Although this can start some debates, Tiger Woods is very likely the best golfer that the game has ever seen.
If you like the game of golf, chances are you have come across Tiger Woods at some point and read about his impressive history and experience.
Many golfers think that the more years you have been involved in the game, the better you can play.
This is not always the case, but a young start in golf can help.
Let’s look at how old Tiger Woods was when he started playing golf and the benefits of starting golf at any age.
When Did Tiger Woods Start Golfing?
Tiger Woods started with an interest in golf before he turned one year old.
By the time he was two years old, he was on television showing his skills.
This type of interest in golf at that young age is very rare.
Tiger Woods certainly was born with something quite special that most golfers do not have.
In addition to having the physical ability to become a professional golfer, Tiger Woods also has a strong mental game.
Mentally he has been talked about as being one of the strongest golfers to ever play the game.
You can see from his debut in the golf industry and playing on television at the age of 2 that he was a calm and focused child.
This is not something you expect from a two-year-old, and many people knew he was on to something even at that early point.
When you read about Tiger Woods and his career in the game, you will see that he had a lot of help and encouragement from his parents.
However, his natural desire to win and excel is something that can’t be taught.
Tiger Woods starting golf at such a young age created a major stir in the world of junior golf.
People started teaching kids how to play golf at very young ages so that they too could have a chance at a career like Tiger’s.
This has been mostly a good thing for golf as kids have been inspired to pick up the game.
However, it raises the question of whether or not it is beneficial to start golf at this age.
Do You Need To Play Golf As A Kid To Become A Professional?
Golfers are starting the game younger and younger.
When you look for junior golf equipment, you will find that there are dozens of options for golf clubs now, when just a few years ago, there may have only been five or six.
Junior golf continues to grow as more and more people realize that this is a great way to get kids outside and spend time with them.
When you play nine holes of golf, it will take at least two hours, and that’s a great period of time to bond with and spend time with your kids.
In addition, some young kids start playing golf because they are looking for scholarships to college or a career.
To become a professional golfer, you must have the right opportunities and breaks, a really strong work ethic, and some natural ability.
Starting as a young kid can help to develop skills and make sure that players are ready to play in college and beyond.
However, it is not necessary.
There are plenty of professionals that started playing in their teens or even older and still made it onto the professional tours.
It is certainly more common for the junior golfer to start young and take the game to the professional level.
There are times when young kids get a bit burnt out on the game and end up quitting before they make it to adulthood.
Parents need to be especially aware of this trend and not push golf on young kids.
If kids end up liking the sport, they will take it quite far themselves.
What Is The Best Age To Start Golfing?
There is no perfect age to start golfing.
Depending on what age you are currently, there are various benefits to starting at almost any age.
We will tell you that if you start as a young kid and have a really good introduction to the game, the chance of you having more natural ability throughout your life will be considerably higher.
However, if you are older and have not yet started playing golf, don’t let that discourage you.
1. As A Young Kid
Young kids are the most receptive to learning how to play the game of golf.
They tend to have some natural hand-eye coordination and can make quick changes in their swing in the right direction.
Adults get inside their own heads and can restrict themselves from getting better by overcomplicating the process of learning the game.
With young kids, there is not quite as much confusion or restriction in their swing.
They are good at taking directions, haven’t read all the golf books, and certainly haven’t had as much poor instruction from friends and family.
Kids can also swing more freely as they have fewer issues regarding knee, back, or hip injuries and pain.
Kids that learn the game young are typically motivated by hitting the ball high or long, and that can help keep them interested.
If you are teaching a young kid to play golf, make sure they have the right equipment and that they do not get frustrated.
Kids’ golf equipment is lightweight and easy to use and helps encourage success from a young age.
However, if a young child feels the club is too heavy or gets a blister on their hand, they will lose interest quickly.
Be prepared to introduce your child to the game the right way, and chances are they will become a golfer for life.
2. Teenager
Teenagers are often looking for things to do.
With school still leaving plenty of time in the day to do other activities, golf can be a perfect way to fill the void.
Many schools offer golf teams for teenagers, and sometimes they will even teach the game.
Teenagers tend to have much better coordination than younger kids, and this makes a big difference in how far they can hit the ball.
Teenagers that play golf and play well often get invited to play in a group with adults that can teach them quite a bit about the game.
Some golf courses have a rate for younger golfers, and teenagers should look to take advantage of this as much as they can.
Teenagers should be aware of the equipment they are purchasing and find something that is an exact fit for their height.
Many times teenage golfers try to take their parent’s or grandparents’ old clubs and make them work.
This is not always the case, and teenagers should check their height compared to the clubs they play.
Many players that started as a teenager have gone on to play college and professional golf.
This is still considered an early start in the game of golf.
3. Working Professional
A working professional sometimes has to pick up the game of golf to be able to play in a golf event for work.
This can be a tough age to learn the game.
Learning to play golf takes time, and these people are typically the most time-strapped.
However, if you have some good natural physical ability, this could be a good age to start.
One strong positive to learning golf at the working professional age is there is typically a higher budget to join a club, play golf more often, and purchase great golf equipment.
Other groups of golfers can struggle with the costs to get involved in the game, but working professionals should not have these same concerns.
As a working professional who is short on time, we highly recommend getting a series of golf lessons to start learning the game.
Professionals can target exactly what your issues are in your golf game and how to lead you to success.
If you rely on friends or take the self-taught route, it could take a while to perfect your skills.
Working professionals should try to dedicate a little time to practicing at home as well.
Putting mats or chipping nets at home can give you a few extra minutes of practice each day, and this can make a big difference in how long it takes to learn the game.
Many people in this age group will comment that they wish they had learned the game when they were younger.
Certainly, it would be a quicker process, but it’s certainly not impossible to learn as a working professional.
Most young professionals will not take the game all the way to a professional level with this slightly later start in the game.
However, nothing is stopping that from happening, and there is always the senior tour if it takes a little longer to learn the game.
4. Retired Beginner Golfer
Last but certainly not least are the golfers that learn the game of golf after they retire.
Of course, this is the time in your life when it is going to take you the most amount of time to learn the game.
However, this is also the time in your life when you should have the most time available to learn.
Retired golfers don’t have work to get in their way of learning the game, but they will have to battle physical ailments and sometimes a restricted budget.
As we age, our bodies start to slow down, and they don’t move in the same way they once did.
For senior golfers, this can be frustrating and restrictive.
The good news for new golfers in this age group is that they won’t have to worry about comparing their old distances to their senior golf distances.
If you have been playing your whole life and hitting the ball 300 yards, accepting a 200-yard drive can be difficult.
However, for players that start as a senior, this won’t be a concern.
Overall senior golfers can take the learning process slow, and it can be a great way to meet people and spend your time.
If you are worried about staying busy during retirement, the game of golf can fix this issue rather quickly.
Golf takes lots of time.
Between practice and playing, you will spend hours a day perfecting the game.
Some seniors find that if they are competitive people, there are opportunities for golf tournaments and events to stay competitive in retirement.
Not many sports allow players to enjoy the game for their entire lives.
This is why golf has continually been one of the most popular sports for retired people.
Should I Teach My Child To Play Golf?
As we can see, Tiger Woods had a major advantage starting the game of golf as a young kid.
However, not all kids are going to be great at the game, and they won’t all find that playing golf is a good fit for them.
We highly recommend exposing the game of golf to your kids.
Just as you should expose them to any sport or activity that you think could be a good match for them.
We have seen many young kids who thought they might not even like golf really enjoy it.
There are ways to help make the transition into becoming a golfer considerably easier.
Buy golf equipment that specifically matches the height and strength of your child.
Getting a kid set up with the right equipment can make for a much more enjoyable entrance into the game.
The other thing you want to ensure is that you don’t push the game too hard on a kid.
If you are pushing the game too much, it can turn anyone from wanting to play.
The best thing to do is follow your child’s lead and see how much interest they show.
In addition, it makes sense to make the game competitive and fun to help increase interest.
It could be a long time before your child can play a competitive round of golf against you.
However, there are ways to make putting and chipping contests with young children fair, fun, and competitive.
Tiger Woods’s parents were very involved in his development as a young player, but you can also see that there were times when they followed Tiger’s lead.
They expected him to work hard and to give his full effort.
However, they knew that to take the game to the level Tiger did, he had to be internally driven.
Last but not least, expose your kids to great golfers.
Let them learn the history of the game and develop favorite players.
Spending more time learning about why the game of golf is so special will certainly help to create motivation.
How Old Was Charlie Woods When He Started Playing Golf?
Charlie Woods is a great junior golfer that also happens to be the son of Tiger Woods.
Although Tiger started golf as a baby, Charlie may not have been very far behind.
Recently when Tiger and Charlie played together in an event, there were some videos released of Charlie playing golf at the age of 4.
Tiger is very careful when he describes Charlie’s golf career.
He wants to make sure that the world knows that Charlie is on his own path, and it’s a different one than Tigers.
Charlie may decide to be a professional, or he may simply just enjoy playing great golf.
Conclusion
We hope you now have a better understanding of when Tiger Woods started playing golf and the advantage that this gave him.
Would it have impacted Tiger’s career all that much had he not started until he was five or six?
Most likely not.
However, he had really good hand-eye coordination and attention to detail from a very young age, and it made sense to teach Tiger as soon as he showed that interest.
If your kids are showing an interest in the game of golf, get them started.
They will likely thank you for it later when they realize the importance of this lifelong skill.
Golf is something you will always have, and it’s a great choice to teach young players how special this game is.
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