Author: davidpilsner

August 9, 2021
The end of July means a few things – my wife Suzanne’s birthday, our anniversary, usually a vacation, and the end of most of of our summer golf programs.
We will be restarting some group activities after school starts and hopefully after the weather cools down a bit.
I am working towards reinventing my role as a coach and instructor. I have several goals that I am working towards.
1.) To help my students have a better road map to improvement.
2.) To use my working time more wisely.
3.) To have more family time.
4.) To play more golf.

If you are wondering how this might look, I am asking myself the same question.

For the moment, please contact me directly to arrange lessons – davidpilsner@me.com for email and 281-734-0177 for text or phone calls. For groups and classes, look for these on the website.

I always have parents asking me if we are having camp in July and August, and as much as I dislike saying no, I have to say that we do not. As the summer progresses, it gets hotter and it is noticeable in the level of interest and enthusiasm that we see in the kids. If you want to have your kids doing golf in July and August, I suggest that you bring them to the course very late in the day and play with them and let them self discover how to play golf.

For the third year, we have had PGA Junior League teams. PGA Junior League is a little like putting golf and little league together. We have a great time and the kids learn and enjoy playing golf on the golf course.

What’s ahead
We will have after school golf activities after school starts. We are exploring a new program and we may have something brand new. Stay tuned

During the summer, we have several kids golf activities here at the Timber Creek Golf Academy. We have golf camps, PGA Junior League, Saturday Kids Golf, and one on one lessons.

I have had parents tell me that they want their kids to have golf lessons so they don’t develop bad swing habits. Also, I have had parents tell me that they haven’t gone out to play on the golf course for fear of developing bad swing habits. This is not what we should be worrying about. Part of golf lessons and playing golf is discovery. There is an incredible variety of golf swings that can work. Figuring out how to make a swing works takes time and effort. Coaching will help this process happen.

Properly fitted golf clubs will make a big difference. Junior golf clubs tend to be too long and too heavy. We use US Kids Golf and Golphin golf clubs as our guide for junior clubs. I use a couple of techniques for evaluating clubs. Driver length for adults is 44 to 45.75 inches, and these lengths should fit golfers between 65 and 75 inches. If we use that information, a driver should be about 2/3 of the golfers height. If you stand with your driver in front of you, it will reach just below your sternum. A seven iron is normally slightly longer than 1/2 of your height. A six foot tall golfer will normally use a 7 iron that is 37 inches long which is slightly more that 1/2 of height. The ratios work for adults and kids. US Kids Golf and Golphin sell their golf clubs to match your height.  The clubs are light and work well.

At camp we ask the kids what they like the best – is almost never full swing. The fitness station is often the most popular activity. The activities are designed to help the kids learn skills and athletic motion that is necessary to play good good. At TPI, we learn that kids have to be  good athletes before they can be good golfers.

I believe…..
that kids will like learning golf more if they are in groups than in one on one lessons. Kids are different than grown ups. Kids can learn something complicated and difficult like golf by being involved in games and activities that are about having fun. They will discover ways to do things by observing and experimenting, and watching each other and the coaches.

Kids are comfortable in a group. It is like school. We have classes and camps for kids throughout the summer and school year. We start every class by talking about being safe and having fun. If a kid has fun, they will want to come back to the golf course.

And that is how we do it at Timber Creek.

• Does my child need clubs for classes?

For intro classes, we have clubs to loan to children during class. If your child shows an interest and wants to play and practice outside of class, you should get some clubs. If you are no ready to buy a whole set, you can buy a club or two for them to start with.

• What abut golf shoes?

Golf shoes are not necessary until you reach a high level of skill. Athletes shoes are great for learning golf. We do lots of activities in golf class and athletic shoes work best. Try to avoid smooth soles. Flip-flops and crocs are not good for golf.

• What kind of clubs are best?

For younger children, I like US Kids Clubs because they are very light which is important for young golfers. Also, they are sized properly (by height). Other companies make clubs, and some are good. Cutting down adult clubs is an option that I prefer not to use unless there is no other option. Cut down adult clubs are too heavy.

• How do I decide if my child should be in an advanced class?

As children start to play and practice more often, and develop as athletes, golf skills improve. At under 10 years old, most children haven’t played or practiced enough to be very advanced. We offer advanced classes to have activities for children who are more experienced. Golf is about learning fundamentals so the content of classes is similar. I will offer my opinion and will let you be the judge of advanced or not.

• As a parent, what should I do during golf class?

I enjoy seeing parents and grandparents around during classes. My hope is that you observe what we are trying to do, and will use some of it to help your child learn and have fun. I am a PGA Professional. I am certified as a US Kid Golf Instructor, and I am a Titleist Performance Institute Level 2 Junior Golf. I am a member of the Positive Coaching Alliance. The point is that I have spent a great deal of time and effort learning how to be a good golf coach. We play games and many of our activities are to help develop our children into athletes so that they can play golf and other sports.

Sometimes parents can get too involved in trying to help during class. Please avoid doing that. The message that your child gets when we are coaching and you are coaching at the same time is very confusing.

• “When should my child start playing in tournaments?”

I differ from many people and organizations in starting golf competition. Our PGA group (STPGA), and other groups start competitive golf at six years old. I would rather see a child learn to play and start competing at about ten years old. I think that golf is hard and there are enough things to learn that waiting a bit helps. If you are looking at competition, look at www.stpgajuniorgolf.com. This is run by the Southern Texas PGA, which I am a member. It is the best place to get started.