
things a cornerstone of any program. The first
is to utilize other sports into the program. For
example, combine golf exercises like making a
putt with kicking a soccer ball or tossing a ball
to a target. The second would be to utilize the
junior aids and golf-specific learning tools that
can be found easily online. Some of these aids
are extremely popular and a big hit, not just
with the kids but also with the parents, because
it shows thought and effort went into the
teaching.
Continued on page 04
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