Lessons for Kids---When to start your child or grandchild.

Every year I get this question: What age do I get lessons for my child? The short answer is to let your child try hitting balls without instruction at first. When they are ready for instructional help, they will ask. At that time get them lessons.

This is the long answer: There is no specific age to start everyone with lessons. My opinion is that everyone goes thru stages in golf as in life. The best time to get lessons for kids is at the end of stage one (see golf stages below). Your child has tried hitting balls on the range and/or golf course. They have gotten to the point where they want to have a better quality of shot and they ask for help. Now they are ready to receive instruction. If you enroll your child in a golf camp or lessons before they are through stage one they will not be ready to receive instruction (i.e. they won't listen).

The exception to this rule is if the child specifically asks for lessons in advance of picking up a club (this is rare for kids and most adults as well).

Stage 1: GOLF IS A "HIT"(a.k.a. the curiosity stage): The person's interest is in just making contact with the ball without regard to where the ball goes...only that it goes somewhere. For some this experimental phase is enough to last them a long time. At some point the person gets bored and they either quit hitting (we won't call it golf at this point) or they ask for help.

Stage 2: LEARNING THE TOOLS OF THE GAME: At this stage the person is tired of just swinging and wants to have more control and consistency over where the ball goes. Even if they only have a little success with one club in this stage it is enough to help them to start "spreading their wings" and developing rudimentary golf skills that will help eventually carry them to the golf course.

Stage 3: LEARNING TO PLAY GOLF: Making contact with the ball now is not the formost concern for this person. They have enough skills however raw, to make the ball move forward on a regular basis. Now they must learn how to apply their skills toward playing the game of golf. They learn that sometimes an ugly shot gets a great result and a pretty shot does not always end up in the best place. The final part of this stage is having enough golf skills to be able to keep score without having to pick up and move the ball forward at some point to complete a difficult hole.

Stage 4: REFINING THE GOLF SKILLS & PLAYING SKILLS: The golfer begins to hone his or her skills and become more efficient in applying and executing those skills on the course. Score becomes more important as a measure of success in golf and there is a greater level of expectation for the outcome of certain shots.

Stage 5: MASTERING SHOTS & COMPETITIVE SCORING: For the golfers in this stage solid, consistent contact with each shot is a forgone conclusion. Golfers at this stage are approaching par for their 18 hole scores and are looking for maximum efficiency on the course.


For any lesson to have a chance for success, the person (either child or adult) must be readyto receive the instruction. They have to have an attitude of openess toward help and trying something new.