JEFF'S BLOG

By the time you read this article, things will have likely changed since I wrote it. Each day, our lives are being dramatically impacted by our country’s battle with the Covid-19 virus. Businesses have been forced to either close or alter their practices, schools have shifted to online teaching, families are sheltering at home, and competition in the golf world has been put on hold. When things around us are changing this quickly, we need to find our comfort in the things that are consistent and familiar.
 
For the competitive junior golfer, the one thing that remains the same is the desire to improve. The forced break from competition offers the unique opportunity to take inventory of your game and to focus your efforts on making changes that will have a positive and lasting impact on performance.
 
You can get started by following the steps I’ve listed below:
 

1. List on a piece of paper your clear, guiding principles. That means the things that are motivating you to play and compete. For example, a principle could be the “love of competition”. When this list is complete, post it in a prominent place that forces you to see it every day.
2. List on another piece of paper your strengths and weaknesses. If you’re a young golfer who’s getting ready to enter high school, then think about similar golfers of the same age as a guide to your own strengths and weaknesses. Armed with the list, put a plan in place to improve the specific weaknesses that will have the biggest impact on your score. It might make sense to check with your coach to get his or her help on this part of the process.
3. Focus on the things you control. At times like these when everything is changing rapidly, it’s easy to feel like you have little control over your circumstances. The reality is that you have large control over your own behavior and attitude. For example, you can decide to get up at the same time each day, even though you now might have more flexibility in your schedule. You can also set a limit on the minimum amount of time you’ll spend working out each week.
4. Do the things you don’t normally do when your schedule is full. Most competitive juniors have little flexibility in their schedules because of school obligations, practice, and social outings. During this down time, put some effort in the areas of your game that have been neglected. Some of our students are putting some extra time in on their mental game. For competitive junior golfers, this is an underrated part of the game. It often has a big bearing on scores and future potential.
5. Find some way or someone to help. When things are challenging, fear tends to narrow our view and gets us too focused on our own situation. Now is exactly the time when we all need to pull together and find ways to help out those who are struggling. A good place to start could be to reach out to a local charity or religious organization to see what particular needs are not being met. If you can find a way to impact others, it will lift your spirits and likely provide more motivation to do the things you love – like improve at golf.

 
In summary, this is undoubtedly a unique and difficult time in our nation’s history and in our own lives. By its very nature, it offers the opportunity for all of us to rise to the challenges that are placed before us and to use the extra time to make a real difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. From a golf standpoint, I can say this with confidence -- the only way to get ahead of the curve is to take actions that “at the time” seem unnecessary.

Properly fit golf club can have a huge influence on the performance of golfers. Fitting junior golfers with the right equipment is difficult because they are in a constant state of flux – working hard to improve their technique, while they are getting bigger and stronger. Pick ingthe right equipment is a challenge for coaches who are trying to balance long-term improvement with short-term performance. Parents also have a difficult choice to make when they’re considering an investment in new equipment knowing that their son or daughter could outgrow the new clubs relatively quickly.
These complications and challenges can be lessened by following the guidelines I have laid out below.
When it’s Time to Get New Clubs for Your Son or Daughter
New clubs support the development of competitive junior golfers and can speed up improvement and make the game more fun. There are three key times for juniors to get new clubs.

1. A new junior golfer should get a few clubs that fit their skill and size as soon as they begin to take lessons. Getting the right clubs early in the process will have a big impact on whether a young golfer stays with the sport beyond the initial trial period.
2. Once a junior golfer begins to improve, it makes sense to get a more complete set of well-fit clubs that includes a driver, a fairway wood or hybrid, several irons, a couple of wedges, and a putter.
3. Since speed and size are the key factors in fitting competitive juniors, it is important to consider new clubs whenever a golfer sees either an increase in speed of 5-10 mph or an increase in height of more than 2-3 inches.

What to Consider When Purchasing New Clubs
All the major manufacturers make quality clubs, but just a few offer a variety of options for younger golfers. When purchasing new clubs, there are important swing characteristics and club specifications that need to be evaluated and taken into consideration when fitting a junior golfer. Here are the essential ones:
Swing Characteristics

• Club speed – Fast speeds produce more height and spin
• Skill level – Beginners need clubs that are forgiving and help the ball get in the air
• Distance and shot dispersion with current clubs – A left or right bias can influence the choice of clubs
• Delivery of club at impact – The 3D position of the clubface at impact can affect the lie and loft of the club
• Launch and land angle – Lower and higher ball flights require a different set makeup

Club Specifications

• Design of the clubhead in terms of forgiveness – Clubs can vary from super game-improvement to clubs that offer little correction to errant shots
• Loft of the clubs – Stronger clubs can help players with slower swing speeds
• Shaft length, stiffness, and weight – it is always best to err on shorter, lighter, and more flexible
• Lie angle – Clubs with a proper lie angle will improve contact and starting direction of the ball

How to Make Sure the Clubs are Fit Correctly
When buying new clubs, the desired change to the ball flight should be the number one priority. For example, some players will want more distance while other players might prefer a lower ball flight. For competitive junior golfers, I suggest you follow these basic guidelines:

1. Purchase equipment with an eye toward the future. It’s tough to determine how much faster or bigger a young player will get, but we often fit our students to where we think they will be in three to six months, from a skill and speed standpoint.
2. Don’t buy clubs that correct for swing flaws. This approach can impede development. We like our students to have clubs that are relatively “neutral” and that will encourage the changes in technique that we are recommending.
3. Don’t skimp on equipment. Of the three major expenses associated with junior golf (tournaments, coaching, and equipment), equipment will require the least investment and has a significant effect on performance.
4. Take your time with the purchase and have your son or daughter test various clubs and shafts using a high-end launch like the one we use from TrackMan in addition to testing the clubs on the course.

In closing, I would strongly suggest that you solicit the assistance of your son or daughter’s coach to help with all equipment purchases. Unfortunately, I’ve had to correct the mistakes that parents have made in buying clubs. It’s not very much fun to deliver the bad news that the clubs that were purchased have to be returned.