Feature
GOLF SPECIALIZATION
WHAT AGE TO CONCENTRATE SOLELY ON GOLF
s a PGA Professional and the owner
of a junior golf school, I see parents
starting their kids in golf earlier and
earlier. That’s great. I think exposing them
to golf at a younger age will help make
the sport stick and lead to lifetime golfers.
The question is when should parents cut
out all the other sports and concentrate
just on golf. It may sound crazy, but
there have been many times where I’ve
recommended that the junior golfer play
less golf and spend time playing other
sports. So at what age do you stop with the
other sports and get golf specifi c? Below
is the best summary from the research that
has been done. A decrease of free time or by parent choice,
many kids are focusing on one sport at an
earlier age. The problem with getting too
specifi c too early is that it can lead to a lack
of these basic skills and sometimes even
lead to injury from overuse. Additionally,
you’re increasing the chance for burnout
and isolation from other kids their age. A
recent study of players on the PGA Tour
showed that over 90% of players were
multi sport athletes at least until they
reached high school. Even Tiger Wood
dreamed to be a professional basketball
player as a kid! Plus, the average rookie
on tour last year was 30 years old. So there
is time! First let’s discuss the value of raising a
multi sport athlete. Years ago before the
internet, video games, and cell phones,
most kids played any sport they came
across. This was helpful for learning
basic motor skills. These activities also
taught coordination, the basis of all sports.
Playing multiple sports will help your
child to learn how to control and use both
sides of their body, and fi gure out how to
produce speed in their golf swing. With the Overall, the general consensus is that you
really shouldn’t limit your child to one
sport until the age of 14 or 15. The Titleist
Performance Institute, an educational
organization dedicated to the study of
how the human body functions in relation
to the golf swing, offers the following
guidelines for boys: Boys 12-16 should still be playing 2
sports.
• • At age 15, you can get specifi c with a
20
Boys up to the age of 9 should try all
sports and play as many as they can.
GolfPlus Junior November-December 2019
• Boys 9-12 should still be playing 3
sports.
•
competitive player.