If you have a young family, spending as much time as possible with your loved ones is understandable. There are lots of hobbies and activities you and your children can engage in which can be a great bonding experience and help you create long-lasting memories. To keep your children fit and active, you might want to get involved in sports like golf which can be played by the whole family. Before getting started, here are some useful tips on how to get the most out of golf with your children.
Keep Things Fun
For your child to enjoy the sport, you need to make golf fun and exciting. The last thing you want is for your children to throw a tantrum before heading to the golf course, nor do you want to force them into doing something they don’t enjoy. Remember, your children don’t want or need complicated instructions. Instead, you should explain things in an easy-to-follow manner, and if your children are competitive, you can host a golf challenge to keep them engaged. You will know soon enough whether your children are into golf from the smiles (or frowns) on their faces.
Let Them Be in Control
Many children love to be independent and in control, so when your children first arrive at the golf course, you may need to take a step back for them to reap the benefits. While their health and safety will be your top priority, allow your children to have some control and make mistakes along the way. After all, children just want to have tons of fun, so allow them to explore what makes the game so popular with millions of Americans. If they are curious about anything and have questions, make sure you’re on hand to answer them.
Remain Patient
While some children will pick up golf in a matter of minutes, others will need more time to get to grips with the sport. You can’t expect your children to turn from a newbie to golfing pro overnight, so make sure you remain patient with them and understand that practice makes perfect. If you start to lose patience and get stressed, this will make your children feel uncomfortable and they may not want to continue playing. Whatever you do, staying patient and being there as a helping hand for your children on the golf course will make all the difference.
Purchase the Right Equipment
Understandably, your children need to have the right equipment to play golf. One of the common problems you may encounter is purchasing a golf club that’s too long, heavy, or stiff for your children to use. No one wants to arrive at the golf course with the wrong gear, so make sure you purchase age-appropriate golf equipment. If you have your own golf cart, there are aftermarket parts that you may need to buy. Make sure your children have plenty of time to get to grips with the golf club, otherwise they may be fearful to go any further. Like with yourself, your children will need to adapt to the club to help them feel confident about the course.
Don’t Be Critical
While you may think you’re helping, overanalysing your child’s golf play can do more harm than good. Some children need guidance to get to grips with golf, whereas others are better off being left alone. If your children enter a golf tournament and compete against others, make sure you stay supportive of them and try not to be too critical, or they may be reluctant to continue.
There are all kinds of benefits you and your children can receive from playing golf together. Whether it’s being outdoors, strengthening bonds, or challenging yourself, all the tips above will help your children get the most out of the sport.
Rhian Westbury says
I think all of these are valid for adults who don’t golf. I don’t golf but my fiance does and he wants me to give it a go but he’ll definitely need to be patient with me x
Sarupa Shah says
My memory of anytime I have played golf is that patience is key! I also found lessons very useful too!