Talented child

[Ash1974]

  Tiger Spuds said:

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.

Totaly agree, if it aint fun their not going ot enjoy it.

My daughter is 5 years old and swung her first proper club the other day, she hit the ball around 50 yards and could repeat the swing each time and to her it was fun, we will be doing it again this weekend if she WANTS to come to the range with me

[The Recreational Golfer]

I have played golf with my grandson for four years now, and he's eleven. This year, and two years ago, I put him in group lessons with other kids his age, and he had fun and learned a few things. When we play, there is NO pressure. We only started keeping score this year. Golf is just something we do to enjoy our time together.

He's at the age, though, where he can make a decision about whether he wants to continue to play golf just for fun, or play golf for fun AND start to work at getting as good as he wants to be, and I'll be bringing up that matter soon.

[Doctorfro]

Getting serous about any sport before the age of 10 is dangerous in the fact that you are treading on what potentially can be burnout. I've seen it in so many different sporting circles. If he has legitimate talent, it will show through as he plays in two, four or ten years. Let him play soccer, basketball, tee ball, whatever (maybe a few fun junior tourneys)...let him be a kid and if his interest is still there in several years then your can gradually get serious about it with a little competition, then some instruction, etc. The phrase "too much, too soon" has serious validity to it.

[golfro]

by pushing a child, i don't mean be strict and force him into aything he doesn't want. However, kids lose interest in things very fast. I don't think its wrong by any means to direct and push to keep him interested in the sport itself. This does include taking him to lessons and pushing him to do things he might not want to do at times.

I was raised in a very strict household and though I never went on to become a pro golfer, I appreciate the effort my parents put in to push myself to keep my interests aligned. My biggest regret in life? Resisting and not listening to my parents so much, quitting at first sight of loss of interest, etc. That goes for many things other than golf.

I say start them early and teach them to appreciate a hobby and their interests by teaching them that not all things are fun at times and success comes from hard work despite not wanting to do something. Its the value the child should learn, not necessary golf specifically.

I will agree though, I may have spoken too quick as the kid is 5 years old. I agree that that is a bit early to be pushing kids in directions. :)

[wrx_junki]

  TN94z said:

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.

A local kid that plays to scratch has been playing for 7 years with lesson and he started at 6. He still enjoys the game and is happy that he took up the game so early. I've played with him and he can't be taller than 5'2", hits his driver 270 and 3 wood 240ish.

I'd take your child to see a pro and maybe get some lessons on the course which are more enjoyable. Take it slowly to make sure he isn't pressured too much.

[noefi13b]

I would take him to the pro if he wants to go. As others have said as long as its kept fun I can't see an issue with it.

Taking the fact that its golf out of it a lot of kids get lessons at that age, be it other sports or even a musical instrument... Just because its something you like doesn't mean you should treat it any differently!

He might be the next big thing or he might give it up in a year but giving your kid an opportunity to become truely great at something he enjoys can only be a good thing.

[TN94z]

  Doctorfro said:

Getting serous about any sport before the age of 10 is dangerous in the fact that you are treading on what potentially can be burnout. I've seen it in so many different sporting circles. If he has legitimate talent, it will show through as he plays in two, four or ten years. Let him play soccer, basketball, tee ball, whatever (maybe a few fun junior tourneys)...let him be a kid and if his interest is still there in several years then your can gradually get serious about it with a little competition, then some instruction, etc. The phrase "too much, too soon" has serious validity to it.

Well, this is where I think each individual situation is different. The kids that are pushed into getting serious before 10 (just because their parent's played the sport) are the ones that tend to get burnt out. But I have seen many kids in my area that are the ones doing the pushing to get serious about it at a young age. Many kids just love a sport so much and have so much fun playing it, taking lessons, etc....that they want to do it all of the time. Some of my friends' kids play baseball in the summer and then play travel ball during the fall and then go to camps in between and you can't pry those kids away from the game. And trust me, it's not because their parents' push them. Their parents have to sacrifice a lot of their time to get their kids to all of these games....especially travel ball.

So, while I don't agree with pushing a kid to be serious about a sport at an early age, if the kid decides himself that is what he wants....let him do it...lessons and all

[Busjedwa]

  colin007 said:

video or it didnt happen.

little pitch on our local course .. still coming along with his Dad and loving it :)

[Frito]

Only you can know if your child is ready for something like that. Think it over.

Dang your kid rocks , he's so good he may not need lessons lol.

[cavanagh]

My son is 10 plays 5 times a week and has 3 half hour lessons a week with the pro he loves the gamne and wants to learn how to get to scratch and develop his game

he loves it and never needs pushing

each child is different

[Busjedwa]

Are the clubs in Leeds geared up for kids golf? Seems pretty lacking in my neck of the woods

[bwdial]

That looked like it had a little draw on it.
Nice.

[pittpanther]

  noefi13b said:

Taking the fact that its golf out of it a lot of kids get lessons at that age, be it other sports or even a musical instrument... Just because its something you like doesn't mean you should treat it any differently!

You nailed it. If a kid shows an aptitude for something, it should be nurtured as far as the kid is willing to take it.

The job of a parent is to make good decisions for the child. Children sometimes need to be pushed to do their homework, or to practice a musical instrument. This doesn't mean they don't like school or music, but they are kids, who sometimes make bad choices and are lazy. Provide him with golf lessons, make sure he practices what he is being taught. It doesn't mean he can't also play rec baseball or soccer. You'll know if and when it's time for him to specialize - if he's shooting par at age 10, you might consider golf above everything at that point... Look at it this way - if he was a tennis player, he would be turning pro at 16 and no one would bat any eye...

[cavanagh]

he started on an academy course that is set on one of our set of nines so both me and he were able to play

but he now carries an mens adults handicap so plays of the same tees as me

[Sing Golfer]

  pittpanther said:

You nailed it. If a kid shows an aptitude for something, it should be nurtured as far as the kid is willing to take it.

Nobody would bat an eyelid at a 16 year old tennis pro , but then they'd be finished with tennis at 25 and probably never pick up a racquet again. There is a book called "driven" that any parent of a talented golfing kid should read. The most interesting thing for me was how few gun juniors translated that into a elite level later in life. Golf can be very fickle. Yes, there are the Tiger Woods of the world who were gun kids and became the worlds best, but this is not something that happens often (looking at the David Leadbetter Academy - only a very small percentage of these gun juniors ever make it to being a pro of any sort - let alone a good one) We all hear (and I think most understand) that golf is 90% mental and 99% at the top level. You can find a gun 12 year old tennis player and be pretty sure he will make it as a pro. Check the US Amateur Matchplay line ups for the last 20 years. Sure, many of the best players in the world played in it and won it - but look how many made it to this elite level and never made it as a pro. I have a 5 year old as well. I think of it this way. There is a small chance golf lessons now will help with maximising potential. There is a big chance that golf lessons turns golf into music or homework - 'something my parents make me do.' I want to be playing golf with my kids (and grandchildren) in 50 years time. How many 55 years olds are still playing the flute? Only the ones who enjoyed it. As time goes by, you can let them get more serious if you want. Play games around the practice green and leave the lessons for another 3 or 4 years.