Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 3632 | January 2017 #juniorgolfmag Visit us at juniorgolfmag.net T he two-year-old kid ad- dressed the ball as TV cam- eras captured the moment. Adjusting his training pants, he confidently stroked his drive into the ozone. Tiger Woods went on to much greater fame than that appearance on the Mike Douglas Show as a toddler. But society’s fascination with lit- tle tykes who can perform amazing feats continues to this day. In the golfing world, these glimpses of greatness have appeared at earlier and earlier ages. Sure, Bobby Jones won his first golfing title at six and Michelle Wie was turning heads with her swing at seven, but today even three- and four-year-olds have taken their talents to the links. So just what is an acceptable age to replace the bottle in a child’s hands with a sand wedge? To our young golfers out there, when did you first feel the urge to hammer a little white object into submission? Well, if you ask the folks from Future Champions Golf (FCG), it’s as soon as a child shows an interest in the game. They suggest possibly making that in- troduction through a computer game to get them excited. It makes sense – they can learn the basic concepts, get familiar with what a golf course looks like and even practice their swing. On the golf range, kids as young as three years old are hacking at the ball. No, wait a minute…the middle-aged person next to them is hacking at it. The kid is placing his/her feet in the perfect stance, taking a solid grip and swinging the club with real consistency. One industry insider recommends a private lesson first, if parents feel their child has a natural ability for the game. The pro can analyze all of the swing elements as well as observe whether the child re- ally enjoys golf as a pleasurable activity. In many cases it might be better, says this person, to give the child a couple of plastic clubs to knock the ball around in the yard before committing to anything more serious. Another tack might be to let the little one ride with the parent in the golf cart during a round, just to create a certain familiarity. For you parents out there who see that your young child does find more joy in swinging a golf club than stroking a stuffed animal, there are plenty of golf equipment companies ready to provide junior golf club sets for kids as young as two years of age and as short as 30 inches high. When it’s time to grad- uate from plastic clubs to the real thing, many ex- perts recommend starting with a putter or perhaps, if the child wants to loft the ball in the air like mom or dad (assuming they can get it airborne), a 7-iron or some type of hybrid. Junior clubs for the very young are specially designed with lighter heads, more flexible shafts and higher lofts. You can find many of them online, but the best bet is to consult with the club professional at the course where you play, to get some recommendations. I’m sure if we polled our young readers, we would discover a number of diverse stories as to how they got started playing the game. There is more than one specific path. This much is clear, however – parents must create a sense of fun to generate interest with an extremely young child. Many pros, in fact, insist that the less emphasis that is placed on the mechanics at first, the better. For parents to adequately instruct a young child, they must think like one. That means foregoing all the technical mumbo-jumbo and helping the child find a nice, comfortable position and a simple swing that isn’t forced or contrived. Teaching the right position of address can be tricky because most very young kids will try to face the hole and, if they are putting, take a crochet-like stroke. So if you’re a parent teaching your child or a junior tutor- ing your brother or sister, be creative and remem- ber – Rome wasn’t built in a day. Though most two- and three-year-old kids would probably rather chase the family dog or curl up on grandma’s lap than mimic Jordan Spieth or Rory McIlroy, some may develop a real fascination for the game at an early age. In that case, the best course is to patiently nurture them as you’re teaching them the difference between “fore” and four. Young Golfers Keep Getting Younger BY RANDY SCHULTZ , SENIOR EDITOR GAZING FROM THE GALLERY Coming in our March Issue! Some of the exclusive stories include: • PGA Superstore Comes to You! • Up-Close with NCAA Golf Champ • Get a Mental Re-Set on Your Game • Brooks Koepka’s Junior Coach Speaks Out • Family Golf Resort Profile • And many others! Don’t Miss a Single Issue ... Subscribe Today! Print Edition–$ 20 (Just $ 2.50 per Issue) Digital Edition–$ 8 | Digital & Print (Best Value)–$ 25 Go to juniorgolfmag.net and click the Subscribe tab – now! Junior Rising Star Henson Sharpe 7 years old – Hattiesburg, Mississippi • Winner of inaugural US Kids Palm Springs Open • Winner of Mississippi Golf Assn. State Championship 9 and Under as 7 year old • 23 first place medals • 2015 Drive, Chip and Putt local champion • His golf trick shots have been featured on SportsCenter’s Top 10, Golf Digest, CBS Sports and more Henson played in the Dixie Youth Baseball World Series, where his team placed 2nd . The next day, he flew to Pinehurst and finished 6th in the world in the golf tournament there. You have what it takes to be a champion, Henson!