The Problems With Early Specialization In Golf For Youth
Even when I started playing golf well in to my teens
, I had the mantra that the more I played, the more I trained, the more practice, watching golf videos, reading golf books, living and breathing golf then the better I would be become and my chances of reaching the highest point in golf was far more likely.
Oh how I was wrong! Now my message to players, coaches and parents around the world that I encounter or work with regarding golf for youth is make sure you follow other pursuits as well.
Other pursuits? What does this mean?
It means that to be a complete golfer, athlete and individual that will prosper in life no matter what is thrown at them, golf cannot, and should not, be the only goal or measure of success. I get plenty of parents questioning me on this because obviously they want the best for their kids, but sometimes they want too much. International Youth Conditioning Association (IYCA) founder Brian Grasso said, "What a growing and maturing body needs in order to remain injury free and develop optimal athletic skill is variety. With respect to training, this amounts to NOT having a hyper-focus on making a young athlete a better football player by only doing exercises in the gym that the NFL players would do."There is no doubt that early and frequent exposures to physical activity during the formative years is associated with a number of positive health benefits.
The real question is whether or not the practice of early sport specialization can lead to athletic success, and help injury resistance later in life. Unfortunately for most overzealous coaches and parents they think the obvious answer is "yes". It has been proved otherwise as professionals and current research indicate that the answer is in fact a convincing "no" on both counts.Tudor Bompa, a well renowned athletic development expert, cited a study from Harre a few years back that tracked the progress of young athletes. One group specialized in one sport, the other multi-activities.
The study conclusively revealed:
Early specialization athletes had;
Quick performance improvement
Best performance achieved at 15 or 16 due to quick adaptation
Inconsistency of performance in competition
By age 18 many were burnt out and even quit the sport
Prone to injuries due to forced adaptation
Multi-activity athletes had;
Slower performance improvement
Best performance at age 18 or older at the same time as physiological and psychological maturation
Consistency of performance in competition
Longer athletic life and participation
Fewer injuries
Unfortunately, studies and reports too often fall on deaf ears. Pushy parents and rigid structured selection process for competitors of golf for youth start from a very young age.
I began playing tennis when I was 6, my life was tennis until the age of 13. What happened when I was 13?
Glandular fever, Mono some might call it.
I was at a national training day, doing my warm ups running around the courts when the next thing I know I collapsed as was on my way to hospital. I was burnt out mentally and physically.So was the end of my tennis career. I still play for fun now and again, but for several years I was reluctant to step onto a court. This was no fault of my parents, they never forced me to play at all, it was always a burning desire within me to practice and train more.
My concern is with the supposed coaches and selectors who showed no concern for individuality and monitoring my physical and mental state. My point is not just regarding tennis, I am merely providing an example. I have seen it so often in golf for youth the players that play every waking minute, have their parents watching them practice and even carry the bags. Practicing and training too much.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggest that athletes under the ages of 12-13 should avoid specialization altogether, opting instead for a broader based, and sometimes less intense, plan for physical activity.
My mission with AGT is to show youth golfers the best ways to perform on the course but also off the course. Long term golf development is the key. The golf exercises I prescribe are geared towards that end, to create a foundation that produces a golf swing that will get stronger and better with time, without the risk of injury from playing or golf training.
The training I coach is to teach young golfers to move correctly, to teach correct motor unit skills and mental development.
Be the best you can be, put your all into your goals, but if you want those goals to happen, you must spend time with friends mucking around, playing other sports, studying and socializing.For parents, if you really do want the best for your kids then take heed of this advice.
They will thank you for it.
by: Alex Fortey
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