would work today because we all know that a enough head weight for a given swing speed to cut down adult golf club for a very young hit the ball solidly. Let’s take a young junior junior golfer has a very stiff shaft and it is also golfer as an example: if a too light head weight usually quite heavy in total weight. But, at the golf club is used, the impact will be less solid time it was a great starting point to generate and off-center hits will lose even more distance more interest in junior golf and it worked and feel even worse. One of our problems is that because thousands upon thousands of golf it is quite difficult for this young junior golfer clubs were donated free for the “Clubs for to communicate this fact to us whether as Junior golf began to flourish in the late Kids” program. teachers, mentors or clubfitters. While it is 1970’s because of a concentrated effort by the true that this golfer’s swing may look better Professional Golfers Association (PGA) to get because it takes less strength to swing a very the younger generation out on golf courses with light golf club, the impact feeling may be very the hope of growing the game and also creating bad; but this golfer does not know this, thus it life long golfers. At this time, junior golf clubs cannot be communicated. were available, but they were usually junk with little thought or research applied to actually One of the trends with some golf club make playable junior clubs. Many of these clubs companies is to build extremely light clubs for were too long for juniors because they were sim- the younger juniors under the premise that golf ply made as a junior golf club without regard for clubs for years have been too heavy for younger the huge variations of junior heights, weights juniors to develop a good swing. This last and ages. This was true for both boys and girls. statement is mostly true about golf clubs in the Many juniors of the day simply played with past being too heavy as was definitely the case their dad’s or mom’s clubs or they may get a cut with most of the adult “cut-down” clubs given to down discarded dad or mom club to play with kids. However, there is a limit to this reduced which was at least some improvement. clubhead weight and I personally feel that some manufacturers have gone too light. I was asked So, during the PGA’s push for more junior golfer by a well known golf club manufacturer to involvement; I was brought in to help with the design 3 age groups of junior golf club sets program to get golf clubs into kids hands. After Junior golf continued to grow at a moderate rate with the stipulation that I use the very light all, the starting point was the need for finding a until Tiger Woods entered the scene in the late head weights of another popular junior club lot of golf clubs before anyone could hit a shot 1990’s. His presence created a huge demand for manufacturer. I refused to do the project or take a lesson. I had done the research on junior golf clubs and the amount of new junior because I felt the head weights were too light. junior boys and girls average heights and golfers was staggering. This all slowed down Admittedly, it is not easy to determine the best weights by age group and I also was formulating gradually which brings us up to the current time head weight for a certain junior golfer, but there fitting variables and ideas on better golf clubs where junior golf is alive and well and still is always lead tape to add to the head weight for juniors. All this, however, was in its infancy, growing a little each year. while the junior is hitting balls. Watching the but no other credible information existed at ball flight, distance hit and listening to the im- the time. So, I made up a brochure for the PGA pact will help determine the best head weight. which had the average weight and height information by age group, step by step Also, some of these very light weight junior When talking about which golf clubs are best for procedures for cutting down a club and clubs use very small clubheads in the irons. juniors there is one fact that is indisputable and regripping it. The brochure was called “Clubs A little smaller is all right and preferred but one that we, as clubfitters, need to consider very for Kids” and is shown in Figure 10-8. It was many are simply too small. This is done to seriously. This fact is that every golfer, whether a distributed across the U.S. to every golf convince adults that they really are junior man, women, senior, junior teenager or young professional. Many foreign PGA groups also clubs when in actuality they are closer to toy junior; we all hit the same size and weight golf picked it up such as the New Zealand PGA. clubs. A larger easier to hit iron head can still ball. This means that for all golfers we need Obviously, it was not the perfect solution that be made in acceptable junior head weights. I personally prefer an iron head slightly smaller When juniors get to the 14 to 18 year old or she can swing the clubhead and consistently than adult clubs in a cavity back version with a category, real adult golf clubs should be used hit the ball near the center of the club face (solid high moment of inertia and a low center of unless there is some extenuating circumstance hit) will also help in determining shaft flex, gravity. This would be a very high playability that negates this. swingweight and the longest length of club that clubhead which is the most forgiving and easiest can be handled while still maintaining this to hit solid. Regarding driver head sizes, a gen- consistency of hit and good directional control. eral rule would be 320 to 340cc’s for 5-8 year olds and 340 to 400cc’s for 9 to 10 year olds and finally Keep in mind that the longer the club, the stiffer 400 to 460cc’s for 11 to 18 year olds. Also as a the shaft, and the less the loft, the harder the general rule, and if they are designed correctly; The following guidelines and factors are club is to hit. Conversely, the shorter the club, the larger the driver head the easier it is to hit. intended to provide a basis for determining the the more flexible the shaft, and the greater the proper length, shaft flex, swingweight range and loft, the easier the club is to hit. This applies to I need to point out that when a young junior set make-up in fitting clubs for junior boys and all golfers, as well. golfer starts to play (around 5 years and older), girls between the ages of five and eighteen. See the most important thing is to get a golf club in Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4. The reasons are as follows: his hands that can actually be used to hit the • The longer the club, the higher the skill level ball. It doesn’t necessarily need to be perfect or It is extremely important to understand that required to hit the ball on the center of the even a good fit; but it needs to be close to the there will be numerous cases where one cannot club face more of the time. This affects the correct club length and have a grip on it that the simply fit golf clubs to juniors using these tables consistency of solid hits. junior can easily hold. This junior may start off solely unless other factors are also taken into hitting the very light practice balls around the consideration and certain adjustments made. • The stiffer the shaft, the more unforgiving yard. The point is to generate interest and Heights and weights listed by age group are (in terms of feel and distance) it is on off- success with as little disappointment as national averages and cannot possibly take center hits. In other words, it feels less solid possible. Actually the best way to start off a into account those individuals that fall far and more clunky. A stiffer shaft will tend to boy or girl junior golfer less than 7 or 8 years outside the averages that help to make up hit the ball lower at slower swing speeds; old is with a putter. It is great fun to go out on those averages. however, a stiff shaft will hit the ball the putting green and find success almost straighter than a shaft with more flex. The immediately when a putt goes into the hole. It is always best to first determine the junior’s lower trajectory and feel aspects explain the As interest grows, add more clubs as required. height. This factor will most importantly problems associated with overly stiff shaft determine the length of clubs that he or she flexes which also occurs when cutting adult There are lots of decisions revolving around the should probably be using. Notice that club clubs down for juniors. set make-up (number of clubs) for juniors. I give length is also indicated by a length range to some general recommendations in the junior accommodate shorter or taller heights by • The less the loft angle (stronger loft), the boys and girls fitting tables in this section but age group.