Playing Golf with your Child and Learning the Course

Why playing golf with your child is an essential parenting responsibility

The Fisher Price Golf Set

Children due to their energy and curiosity can pick up most sports and extra-curricular activities much faster than an adult and therefore it's interesting to note what children can gain from learning to play golf.

Children will learn hand and eye coordination playing golf

Learning to play golf can provide an excellent source of continual eye-to-hand coordination. Every-time a child takes a swing he or she will learn how to rotate to provide power and synergy between their bodies, how each individual component of a swing is created and maintained. The ability to hit the ball will help focus their minds and create a stable platform to move very easily into other sports.

 

The absence of a referee in the game of golf!

Playing golf of course involves many rules however as there is not a physical referee children will learn that honor is a big part of golf. Being able to agree according to rules free from parental intervention and adult supervision will teach a child independence of thought and reasoning skills and the power of committee.

Kids will learn Golf Etiquette rules

Part of golf is based on etiquette, like for example not treading on your partners putting line, and accepting the player who won the last hole is first to tee-up on the preceding hole as they have the “honor”. Etiquette is about learning to respect other people and not thinking of the self.

This will provide a very good understanding of how their actions can affect other people.

Many golf clubs these days offer an academy for younger players and often feature regular competitions and events. Not only will this teach your child about competition and how to compete but it will also allow him or her to expand their social friendships and grow and develop their social skills.

Kids Golf and the sense of Competition

Belonging to a golf-club you help your child create a sense of belonging and being able to compete against other clubs will help germinate an appreciation of playing in a team and as an individual. You can help by carrying their golf bag in competitions to help bonding. You can be the Caddy!

Golf can also help improve a child’s self-confidence as much as playing golf has the similar effect for adults. Knowing that your child can hit a ball onto a green from a long distance will create the necessary confidence to succeed in other areas of life.

Golf is also a great form of exercise with an 18 hole course measuring around the 6000 yard mark it will often involve your child walking for around 3 to 4 hours depending on how many playing partners are present. Not only is this a good work-out for your child but it will also allow him or her to enjoy nature and revel in the fresh air and natural beauty of such a large expanse of land that is the modern golf course.

Removing the Mental Golfing Yips

Golf is a hugely complex game, both mentally and physically yet Putting is the key to success

 

Even Tiger Woods gets the Yips

Removing the mental golfing yips when putting in golf requires you to understand that it is a psychological fear of missing that is causing the problem. 

To fully appreciate that the most frequently used club in your bag is your putter you can begin to perhaps understand that this is the most important component of the great game. Many golfers will never give putting the full attention it truly deserves.Try using a training golf putting mat like the Grassroots Par Three Putting Green - over a 120 satisfied customers give this trainer mat a 5 Star review.

“The Yips” is an affliction that causes a momentary shaking, twitching or freezing of your hands prior to putting the ball a lock-up if you like. 

 

Golfing “yips” is a psychological condition arising from the fear of missing the putt you are about to take. It has many forms ranging from a feeling of intense anxiety, frustration and being self-conscious of your position on the putting green.

When it is understood that the mental aspect of the golf game is responsible for the “yips” then it is possible to create a defense against it.

One of the most popular cures and the one you need to consider is to allow your mind to forget everything it previously knew about putting. 

As the problem is originally a mental problem you can only begin to De-condition yourself by removing the mental processes. For example if it took you 1 minute to settle yourself for a putt, now take 10 seconds, be so quick. It feels odd at first but you are changing your thought patterns. If you have a pre-putt routine forget it and create a new one.

It’s no longer required that you need to listen to your internal voice, turn it off and putt for fun

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The game is not that important in consideration of the grand scheme of things. No one, and most importantly you, will care if you don’t make the putt.

Golf is a game that you must relax when playing, there is no point if you walk away from the golf course with your head hanging, it really isn’t that important.

There is no need to remember anything or learn any new technique or practice more, if you have the yips the only thing you need to do is start afresh, and you do this by unlearning everything you have seen or read before. It is like you are pushing a reset button in your brain.

By realizing the yips is a fear caused by your mental outlook to all the methods you have acquired so far in your golfing life

 

You can remove the problem by removing the mental conditioning that causes the anxiety to form. Learn to let your mind empty of all thoughts and just hit the ball. You know you have to put the ball in the hole.

You have after-all used this club the most. It’s easy and your body knows exactly what to do. Visualize that ball sinking in the cup and hit the ball – that is all, nothing fancy is required. Sometimes nothing is better than something, and this should be you mind-set when putting to cure the yips.