Junior Golf is Test of a Parent’s Sanity😂

[kcap]

Re posting from the other forum.  I inadvertently posted in the equipment section. 

 

Before the naysayers jump on me! I love the process and don’t get overly stressed about it but holy cow.. what happens to these kids!

 

In the past, we have dealt with all the usual stuff -  swing issues, growth spurts etc.

 

The last month has been a first.  My son has lost 3-5mph club head speed - across the board and that translates into a club length for most shots. 
 

The MPH was measured on a Trackman and in the same setting - same clubs etc.  

 

Anyone else experienced this?  My optimist wife thinks he is going into a another growth spurt so his muscles have weakened— I think she is just making it up.

 

I feel bad for him, his really competitive tournament schedule starts in a week or two and to suddenly loose distance is such a drain of confidence.. 

[heavy_hitter]

Question:  Was the Trackman indoors on a mat or outside on grass?  The Cabal was discussing this same topic this morning in text exchange.  Mats can give varying numbers because they will mess with spin, launch, etc. It won't mess with swing speed of course.

 

It is tough but every kid is going through it.  He will just have to be smart enough to adjust.

 

 

Try gaining 10+ mph club head speed since February.  Purchased $400 retail shafts for woods/driver and had to switch them out.  Ended up replacing the entire bag last week.  I feel the pain.

[darter79]

Speed will go up and down as growth happens, finding the bottom of the club again all kinds of things. I know this winter my kid speed was down from last summer but now its faster than it was then. So it will come and go at times. This was the first time I've seen her go backwards too. Just gotta keep working and grinding it will come back up. 

[wildcatden]

We lost club head speed when he outgrew the driver shaft. In particular, the shaft was a bit too soft in the tip. Moving to a shaft that was slightly more tip stiff (went to senior flex as well) got us back on track.   I got lucky and found a shaft that is working well on the first trial. I could possibly spend $100's more and trial out some more shafts to eek out some more distance, but he is 10YO and none of the shaft companies have offered to sponsor us. 😉

 

[kcap]

@darter79 -  good to know someone else is feeling my pain.  And there is hope!

 

@heavy_hitter - Indoor trackman facility that we can rent.  All the speeds were in the same environment, and over a period of days. Statistically it was a pretty good sample size.

 

and i am talking about pure club head speed and not ball speed or spin.

[RmoorePE]

It is definitely a trip.

 

Last evening after dinner my daughter wanted to play a round on our home course. I wasn't up for playing but decided I would just walk with her and chip at some greens etc. She shot a +6, 77 which is not a bad score for her, but she was miserable the entire way. First she forgot her 60 degree wedge (somehow my fault), then the greens were too slow, then the group in front of us was too slow (but they let us go through). Then she missed 2 - 5' birdie putts in a row "I don't even know what I am doing anymore", with tears in her eyes. Then she had a terrible 3 putt par on a par 5 and somehow that was my fault too. 

 

She was happy for a bit when she birdied 14, and 16, but then doubled 17 with a chip that fell short and that was also my fault somehow "We haven't been practicing any short game like we used to!".

 

After the round I sternly told her "I like to play and practice with you, but you need to figure out a way to stay calm. It is nice to be competitive but if you want me to keep taking you to practice you have to make it fun for me too, none of this is life or death. I didn't want to make a scene with you on the golf course, but I almost walked off." When we got home I was out in the garage and she came out talking happily about her round and how she knows she can easily break par, yada, yada, yada. My wife says " It sounds like she had a great time." I just said "nope, she cried the entire round."

 

As a parent we can only do our best, but there is a lot out of our control (growth spurts, hormones, etc). Eyes on the prize, as long as they still love the game everything will work out.

[MikekiM]

Somewhat glad to see I'm not the only one pulling my hair out.

Last three tournament rounds have been 36putts, 32 putts, and 41 putts.  SG -8.3, -6.5, and -10.4 putting.

He's normally been pretty consistent around -2.0 SG putting, but for whatever reason it's gone to crap.

7 3-putts in one round.  In one round in the 12 GIR's, his putts per GIR was 2.3, with an average proximity to the hole of 16' in those 12 greens.  Included 3 putts inside 5', one which he 3 jacked.

We've switched out the putter to try to shake things up.

 

 

 

[ZA206]

I would kill to have my daughter (13) love the game, but she hates it. My super athletic son (11) doesn't really love it either, but humors me when I ask him to play with one of his buddies and that kid's dad.

 

I can't really imagine my moody/hormonal daughter dealing with the ups and downs of golf! More power to you guys!

 

YIKES!!

 

-ZA

[dlc1914]

On 6/2/2021 at 9:57 AM, heavy_hitter said:

Question:  Was the Trackman indoors on a mat or outside on grass?  The Cabal was discussing this same topic this morning in text exchange.  Mats can give varying numbers because they will mess with spin, launch, etc. It won't mess with swing speed of course.

 

It is tough but every kid is going through it.  He will just have to be smart enough to adjust.

 

 

Try gaining 10+ mph club head speed since February.  Purchased $400 retail shafts for woods/driver and had to switch them out.  Ended up replacing the entire bag last week.  I feel the pain.

 sounds like you have some shafts for sale......

 

[Fairway14]

On 6/2/2021 at 6:48 AM, kcap said:

Re posting from the other forum.  I inadvertently posted in the equipment section. 

 

Before the naysayers jump on me! I love the process and don’t get overly stressed about it but holy cow.. what happens to these kids!

 

In the past, we have dealt with all the usual stuff -  swing issues, growth spurts etc.

 

The last month has been a first.  My son has lost 3-5mph club head speed - across the board and that translates into a club length for most shots. 
 

The MPH was measured on a Trackman and in the same setting - same clubs etc.  

 

Anyone else experienced this?  My optimist wife thinks he is going into a another growth spurt so his muscles have weakened— I think she is just making it up.

 

I feel bad for him, his really competitive tournament schedule starts in a week or two and to suddenly loose distance is such a drain of confidence.. 

 

How old is your son ? Regardless, I don't see how a launch monitor benefits anyone except maybe a Tour player who is using one to dial in the swing for a 78 yard carry wedge shot versus an 80 yard carry wedge shot. For learning/practicing full swing technique I believe using a launch monitor is counter productive.

Edited June 8, 2021 by Fairway14

[wildcatden]

30 minutes ago, Fairway14 said:

 

Regardless, I don't see how a launch monitor benefits anyone except maybe a Tour player who is using one to dial in the swing for a 78 yard carry wedge shot versus an 80 yard carry wedge shot. For learning/practicing full swing technique I believe using a launch monitor is counter productive.

 

Disagree.  Mevo+ launch monitor has helped my 10YO with his 40-80 yard wedge game, helped him understand his low-mid-long carry distances for each club, and helped diagnose a driver shaft that was an incorrect fit. Best $2K I have ever spent.

[tiger1873]

22 minutes ago, wildcatden said:

 

Disagree.  Mevo+ launch monitor has helped my 10YO with his 40-80 yard wedge game, helped him understand his low-mid-long carry distances for each club, and helped diagnose a driver shaft that was an incorrect fit. Best $2K I have ever spent.

 

The mevo plus is worth the money if you don't have access to a trackman and looking for very small changes.  On the other hand if you are not very specific on what your working on it could actually do harm. We have one but I think it is more of a luxury then needed.

 

No matter what anyone tells you there is no reason to buy a launch monitor since there are many ways to get access to one.  Go to a trackman simulator golf range near you (trackman has a map). Lots of places have trackman. The place we have locally rents a trackman for $35 an hour.  Thats a pretty good deal for the few times you need one.

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

1 hour ago, Fairway14 said:

 

How old is your son ? Regardless, I don't see how a launch monitor benefits anyone except maybe a Tour player who is using one to dial in the swing for a 78 yard carry wedge shot versus an 80 yard carry wedge shot. For learning/practicing full swing technique I believe using a launch monitor is counter productive.

Disagree as well.

Unless you had a launch monitor or regular access to one its hard to understand the benefits in my opinion. 

[kcap]

22 hours ago, Fairway14 said:

 

How old is your son ? Regardless, I don't see how a launch monitor benefits anyone except maybe a Tour player who is using one to dial in the swing for a 78 yard carry wedge shot versus an 80 yard carry wedge shot. For learning/practicing full swing technique I believe using a launch monitor is counter productive.

 I will add to the disagree column.  1. He does use it to dial in his wedge game. Trackman Combine is a great tool, he loves trying to beat his old score.  2. For full swing especially in the North East you need it to practice 12 months and it does help with when is swing breaks down.

 

 

[Kcct82]

We use ours along with a budget dual camera system. I’m no swing coach, but it’s good to have a launch monitor around so we can see the effect of swing changes. 
 

[phillyspecial]

2 hours ago, kcap said:

 I will add to the disagree column.  1. He does use it to dial in his wedge game. Trackman Combine is a great tool, he loves trying to beat his old score.  2. For full swing especially in the North East you need it to practice 12 months and it does help with when is swing breaks down.

 

 

Agree 100%.  In MN, 5-6 mos a year of jr golf is spent inside.  They cant argue with the numbers on the screen just like a video game.  My 9yr old son went into the winter with a negative path, and his coach challenged him every session to get more +.  Every swing he could see if it was same or better without the need to grind on video which kids have no interest in.  Now we are back on the course and he is hitting push draws.  He also knows his yardages by heart and understands the difference between carry and total - so his course management on his own is now miles better.  With the Driver, he would get super excited every time he hit a new high ballspeed, and so on.  

[kcap]

34 minutes ago, Kcct82 said:

We use ours along with a budget dual camera system. I’m no swing coach, but it’s good to have a launch monitor around so we can see the effect of swing changes. 
 

What cameras are you using?  Have been looking for budget camera for home setup. 

[Medson]

There are only 2 things you can count on in junior golf sub forum. 

• Topic went off the tangent faster than DeChambeau's driver speed. 
• "I know a kid who drives the ball [insert a ridiculous number] yards"

Hehe ... 🙂 Jokes aside, most of competitive junior golfers I know have a launch monitor at home. 

[iteachgolf]

3 hours ago, Medson said:

There are only 2 things you can count on in junior golf sub forum. 

• Topic went off the tangent faster than DeChambeau's driver speed. 
• "I know a kid who drives the ball [insert a ridiculous number] yards"

Hehe ... 🙂 Jokes aside, most of competitive junior golfers I know have a launch monitor at home. 

Extremely small percentage of ones I know own a launch monitor.  But almost all have access to one and use them. 

[tiger1873]

6 hours ago, phillyspecial said:

Agree 100%.  In MN, 5-6 mos a year of jr golf is spent inside.  They cant argue with the numbers on the screen just like a video game.  My 9yr old son went into the winter with a negative path, and his coach challenged him every session to get more +.  Every swing he could see if it was same or better without the need to grind on video which kids have no interest in.  Now we are back on the course and he is hitting push draws.  He also knows his yardages by heart and understands the difference between carry and total - so his course management on his own is now miles better.  With the Driver, he would get super excited every time he hit a new high ballspeed, and so on.  

 

launch monitor are good and the camera setup helps. 

 

But i also don't think you want to overthink things and just teach to a launch monitor.  Lots people think perfect numbers = low scores which is  not true.
 

Also be aware that there not 100% accurate. Yes accurate enough but if something is not setup correctly they will be off.

 

Even trackmans can be off quite a bit because setup is not correct.  You can usually trust a trackman because it easier to setup vs a mevo plus.

[Kcct82]

8 hours ago, kcap said:

What cameras are you using?  Have been looking for budget camera for home setup. 

Kayeton on Amazon. Not great, but you can’t do much better for $100 a pop. Club and ball will be really blurry, but you can at least see body movements. 

[Swingthoughts]

On 6/2/2021 at 9:48 AM, kcap said:

Re posting from the other forum.  I inadvertently posted in the equipment section. 

 

Before the naysayers jump on me! I love the process and don’t get overly stressed about it but holy cow.. what happens to these kids!

 

In the past, we have dealt with all the usual stuff -  swing issues, growth spurts etc.

 

The last month has been a first.  My son has lost 3-5mph club head speed - across the board and that translates into a club length for most shots. 
 

The MPH was measured on a Trackman and in the same setting - same clubs etc.  

 

Anyone else experienced this?  My optimist wife thinks he is going into a another growth spurt so his muscles have weakened— I think she is just making it up.

 

I feel bad for him, his really competitive tournament schedule starts in a week or two and to suddenly loose distance is such a drain of confidence.. 

I am a junior golf dad and this has absolutely happened to us.  At times he has regressed as it relates to swing speed.  My son is undersized for his age.  Quite a good player but already deficient when it comes to length due to being extremely small for his age.  So going backwards with swing speed can cause issues.  It has happened a couple times.  It is my belief that when it has happened it is due to his swing getting out of sync, his sequencing being off, and that leading to a loss in clubhead speed.  Usually he would get stalled and flipped through the ball.  He is a very handsy player and instinctively what FEELS like the way to gain speed is by yanking the handle down and that is the opposite of what he needs to do.  It has been an up and down process.   Not sure if this helps but you are not alone!

[Swingthoughts]

On 6/2/2021 at 1:26 PM, MikekiM said:

Somewhat glad to see I'm not the only one pulling my hair out.

Last three tournament rounds have been 36putts, 32 putts, and 41 putts.  SG -8.3, -6.5, and -10.4 putting.

He's normally been pretty consistent around -2.0 SG putting, but for whatever reason it's gone to crap.

7 3-putts in one round.  In one round in the 12 GIR's, his putts per GIR was 2.3, with an average proximity to the hole of 16' in those 12 greens.  Included 3 putts inside 5', one which he 3 jacked.

We've switched out the putter to try to shake things up.

 

 

 

I need to start keeping stats like this.  I have no idea how to quantify SG.  I will have to look it up. 

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

On 6/9/2021 at 3:02 PM, Kcct82 said:

We use ours along with a budget dual camera system. I’m no swing coach, but it’s good to have a launch monitor around so we can see the effect of swing changes. 
 

Upgrade the boys mat though.  Jeez Dad 😉

[BeerPerHole]

Yeah. It can be a soap opera. My son hits the ball a mile and has zero mental ability to understand worth ethic or practice. He goes out and puts on a long-drive show and shoots upper 80s and comes in near the back of the pack - usually he'll go O.B. twice off of one of the tees. I don't even go to his matches anymore. He turned 16 yesterday. Never practices. Ever. 

 

Good luck with your boy and his clubhead speed. It's probably just a phase and it'll come back.

[RmoorePE]

17 hours ago, BeerPerHole said:

Yeah. It can be a soap opera. My son hits the ball a mile and has zero mental ability to understand worth ethic or practice. He goes out and puts on a long-drive show and shoots upper 80s and comes in near the back of the pack - usually he'll go O.B. twice off of one of the tees. I don't even go to his matches anymore. He turned 16 yesterday. Never practices. Ever. 

 

Good luck with your boy and his clubhead speed. It's probably just a phase and it'll come back.

 

Haha love the honesty here. 

[kekoa]

On 6/2/2021 at 10:26 AM, MikekiM said:

Somewhat glad to see I'm not the only one pulling my hair out.

Last three tournament rounds have been 36putts, 32 putts, and 41 putts.  SG -8.3, -6.5, and -10.4 putting.

He's normally been pretty consistent around -2.0 SG putting, but for whatever reason it's gone to crap.

7 3-putts in one round.  In one round in the 12 GIR's, his putts per GIR was 2.3, with an average proximity to the hole of 16' in those 12 greens.  Included 3 putts inside 5', one which he 3 jacked.

We've switched out the putter to try to shake things up.

 

 

 

LOL.  Wish I had the patience and 

 

On 6/10/2021 at 2:07 PM, Swingthoughts said:

I need to start keeping stats like this.  I have no idea how to quantify SG.  I will have to look it up. 

 @MikekiM is very good at keeping these stats.  I see him taking notes during a round.  I wish I had the patience to do this but for me it would just piss me off more than anything lol

[Kcct82]

On 6/14/2021 at 7:24 AM, TripleBogeysrbetter said:

Upgrade the boys mat though.  Jeez Dad 😉

It’s a fiberbuilt, what’s wrong with it? 

[RobS]

Kids, like adults are going to have some peaks and valleys at times with physical performance.  I have a junior golfer in my house.  While kids have a lot of energy, it's important to keep an eye on rest, recovery and diet.  When kids are still growing and have a lot of physical activity, they need a lot of sleep.  Don't discount that.  My son experiences some physical drop offs from time to time and it's usually remedied by some rest and revisiting the basics with his swing. These temporary setbacks are a good way for junior to build mental strength and learn to problem solve.  Things go wrong quite often in golf and it's important to stay positive.  One of the things that separates good and great golfers is the ability to get it around the course when you're not hitting it your best.

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

On 6/16/2021 at 6:32 PM, Kcct82 said:

It’s a fiberbuilt, what’s wrong with it? 

Come on Dad.  Its the costo version. 😉  Get the boy a real Fiberbuilt mat.

 

All honestly he will probably get to big for it soon.  You can buy some strips of the 1x1s.  Then purchase a CCE and just cut a 1x2 slot into the CCE mat. 

 

Something like attached.