How Does a Junior Golfer Learn Best? |
Make sure you have a developmental plan that incorporates all the elements of the game.
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| by Jeff Troesch |
 There are several schools of thought about
the process that helps young players get
better at the game of golf. There are some
who believe that spending many hours hitting
shots and rolling putts is the key. There
are others who believe that just playing the
game - being out on the golf course as much
as possible - is the way to achieve
competence. Still others think that having
an instructor stand by the player’s side
while they hit balls, roll putts, or play the
game is how to get it done.
What’s the “right” answer? A little bit of
all of these. While one can always point to
individual exceptions to just about any rule,
the truth is that there is a common thread
among most successful golfers who started out
playing golf as a junior. That thread is to
make sure that there is a developmental plan
that incorporates all the elements of the
game, and that the young player has a purpose
in mind each time he or she has a golf club
in hand. This includes in the practice areas
as well as on the course.
It is not enough to have raw physical talent-
the courses throughout America and beyond are
full of players who did not achieve what many
thought was their physical potential. It is
not enough to simply hit balls repeatedly on
the range without some sense of what one is
trying to accomplish and without some
feedback about whether or not that’s being
accomplished. It is not enough to simply
make a tee time, play 18 holes and hope some
lessons are learned along the way.
Sport science research shows that the task of
becoming an expert at a game like golf
requires that a young player identify and
learn the skills that will create more
consistency. These skills include having the
player monitor and control his performance,
become more aware of his own limitations and
strengths, and recognize how to make
adjustments in specific conditions. In other
words, it is critical that there be a
constant “feedback loop” on what’s working
and what is not, and that there be specific
strategies to address those things that are
not working very well.
Make sure that the time spent on the golf
course or on the practice range or putting
green is productive. Identify an area for
improvement, have a plan on how to enhance
that area, and pay attention to these things
when you’re playing. That’s the way to learn
the fastest and learn the most about how to
be the player you want to be!
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