Teaching an adult to play golf is complicated. Adults tend to have preconceived ideas about the golf swing and are generally too impatient to learn the basics of grip, stance and takeaway before taking out the driver to thrash balls at the range. Without sound fundamentals it is very difficult to hit the ball consistently.
If an adult golfer wants to teach a junior to play golf, and they want the junior to enjoy hitting the ball well, they must encourage the junior to grip the club in the right way and stand correctly to the ball. One of the most important aspects of a good stance is the head position. With the head set correctly a good takeaway becomes second nature.
Tips for Head Position at Address for Golf Kids
- The head must be set in the correct position in the stance to allow the shoulders to turn naturally round the spine.
- A good shoulder turn will sweep the club back on the right swing path and allow it to release onto the most efficient swing plane.
- If the head is set at the wrong angle the shoulder turn is affected which directly affects the swing path.
- Study the three different head sets in the photos below and try to make sure the junior keeps the head position constant no matter which club they are hitting.
- The head position angle must be maintained throughout the swing until after impact when it will release into the finish position.
Tips to Motivate a Junior to Groove the Basic Golf Swing
A junior golfer will tend to mimic the attitude of the adult teaching them. If an adult reaches for the driver, so will the junior. The quicker the adult teacher wishes the junior to progress the more they must pay attention to what they themselves are working on. The best way for both players to improve technique is to work on the same things together. Irrespective of how good the adult is, working on fundamentals like grip and head position will always help the golf swing.
- Show three different head positions to the junior and explain how the head angle affects the takeaway path.
- If the head is tilted towards the target the club will swing away from the ball on the outside and will lead to a slice.
- If the head is tilted away from the target it will lead to a swing that is too inside and flat resulting in a draw or hook.
- The correct head position will allow a neutral swing path that will deliver the club squarely into the ball.
This golf swing tip may seem too simple to help, but it is one of the most important parts of a swing an adult can teach a junior.
See Also: Do Kids Know What Hard Work is? or Teach a Junior to Play Golf with Good Basics
John Hoskison - John is a class 'A' member of the British PGA and author of the acclaimed book 'Inside - One Man's Experience of Prison'.
