Until a few years ago, golf was a sport mainly for adults in which the youngest members of the family did not seem to fit in. With the passage of time things have changed and golf has become a sport for everyone, in which children are taking an important role.
The age to start playing golf has been greatly reduced in recent years and nowadays many parents want to introduce their children to the sport, so they enrol them in golf courses and camps at an early age.
The most frequently asked question about children’s golf is what is the best age to start playing the sport. The best way to solve it is to know what objectives the child wants to achieve and whether he or she is looking to play golf as a hobby or as the start of a sporting career.
If neither the child nor the parent is interested in the world of competition, the starting age is not irrelevant, as the only aim of playing golf will be to enjoy and have fun.
Things change if the child wants to dedicate himself to golf in a more professional way and wants to reach the top of the national and international circuits. In this case, the best option is to start playing golf at a very young age.
The level of amateur golf is becoming more and more competitive and at a higher level, so the children who start hitting the ball earlier often have a significant advantage over the rest. Their strength, flexibility, coordination and stability start to be worked on very early and they get the best out of it.
The 8 year myth
In the past, it was believed that it was not appropriate to start playing golf until the age of 8, as the weight of the clubs could create muscular and growth problems.
Nowadays there are many sets of clubs adapted to younger athletes and specifically designed to prevent any injury.
Its composition and lightweight structure, adaptable to all heights, allows children of all sizes to handle their club perfectly when hitting.
Fun and caution from the age of 3
At 3 and 4 years of age, children can take up the sport, but it is important to bear in mind that they should use plastic clubs and treat “practice” as a fun game in the open air. Touching the ball from such an early age allows the child to become familiar with golf and to get to know the mechanics of the game.
As a general rule, experts advise starting to play golf more regularly at the age of 5 or 6, provided that they train with special clubs for children. At this age, children already have good muscle development and good motor coordination, and their attention span and concentration allow them to absorb all the necessary information to improve their shots quickly and constantly.
The one characteristic that must be true of all children, whatever their age, is that they are attracted to the sport and enjoy playing it. As the great American golfer Harvey Penick said, “the best age to introduce a child to golf is when he or she becomes interested in the sport”.
To learn a little more about golf at an early age, we leave you an article about exercises and golf equipment for children that we published in our blog.
