Golf

Golf is a great sport for kids. It teaches cooperation with others, specific ball handing and sports skills, and how to work with people of varying ages. It is a lifetime sport that can be handed down to many generations. This article is dedicated to my grandpa who understood the importance of using golf to keep physically fit and have fun with his friends.

Golf had its beginning in the fifteenth century when the Scots began swinging a club around a natural course of sand with a club and a pebble. Scots originally named golf, “golve," "gowl," or "gouf." History also tells of the Dutch and British having a similar game about the same time. King James II outlawed golf in 1452 because soldiers were spending too much time on the game instead of practicing archery and shooting during a war. In 1502, the ban was lifted. Golf was only a sport for the wealthy until the mid 1800s when metal heads and balls were made in mass production instead of by hand. Chicago was the first place to have eighteen holes on its golf course in the early 1900s. 

There are many important terms in golf.  Some of those terms include:

Ace: A hole in one.

Birdie: One under par for the hole.

Bogey: One over par for the hole.

Fairway: The playing area between the tee and the green, which does not include hazards.

Fore: A warning to the other players that a ball may hit them.

Green: The area of short grass surrounding the hole.

Hazard: The number of strokes a player is given to adjust his stroke to that of a standard scratch.

Par: The number of shots a golfer should take for a hole.

Putt: A close shot taken on the green toward the hole.

Rough: The high grass area adjacent to the fairway and green.

Tee: A small peg stuck in the ground on which a golf ball is placed.  It’s also known as the area where the first stroke of any given hole is played.

Here are some techniques for teaching basic golf to children.

The Grip

Hold your putter with your dominant hand and spread your fingers over the club. With your non-dominant hand, lace your pinky fingers with the dominant over the club.

Stance

Stand with the club behind the ball. Bend your knees slightly. Keep your back flat, your arms straight, and you head down. Position the ball near the center of your body, somewhere in line with your front heel. Keep your front arm straight and bend your back arm.

Back Swing

As you take the club back, your body should not rise and fall. Keep your head down and your knees bent. Swing hard but stay in control.

Swing

As you begin your swing, lead with the front hip. This will straighten your front leg and give you proper weight transfer. As you let the club fall through the ball, your arms will straighten and, at contact, the arms will be straight and your body weight will be out over the front foot. Make sure that the size of golf club is at your arm to shoulder, but not any longer. When you swing, always pick a definite target for putting or hitting the ball.

The Finish

The hands come through at the point of contact and you release the club. Align your body with the point of contact.

When playing golf with children, it is important to teach proper form but still allow children to hit the ball in their own way. For children, sports are a game and not an organized event. Get  excited when you or your child scores. Communicate on their level and be flexible enough to show skills in more than one way. Use visual cues rather than verbal ones when teaching skills. Remember that safety is the most important thing when playing the game. Be positive and affirmative when playing the game. Children of all ages love praise.

Here are some good games you can play with golf. I generally use nine hula hoops, a putter, and practice balls for each player. You can easily identify the holes by adding a flag to the middle of each one. 

Soccer Golf

Have players kick their playground balls into each of the holes. The student that makes the smallest par wins!

Target Golf

Design a play area by placing two cones anywhere from between 50-100 feet apart. This distance can vary depending on the age of the players and the amount of playing space available. Both players stand by one cone facing the direction of the opposite cone. They take shots until the ball goes into the other cone. The player who takes the smallest number of shots wins.

Frisbee Golf

Play is the same as golf except that players toss frisbees instead of golf balls. Place the holes at least 100 feet apart. 

Bowling Golf

Play is the same as golf except that players roll a bowling ball instead of hitting golf balls. Encourage players to use the four-step approach using in bowling. The player that hits the target in the fewest number of strokes wins.

Medley Golf

Take turns using the golf club and ball, soccer ball, bowling ball, and frisbees. After using each of the pieces of equipment twice, allow the player to use the equipment of choice for the ninth hole.

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