You’ve got to start somewhere. Our youngest got a set of plastic toddler golf clubs when he started walking on his first birthday. These turned out to be the best toddler golf clubs at the time. Since it was winter in the North West, for a couple of months he had fun indoors whacking all sorts of balls around the house - plastic balls of all sizes, tennis balls, bouncy balls, you name it, he hit it. When the weather warmed up he took the plastic clubs outside and started hitting plastic practice golf balls in the back yard.
An elderly neighbor witnessed the enthusiasm and it was not long before a light weight kids PW appeared and the plastic toddler golf clubs were forgotten about all together. By age 2 he was lining up balls and chipping them over the back fence. Parents often want to know at what age to start their kids playing golf. With the appropriate size and weight equipment it's never too early. The only word of warning is not to take it too seriously and let kids have fun and learn to enjoy the game.
Very often, kids that have natural hand-eye-ball co-ordination have good, what is termed , ‘gaze control’. This is simply the normal movement of the two eyes simultaneously in the same direction to bring something into view. A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience titled, Eye-Hand Co-ordination in Object Manipulation, supports a theory that gaze control is a major contributing factor in developing good hand-eye coordination (e.g. practicing putting a golf ball), by learning to controlling gaze shifts and fixations proactively, to gather visual information for guiding movements.
Good gaze control allows the young golfer to almost intuitively finely shift their fingers within their grip and move on their feet in small variations to guide the movement of the ball to where it needs to be hit. In addition to play and practice, there are various things that can be done to encourage hand eye coordination and vision therapy is a starting point. For young kids early eye checks are also essential.
With toddlers, the most important thing is to expose kids to many different types of bats, rackets and balls - and have fun with all of them. Hand-eye-ball co-ordination is both a natural talent as well as a leaned skill in all top athletes. It definitely should be encouraged and nurtured in the tender toddler years. Give your child a toddler plastic golf club and let him/her walk around the house or yard whacking a variety of balls - soft plush balls, large plastic beach balls, tennis balls, ping pong balls, practice golf balls. Throwing a ball to a child and teaching him/her to catch is another great way to develop athletic co-ordination. In solitary play let the child throw or kick a ball against a wall and catch or stop it when it bounces back. Get a small kids basketball hoop and plastic ball to have fun with. Try set personal best records to add to the fun.
U.S. Kids Young Kids Clubs
USKids Golf, the leader in golf clubs for young to pre-teen junior golfers, has brought out the U.S.Kids First Club Putter, a small golf club designed for toddlers as well as the USKids Yard Club for the youngest beginner golfers starting at age 3. The First Club is marketed as the perfect gift for new parents and it comes in blue or pink in an attractive gift box.
The First Club is a putter with a colored, rubber grip and a steel shaft. Its height is only 18 inches and makes a great gift for the budding, baby golfer under 39 inches tall. This may be the best toddler golf club for the golf enthusiasts.
The USKids Yard Club (starting as small as 21 inch length for toddler approx. 36 inches tall) is the lightest and most flexible club that U.S.Kids Golf offers. It will help first time golfers, from as young as age 2, to learn to hit balls, have fun and see quick success. There are also other Yard Club sizes for older children up to approx. 51 inches tall. The super light-weight, oversize head makes good golf shots easier with a larger hitting area.
The molded grip promotes the proper hand position and a natural swing. The Yard Club comes packaged with some soft limited-flight Yard balls to use in your yard or at the park, but it is also designed to hit real golf balls. It comes in blue or pink and features a light-weight Y-flex composite shaft. At only 100 grams this is a great first club for toddler and young kids.
Best Toddler Golf Clubs - Light Weight Plastic Options
For the really young golfer (e.g. starting as soon as your toddler can walk) or before your toddler reaches the level of interest to warrant the expense of metal clubs, here are some great options for outdoor or indoor fun.
For toddlers 1-2 years old: Little Tikes Totsports Easy Hit Toddler Golf Set
Little Tikes Totsports Easy Hit Golf Set for Toddlers reviews are overwhelmingly positive. They are durable and strong enough to handle the fact that kids this age really want to hit any ball in their way. They can enjoy imitating "dad or mom playing golf" and these clubs can be swung regardless of whether the child is right or left handed. They also come with a little cart which adds to the fun of carrying clubs around, 3 plastic golf balls and an 'all-surface' putting hole for fun structured play.
These toddler golf clubs are suitable for both right and left handed kids which is a great benefit as kids can try both to see what they are naturally more comfortable with. Remember, there are many instances of right handed golfers playing left handed - Phil Mickelson being one that comes to mind!
For young children 3-5 years old: Deluxe Happy Kids/Toddler Golf Clubs Set Grow-To-Pro Golfer
The Deluxe Happy Kids/Toddlers Golf Clubs Set Grow-To-Pro is the perfect set to introduce golf to children 3 to 5 years old. The golf club heads and balls are made of plastic and can be swung without damage indoors and outdoors (the shaft of the club is metal but heads are plastic). The set comes with 3 different style of clubs (driver, iron and putter) and a colorful carry bag. To add structure and competition, the set includes 5 white balls, 2 golf tees with different heights, and 2 different color 'all-surface' practice holes with flags. For the price, this set gives a young child a good introduction to the game. Parents will be able to gauge if the child has an interest in golf. Remember, at this age it is all about trying things and seeing what he or she enjoys.
An enthusiastic toddler golfer will probably go though a lot of balls. Plastic baseball type balls are a good size to hit around initially for small toddlers to start developing hand eye co-ordination as they are easier and are less likely to become lodged under furniture, in shrubbery etc. We suggest keeping a stash of these on hand.
Champion Sports White Plastic Baseballs
These larger hollow plastic baseballs are great for toddlers to start with as they are easier to hit and throw than smaller sized balls. The bouncy option below will also add a different fun dynamic. Although more fun, these are more susceptible to getting lost and more difficult to hit for very young toddlers.
Hollow Plastic and Foam Golf Balls
If your toddler golfer really wants to play with realistic sized golf balls like daddy or mommy plays with, we recommend the hard hollow plastic balls or foam practice golf balls for indoor and outdoor use and foam balls for indoor fun. The yellow bucket of golf balls will make sure you always have a few around and they are easy to see.
Warning, if your toddler likes to put everything in their mouths then do not get foam, solid plastic golf balls or bouncy balls as they can be choking hazards. Start with the larger baseballs referenced above or perforated plastic golf balls. As with anything, always watch you toddler around plastics and small objects.
Plastic Golf Balls
Bucket of Foam Golf Balls
Toddler Golf Glove
Toddlers like to look like mom and dad - and having their own golf glove is a cool touch. Golf gloves can also help kids to grip a club better and not have it slip in their hands. There are not many golf gloves that are small enough for toddlers but the Tot Jocks Toddler golf glove and Finger Ten kids golf gloves are two good options that are made for toddlers and have very good feedback from buyers.
These toddler golf gloves are available in both left hand (for right handed toddlers) and right hand (for left handed toddlers).
Once juniors reach the age of approx. 5 years old you should look at older kids junior golf gloves that we have reviewed and rated.
Clubs for older kids and teens
Once kids reach about 39 inches and taller they can transition into specially made light-weight kids clubs. For information on how to choose the best golf clubs for kids refer to our article Best Kids Golf Clubs. As kids get closer to their teenage years, their swing speeds and strength will increase and they will be able to transition from kids golf clubs to adult clubs that are suitable for juniors.
Plush Golf Set for Newborns
Mud Pie's My First Golf Bag plush set is an adorable 5-piece interactive set for newborns through when the child outgrows it naturally. The bag holds plush golf ball, driver, putter and putting green with kid friendly texture and coloring for hours of imaginary play.
Conclusion
In the end, (or rather in the beginning) you cannot make the decision for your toddler (or teenager for that matter) that they are going to become a golfer - but you can certainly provide the tools and opportunity for your child to explore the possibilities on his or her own. See also our article: Can My 3 Year Old Start Golf?
As the great Bobby Jones once said : You swing your best when you have the fewest things to think about. The toddler years are probably the best time to start swinging, in this case!
