Learn to practice like the kids

The junior in the background is looking for someone to high-five for a job well done.

Teaching kids to golf can be a great learning experience for adults. Here are some guidelines for structuring an effective practice session with your children that will help you get the most out of your time on the driving range.

1. Warm-up

To prevent injury, juniors should begin their practice sessions with a warm-up routine that includes three stages: (1) stretching the major muscle groups; (2) using continuous practice swings in which the finish of one swing is the beginning of the next; (3) hitting some very short shots to gain the feel of solid contact. This way they'll avoid those bone-jarring mis-hits that are inevitable when they rush to the range and begin their practice session "cold."

The warm-up phase should be completed with some full-swing shots off a low tee. This will instill the feeling of solid contact and make the rest of their practice time far more productive. Remember, the only goal at this point is to warm up and hit some solid short shots; swing thoughts and hitting targets are not the objective.

2. Building fundamentals

In order to improve, juniors, like everyone else, need to spend some time on their fundamentals (grip, stance, posture, takeaway, etc.). The place to do so is the practice tee, preferably under the direction of a qualified golf instructor.

Fundamental practice can be especially boring for children, so be sure to provide as much variety and fun while keeping them on the task. If they're working on their grip, have them do so with a 6-iron, then a 9-iron, then a driver and then back to the 6-iron. Then hit some pitch shots, some half-swing shots and then back to the driver. All the while, though, the focus is on the grip. The point is to keep boredom from stopping productive learning.

3. Target practice

The third part of a practice session should be dedicated to hitting shots to a specific target. As with every other segment of practice, once you switch to target practice, the target is the only concern; there should be no more thought of fundamentals such as the grip, for example.

To properly prepare to hit a ball to a target, it's necessary to step behind the ball and look down the target line ― a part of every decent golfer's pre-shot routine. So make sure your juniors walk through their entire pre-shot routine for every ball they hit during target practice.

4. Practice like you play

Teach your children how to play a round of golf on the practice range using their imagination to lay out each hole in their mind. They should go through their pre-shot routine and hit a ball to the target, then hit the shot they would need next on their imaginary hole. This kind of practice is the best way to keep the learning process fun, and it is excellent preparation for the course.