In the Swing of Things:
Introducing Your Child to Golf
- Grip – Shaw has his students hold rulers, forcing them to get used to the feeling of an object in their fingers. He also helps beginners by marking their golf gloves to indicate where their fingers should be on the club.
- Alignment – Laying clubs on either side of the ball parallel to the target is an aid that never gets old, even for the young.
- Posture – An athletic stance, with a slight bend at the waist, the knees slightly bent and the arms hanging just away from the body, almost like a quarterback waiting for the snap.
- Another important concept that Shaw teaches is balance. By having kids stand on blocks of wood, Shaw incorporates what he calls one of his "most effective learning tools."
"[Beginning golfers] naturally want to kill the ball," says Shaw. "By standing on a 2-by-4, if they fall off when they swing, then they learn through immediate feedback. They're learning balance the same way as when they were learning to walk."
Other than the mechanical skills of the game, Shaw shares that there are mental and emotional aspects that need to be taught, learned and practiced. These include life skills training, working on patience, anger control and integrity. "Those are the areas that are going to allow them to get out and play competitively with others," says Shaw. "We'll ask them to come up with real-life examples, such as behaving in school or waiting their turn."
Just as Woods found and built on his love and passion for the game of golf, many youngsters are following in his footprints. "Our ultimate goal is to create passion for golf," he says. "Talent is good. Practice is better. Passion is best."
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