Discover More about Junior Golf and the Man O' War Junior Golf Program
The goal of the Man O' War Junior Golf program is to create a fun learning environment for junior golfers of all skill levels. Our instructors are trained to evaluate the talent level of each individual to maximize their learning experience. We strive to create not only golf's next superstars, but junior golfers who can grow up enjoying this great game. Our program strives to create a fun environment that emphasizes athletic development, as well as a focus on all aspects of the game, including full swing, pitching, chipping, putting, the rules of golf, and course etiquette.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get my kid to love golf?
Your kid will love to play golf if:
- It's fun
- They are good at it
- They can do it with their friends
- They can do it with you
- It makes them feel good
Kids will learn to dislike golf very quickly if:
- It's not fun
- They can't do it well
- They feel pressured to play – by you or their coach
- There is too much emphasis placed on competition
- It physically hurts them
Where's the Golf?
Many parents may ask why we are doing activities that seem unrelated to golf. The reason is that a Sport Specific Skill (in our case golf) should be built upon a well-developed base of Fundamental Movement Skills and Fundamental Sports Skills.
This means that the kids must be very good at things such as running, hopping, jumping, skipping and landing. Juniors should be well balanced, agile, coordinated, possess well-developed kicking, throwing, catching and striking skills and have great spatial and body awareness.
The juniors need this before they can learn to play golf. The activities parents see them playing are designed to assist in the development of fundamental skills. If any skill is missing, it will make learning to play golf more difficult and they may never reach their full potential in golf or any other sport.
The sports we cross-train with share a "DNA" with golf. Cross training allows us to teach basic movements of the swing without having to talk about it as much.
What is screening?
A screening is a series of simple activities that we conduct periodically to help assess the development of a junior's Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) and Fundamental Sport Skills (FSS). Information gained from the screening allows us to prescribe games and activities that will develop areas needing attention.
What can I do as a parent to assist the development of my child's golf?
There are two different types of sports; Early Specialization Sports (such as gymnastics and diving), where children must excel at an early age to compete at elite levels, and Late Specialization Sports (such as golf and baseball), where most elite athletes spend 10 years or more honing skills before being ready to compete at that level.
If a child who is learning to play golf is trained as if they are doing an Early Specialization Sport, meaning all they do is play golf, it is likely that they will develop physical imbalances, overuse injuries, burn out and have underdeveloped FMS. We don't want your child to specialize in golf unless they have mastered FMS, and they want to specialize. Cross training using sports that develop overall athletic ability and have a high transfer of skill into golf will give the best chance of achieving full potential.
Some of the sports and activities other than golf we recommend:
- Striking with an implement: Baseball batting, tennis ground strokes, field hockey, or ice hockey slap shot, and hurling.
- Striking with body parts: Martial arts kicking and punching, soccer and volleyball. Dance and gymnastics are also good for body control.
- Throwing Activities: Baseball pitching, throwing a football, discus, javelin, hammer, shot-put and basketball free throws.
- Wrist speed and wrist release: Frisbee games, table tennis, squash and racquetball. Make sure that any equipment you use is lightweight and easy to grip.
Make sure that any equipment you use is lightweight and easy to grip.
What should we do between classes?
As a parent, you are the Assistant Coach.
Here's what we want you to do:
- Make sure any golf related activity is fun –or else.
- If you go to the range, let your kid show you the stuff they like doing. If it's not being used, you can borrow some of our equipment. Once they've had enough, it's time to go home, even if practice only lasted 20 minutes.
- Get out and play with your kid!!! Buy some of the gear you see us using at the range, go to the park and play with it. Make sure your kid gets a turn, too.
- Monitor their growth velocity. On the first day of every second month, measure and record their height. We will give you detailed information on how to do this. This will allow us to predict a major growth spurt and to adjust the training program accordingly.
Here's what we don't want you to do:
Teaching juniors to play golf is a highly specialized skill, so please leave it to us. They don't understand what you're saying anyway. Making mistakes, doing things wrong and being able to work it out themselves is a critical part of the learning process. So no coaching cues, unless instructed by us. Please don't force them to play or practice if they don't want to.
Equipment
The only equipment your 5 to 9 year old junior really needs in their bag to start – 4 clubs.
- Driver: Lightweight kids hybrid, 25 – degrees loft or more
- Irons: Lightweight 6 or 7 iron, with plenty of loft. Light weight pitching or sand wedge with plenty of loft
- Putter: Lightweight
All clubs should be tailored for length and not cut down.
Please ask one of our staff members if you have any questions about equipment. We specialize in finding the right equipment for juniors and adults.
Other Notes:
Developmental Stage
Not all kids develop at the same rate. Our program takes those factors into consideration. Maturity and development cannot be forced. We all go through it at some point. Allow your child to take the time needed to develop into a young aspiring golfer. Forcing them to perform skills that they are not ready for can be disastrous to their golf future.
Space in our clinics is limited so request Junior Golf information or call (859) 259-4653.