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Tyler is my 6 year-old son...only son. This makes him my only chance at creating a "father-son" playing partner. I have a 4 year-old daughter that makes her another chance at a playing partner, but as I realize that if I was to take her to the golf courses during our vacations, my wife would have something to say about that.
Teaching Tyler golf is not an exercise in trying to create some tour player money making machine. It is to give him exposure to the game, at a level that I hope will allow him to make his own mind up about the game as a sport, competitively or not, but at the least, allow us to enjoy the game "together".
Most of the parents of children I have met and know tell me that to teach a child a complex set of rules, you have to find balance between fun and instruction. Golf is probably the most complex of all games. At the vary minimum of rules, it has such a simple premise...Ball, club and hole. Club in hand strikes the ball into the hole. What could be more gratifying! But as I have discovered, teaching rules to a 6 year old goes in one or more ears, gets scrambled around for a while, and what comes out is something completely different. I have accepted this. And for the first 2 years of his exposure to the game, I vowed to let him do it "his own way". I would show him the simple rules of safety, and concepts of the game, but from the "how" to do it...what we all love to talk about here in this forum, has all taken a backseat.
All that has changed as of yesterday (7/8/2007). This was the first day I attempted to have him do something "my way".
We planned to go to the range and split a small bucket, practice on the putting green, hit some chip shots and then go out to the par 3 for 9 holes. Tyler played on this course about a year ago and loved it. We only made it through 5 holes before he "got hungry and tired". I was pleased he made it that far. No balls got above the ground, except for 1 that actually turned out to be a good shot. So that was the "come back" shot he talks about that gets everyone to keep the love of the game alive.
When we arrived at the course, he was calm and ready to play. This wasn't always true. His first trips were filled with nervous anticipation that manifested into loud shrieks and wild behavior. Not what you want at a golf course with others looking at you wondering if he was a spawn of satin himself! But this day was different...confident and calm. I could tell this was going to be good planting grounds for my first attempt at teaching him something. So I made my move. On the range, after he hit his 5th or 6th dribbler with his split hand grip like a hockey slap-shot, I said, "Hay Tyler, I wonder what would happen if you held the club this way?" and proceeded to move his hands together and showed him a good neutral overlapping grip. He started to resist, but for some reason actually tried it. He shanked his first 2 attempts, looked at me and pouted. I said, "Give it another go. Let your right arm fold back and then let your left arm fold through." His eyes glazed over a bit. I know I went too far. But I just couldn't help myself! Seeing those arms both completely straight going back were killing me inside. I walked up to him and started to place his arms into their correct positions in the backswing and then in the follow through. He looked at me in dismay, eye's furrowed, complete disbelief, a state of shock and to a point where I KNEW I had him for just that moment. I said, "Ok? Let's try it this way for a bit." He reared back, and for the first time, hit a shot that struck the center of the face, on a descending angle of attack, climbed up and flew straight. I didn't say a word...just waited for his reaction. And I got what I wanted. A smile.
The rest of the day was gravy. We played 6 holes before he got tired. He hit about 5 or 6 shots that were better then his best the time before, and he had a great time. I was in heaven.
Next, to work on his putting and get that wrist out of the stroke.