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JUNIOR GOLF
OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE
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SUMMER 2018
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obsports.com
L
ong before Eric Lohman was
the PGA General Manager and
Director of Game Improvement
at Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana
Point, California, he was an accom-
plished junior player in the Coachella
Valley and later on the UCLA golf
team. With a combination of more
than 25 years in the industry and his
experiences growing up in the game,
who better to seek out for advice on
helping kids enjoy the game?
SUCCESS CAN BE
MEASURED MANY WAYS
Does your child enjoy what they
are doing and does their effort pay off
with some sort of quantifiable result
such as a win, a high finish, making a
team, happiness, exercise or friend-
ship? The answer to that question is
different for everyone.
There should always be a goal, and
if that goal is met – whatever it may
be – it should be considered success.
If I took 10 kids at age 6 and worked
with them weekly for 12 years, they
would all be different athletically,
physically and emotionally at age 18,
so their definition of success (and
their parents' definition) will likely be
vastly different among the group.
MAKE THE MOST OF
YOUR OPPORTUNITIES
I was lucky to have a twin brother
to always play with, as well as some
golf professionals and managers who
helped me play affordably. My par-
ents spent their hard-earned money to
support us to travel and play region-
ally and nationally against the best
juniors, and we always had good golf
equipment we trusted.
FOCUS ON STRENGTHS,
WORK ON WEAKNESSES
Looking back, I wish I had spent
more time working out to become
stronger, spent more time with a
sports psychologist to improve my
mental game, and worked more with
an accomplished swing coach to bet-
ter fine tune my technique. These are
things that are all best ingrained at a
younger stage.
GOLF IS NOT AN
INDIVIDUAL SPORT
All kids need a good support team,
no matter their goals and abilities –
family, friends, golf coach, club fitter,
and eventually fitness, nutrition and
wellness instructors.
The best players, college teams,
academies, and national squads rely
on this support structure. At a rudi-
mentary level all players need a prop-
erly fit set of clubs, a swing coach or
playing coach and a good game plan
for improvement and competition.
By following these basic tenets, jun-
ior golfers stand the most chance for
long-term success and enjoyment.
GROWING
THE GAME
n HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR
KIDS LEARN TO ENJOY THE SPORT
BY GreG Ball, with eric lohman, PGa
Develop a love for the game at Monarch Beach Golf Links.
> VIDEO EXTRA! ERIC LOHMAN DISCUSSES THE NEW GOLF RULES FOR 2019.
