Ask the Pro
by Chris Haarlow
How much practice between Academy Classes should my junior golfer do?
My experience has shown the more practice time between classes the more valuable class time becomes both for the student and the instructor. Other youth sports dictate when you practice and play while golf is left up to the individual to figure out when to practice and how often.
I would recommend using an age and skill proportion to determine the amount of practice time and how often. Here are some recommendations:
- Red Bag Tag – one practice per week – 30 minutes
- Blue Bag Tag – one practice/play per week – 45 minutes
- Orange Bag Tag – one practice/play at 60 minutes / two practices at 90 minutes total
- Green Bag Tag – two practices/play per week at 60 minutes each
- Purple Bag Tag – two practices/play per week at 90 minutes each
- Gold Bag Tag – three practices/play per week at 90 minutes
- Black Bag Tag – three practices/play per week at 120 minutes
These are just recommendations as each junior will be different based on their specific age and skill but it offers a general guideline to follow. Make the practice between classes part of the weekly household routine. Put golf on the weekly schedule and utilize either the range at Bur-Mil or Bryan Park to get some extra swings in between classes.
