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1, 2, 3,
Fore!
Golf
is hot. So hot that Tiger Woods is taking over for Michael Jordan
as the world's biggest sports star. He's even on the Wheaties box.
Tiger is not the only young star proving that golf is no longer
just for old guys in plaid pants. Aree Song Wongluekiet, who finished
10th in a major women's pro tournament in March, is 13. Aree's twin
sister, Naree, is almost as good.
Suddenly it is cool to play golf. But if you are a kid who doesn't
know a sand wedge from a sandwich, how do you get started?
Like a lot of kids, I started by knocking plastic golf balls around
my yard with my brother's old club (a 7-iron). I dug a couple of
holes
in the lawn and pretended I was playing in the U.S. Open. It was
cheap,
easy and fun.
You can make backyard targets out of coffee cans or a half-circle
of string. You can practice "chip" shots over picnic benches
or
rolled-up clothes. (Always use a plastic ball in the yard.)
But I am no expert. So I teed up some questions for Wayne
DeFrancesco, golf pro at Woodholme Country Club and a former Middle
Atlantic Professional Golf Association Teacher and Player of the
Year.
When should kids start playing?
Tiger started when he was 4. I started when I was 9 and played in
my first tournament when I was 12. But most kids have the strength
and
concentration to swing the club when they are 6.
What equipment do you need? Are shortened adult clubs and used
balls okay?
It is important to start with clubs specially made for kids. Adult
clubs, even if they are shortened, are too heavy. Any ball is fine,
as
long as it is white, round and hard.
What is the best way to start?
A few trips to the practice range to whack some balls is a good
way
to start. Junior golf clinics--where pros teach groups of kids--are
good
too. Golf is a hard game. It is important for kids to see other
kids
trying, and sometimes failing, at the game. Private lessons can
come
later. The important thing at first is to make the game fun.
There is some advice from a real pro.
My advice? Eat your Wheaties and don't wear plaid pants.
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