Children must play - but only for fun

We've all heard the stories about young children who have a golf club placed in their hand almost as soon as they can walk, but a paper recently presented to the World Scientific Congress of Golf argues there are right and wrong ways of introducing the sport to your offspring.

Of course, we all know about Tiger Woods, his TV appearances on chat shows as a kid and his rise and rise to superstar status. But there are also the failures: Beverly Klass was competing on the US LPGA Tour as a 10-yearold, but subsequently went through a troubled adolescence when she was thrown out of her home and had a stay in a mental home.

So, how should a parent introduce their child to golf? Dr Patricia Donnelly, in her paper to the congress, uses the work of Jean Piaget, a developmental psychologist, to demonstrate a sequence of how and when children should learn the various aspects of the game. Piaget felt that to be successful a child required intrinsic motivation which comes from the activity itself, in this case for example the equivalent would be hitting a shot out of the sweet spot or holing a putt.

This is opposed to extrinsic motivation that results from external factors that are unrelated to the task, such as money or fame.

Dr Donnelly sets out her developmental sequence. Between the ages of three and six, she says, the emphasis for children should be on moving their bodies in fun ways. "They should be encouraged to use their imagination to make up games of their own. There is also no need to discuss the rules of golf, as the child will not understand them. At this stage, children also have an extremely short attention span, so instruction should be of the appropriate length and competition is not appropriate."

It is only at the older age of six to eight that the emphasis may change to mastering some of the skills involved in golf. This can be achieved by having the child practise short putts as opposed to long putts and hit a large ball as opposed to a normal-sized golf ball. "The child will feel more capable if techniques such as these are employed," states Dr Donnelly. "Personal goals and achievements should be emphasised . . . i.e. how far the child hits the ball past a landmark on any given hole. No adult concepts such as yards or metres should be introduced."

At this age, etiquette and some rules can be introduced, the paper continues. However, it should be understood that at this stage children are easily disappointed and it is important to reinforce what the child is doing right. In addition, at this age the children also do not like to lose so there should not be too much of an emphasis on competition. Children should also be encouraged to make up games of their own.

When the child reaches the 10 to 12 age group, there should be an emphasis on self-esteem and the paper argues that children should experience a sense of achievement and success, while also being given the responsibility for his or her practice routine. It is only from age 13 to 17 that adolescents can be treated more like adults and when course strategy and mental approaches can be taught.

But Dr Donnelly says that it is important that self worth is not equated with winning. Performance goals should be emphasised rather than outcome goals. "It is far better to ask `how did you play?' rather than inquire `did you win?'," she says, adding: "To ensure the child remains motivated, golf should be made as much fun as possible. It has to be remembered that golf is a game that can last a lifetime and this is what should be emphasised in the teaching of junior golfers."