Slow Start - advice needed

Golf season has just begun for us in the north east. My son has has struggled mightily.

As background, he had really improved a lot last year and the hope was that with all the work during the winter he would take the next jump from scoring high 70s/80s to the mid low 70s.. did not expect him to shoot high 80s/90s!

Nothing is working for him right now and I think the frustration is making him play worse.

I do believe he has had a growth spurt which is impacting his swing- some irons are fat, some are thin, there are days he can hit one length well and the next he hits the other length better..

Short game was quite okay to start but that has gone down as well.

What has made it tougher is that he is playing quite well on the range but has not been able to transfer that on the course.

I do realize that the season for us is less than two weeks old and it still in 30s-40s outside. He has not had good practices and unfortunately all his rounds have been tournaments.

Have any of you had similar experiences? How do you handle a change in mechanics due to growth spurts etc.

I am pretty sure he will bounce back and he needs a couple of good days and practice to get his mojo back but do I stay in tournaments or just forget those till he starts playing well on weekend rounds?

His emotions have run the gamut from.. tears, anger, frustration, self doubt and back to anger!

He's 10 or 11? This world where kids that young are playing nothing but tournament rounds 2 weeks into a season that started in late March in the Northeast puzzles me.

Figure out the physical issue with the growth spurt, if there is something going on there would be good to know, put the clubs up until the weather/courses/conditions are more favorable and work on reasonable expectations for someone that young?

No clue really.

1. How old is he? How tall is he? What is his driver swing speed? What clubs (and lengths) is he playing?

2. Have you had his lie angles checked on his irons?

Strange that he is not struggling much on the range. Is the range grass hitting area or mats?

Has he had his eyes checked? Every time my son went through growth spurts he needed new RX for his glasses. I'd do your best to set him up for success, but at the end of the day, he's got to find it on his own.

Golf season has just begun for us in the north east. My son has has struggled mightily.

 

As background, he had really improved a lot last year and the hope was that with all the work during the winter he would take the next jump from scoring high 70s/80s to the mid low 70s.. did not expect him to shoot high 80s/90s!

 

Nothing is working for him right now and I think the frustration is making him play worse.

 

I do believe he has had a growth spurt which is impacting his swing- some irons are fat, some are thin, there are days he can hit one length well and the next he hits the other length better..

 

Short game was quite okay to start but that has gone down as well.

 

What has made it tougher is that he is playing quite well on the range but has not been able to transfer that on the course.

 

I do realize that the season for us is less than two weeks old and it still in 30s-40s outside. He has not had good practices and unfortunately all his rounds have been tournaments.

 

Have any of you had similar experiences? How do you handle a change in mechanics due to growth spurts etc.

 

I am pretty sure he will bounce back and he needs a couple of good days and practice to get his mojo back but do I stay in tournaments or just forget those till he starts playing well on weekend rounds?

 

His emotions have run the gamut from.. tears, anger, frustration, self doubt and back to anger!

kcap,

I think I know what you are going through, as my son experienced something similar last spring. I think it is too early to hit the panic button - I remember feeling that my son’s game was way off even in mid-May, but by early June he had adjusted to growth, new clubs, etc and was back to playing his best..

I know it must be frustrating, as it sounds like he had been practicing over the winter (presumably indoors?). I do think there is an adjustment from hitting off of mats back to actual turf, and the cold (spring has gotten off to a very bad start) does tend to affect individuals differently, from mechanics to mindset (not to mention greatly reduced distance).

Lastly, make sure you yourself don’t show discouragement/anger/bewilderment: stay positive, as kids can sense our emotions and it can exacerbate any frustration they already have. The best thing you can do as a parent is be supportive and encouraging, reassuring him that it is too early in the season for bad play and tournament performance to be indicative of anything more serious/concerning.

Go through this at least twice a year. Usually it works it self out within a few days up to a month. Actually, going through it a bit right now. Out of no where mine is slicing the ball and HAS NEVER sliced the ball in his junior career. Just something I have to deal with. I would say that this being the beginning of the season there isn't too much to worry about for you. It is frustrating and I have been there, but it will eventually work itself out for the better.

Thanks for a lot for your posts. We are definitely not in panic mode and he is just looking to grind it out. It is good to hear that a few have gone through this experience, it is our first time and I assume that is why it is the hardest.

He has been hitting only from mats (winter and still), the plan was to practice for a couple of weeks before we start tournaments but the weather has been really bad. He is 10, swings in the 80s (driver), he has had a growth spurt and i think that is the biggest issue. I can list out several reasons for the high score which is why we are calm. If we keep scoring like this in June then I will definitely be in panic mode!

The biggest questions is whether we stop playing tournaments till we get some good repetitions and practice.. or just play, knowing that he will likely put up high numbers and place low. He still wants to compete and I will give him credit, he is putting in a lot of effort over the last few days..

Thanks again and will let you all know how it goes..

Thanks for a lot for your posts. We are definitely not in panic mode and he is just looking to grind it out. It is good to hear that a few have gone through this experience, it is our first time and I assume that is why it is the hardest.

 

He has been hitting only from mats (winter and still), the plan was to practice for a couple of weeks before we start tournaments but the weather has been really bad. He is 10, swings in the 80s (driver), he has had a growth spurt and i think that is the biggest issue. I can list out several reasons for the high score which is why we are calm. If we keep scoring like this in June then I will definitely be in panic mode!

 

The biggest questions is whether we stop playing tournaments till we get some good repetitions and practice.. or just play, knowing that he will likely put up high numbers and place low. He still wants to compete and I will give him credit, he is putting in a lot of effort over the last few days..

 

Thanks again and will let you all know how it goes..

It is really HARD, but I think sometimes a week or two off Cold turkey take the mind off of it and make you forget the deamons. Then hit it hard with a fresh body and mind. This works for me as an adult and I’ve done similar with my son when his swing and scores start to tell me he has had enough.

Thanks for a lot for your posts. We are definitely not in panic mode and he is just looking to grind it out. It is good to hear that a few have gone through this experience, it is our first time and I assume that is why it is the hardest.

 

He has been hitting only from mats (winter and still), the plan was to practice for a couple of weeks before we start tournaments but the weather has been really bad. He is 10, swings in the 80s (driver), he has had a growth spurt and i think that is the biggest issue. I can list out several reasons for the high score which is why we are calm. If we keep scoring like this in June then I will definitely be in panic mode!

 

The biggest questions is whether we stop playing tournaments till we get some good repetitions and practice.. or just play, knowing that he will likely put up high numbers and place low. He still wants to compete and I will give him credit, he is putting in a lot of effort over the last few days..

 

Thanks again and will let you all know how it goes..

He is 10. Tournaments at that age don't mean anything. I am going to assume he is a 2025 or 2026 and we are talking about 1 day tournaments. Think of 1 Day Tournaments as being practice rounds because they don't mean anything. If he is playing 2 Day JGS ranked events it is a different story. I am assuming these tournaments are not 36 hole JGS ranked.

I hear you.. they mean nothing for his ranking and the placing does not say anything about his future in golf.

While it would be easy to call them practice rounds, they do take away from family time and have other sacrifices..

We are still going to play them and hopefully he just blasts his way out of the slump.

My kid is just turning 11, and the way we have looked at events the past few years is strictly for development. I know it doesn't mean anything until he gets into two day events and HS golf, so we look at it more at what he is going to get out of it vs. what we have to put in. If we can get the same amount of practice and competition playing on our own courses, or the travel or cost is a headache, we skip it. Muni camps, US Kids, etc. can sometimes get just too costly and take too much time. My kid developed much faster playing on his own, or in Jr PGA with older kids to help him out than any other events. If he is in a slump, take out the pressure of the single events, get him in a team event he can have more fun with or just go play a lot more golf together. Sometimes kids need to just cut loose and not worry about a scorecard.

My kid is just turning 11, and the way we have looked at events the past few years is strictly for development. I know it doesn't mean anything until he gets into two day events and HS golf, so we look at it more at what he is going to get out of it vs. what we have to put in. If we can get the same amount of practice and competition playing on our own courses, or the travel or cost is a headache, we skip it. Muni camps, US Kids, etc. can sometimes get just too costly and take too much time. My kid developed much faster playing on his own, or in Jr PGA with older kids to help him out than any other events. If he is in a slump, take out the pressure of the single events, get him in a team event he can have more fun with or just go play a lot more golf together. Sometimes kids need to just cut loose and not worry about a scorecard.

We have stuff on the calendar (tournaments) for the next couple of weeks; during that time he should get ample practice outside (spring is finally here) and figure out the clubs.. if he is still struggling after that then we are going cold turkey and or just chilling out with golf..

why not get a lesson or two for him. Let a PGA fit him and or look at his swing. I've seen my daughter go through ups and downs and see a coach and she looks like a different kid after an hour. But growth spurts will mess with the swing lot.

He is getting to the age where you should just let him work it out with his coach. If he doesn't have an instructor/coach, that is probably step 1. Then your role is supporter/cheerleader...maybe occassionally reminding him of things that he is working on with his coach. That's just my 2 cents from a dad who now has a high school golfer.

He is getting to the age where you should just let him work it out with his coach. If he doesn't have an instructor/coach, that is probably step 1. Then your role is supporter/cheerleader...maybe occassionally reminding him of things that he is working on with his coach. That's just my 2 cents from a dad who now has a high school golfer.

He does have a coach and have worked with him for while including the winter. I don't coach but only remind him what his coach has asked him to work on. I think his frustration is also driven by the inability to translate a good practice (the few that we have had) into a good tournament round.

kcap...my son (11 yo) picked up the clubs 2 months ago after a 5 month layoff. He played football and basketball and golf was put on the back burner. He was playing his best golf when he stopped. In the last 2 months, he has gotten the ball striking back and is in fact hitting it better than he did before...but the short game is an absolute mess. He is not even close to where he was. He 4 putted from 20' the other day....FOUR PUTTS!!!!!

It is just part of getting back to it. He has played in 2 tournaments and it was like starting all over again when it comes to course management and mental focus. My son has been playing competitively since he was 5 so you wouldn't think this would happen but it does. When the pros take time off, they talk about getting back into the heat again and feeling the pressure.

The silver lining could be that he works even harder and in the next few months makes big gains. It seems for my son, his improvement comes in leaps and not baby steps. He will work hard and his scores will stay stagnant for awhile...then boom...his scores drop all at once. It is not a linear progression for him.

Good luck and keep him swinging!!

It has been a couple of weeks... how's it going?

I think too often we as parents look at developing talent and think of it as some sort of linear progression. it is, but during the process there are a lot of what seems to be setbacks. That's life. Everything doesn't go according to plans on whatever you do. I recognized early that growth spurts make for tremendous variables. What did I do. I bought the next highest flexes and stronger clubs and had them ready before I detected the growth spurt happening and shots went awry. I got my own Scotland bender. I always went under the assumption that he didn't all of a sudden get stupid. I always looked at it as they takes 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. Give it time. Bad golf is part of the process to understanding and becoming a better golfer. Jordan Speith didn't become what you see because he never had a bogey in his life...

Golf season has just begun for us in the north east. My son has has struggled mightily.

 

As background, he had really improved a lot last year and the hope was that with all the work during the winter he would take the next jump from scoring high 70s/80s to the mid low 70s.. did not expect him to shoot high 80s/90s!

 

Nothing is working for him right now and I think the frustration is making him play worse.

 

I do believe he has had a growth spurt which is impacting his swing- some irons are fat, some are thin, there are days he can hit one length well and the next he hits the other length better..

 

Short game was quite okay to start but that has gone down as well.

 

What has made it tougher is that he is playing quite well on the range but has not been able to transfer that on the course.

 

I do realize that the season for us is less than two weeks old and it still in 30s-40s outside. He has not had good practices and unfortunately all his rounds have been tournaments.

 

Have any of you had similar experiences? How do you handle a change in mechanics due to growth spurts etc.

 

I am pretty sure he will bounce back and he needs a couple of good days and practice to get his mojo back but do I stay in tournaments or just forget those till he starts playing well on weekend rounds?

 

His emotions have run the gamut from.. tears, anger, frustration, self doubt and back to anger!

There are a lot of comments on encouragement etc... But I figure that's a given, so here are some concrete things to consider.

So as far as growth spurts and struggles related to new techniques goes, ther'es not much you can do other than let him work it out and maybe adjust lie angles. But you can help with structure and his mental approach to the game and course. The fact that he's striking the ball well on the range is a good thing, and besides the obvious range advice which is have him imagine the first few holes and play them on the range pre round there's not much more there to add. The last few swings should replicate needed shots on the first few holes, and they should be aggressive swings.

Where there might be some room for improvement is in how he sees himself and what his expectations are for the round. What is his goal? Is he trying to shoot around par by not making bogeys and doubles? Or is he trying to hit the gas on the easier holes and make birdies? Right out of the gate he needs to be aggressive and that means hitting full meaningful shots on the range so he's ready to rock on the first tee.

If he's traveling google earth the course he's going to play and have him identify holes to hit the gas on, and holes to hit the brakes on. There are no par holes when I play. For example par 4's are either par 3.5's or 4.5's. Before he get's to the tee he should have a plan in his head.

The next thing is have him test himself with shortgame shots and putting. Create an actual test for points involving pitching, chipping, putting, bunker shots, and some wedge shots up to 50-60 yards, <3ft, <6ft, <9ft etc.. with a point scoring system. I know you say his short game was good but that can be skewed and subjective. Put him through an actual test and you'll start to see really where he's struggling. It can be a humbling experience but it will pull back the curtain and expose you're weaknesses. It also gives you an actual measuring stick for improvement.

I know personally as I worked on and improved my short game technique my full swing improved. If he can become average 60-110 yards he will score well.

Then obviously putting.

There's nothing more demoralizing for an opponent than watching a guy spray it all over the yard while he plays well only to still lose holes. That's how I looked at it when I didn't have my best stuff during a match. Like in basketball, if you're shot is off you have to find a way to set up you're teammates, get more assists, sometimes you have to win ugly. It's equally tough to play against a guy who's not missing a shot and the guy who misses every shot but still saves good scores.

 

The next thing is have him test himself with shortgame shots and putting. Create an actual test for points involving pitching, chipping, putting, bunker shots, and some wedge shots up to 50-60 yards, <3ft, <6ft, <9ft etc.. with a point scoring system. I know you say his short game was good but that can be skewed and subjective. Put him through an actual test and you'll start to see really where he's struggling. It can be a humbling experience but it will pull back the curtain and expose you're weaknesses. It also gives you an actual measuring stick for improvement.

 

Dave Pelz Short Game Handicap

The next thing is have him test himself with shortgame shots and putting. Create an actual test for points involving pitching, chipping, putting, bunker shots, and some wedge shots up to 50-60 yards, <3ft, <6ft, <9ft etc.. with a point scoring system. I know you say his short game was good but that can be skewed and subjective. Put him through an actual test and you'll start to see really where he's struggling. It can be a humbling experience but it will pull back the curtain and expose you're weaknesses. It also gives you an actual measuring stick for improvement.

 

 

Dave Pelz Short Game Handicap

This is awesome. Wish I could find the pdf instructions for the green reading.

Thanks for all the posts; I love the Pelz short game handicap and Hubijerk advice.

For an update; He has played 3 tournament rounds since the initial post, scores are still mid 80s. That said, he has been striking the ball really well but not been able to put together a complete round. A couple of weeks ago, he hit 14 GIRs but had a total of 42 putts including 4 missed ones from 3-4 ft that were big breakers. (we worked a fair bit on putting that week). The last two weekends he has been playing really well (3-5 over) after 12-15 holes but then had a big blow up; I am talking a 9 on a par 4 - if we eliminate those blow ups and finish strong; all is well.

Golf has become fun again (first couple of week were not fun). He is not scoring what I had hoped (i know he is right there and it is just a question of time) but its been heartening to watch him practice with intensity and really work to get over the hump.

As a side note; we are finally taking the plunge on a OEM driver, he had a VT Max which he preferred that to the M2/F6-7 ; he tried out the Rogue Sub Zero at our club this weekend and he loved it. Was carrying it 10 yards with a lower, better trajectory - which means at least 20 yard more in total distance (i hope).

Thanks for all the posts; I love the Pelz short game handicap and Hubijerk advice.

 

For an update; He has played 3 tournament rounds since the initial post, scores are still mid 80s. That said, he has been striking the ball really well but not been able to put together a complete round. A couple of weeks ago, he hit 14 GIRs but had a total of 42 putts including 4 missed ones from 3-4 ft that were big breakers. (we worked a fair bit on putting that week). The last two weekends he has been playing really well (3-5 over) after 12-15 holes but then had a big blow up; I am talking a 9 on a par 4 - if we eliminate those blow ups and finish strong; all is well.

 

 

Golf has become fun again (first couple of week were not fun). He is not scoring what I had hoped (i know he is right there and it is just a question of time) but its been heartening to watch him practice with intensity and really work to get over the hump.

 

 

As a side note; we are finally taking the plunge on a OEM driver, he had a VT Max which he preferred that to the M2/F6-7 ; he tried out the Rogue Sub Zero at our club this weekend and he loved it. Was carrying it 10 yards with a lower, better trajectory - which means at least 20 yard more in total distance (i hope).

If he isn’t finishing the round it could he due to poor diet. Could be that he is not eating enough on the course and/or what he is eating is not good brain friendly food. My son had the same problem at one point. At the advice of his coach he dropped all sugars except that which is consumed naturally. No Gatorade or sports drinks, no sodas, and even eliminated orange juice. Breakfast 2 eggs and banana or apple. At course bananas, apples, chicken breast, brain healthy nuts, and water. Once the diet was right it eliminated problems with finishing the round. Bottle of water every 2-3 holes and handful of nuts every hole.

Thanks for all the posts; I love the Pelz short game handicap and Hubijerk advice.

 

For an update; He has played 3 tournament rounds since the initial post, scores are still mid 80s. That said, he has been striking the ball really well but not been able to put together a complete round. A couple of weeks ago, he hit 14 GIRs but had a total of 42 putts including 4 missed ones from 3-4 ft that were big breakers. (we worked a fair bit on putting that week). The last two weekends he has been playing really well (3-5 over) after 12-15 holes but then had a big blow up; I am talking a 9 on a par 4 - if we eliminate those blow ups and finish strong; all is well.

 

 

Golf has become fun again (first couple of week were not fun). He is not scoring what I had hoped (i know he is right there and it is just a question of time) but its been heartening to watch him practice with intensity and really work to get over the hump.

 

 

As a side note; we are finally taking the plunge on a OEM driver, he had a VT Max which he preferred that to the M2/F6-7 ; he tried out the Rogue Sub Zero at our club this weekend and he loved it. Was carrying it 10 yards with a lower, better trajectory - which means at least 20 yard more in total distance (i hope).

 

If he isn’t finishing the round it could he due to poor diet. Could be that he is not eating enough on the course and/or what he is eating is not good brain friendly food. My son had the same problem at one point. At the advice of his coach he dropped all sugars except that which is consumed naturally. No Gatorade or sports drinks, no sodas, and even eliminated orange juice. Breakfast 2 eggs and banana or apple. At course bananas, apples, chicken breast, brain healthy nuts, and water. Once the diet was right it eliminated problems with finishing the round. Bottle of water every 2-3 holes and handful of nuts every hole.

The student athlete child between the ages of 9 and 13 should consume between 2,000 and 2,600 calories, and if they are between 14 and 18 they should consume between 2,800 and 3,200 calories. It is also important that the types of calories the athlete consumes are balanced between carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. A normal range for each of those age groups for kids that are NOT student athletes is 400 - 600 fewer calories per day.

I would love to track this somehow with my kids but have no idea where to start... someone should start a new Junior Nutrition thread here.

Thanks for all the posts; I love the Pelz short game handicap and Hubijerk advice.

 

For an update; He has played 3 tournament rounds since the initial post, scores are still mid 80s. That said, he has been striking the ball really well but not been able to put together a complete round. A couple of weeks ago, he hit 14 GIRs but had a total of 42 putts including 4 missed ones from 3-4 ft that were big breakers. (we worked a fair bit on putting that week). The last two weekends he has been playing really well (3-5 over) after 12-15 holes but then had a big blow up; I am talking a 9 on a par 4 - if we eliminate those blow ups and finish strong; all is well.

 

 

Golf has become fun again (first couple of week were not fun). He is not scoring what I had hoped (i know he is right there and it is just a question of time) but its been heartening to watch him practice with intensity and really work to get over the hump.

 

 

As a side note; we are finally taking the plunge on a OEM driver, he had a VT Max which he preferred that to the M2/F6-7 ; he tried out the Rogue Sub Zero at our club this weekend and he loved it. Was carrying it 10 yards with a lower, better trajectory - which means at least 20 yard more in total distance (i hope).

 

If he isn’t finishing the round it could he due to poor diet. Could be that he is not eating enough on the course and/or what he is eating is not good brain friendly food. My son had the same problem at one point. At the advice of his coach he dropped all sugars except that which is consumed naturally. No Gatorade or sports drinks, no sodas, and even eliminated orange juice. Breakfast 2 eggs and banana or apple. At course bananas, apples, chicken breast, brain healthy nuts, and water. Once the diet was right it eliminated problems with finishing the round. Bottle of water every 2-3 holes and handful of nuts every hole.

HH - I hope it is not the diet because I read an earlier post by you and have ensured that he eats and hydrates through the course of the round. - so thanks for that!

Does he have the same concerns as you? There's a lot of "we" and "us" in your posts. I would just make sure that he is working on his game because he wants to improve, not because you want him to improve.

Does he have the same concerns as you? There's a lot of "we" and "us" in your posts. I would just make sure that he is working on his game because he wants to improve, not because you want him to improve.

What is it any concern of yours of "we" and "us" that he used? Golf is the one sport that it takes parent involvement, so there are a lot of we's and us's. Just the way it is. The other issue I have is that type of parenting. I have told my kids that if they are going to do something they need to put in 100% effort. I don't care if they want to be a garbage man. If they are going to be a garbage man they are going to be the best garbage man in the world. They will have a regimented schedule of when and how to be a garbage man and work on it a couple hours a day at least 5 days of the week. My kids will also be academically strong to be successful as being a garbage man because they will be the head garbage man. They will be the boss, shift manager, or any other title to be the best at it. They will study their academics through school whether they want to or not. I, my wife, we, us will make him the best garbage man he can be.

Bottom line, what is wrong with society today is the younger generations don't hold their kids accountable for anything. If they are going to do something, they need to put the effort in to do it, whether they want to or not. The KID doesn't have the choice and that is why they are a KID!! There is a difference in living through your kids vicariously and setting your kids up for success. If my kid came to me tomorrow and said he wanted to quit then I am all for it. As long as he wants to play golf, basketball, football, he will put the effort and practice in to be better. WE will do it together because as long as he loves doing it, I love doing it with him.

Thanks for all the posts; I love the Pelz short game handicap and Hubijerk advice.

 

For an update; He has played 3 tournament rounds since the initial post, scores are still mid 80s. That said, he has been striking the ball really well but not been able to put together a complete round. A couple of weeks ago, he hit 14 GIRs but had a total of 42 putts including 4 missed ones from 3-4 ft that were big breakers. (we worked a fair bit on putting that week). The last two weekends he has been playing really well (3-5 over) after 12-15 holes but then had a big blow up; I am talking a 9 on a par 4 - if we eliminate those blow ups and finish strong; all is well.

 

 

Golf has become fun again (first couple of week were not fun). He is not scoring what I had hoped (i know he is right there and it is just a question of time) but its been heartening to watch him practice with intensity and really work to get over the hump.

 

 

As a side note; we are finally taking the plunge on a OEM driver, he had a VT Max which he preferred that to the M2/F6-7 ; he tried out the Rogue Sub Zero at our club this weekend and he loved it. Was carrying it 10 yards with a lower, better trajectory - which means at least 20 yard more in total distance (i hope).

 

If he isn’t finishing the round it could he due to poor diet. Could be that he is not eating enough on the course and/or what he is eating is not good brain friendly food. My son had the same problem at one point. At the advice of his coach he dropped all sugars except that which is consumed naturally. No Gatorade or sports drinks, no sodas, and even eliminated orange juice. Breakfast 2 eggs and banana or apple. At course bananas, apples, chicken breast, brain healthy nuts, and water. Once the diet was right it eliminated problems with finishing the round. Bottle of water every 2-3 holes and handful of nuts every hole.

 

HH - I hope it is not the diet because I read an earlier post by you and have ensured that he eats and hydrates through the course of the round. - so thanks for that!

Dang.... I didn't know people actually read my posts. I though most on here had me blocked.

Does he have the same concerns as you? There's a lot of "we" and "us" in your posts. I would just make sure that he is working on his game because he wants to improve, not because you want him to improve.

 

What is it any concern of yours of "we" and "us" that he used? Golf is the one sport that it takes parent involvement, so there are a lot of we's and us's. Just the way it is. The other issue I have is that type of parenting. I have told my kids that if they are going to do something they need to put in 100% effort. I don't care if they want to be a garbage man. If they are going to be a garbage man they are going to be the best garbage man in the world. They will have a regimented schedule of when and how to be a garbage man and work on it a couple hours a day at least 5 days of the week. My kids will also be academically strong to be successful as being a garbage man because they will be the head garbage man. They will be the boss, shift manager, or any other title to be the best at it. They will study their academics through school whether they want to or not. I, my wife, we, us will make him the best garbage man he can be.

 

Bottom line, what is wrong with society today is the younger generations don't hold their kids accountable for anything. If they are going to do something, they need to put the effort in to do it, whether they want to or not. The KID doesn't have the choice and that is why they are a KID!! There is a difference in living through your kids vicariously and setting your kids up for success. If my kid came to me tomorrow and said he wanted to quit then I am all for it. As long as he wants to play golf, basketball, football, he will put the effort and practice in to be better. WE will do it together because as long as he loves doing it, I love doing it with him.

 

Thanks for all the posts; I love the Pelz short game handicap and Hubijerk advice.

 

For an update; He has played 3 tournament rounds since the initial post, scores are still mid 80s. That said, he has been striking the ball really well but not been able to put together a complete round. A couple of weeks ago, he hit 14 GIRs but had a total of 42 putts including 4 missed ones from 3-4 ft that were big breakers. (we worked a fair bit on putting that week). The last two weekends he has been playing really well (3-5 over) after 12-15 holes but then had a big blow up; I am talking a 9 on a par 4 - if we eliminate those blow ups and finish strong; all is well.

 

 

Golf has become fun again (first couple of week were not fun). He is not scoring what I had hoped (i know he is right there and it is just a question of time) but its been heartening to watch him practice with intensity and really work to get over the hump.

 

 

As a side note; we are finally taking the plunge on a OEM driver, he had a VT Max which he preferred that to the M2/F6-7 ; he tried out the Rogue Sub Zero at our club this weekend and he loved it. Was carrying it 10 yards with a lower, better trajectory - which means at least 20 yard more in total distance (i hope).

 

If he isn’t finishing the round it could he due to poor diet. Could be that he is not eating enough on the course and/or what he is eating is not good brain friendly food. My son had the same problem at one point. At the advice of his coach he dropped all sugars except that which is consumed naturally. No Gatorade or sports drinks, no sodas, and even eliminated orange juice. Breakfast 2 eggs and banana or apple. At course bananas, apples, chicken breast, brain healthy nuts, and water. Once the diet was right it eliminated problems with finishing the round. Bottle of water every 2-3 holes and handful of nuts every hole.

 

HH - I hope it is not the diet because I read an earlier post by you and have ensured that he eats and hydrates through the course of the round. - so thanks for that!

 

Dang.... I didn't know people actually read my posts. I though most on here had me blocked.

Dude...if you ever see a kid who plays with Wilson Duo, eats nuts and takes a piss every 4 holes - come over and say hi to me ! :)

Dude...if you ever see a kid who plays with Wilson Duo, eats nuts and takes a piss every 4 holes - come over and say hi to me ! :)

Nice.

Mine eats nuts every hole and sometimes pisses every hole. He does not eat nuts while pissing.

Does he have the same concerns as you? There's a lot of "we" and "us" in your posts. I would just make sure that he is working on his game because he wants to improve, not because you want him to improve.

 

What is it any concern of yours of "we" and "us" that he used? Golf is the one sport that it takes parent involvement, so there are a lot of we's and us's. Just the way it is. The other issue I have is that type of parenting. I have told my kids that if they are going to do something they need to put in 100% effort. I don't care if they want to be a garbage man. If they are going to be a garbage man they are going to be the best garbage man in the world. They will have a regimented schedule of when and how to be a garbage man and work on it a couple hours a day at least 5 days of the week. My kids will also be academically strong to be successful as being a garbage man because they will be the head garbage man. They will be the boss, shift manager, or any other title to be the best at it. They will study their academics through school whether they want to or not. I, my wife, we, us will make him the best garbage man he can be.

 

Bottom line, what is wrong with society today is the younger generations don't hold their kids accountable for anything. If they are going to do something, they need to put the effort in to do it, whether they want to or not. The KID doesn't have the choice and that is why they are a KID!! There is a difference in living through your kids vicariously and setting your kids up for success. If my kid came to me tomorrow and said he wanted to quit then I am all for it. As long as he wants to play golf, basketball, football, he will put the effort and practice in to be better. WE will do it together because as long as he loves doing it, I love doing it with him.

 

Thanks for all the posts; I love the Pelz short game handicap and Hubijerk advice.

 

For an update; He has played 3 tournament rounds since the initial post, scores are still mid 80s. That said, he has been striking the ball really well but not been able to put together a complete round. A couple of weeks ago, he hit 14 GIRs but had a total of 42 putts including 4 missed ones from 3-4 ft that were big breakers. (we worked a fair bit on putting that week). The last two weekends he has been playing really well (3-5 over) after 12-15 holes but then had a big blow up; I am talking a 9 on a par 4 - if we eliminate those blow ups and finish strong; all is well.

 

 

Golf has become fun again (first couple of week were not fun). He is not scoring what I had hoped (i know he is right there and it is just a question of time) but its been heartening to watch him practice with intensity and really work to get over the hump.

 

 

As a side note; we are finally taking the plunge on a OEM driver, he had a VT Max which he preferred that to the M2/F6-7 ; he tried out the Rogue Sub Zero at our club this weekend and he loved it. Was carrying it 10 yards with a lower, better trajectory - which means at least 20 yard more in total distance (i hope).

 

If he isn’t finishing the round it could he due to poor diet. Could be that he is not eating enough on the course and/or what he is eating is not good brain friendly food. My son had the same problem at one point. At the advice of his coach he dropped all sugars except that which is consumed naturally. No Gatorade or sports drinks, no sodas, and even eliminated orange juice. Breakfast 2 eggs and banana or apple. At course bananas, apples, chicken breast, brain healthy nuts, and water. Once the diet was right it eliminated problems with finishing the round. Bottle of water every 2-3 holes and handful of nuts every hole.

 

HH - I hope it is not the diet because I read an earlier post by you and have ensured that he eats and hydrates through the course of the round. - so thanks for that!

 

Dang.... I didn't know people actually read my posts. I though most on here had me blocked.

I'm not sure if your post is serious or not.

I was pointing out that the kid might be struggling a bit because he doesn't share the same goals as his father.

As for your other points. Good luck with that. Let us know how that goes.