Choose the best junior golf drills and let them move forward at a speed that suits them. It would be much better for them to play a round where they try to count to three without losing the balance, no matter how much they swing. Here are the best golf drills for kids to help them perfect their play and hit more greens on the course.
1. Chipping Drills
Chipping is needed on almost every hole of a golf course, so learning it can lower the score. These golf chipping exercises are a key part of teaching golf to kids so they can play better.
-
Set a hula hoop around a target or hole. Put one golf ball 5 feet from the hula hoop. Then, place another ball 5 feet from that and keep putting balls 5 feet apart until you have set 8 balls. Start at the closest ball and chip it into the hoop. Move to the next ball. If kids miss a shot, put all the balls back and begin again.
-
Set markers every 10 feet on the ground over a 100 feet distance. Work on chipping to each distance. Start by aiming to get the ball 10 feet then 20 feet then 30 feet and so on.
-
Set a wire basket on the ground near your child and ask them to chip the ball into it. Move the basket back 5 feet and tell them to try again. Keep moving the basket farther each time they succeed.
-
Take some time with practice chips and try to form a lowercase "Y" with the arms and the club. Keeping about 60 to 70% of the weight on the front foot when swinging makes a good balance. Beginners should focus on keeping the Y shape and make sure that the upper body should do the work, not the arms and wrists.
2. Putting
There is a degree of precision and control involved in putting, and the putting itself requires some time to get used to it properly. Add these putting drills into your kids’ golf lessons to get them started.
Speed and Line Drill
Locate a flat area of the putting green, drop a ball onto the green, and put two tees on either side of the ball slightly larger than the ball. Advance an additional tee and a putter grip behind the two tees. In order to complete the setup, measure the length of the putter and put another tee at the beginning of the drill. Now, with two golf balls, the starting point is the putter length tee and the goal is to putt two balls one after the other, by way of the tee, and to stop the ball before the grip length tee at the rear.
When the junior has reached this state move the putter length tee to two putter lengths further and redo the drill. Don’t forget to fix a time of 15 minutes and check how many putter lengths the kid finishes from the target.
Speed Control Drill
Most juniors starting out have not developed speed control so the earlier you can get them to understand that speed matters first and the line of the putt comes second, the better it is. Position two tee's on the green 3 feet apart and two more tee's 3 feet behind them. Take 2 clubs and place the grips on the front tee’s and the club heads on the back tee’s. This creates a target in suspension and it can be completed by introducing a sticking stick at the tail end. Take 10 balls and starting from 3 feet out, place a ball at 3 feet intervals (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30).
The goal of such golf target games for children is to putt as many of the ten balls into the 3 feet square target. Note the best result so that it can always serve as a standard to beat when performing the drill the next time. Choose a flat section of the putting green and work up to breaking putts after the junior on a consistent shoot over 70% is repeatedly successful with the flat putts.
3. Bunker
This trench drill teaches junior golfers of all ages how to make good contact on a basic bunker shot. It's straightforward but works really well. Put a ball in the bunker and create a trench behind it with the club head. Take out the ball and let the player stand with the trench opposite their stance's center. Ask them to hit the target side of the trench and send the sand out of the bunker. The sand to the right of the trench should stay untouched during this drill. When the player can move the sand on the target side of the trench for 7 out of 10 tries, place a ball just left of the trench. Now using the same swing, hit the target side of the trench to make the sand land outside the bunker. This will cause the ball to fly out and land on the course. Learn in detail how to hit a bunker shot.
4. Pitching
For this drill position, an alignment is to stick 6 feet onto the green. Measure and place markers at 10,15, 20 and 25 yards to hit 5 shots from each distance for a total of 20 shots and assess how many of the kids’ shots hit the green in the zone.
This drill helps to improve distance control which is important as most juniors at this level do not reach greens in regulation and the ability to develop a strong scrambling game will be good for juniors learning golf.
What are Simple Golf Drills for Young Beginners to Improve their Game?
Golf drills are one of the fastest ways to improve the golf game. These drill exercises also build a good base for putting and chipping. They're enjoyable, quick to set up, and show the progress of the junior’s game right away. Even the pros on the PGA Tour incorporate and practice these drills into their routines to maintain their form. Young golfers can also become skilled putters and improve their game by practicing the following best junior golf drills.
Circle Drill: This drill focuses on short tricky putts. Put balls in a circle around the hole at a set distance and then move around making each putt. This golf drill will boost the confidence of beginners when they're under pressure.
Box Drill: This drill aims to improve the chipping skills of juniors. For this, chip balls into a specific box from different distances. It helps to develop touch and feel near the course, which can turn possible bogeys into pars or even birdies.
Half-Speed Swing Golf Drill: It requires using a driver and choosing a target swinging for each swing kids make. Stand up, and hit the ball with 50% power, all the way to ball impact. An advantage of this drill is that if they slow down, they can easily identify aspects of the swing that should have been made better. Beginners will also get a feel for their balance and what they can do to improve on that.
Ladder Drill: It is essential for mastering distance control with irons. This drill requires hitting balls to different distances using the same club, emphasizing the importance of managing the swing length and speed. It's an excellent method to let beginners understand their clubs deeply and refine their precision skills.
Ball Striking Golf Drill: Stick golf impact tape on the clubface. Once they begin striking the golf shots, the impact tape will indicate the clubface location where the club and ball impact occurs. Let them aim for the sweet spot (or the middle) of the club face. Taking several shots and practicing will definitely improve their overall game.
Also Check: A Guide To Correct Golf Stance.
Conclusion
Beginner golf drills are essential for all new players. To keep golf fun, simply DO NOT give junior golfers instructions. Just let them take a full swing as hard as they want occasionally within full swing practice. As for how your junior grips the golf club, just ensure their right hand is lower than the left hand for a right-handed golfer. Try out these best golf drills for kids and observe their progress throughout the journey of golfing achievements.