Junior clubs and gear have improved dramatically in recent times and each item is designed specifically for juniors rather than being a cut down version of an adult club. There is one obvious difference between kids and adults and that is size so junior clubs obviously have shorter shafts. The second, slightly less obvious, difference is swing speed. To cater for the slower swing speeds of kids, junior clubs have more flexible shafts. It is more difficult to get a truly flexible shaft when they are very short but today manufacturer's can do it very successfully.

Ok I've got the next Tiger Woods, where do I start?

Junior Golf Club Specialists

There are a number of specialist junior club makers in the market such as US Kids, Long Dog and La Jolla. The main advantage when starting out is that these companies sell individual clubs thus allowing you to get started on a relatively modest budget and then add to the set later. It's recommended to start with a mid iron 6 or 7 if thrashing in the garden or at the range is where it's at.

As the little one improves or wants to play "proper" golf then you will need to add a putter and maybe a fairway wood. Finally at some point a wedge would be useful. To summarise the optimum set for a short course would be fairway wood, mid iron (6 or 7), wedge (Pitching wedge) and putter. You can also buy special golf bags that are shorter and easier for them to carry. Incidentally, when they do venture onto the golf course you can purchase junior golf balls or go for lady golf balls which suit slower swing speeds.

Club Height Guidelines

Once you have decided what to buy, then next consideration is to get the right model. Most junior clubs are broken down into 3 or 4 age groups. These may be 3-5 years, 6-8, 9-11 and 11+. The age groups are approximate and the most important element is the height of your child.

Each manufacturer will have height guidelines for their products so if your child is either taller or smaller than average then checkout age groups either side of theirs.

Finally, try to resist the temptation to get bigger clubs "because they'll grow into them". It's very important that juniors get the clubs that fit otherwise they will really struggle to enjoy the game and play it well. Invest wisely at this point and you never know, with the money in professional golf today, it could be the start of a new pension fund!