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Choosing the right equipment for your son or daughter can be expensive, but doesn't have to be especially when given a few helpful hints...
So your son or daughter has had a few golf lessons, perhaps as part of a scheme taking golf into schools. Fantastic, you think. It's a great game, it teaches youngsters all about good conduct and fair play, and gives them fresh air and exercise in abundance, away from their computer games. And then you need to think about their equipment.
However, before you go out and blow your bucks on a junior set, it is best to make sure your child is genuinely keen, and you're not going to be flogging a couple of hundred pounds' worth of kit with range golf ball washer within three months.
First things first - try SNAG
WSNAG, which stands for 'Starting New at Golf', is fantastic for children just getting into the game. Available from the Masters Golf Company, SNAG provides a complete learning kit for kids. There are just two clubs - a 42 inch loft 'Launcher', and a 'Roller' which acts as a putter. They may look like toys, but in fact they are individually and correctly swing-weighted, and are designed to get children hitting the ball accurately and putting smoothly. They even include colour coded pentagonal grips to ensure correct hand placement, and are the teaching equipment of choice for many pros. Four sizes are available, and SNAG is appropriate for children from age four to adult.
The soft, large balls which come with the clubs are in fact golf ball weight but low compression, and have a maximum carry of around forty metres - so they emulate the motion of hitting a golf ball, without the potential for damage. The ball is hit off a special 'launch pad' tee mat and barrier netting, which enables SNAG to be played almost anywhere, off any surface, with no danger of broken glass or injury.
Moving On Up
Once your child is really showing some determination to continue with golf, then it is time to consider 'proper' clubs. Once again, the Masters Golf Company are experts in this field, and have several sets for juniors, dependent on their height, ability and experience.
Their new ranges include several features thoughtfully designed to help juniors develop their skills. Junior golfers tend to use a greater variety of clubs within their set as they get taller and their game develops, so the ranges reflect this need for flexibility. The sets with golf ball picker for the youngest players carry a wood, three irons and a putter, going up to a full set with a fairway wood and hybrid for taller juniors. In fact, Masters has deliberately assessed the youngsters' needs in terms of height, rather than age, recognising that a tall four year old might have the same requirement as a shorter six year old. There are further helpful features, too, such as short shot and long shot markers on the grips.
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