Junior Golf

[spike]

Dear Yoda,

When teaching Juniors new to the game, how much detail do you use during the Basic Motion Curriculum?

I fear that I will lose their attention if I am too thorough. Can you please advise on how I can keep it fun but informative?

Thank you,
spike

[bray]

Spike,

What age are juniors...........and how are you teaching them one on one or in a group lesson/summer camp?????

Sorting Through the Instructor's Textbook.

B-Ray

[Burner]

Dear Yoda,

When teaching Juniors new to the game, how much detail do you use during the Basic Motion Curriculum?

I fear that I will lose their attention if I am too thorough. Can you please advise on how I can keep it fun but informative?

Thank you,
spike

Hi Spike,

May be of no consequence but I have spent hours coaching junior cricketers. To a man they all wanted to hit the ball out of the park or just bowl fast.

Theory, and structured learning, did not appeal to them but swiping the ball or pinging the batsman sure did.

Show them how to grip and swing the club and then let then wheel away at the ball. Finesse comes later bit by bit; drip fed or, otherwise, in bite size proportions.

Good luck in your endeavours.

[spike]

Thanks Burner and B-Ray.

I've just been asked to set up a Golf Academy for a prestigious International School here in Thailand. The ultimate goal, for those into golf, is be able to play and think well enough to get a golf scholarship to just about anywhere.

The kids at the school are K-12 grades. We have no idea how many students we will have in the Academy as we are just growing the grass right now. Luckily things grow fast here.

Most of the teching will be in group lesson form. Classroom stuff, drilling and hitting balls to a target, type thing. My thinking is like what Burner and Golfguru suggested....good information but light in the beginning, then building from there.

As I have been investigating TGM for the past couple of years or so i've been able to fill the gaps in my teaching knowledge. I guess I would like for my kids to fill those gaps early. The understanding of Basic and Acquired Motions is very appealling right now and I'm just wondering if this would not be a better approach than going out and bashing balls around?

What do you think on these lines?

[mrodock]

As I have been investigating TGM for the past couple of years or so i've been able to fill the gaps in my teaching knowledge. I guess I would like for my kids to fill those gaps early. The understanding of Basic and Acquired Motions is very appealling right now and I'm just wondering if this would not be a better approach than going out and bashing balls around?

What do you think on these lines?

I think it is great, but certainly combine that with things they really enjoy. Have targets that they can hit and get a prize when doing basic and acquired motion, you might help plant the seeds of loving short game practice.

Matt

[Yoda]

Dear Yoda,

When teaching Juniors new to the game, how much detail do you use during the Basic Motion Curriculum?

Sometime in the last couple of months I wrote a detailed post on exactly that subject. I stressed the use of the 'MacDonald Exercises' and how they could be applied. If someone would locate and post this piece, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!



P.S. It could also have been a Private Message response. So, if someone looks hard and still cannot find it, please let me know. Unfortunately, if it was a PM response, there is a high probability it has been deleted.

[attikc]

ola

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/s...ed=1#post39845

[Yoda]

Dear Yoda,

When teaching Juniors new to the game, how much detail do you use during the Basic Motion Curriculum?

I fear that I will lose their attention if I am too thorough. Can you please advise on how I can keep it fun but informative?

Spike,

I did a little more homework. As I suspected, my post was not in the archives, but in a Private Message response (edited slightly for clarity) to Amen Corner on the same subject a few weeks back. For the exercises themselves, I referenced the same link that Attikc provided above. Thanks, Attikc!

Originally Posted by Amen Corner

Here is the most urgent question: Tomorrow, I will start the junior program. I have 5 groups with 8-10 kids between 9-14 years who will have 12 trainingtimes, 45 minutes each time. I am having computer malfuntion..... What in the heck do I start? How would you go about it? Here is a great oportunity to get them right info, but they are only kids!! Thanks in advance for your time. Javier

Javier,

Become an expert in the MacDonald exercises. http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=4435

Build their Pivot around #1-#4. Learn to coordinate their Free Arm Swing with their Foot and Knee Action per #6-#7. Do these making sure the torso faces the Line as much as possible, i.e., it moves only as required to accomodate the Free Arm Swing, especially in the Start Down (when the Right Shoulder should remain 'back' -- and not go 'out' -- as the Arms swing down). With a short dowel, help them with their Grip, and make sure the Flail is working properly by imitating the positions in #7-#9. Make sure the Body is working properly early in the Start Up and Backstroke by practicing #10-#11 and see that the Body performs in this fashion during the Acquired and Total Motion Strokes.

Good luck!

[spike]

Thank you guys so much!

My thinking right now is to show how the hands and arms work in a putting motion then move on to chipping to include a little extensor action. Before Acquired Motion, I'll mention the pivot and how it is coordinated with the right forearm takeaway and the upward bend of the right forearm at the elbow. "All in the same direction"...back, up and in. (thank you LBG forum!) I think then from there we can experiment with delivery down, out and through the ball.

My thinking is "Controlled Folly". Having fun, but with something to do while you are doing it. Kids are pretty smart these days...not a hell of a lot of respect for stuff, but if it is made interesting and there are the targets available that mrodock mentioned....well who knows what might happen.

Not another Korean superstar!???!

P.S. Yoda, I hope to be in a position to have guest speakers come and teach to our students. Would you let me know if that is something you'd like to do?

Thanks again guys, very cool.........I LOVE IT HERE!!!

[Yoda]

Yoda, I hope to be in a position to have guest speakers come and teach to our students. Would you let me know if that is something you'd like to do?

Sure, Spike. Lately, 'Travel' has been my middle name. Let me know.