Talented child

[Busjedwa]

My son is five and absolutely loves the game. It stated in nursery as soon as he could walk - he was given a wooden spoon and (wooden) egg to play with ... he put the egg on the floor and swung at it. He broke every plastic set of clubs he had swinging them so got a little club when he was about 3. He's been coming out playing local pitch and putts and started playing on full size courses (usually playing half a hole on the par 4's) a few months ago. Whenever we go out people stop and watch and shout over (he's so small and looks out of place on a course until he hits the ball ... an incredible sight).

He's been going to a kids club each week where the kids play together for an hour or two. He's scoring better than most (av age is 9). Seems he's naturally talented (unbelievably so) and he loves the game. I'm torn between doing what he's doing or also putting him in with the pro (who he loves) for more one to one work.
Any thoughts?

[Shripe]

If he's just having fun now, I'd give him a couple more years before actually putting him with a pro. You might risk having him lose interest or feel more pressure to succeed if you do this, and it might turn him off from the game if he's only enjoying having fun instead of worrying about doing well. :) If he really does love the game, though, he might benefit from lessons without risking him losing that interest.

[mdbuschsr]

I'd say get him in the First Tee program. The instructors are geared more to children, and will keep it fun. If he has progressed beyond that point, then find a pro that is very kid friendly. Make it his decision. Tell him that if he wants... You will get him some lessons, but only if he wants. My 10 year old loves the game, but I found I was putting too much pressure on him to follow all of the rules, and it was taking most of the fun out of it for him. When I started allowing him to move his ball back to the fairway out of the rough, and not necessarily making him putt everything out his enjoyment of the game returned.

I simply told him that when he wants to start getting better and REALLY paying attention to his scores, that would stop and we would start keeping his score again.

[saevel25]

Just let him continue to have fun, thats the best thing for a kid. When he gets to a normal age were they want to be competative, let him get lessons. Probably 12-13 is a good age to start professional lessons. Like kids learn baseball for little league at that age.

[colin007]

video or it didnt happen.

[golfro]

im gonna disagree with others here when they say "just let him have fun"

maybe im getting ahead of myself but if you want to raise your kid to be a pro golfer (not saying you are but if you are...) then add a little pressure and get him started right. Put him with a pro and teach him the value of golf and value of taking it seriously instead of just letting him have fun.

Tiger didn't become Tiger by his dad just "letting him have fun."

[shades9323]

  golfro said:

Tiger didn't become Tiger by his dad just "letting him have fun."

I don't think I would point him in the direction of the Earl Woods method. IMO, anybody who takes that approach is a bad parent. A lot of these kids that grow up like that end up doing something destructive in their lives, see Tiger and Agassi. They don't have time to have fun and be a kid.

Let the kid have fun. If he has the real talent, it will still be there in 3-5 years and leave plenty of time for developement. I wouldn't push him.

[TN94z]

My step son is 8 and loves golf as well. He has been through a kid's golfing school and is now in a kid's golf academy. He gets a little added pressure but it's the good shots they hit that they remember. To him, learning the game and learning to hit the ball farther is what is fun to him....mostly the praise that comes along with it.


5 may be a bit too young for lessons but that is something that you will have to figure out based on your son and how he reacts to certain things, etc.....The answer to that question can vary from situation to situation. I don't think you should wait until 12-13 for lessons though. That is the age when they start wanting to compete and, IMO, they would need to have had lessons before they compete.

[Tiger Spuds]

  golfro said:

add a little pressure and get him started right. Put him with a pro and teach him the value of golf and value of taking it seriously instead of just letting him have fun.

Add a little pressure.? He's FIVE YEARS OLD. And sure, raise him like Earl raised Tiger, that turned out real well. Kids these days grow up too quickly as it is, let the young man enjoy the game that he loves for a few years and if he's still as into it (no guarentee) when he gets to maybe 10/11/12 years of age it'd be prudent to start him working with a Pro. There's nothing worse for a kid than to feel pressured into something because of parental over enthusiasm.

[zeg]

At that age, if he's not having fun he shouldn't be doing it. Make it available and encourage him, but you don't get to decide that he's going to be a golfer for him.

Personally, I think it's way too early for lessons. Kids are far, far better than adults at figuring things out on their own. If you know a little bit about how to play the game, you are plenty qualified to provide all the coaching he needs: keep him from hurting himself or others and that's about it. Maybe take him out and play games that grown-ups might call drills, but keep them fun and focused on hitting the ball rather than technical minutiae. When he's a bit older, if he is still interested, he'll have plenty of time to worry about technical details. He'll be better served with the instincts he can develop "just playing" now---he will never again have the ability to learn physical skills the way he can right now, and drills aren't going to speed that up.

So if I were you, I'd find some fun games that you can play in the backyard. I saw a father and his son (probably 8-10 years old) working on chipping by "playing catch." The father stood 5-10 yards off and caught balls that the son chipped to him. That sort of thing is what I think is the most intense drill you can think of. For a 5 year old, just frame it as a game in and of itself, not as "golf practice." But most of all, just let him play.

[TN94z]

At 5, the kid won't remember what he is taught 2 months from now...that is the biggest problem. The lessons themselves may add pressure, but many times the kid is the one that brings up lessons. Or it has been in my case. I took him with me when I had a lesson one day so he could hit on the range with me after it was over. All I heard was "When can I start taking lessons?" If you let them enjoy the game early on and have fun, if it's something they want to do, they will probably come up with the idea on their own. You just have to let them experience it for a while and see how they react.

All I heard last year was how bad he wanted to play soccer. I told him he can play anything that he wants. I took him to his friend's soccer game last weekend....and now he could care less about it. Kid's change their minds VERY frequently when they are so young.

[Miss Shanksalot]

Have you talked with your wife about this? What are her thoughts? How does he accept guidance/feedback from you and from instructors at the kids' club? Does he seem to have a real desire to improve at the game, or is he just having fun? Is he capable of having fun while being challenged to learn and grow?

You can ask people for their opinions, but the truth is that you and your wife know your son the best and thus, will be able to figure out what's best for him. There are some very kid-friendly instructors out there, but if he just wants to have fun whacking at a ball rather than learning the game, even the most kid-friendly instructor won't be able to help him improve.

Good luck and let us know your decision.

Kim

[Lemay427]

Tiger Woods Jr!!!!!!!!!

[bwdial]

  Lemay427 said:

Tiger Woods Jr!!!!!!!!!

Oh God. Make sure he understands "bros before hoes".

[Easy]

I would take him to a pro. See how he goes and assess from there. 10 thousand hours of intense gruelling practice and he will achieve mastery :P

[senorchipotle]

ok, to the poster talking about the first tee: i may be mistaken, but i don't believe they have any similar programs in europe. golf is seen as a 'bourgeios' past time over there and often shunned by rabid, ignorant environmentalists and people screaming ''equality.''

and to all the others who are telling you not to do the ''earl woods'' method: how do you know what earl did or did not do? he was never mean to his son. he grew him up with golf in the same way asian kids are grown up with martial arts. i see absolutely nothing wrong with that. at all. i believe tiger's detriment came not from his father, but of his father leaving this earth. i believe tiger relied on his father for guidance and took for granted that he wouldn't always be there to guide his son. that is not earl's fault.

that being said, i wouldn't be too quick to give him lessons from a pro unless you had overwhelming evidence that the pro knows how to work with kids and can make it a fun environment. you already said your pro and he have a good relationship, which is good. but whoever teaches him, he will associate the game of golf with that person at this age, so if that person gives him a sour taste in his mouth then he's going to find golf unpalatable as well.

so i'd give him some real clubs and balls and see how he does with those for a while. and i'd say in two years or so he'll likely ask you for lessons.

[8.5_Drive]

a. dont over do it, he will get bored
b. group sessions are sometimes as good if not better than 1-2-1

Learning at a young age is the best thing ive ever done tho, my dad drilled it into me, got me a good swing, now im 21 i havent played for 6 years. Started up again and im playing the best golf iv ever played after 2 months

[Busjedwa]

Thanks for all the responses, all very interesting and most hit on the points I’ve been mulling over. I do believe it must be fun for him … take that out of it, or put pressure on and he’s likely to get turned off. I have talked it over with my wife and she thinks he’d be fine as the pro has a really nice way with the kids and as I’ve said he does love the pro. At the moment he plays with the other kids each week on the course and the pro goes round all the kids, so he is getting some direction at the moment (from me also) – it’s more essential basics like grip and feet etc – but the pro explains it in such an easy way he understands and remembers. I think it may be too much to take in lessons on the range, but going out with the pro and me onto the course to play a few holes would be more fun. Love the suggestions of chipping some balls for me to catch, he’d like that game.