Refine Your Skills with Play to Improve

Overview

• Ages: Boys 12-16 and Girls 11-15 (Please note: Ages are guidelines, not restrictions)
• Primary Focus: Overall improvement as both athletes and individuals. Encourage varied practices, 5-7 hours per week. Monitor equipment closely due to growth spurts. This stage also focuses on deepening friendships and learning to win and lose gracefully.
• Competition Level: Players should spend 60% of their time training and 40% in competition.

Skills and Development

• Athletic Skills: Key skills include agility, footwork, balance, complex coordination, strength, including core strength, and flexibility.
• Technical Skills: Aim to start mastering technical skills and develop consistency under pressure. Focus areas: putting, chipping, full swing, bunker play, green reading, pitching, and club selection.
• Psychological Development: Cultivate a love for the sport, focus, simple goal setting, self-motivation, confidence, decision-making, self-reliance, and understanding of winning and losing with respect.
• Social Development: Foster independence, sharing, and confidence. Social acceptance and physical competency become significant.

Play Guidelines

• Practice: Engage in random practice sessions across different environments for 45-90 minutes per session, totaling 5-7 hours weekly. Emphasize fun, on-course play.
• Competition: Competition is positive at this stage, comprising fun and social activities. Players should spend 60% of time training and 40% in competition, with emphasis on 18-hole events.
• Equipment and Safety: Ensure a full set of equipment is available and monitored for fit, as players may outgrow it mid-season.
• Where to play:
  • Course length recommendations:
    • Males: Up to 6,400 yards.
    • Females: Up to 5,800 yards. (These are guidelines.)