MGS and the Junior Golfer
If you have a child/grandchild you’d like to casually introduce to golf without scaring them away for life, the ideal way to do it is introduce them to the Minimalist Golf Swing.
Why MGS? Even a 5 year old understands success and can tell that hitting worm-burners while the doting parents say ‘great shot’ and ‘fabulous swing’ is not golf!
MGS helps them get the ball into the air so easily, they’ll be golf-lovers for life. A good goal for very young beginner juniors is for the trajectory of their shots to be their own height (or more).
Here’s how you can simplify MGS for the junior golfer:
1. Simply start by having them place a hand on their trail-side waist for a few seconds. Tell them that that side is never to be higher than the lead side (left, for a right handed golfer), no matter what.
2. If they’re old enough to be able to read a watch/clock, tell them to swing 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock only. OR ‘sleeping-line’ to ‘sleeping-line’ (a term teachers use when teaching early writing patterns).
3. I draw a circle around their feet and call it the ‘magic circle’ and that the swing will only be good if they keep their feet in the magic circle forever! Translated to adult-speak, that means no lifting either foot off the ground.
4. Don’t fuss about set-up, grip and other such things, they need to see success NOW. Have them take a few practice swings, then go, don’t give them any more instruction, just let them do it! (see the picture and question below and send in your replies – hint: it’s NOT about set-up basics)
If they’re already golfers, getting them to MGS is a question of priority, one step at a time, so they see improvement at very session.
PS: Thought about adding still more useful information for junior golfers, but there is so much to say, where to begin (club selection, left-hand or right-hand etc. etc.)? So, it’s going to be a case of ‘ask and you shall receive’. There are so many visitors to this blog these days, but all they do is read and not interact.
So, do keep the posts coming, or email me with whatever name you’d like published and I can post your questions/comments!
I think his right shoulder be should turned away from square ( back or clockwise, to help arms to swing freely). With regard to juniors a simple repeatable phrase like ” Ding dong” on the back and through swing might help with relaxing into the shot.
Yes, that is true, but to keep it very basic and very simple, just for a few sessions, and with complete beginners, and only if they’re using only their shorter clubs to start with, I just have them ‘keep the trail (usually right) side of the trunk/body lower than the left’. This always gives great trajectory on shots, it is the magic move of MGS.
A good catchy phrase is always a good idea, kids love funny stuff and also things they can relate to. I unimaginatively have often used tic-toc.
The main point that came to mind with the picture was that the junior in it was using clubs way too short for him, and that is not a good way to start off a junior – they’re already making compensations just to reach the ball.