2010 May Newsletter
PRODUCTS
TOUR SERIES Rebate of up to $50 through May.
Just in time for the beginning of the prime junior golf season, U.S. Kids Golf is offering special rebates on TOUR SERIES products. Featuring 100% Oversized Titanium Drivers, spin-milled wedges and 431 Stainless irons, TOUR SERIES sets are offered in both 11-club and 6-club sets, including stand bags. Rebates are $50 and $30 respectively for the 11 and 6-club sets, and individual driver purchases qualify for a $20 rebate.
TOUR SERIES offers the most precise fit available for young golfers with “perfect fit” sizing at 51, 54, 57, 60, and 63 inches tall. If you want the best performing, highest quality golf clubs made for young golfers, now is the time to buy. Remember, purchases must be made by May 31st to qualify for the rebate.
Fitting with the Right Length
by Coach John Godwin, PGA Master Professional
As a youth coach, I have the opportunity to see all kinds of players and all kinds of swings. The biggest mistake I see are kids playing with clubs that are too long, especially the driver. Imagine your child swinging a major league baseball bat in hopes of hitting a home run! That’s the same as having an adult length driver in the hands of a 54-inch tall young golfer. That long club isn’t going to perfect his drive any more than the adult bat will give him a home run.
Using the adult club will make their swing fundamentals flawed and difficult to change as they grow. Kids are resilient and with enough swings will learn to hit the ball with almost any club you supply, but they will not learn to swing “on plane,” one of the most important swing fundamentals they will ever learn.
The other problem caused by clubs that are too long is that the toe of the club rises up in the air. This creates an upright “lie angle,” which results in the ball being pulled whether using woods or irons, which is not a good situation.
Properly designed sets of clubs have a built-in progression of lengths within the set to make it possible to swing “on plane” and make solid contact with a proper “lie angle.” The length of your driver should never be more than 75% of a player’s height. For most, 65% driver length to height is about right. What’s your percentage? Try comparing your percentage with your parents’ percentage.
When this ratio is too long, the club becomes part of the problem and not a solution in helping a player develop. More information on finding the proper club length.
TOURNAMENTS
Labor Day weekend, September 4 – 6, 2010, will bring our inaugural Seaview Open. Having hosted the PGA Championship and currently the ShopRite LPGA Classic, this Donald Ross design has a special place in golf history. Seaview Resort and Spa features large indoor and outdoor pools, a world class spa, and a kid friendly arcade.
The week before Christmas, Ka’anapali Hawaiian Classic will be held in one of the most beautiful locations on earth, Maui. The Ka’anapali Golf Resort has hosted the Wendy’s Champions Skins Game since 2008 and is joining with four other resorts to provide excellent rooms and rates for this very special event. Participants and families will undoubtedly love this world class golf experience, and an authentic Hawaiian Luau will add to the festivities.
Local Tours and Qualifiers are provided so that kids earn invitations to U.S. Kids Golf Regionals. Find a Local Tour or Qualifier in your area.
European Championship in Gullane, Scotland Field Grows to Over 450 Players
Scotland’s biggest golf tournament will be staged this summer, and it isn’t the Open Championship.
Although all eyes will turn to St. Andrews this July to watch the 150 professionals in the Open Championship, 450 boys and girls, ages 6 to 18, will begin their dreams of one day competing for golf’s highest awards by playing in the U.S. Kids Golf European Championship in Gullane, Scotland. Championship dates are June 1-3.
The field this year will be represented by players from 35 countries and will be the largest single field tournament in the United Kingdom in 2010. The tournament will host kids from as far away as Australia, India, South Africa, China, and South America, along with the many that will visit from the USA.
Players who are registered for the European Championship can expect erratic weather, breathtaking scenery, good friends, and, above all, a memorable walk in the footsteps of golf’s historic beginnings.
Entries close on May 8th. Enter or learn more about the event.
PLAY & LEARNING
Certified Family Courses hit 800 Mark!
Pioneered by U.S. Kids Golf almost ten years ago, more than 800 facilities now offer the Family Course set up.
In 2008, the PGA of America began partnering with U.S. Kids Golf on a program that offers young golfers, or any beginner, the opportunity to play from tees that match their ability. The program helps the player shoot lower scores, while encouraging all family members’ participation.
The popularity of the Family Course program has taken off. Golf provides the perfect recreational activity for families who want to spend time together, and with the Family Course program, everyone can enjoy the game by playing from tees that fit their game.
In the last two years the program has grown from 360 registered Family Golf Courses to where it stands today, at over 800 golf courses. These “family friendly” courses range from public facilities to private clubs to resorts, all across the country. Many of the most recognizable golf courses in America are now a part of this program, including: Pinehurst Resort, Merion Golf Club, Firestone Country Club, Doral Resort and Golf Club, Cog Hill Golf and Country Club, Ko Olina Resort, and Atlanta Athletic Club.
Setting up the course is very simple. On each hole two additional tee positions are determined in front of the traditional “ladies” tees. By installing 6” plates in the fairway for the two tee positions and tee indicators on the cart path or side of the hole, it is easy for players to locate the tee that best suits their game. Every golf course that installs the Family Course shares the vision of growing the game by providing a place for kids and their families to learn and play.
To find out how your golf course can become a certified Family Course, click here or call 888-387-5437. View a list of Family Courses in your area
Top 50 and Master Kids Golf Teacher List: A Place to Find a Great Coach
Since 2004, the US Kids Golf Foundation has recognized 50 golf professionals per year from around the world that have dedicated their careers to youth golf in their communities and are known for their overall excellence. Want to find a coach that will really help your kid play and enjoy golf? Click Here
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