The importance of having your kids’ golf clubs looked at by a professional cannot be overstated. More often than not I see kids playing golf with golf clubs that are either way too long, have the wrong type of shaft or their set composition is making it harder for them. We sometimes wonder why kids are struggling to progress and a lot of times it comes down to them playing with the incorrect equipment. In this article, I will be discussing when you should have your kids’ golf clubs looked at by a professional, why you should get it done, and where it can be done.
When kids start out playing golf there are so many things for them to learn. “Here, grip it like that, now stand like this, bend your knees, eyes on the ball, align your feet, swing around your body, left arm straight, good follow through” and so on, so forth. Their brain is usually fried by the end of the first swing lesson. On top of that, they’ve usually been handed dad’s adult sized 3 iron from the 1980’s and wonder why they can’t get the ball off the ground. Golf is a very hard game and we want it to be fun for them because if it isn’t fun, they will not enjoy it and will more than likely give up due to frustration. A lot of these problems can be fixed just by giving them the right tools. Using improperly fit clubs can cause them to overcompensate and ultimately lead to bad swing habits that can last a lifetime.
So, at what age and what level of playing ability should your junior golfer get their clubs custom fit? The answer is, at any age and any level of ability. Boy or girl, short or tall, it doesn’t matter, we all have different attributes and skill sets, club fitting levels the playing field. Junior clubs are shorter, lighter weight, have smaller grips and higher lofts to help them get the ball in the air.There comes a time when a player is still too short for adult sized clubs or too tall for junior golf clubs. They may also be too strong for junior graphite shafts or do not have the swing speed required for steel shafts. It’s never too early or too late to see a professional.
Tom Wishon from Wishongolf.com is one of the industries leading experts with over 35 years of experience when it comes to club fitting and design. Here’s what Tom has to say, “For the kids who are just beginning to learn the game, everything possible should be done with the clubs to help them make solid contact and get the ball airborne as soon as possible after learning the basics of the swing.”
Tom has written a very extensive article explaining junior golf club fitting. In this article, he goes into great depth discussing loft, length, club weight, shaft flex and lie. He also includes some great charts as a baseline for club fitting. You can find his article Here.
Some other great resources on Junior club fitting you may find useful can be found below.
All Kids Golf Clubs is a company that was founded in 1999 and has been a trusted online source for junior golf clubs ever since. They offer everything from toddler golf clubs to teen golf clubs. They also carry a large selection of kids left handed golf clubs and youth hybrid golf clubs. Be sure to check out their girl’s golf clubs which are offered in a wide range of colors including purple & pink.
In this article from Golf Digest, they discuss three different companies (that produce golf clubs for Juniors. Each company focuses on a different sector, ranging from Beginner Golphinforkids to Intermediate U.S. Kids Golf and Advanced Ping Thrive.
Whether a beginner or a seasoned player competing on a junior tour or High School level, I highly recommend seeing a professional club fitter and taking your game to the next level!
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