Fresh air and sunshine, a walk in the park and a healthy dose of exercise are all great reasons for kids to start along the path of golf at an early age and the long term effects go far beyond the physical aspects.
Many sports teach kids to be competitive, to work together as a team and to succeed under pressure which all translate well into the daily routine, into their school life and in their relations with other children.
Youth golf also has its advantages.
Golf has many more benefits than the above standards, as taught by groups such as the First Tee program. The sport that can last a lifetime instructs kids on the core values of honesty, courtesy towards others, on strategy and smart decisions both on and off the golf course - all positive attributes that will help in leadership roles and throughout their careers.
On a more educational level, as mentioned by a local Houston-based developer, "Golf is math, golf is English. You must calculate the break of the ball in degrees. It's just another avenue of learning."
Sounds like former NASA Physicist and short game instructor Dave Pelz who also believes that, if we can learn more about the scientific aspects of golf, we will perform better on the putting green and on the course.Pelz also mentioned that, where adults in his class have to unlearn something before they can grasp a concept, "kids are the most voracious learners in the game. You tell them something they say, 'Oh, okay' and they start doing it that way."
Adults make the learning process more complicated and confusing but kids tend to look at golf in a more simplistic fashion - they can break the sport down and learn to shrug off the disappointments at an early stage.
Once kids have something interesting that they have learned, they want to practice, even show-off a bit of their new found knowledge! Encourage family activities both on and off the golf course.
Sponsors of The First Tee such as SYNLawn, fully endorse the concept of starting golf young by offering means to practice daily at home while making the sport enjoyable and accessible.Elements of practice can be made into golf games for the whole family, and some activities such as distance control and putting can be as simple as backyard practice, on practice mats or on DIY greens right in your own home.
Although many players cite that golf is mainly a mental game and is played between your ears, let's not forget the physical benefits of the sport - that's right, golf remains a sport and will soon be a part of the Olympics!
Swinging a golf club, walking the course, proper bending and stretching before and after the round all translate into great health benefits without hurting kids physically as may be the case with other sports.
Have questions about the benefits of starting kids along the fairway of golf? Discuss with us on our Golf for Beginners blog, on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on @SYNLawn_Golf.
photo: Synlawn.com
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