Playing and having fun seems so natural and instinctual to me.

Junior golf has been my golf career focus since Jimmy Koosa tricked me into teaching Timberlake Country Club’s first-ever junior clinic in June 1987.

Koosa really did trick me and thank God for his amazing since of humor. This story, I’ll save for later.

My tendency around golf has always been to take the game really seriously. This tendency opens the door for trying really hard.

Trying hard inspires tension and that is a performance inhibitor.

Trying hard also can connect nicely with the incorrect type of expectation thinking which paves the way for thinking too far into the future. Thinking to far ahead distracts us from taking care of our business at hand or in the present.

Children are great at playing. The really young ones love to act and react spontaneously and staying in the present.

By studying children in golf, especially those new to the game, I have learned much about how to play better. More important, I have learned how to help others improve.

Let me tell you what I learned from over 20 brand new players in golf this past Sunday afternoon.

Number 1, if you play faster, you get to play more holes. Number 2, there is no time to think and too much thinking takes the fun out of playing.

I’m not exaggerating either. These players in the Lexington County Recreation and Aging Family Golf program, age range of 5 to 12, gave these answers to the question “What are the advantages of playing fast?”

Bob Rotella is the 1st to strongly suggest before I begin to teach children to ask them tons of questions and observe.

Here is another example of child-like genius. A 6-year old picked up a putter for the 1st time and immediately applied the ‘Claw’ grip which is one of the most popular grips on the PGA Tour. It was a perfect ‘Claw’ grip as well.

In closing, while taking advantage of longer days by playing after work, try looking 1st at the target, then ball. Then, start the backswing without hesitation.

Target, ball, Swing.