It has been a bonding activity for the family to indulge in sport. But for some sports, it may be too rough or stressful for kids to join in. Like basketball, kids tend to force themselves to take a shot on a ten foot rim when they are just barely 3 feet tall. Kids that cannot get the job done gets discouraged and may hate the sport and drift away from it due to the frustrating experience.
Golf is a low impact sport that can be enjoyed by the family as a group playing against each other or by teams. Manufacturers of golf clubs have realized the business potential of kids being trained to take a swing at a golf ball as early as two years old and so they came up with golf clubs for kids. These clubs are shorter, lighter, and a little bit smaller.
More and more parents are indulging their kids to play golf since just recently universities offer golf scholarships to potential student athletes that could excel in the field.
Here are some tips on how to choose the right golf clubs for your kids.
When choosing the length of the golf club, try to choose a length that he or she won't out grow easily. Kids may have growth spurts and may outgrow their clubs in just a couple of months. Try to anticipate the growth against the shaft's height. For kids, it is ok to choke down on the grips as long as it does not exceed 2 inches. If the choking exceeds 2 inches this can change their form and may result to a bad swing.
The next thing to check on is the golf club's weight. Though many manufacturers have made golf clubs for kids lighter some of them are still heavy for the kids to take a backswing. Make sure that the golf club's head is weighed just right so as not to put any strain on the kid's shoulder.
There are golfers that cut the shaft of an old golf club so that it can fit the height of their kid. But cutting down the shafts means cutting down flexibility and this will stiffen the golf club. This could hurt the shoulder and upper back of the kid once the club gets into contact with the ball and turf. There are shorter clubs for kids that have the same flexibility with the regular golf clubs.
The last and certainly the one thing that shouldn't be overlooked are the grips. Kids have smaller hands than that of adults so it would be advisable to have a core of 0.50. This can give him a tight grip of the club since it is just right for their hands. It can also be a determining factor for a perfect swing.
Having my own children, I understand that they grow and change rapidly. Many of us learned to play the game of golf with a cut down club from your dad. Even being cut down, it was usually too heavy for us and the extra weight made it difficult to swing the club. With new technology in the materials being used in the club's construction, junior golf clubs can be a better match than a "cut"down set. This is encouraging to all junior golfers as a properly fitted set of clubs will help them shoot lower scores and to have more fun.
Parents often ask if it really matters if their teenager needs to go through a fitting for junior golf clubs. With kids growing so quickly, it is important that they do go through a fitting for junior golf clubs. Why is it important? A properly weighted and fitted set of junior golf clubs will make swinging the golf clubs easier for your child and will result in them having more fun.
The correct length of the club as well as the correct weight of the club will be determined in a club fitting by a PGA Professional. There is some wiggle room here knowing that your teenager will keep growing. It is very important that they do not end up with junior golf clubs that are too heavy for them. You will be able to see them struggle at the top of their swing if the club is too heavy for them. It is possible that your early-teen son could be fit into a ladies shaft or a senior shaft depending on the amount of clubhead speed. This is a big reason why it is important that the club fitting session happens outside. Everyone's egos must be checked at the door and be in agreement that the best ball flight will determine the end decision and purpose.
When purchasing a new set of junior golf clubs, it will also be important to ask your professional if a trade-in and trade-up program is available. A few of the "major manufacturers" have such a program. However, not all professionals participate. How it typically works is once your child has out-grown their set of junior golf clubs you take them back to your professional and depending on what condition they are in you will be offered a set amount of money to use towards the new set that you will be purchasing. Obviously, the younger your child the more sense this makes as it cold save you quite a bit of money as your "little one" gets bigger and bigger.
To make the game enjoyable for your kids, it is important that they are properly fit for a set of junior golf clubs. A "cut down" club is usually too heavy for most juniors. A qualified PGA Professional can find a golf club that your junior can swing with ease and build a good foundation to enjoy the game of golf their entire life.
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