Junior Golf: 5 Essentials for Hot Weather

In this Friday Flop Shot we’ll look at some things that are critical for success when it’s hot. These are always important but hot weather is different and that makes them even more essential.

What is your definition of hot? Maybe it’s 85 degrees for some of you but really most of our bodies notice the heat as the outside temperature approaches our body temp of 98.6. And certainly more humidity makes the heat more oppressive.

Hot weather can take a toll on any athlete and our kids are more susceptible to its affects than we are.

To give your junior golfer the best chance of success, make sure he/she has these items:

1. Refillable water bottle. Drinking 3 or 4 bottles during 18 holes is probably about right. Sipping is better than gulping. Before teeing off and at the turn, ask the tournament staff to please make sure all on-course water supplies are constantly refilled. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had an afternoon round and there was no water on the course. It’s absolutely inexcusable and don’t put up with it. Down here most tournaments tolerate or even announce that it’s OK for parents to give their kids water or Gatorade, yes, during a tournament round. Kids’ safety first! Please double check with the Tournament Director to avoid a possible DQ.

2. 2 towels, a larger towel for the bag and a smaller one for face and hands.

3. Extra gloves, maybe 2 or 3. Your child is going to sweat. A wet glove is useless.

4. A hat, cap, visor or head band to keep salty sweat from running down into their eyes.

5. Sunscreen. Please don’t bathe in it. We use very little and it’s mostly on nose, ears, cheeks, etc.

Of course, there are many more items on your pre-tournament checklist like snacks, balls, tees, counting clubs and so on, but the 5 items above are particularly critical when high temperatures prevail.

See you on #1 tee ready for the heat…Sam

Junior Golf: Snacks That Beat the Heat

In today’s Wednesday Waggle we’re taking a look at how, in the middle of summer, your kiddo can have snacks that beat the heat.

All athletes must replenish calories during competition and your junior golfer is no different. So when it’s time for a healthy munchie, which for golfers is about every 3 or 4 holes, and your son/daughter reaches into the bag to pull one out and they get a handful of inedible mush, it’s not good.

First off, the calories are lost and now one hand is yucky and must be cleaned so the next shot can be hit. Hope he/she has a water bottle and towel!

Here in South Texas there’s plenty of warm/hot weather golf so we have some snacks that will definitely beat the heat. It did take a few tries so we could eliminate some things that sounded good but didn’t work out.

Snacks that hold up in the heat:

1. Jerky is a perfect source of protein, a little fat, some salt and it’s immune to the weather. 2 reasons we buy ours at Costco: most, if not all, the jerky they carry has no msg. Also Costco usually has large bags with individual serving packs inside, very convenient!

2. Trail mix which includes fruit and perhaps M&Ms, although they can get soft in high heat. This provides protein, fat, some salt and carbs through the fruit/M&Ms. Do not get trail mix with loose chocolate or chocolate chips. It will melt and make a terrible mess.

3. Granola/protein/health bars. These are convenient but be aware: we stay with organic to avoid gmo’s which are prevalent in most grains. Also we avoid chocolate because of how messy it is in the heat. Some of these bars taste much better than the others. Take your young golfer to the store and together choose several different bars to try before a tournament. The bar does no good if your child won’t eat it.

4. Cut up fruit. When in doubt, a banana or orange slices always works. Put ’em in a ziplock bag and the sticky cleanup is easy with some water or saliva. No protein or fat here, but there are some good carbs which is better than nothing.

5. PBJ, yes, a good ole peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut into 1/4’s for convenience. Fat, protein, carbs and salt all in one easy format.

Something that TV golf coverage doesn’t really show is how much the pros eat and hydrate during around. S3 and I caddied with Adam Scott’s group during the 2018 Valero Texas Open. Adam and his caddy always had water or a banana or part of a sandwich in their hands. It was the best possible example of how to take care of one’s hydration and nutrition during competition!

See you on #1 tee with a water bottle and snacks…Sam

Junior Golf: Patience And Safety

In this Friday Flop Shot we’re looking at 2 words that are critical to our junior golfer’s enjoyment of this wonderful game, but we don’t often hear very much about them.

Yesterday’s 1st round of the U.S.Open provided the pros with multiple opportunities to refamiliarize themselves with these words, patience and safety. Patience is a great attribute for all aspects of life and sports is included. When does your son need to be patient? There are several scenarios common to golf tournaments. Let’s look at 1. (photo offcoursegolf.com)

S3 played some junior events on a course here in San Antonio that had a tough par 3 with heavy woods on both sides of the fairway and around the green. So what, you say? Well it was common to have 3 or 4 groups stacked up on this tee box because so many kids were searching everywhere for balls plus par 3’s are notorious for getting backed up in certain situations and this is 1 of them. So your son must find his best way to deal with long delays. We always encouraged S3 to relax, hydrate and eat a few bites while staying somewhat in the reality that he was still playing in a golf tournament. And he was to loosen up after sitting around for sometimes 30 minutes. It doesn’t take long for your youngster’s muscles to stiffen up.

Patience is tough even for the pros. Once they get in their game groove they like to keep it going, particularly if they are playing well. And your son likely feels the same way. Stretching and warming up again, after a delay, are important for your son to resume play and to play well.

So yesterday was a tough day at Oakmont as there were 3 rain delays. Dangerous storms with lightning kept forming and passing through. Even though pros are pros and they are used to these things, they are still an additional mental and physical test. Lightning is serious and golfers, spectators and staff need to quickly get to shelter. Safety is #1 and Paul Azinger and Brad Faxon strongly stressed this point a lot during the Fox TV coverage. Please make your son aware that lightning is his enemy on the golf course and instruct him on proper ways to keep himself safe. (pgatour.com)

Combining patience and safety would be when the pros got off the course, because of lightning in the area, after marking their ball and then once the storm had passed, maybe after as much as a couple of hours, they went back out to resume play. Both announcers agreed that the last shot they wanted upon resuming play was a 5-foot putt. A full swing shot was much preferred, just to release some of the pent up anxiety and get back in their groove. So you see how the anxiety level is increased or decreased by the 1st shot the pro is facing after a delay, wow!

See you on #1 tee looking patient and no storms around… Sam

Junior Golf: More Stretching=Better Golf

In this Wednesday Waggle we’ll see how more stretching equals better golf. Yes, your daughter is as nimble and flexible as a piece of string, but she will benefit from proper stretching. The best golf is a result of many things including a body that is properly stretched out. Tight muscles just cannot get into the proper positions to execute good swings.

Even with the innate agility that comes with youth, your daughter still needs to start investigating a solid stretching, strength and conditioning program. The easiest to implement is the stretching because it requires no special equipment or clothing. 40 years ago the only guy doing anything remotely resembling these things was Gary Player. Look at him today. He looks great and can allegedly outwalk the young pros on tour! It’s no accident. His years of extra conditioning work have really paid off. (Jason Duffner photo from golfdigest.com)

Where do you start with the stretches? Our family has a series of stretches that have helped 100% of the folks we know have properly used them. These were given to me by an orthopedic surgeon 20 years ago when my lower back was knotted-up. They are designed to stretch pretty much everything on your back side from the base of your skull to your Achilles’ tendon. And with a knotted-up lower back, I was pain-free and better than normal after 16 days of doing these stretches 2x daily. Now they are an integral part of my fitness regimen. And they stretch the quads and calves too!

Today virtually everyone on the PGA/LPGA has some sort of fitness routine. The competition demands it. Sometimes kids take more readily to new things if they are fun, so here are 2 stretching situations that you can certainly make “fun” to your daughter. It is just plain “fun” to watch Miguel Ángel Jiménez do his brief stretches on the driving range. They are quick and easy, but they may not be the only warmups he does. Find a video and go for it. (photo from i.ytimg.com)

Another great video from The Golf Channel, I’m sorry I don’t remember the specific show: is one of the guest instructors showing quick stretches to do when your daughter is late getting to #1 tee and there is no time for formal routines. It is great and it takes just a minute or 2.

See you on #1 tee…and your daughter better be stretched-out and ready to play… Sam

Junior Golf: Emergency Kit

In this Friday Flop Shot let’s discuss what to put in the Emergency Kit for your son to carry in his golf bag. Unexpected situations happen on the golf course and having just a few items on hand can help keep him in competition. (photo from offcoursegolf.com)

A quart-size zipper-style bag is a perfect size to hold some items that your son probably need during one of his tournaments. The goal here is to provide some relief for weird accidents or illnesses that can show up out on the course. Remember, once your son reaches a certain age, maybe 9 or 10 years old, you can’t give him anything once he puts his ball in play. And verbal communication usually is strictly limited, as well. And if caddies are not allowed and his coach is nowhere to be seen and he gets hurt, he’s pretty much on his own unless he needs EMS.

Things we have seen that are disruptive and inconvenient, but still can be played through by your son are: blisters, headaches, seasonal allergies, stingers, bleeding-usually scratches from bushes and trees and brief periods of just not feeling right. So, please check with your medical professional, but here is what we put in the quart bag: bandaides, gauze pads-small, athletic tape, aspirin/ibuprofen, Alleve, Claritin D, small tube of antibiotic ointment and a small tube of sunscreen. Again, with the exception of coaches and caddies, once your son gets around 10 years old, he’s on his own where minor illness and injury are concerned. So the choices are only play through the discomfort or take something from this bag to help with the discomfort or the dreaded WD-withdrawal, which no youngster really ever wants to do.

Here’s our crazy real-life example: S3 was on his final hole of a high school tournament at the Ram Rock Course at Horseshoe Bay in Central Texas, always one of the Top 5 toughest courses in the state. He was playing well, maybe 2-over through 17-holes and just had this tricky par 3 to finish the round. Linda and I were looking back at the tee box from the green and watched in shock as S3 took a practice swing and collapsed on the ground. We rushed down there to find that his left knee had dislocated, causing the collapse. And it popped right back in as he stood up. I mean nobody had ever seen anything like this on the golf course. And like every true competitor, he said, “Dad, I’m finishing this round. It’s only 1-hole.”

Well, he wasn’t going to die from a dislocation, but I can’t imagine what was going through his mind as he hit his tee shot! Anyway, he bogied the hole, to complete a pretty good round. Please, at least with golf, don’t ever think you’ve seen everything, because our family can assure you that there is always something new and interesting waiting to show up when you are on the golf course. (photo from hsbresort.com)

The total weight of the golf bag is important, so keep the contents of the emergency bag to a minimum. Your son will appreciate, especially in hot weather during the last few holes.

See you on #1 tee… Sam

Junior Golf: The Best Rehab Strategy

In today’s Wednesday Waggle, we will look at the best injury rehab strategy. The goal is to get your daughter pain-free and ready to resume golf activities ASAP. A disciplined and consistent rehab program will be the key, but it includes more than just the formal rehab her medical professional has recommended. (Jason Duffner photo by golfdigest.com)

Diet is a big player in a comprehensive health and rehab program. While it seems kind and loving to provide the sugary treats and drinks that your injured youngster might ask for, sugar and cheap carbs are not helpful. Please keep these to a minimum. Perhaps the injury is an opportunity to introduce your daughter, and the rest of your family to healthier eating habits. High-quality protein shakes, clean meats, as in organic chicken or grass-fed beef and green veggies will help her body make repairs. Yes, she needs some carbs and there are ways to get them other than candy. Sweet potatoes are a very wholesome food item, give them a try. Explain that eating healthier will help her feel better faster and get back on the golf course sooner.

Be assured that Jason Day, last week’s PGA Championship winner, has been working a plan to combat his vertigo/dizziness for months. You may remember his heroic attempt to win the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, but his illness just wouldn’t let up and his final round took him out of contention. However, he and his team found a way/medicine/regimen to defeat or at least control his vertigo so he could play 4 great rounds of golf at Whistling Straits! This is no small feat since vertigo can be very difficult to overcome. Certainly Jason’s plan included medical components as well as diet and exercise. No stone could be left unturned. It took months of effort by Jason and his team to get past this illness and it may take as long or longer for your daughter. Be optimistic. ( photo wsj.com)

Recovering from injury is serious business and sticking with your medical professional’s rehab schedule is important. Don’t get in a hurry, as almost all youngsters do. If your daughter is ahead of schedule your therapist will let you all know.

Now, just one more thing. Let’s apply a mental aspect to her recovery. In survival training, the most important item for survival is a positive mental attitude, a can-do belief. Folks, the human mind is amazing and more and more research is proving that positive outlooks and emotions are extremely powerful and beneficial to quality and longevity of life. So Mom and Dad, you guys give your daughter positive support and thoughts and encourage her to do the same. Yes, this stuff works!

See you on #1 tee, and I had better see a good attitude… Sam

Summer Junior Golf: The Best Sunscreen and More

This Wednesday Waggle will wrap up our summer junior golf sunscreen coverage by naming the best sunscreen and providing more helpful hints. Protecting an outdoor athlete’s skin is very important and we hope you will take action on some of the information that has been offered. (Jason Duffner photo from golf digest.com)

In order to maximize your youngster’s skin protection, there are some items which are very beneficial:

1. drink plenty of water on a regular daily basis. We have already discussed hydration during practice and tournaments.

2. use antioxidants to help build an internal network of protection against sunburn. By eating foods high in these your kiddo is not only benefitting his skin, but the rest of his body as well. Strawberries, blueberries and blackberries have high some of the higher antioxidant concentrations. Most whole fresh vegetables and fruits, not fruit juices, are good sources.

3. moisturize your child’s skin before going outside. Organic coconut oil is an excellent choice.

4. OK, the best sunscreen, what is it? I know you’ve been on pins and needles! The EWG (Environmental Working Group) says: “The best sunscreen is a hat and a shirt. No chemicals to absorb through the skin, no questions about whether they work.”

Back in my childhood we would spend all day long at the beach, in and out of the water and when we were concerned about sunburn, what did we do? We put on a shirt and if we got burned, guess what, it was the skin not covered by the shirt! Yes, some wisdom is timeless. (photo by blitz conditioning.com)

There is a most interesting app called D-Minder. It has solid information about details of sun exposure at latitude and longitude and can answer a number of questions about the sun exposure in your geographic area. Quite informative.

You can spend your whole life studying sunburn, sunscreen and skin disease, so our information here is not even the tip of the iceberg. I encourage you to take control of your family’s health and make informed decisions.

See you on #1 tee and I don’t want to see your young golfer covered in white lotion… Sam.

Summer Junior Golf: 4 Things You Don’t Know About Sunscreen

This Monday Mulligan is introducing you to 4 things you don’t know about sunscreen and they are not good. Summer junior golf needs healthy skin protection and today we will offer some help for you to go down a better and healthier path to protect your family’s skin from overexposure to the sun. (photo by jenlefforge.com)

1. while UVA and UVB rays can cause sunburn, the UVA rays penetrate deeper and have the potential to cause more damage to skin and other tissue. UVB rays are very beneficial in the proper time of exposure as they help the body produce Vitamin D. So UVB rays and Vitamin D are good and you want to take advantage of your kiddo’s time in the sun to maximize his body’s ability to make Vitamin D. Really you want to block UVA rays, seriously, stay with me.

2. most sunscreens in the U.S. block UVB rays but have very little UVA blocking ability so, in effect, by applying commercial sunscreen you are actually inhibiting your child’s opportunity to increase his Vitamin D level. And correct Vitamin D levels are absolutely critical for good health.

3. most widely available sunscreens have chemicals that you may not want you child rubbing on his skin and then having that chemical penetrate deeper, possibly into internal organs. Check out this Dr. Mercola article for more details.

4. there are some good organic sunscreens available for purchase at Swanson Health Products and at Dr. Mercola’s website. And there are some decent sunscreen formutlations you can make at home. If you are not a do-it-yourselfer then buy a small bottle of a couple of different organic products and try them. See how they work. (photo from swansonvitamins.com)

Take control of your family’s health. What better habits to teach your children than healthy habits? Make a commitment right now to better health and better habits!

See you on #1 tee… Sam

Summer Junior Golf Tournaments: When to Use Sports Drinks

In today’s Monday Mulligan we are looking at when to use sports drinks in summer junior golf tournaments. As we near the end of this hydration series we can narrow the choices for the best liquids for our youngsters. (photo by jenlefforge.com)

Let’s look at what’s available at most golf courses:

1. tea and coffee. Depending on your junior golfer’s age, he may not be drinking any black tea, as compared to green tea, or coffee. Black tea and coffee, while they can be delicious, are not helpful when it comes to hydration. Both have caffeine which can overstimulate the kidneys to make urine and can end up actually speeding dehydration. So no black tea or coffee on game day. Green tea can be very healthy but since there are hundreds of varieties we will not discuss them here. If you must buy green tea we recommend avoiding brands with artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, Splenda, etc.

2. sodas. Frankly there are times that an ice cold soda really tastes great! Tournament day on the golf course is not one of those times. Caffeine, phosphoric acid and high fructose corn syrup are not your child’s friends and for now, please, take our word that soda should be avoided during competition.

3. good clean water. This has been addressed in my immediate previous posts and water should be your #1 choice for hydration in most circumstances.

4. sports drinks. These along with water are your 2 choices for hydration. While we wish more sports drinks would be made with sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup, there are still times that commercially available sports drinks are an extremely good choice for hydration. The general rule is that for normal workouts, conditioning and range time, water is your “go to” hydrater because in these situations sports drinks give you unnecessary calories and carbs and there is really no additional benefit compared to water. In tournaments, however, your kiddo may drink several sports drinks during 18-holes because of the length and severity of the tournament and conditions. While you are reading this, I will be caddying for S3 in a U. S. Amateur Sectional Qualifier, 36-holes walking in really pretty decent weather for this time of year in South Texas. I assure you we will be constantly sipping water and sports drinks and taking in proper  calories. (photo from itsourice.com)

So the bottom line on sports drinks is use them during competition, particularly in warm/hot weather when your kiddo’s body is losing fluids like crazy. Use water for normal workouts to avoid extra and unhelpful calories, carbs and high fructose corn syrup.

That’s is for now… See you on #1 tee… Sam

Summer Junior Golf Tournaments: Critical Information About Proper Hydration

In today’s Wednesday Waggle, we continue looking at summer junior golf tournaments and discuss more critical information about proper hydration.

Junior golf tournaments are fun, a lot of fun and S3 played in a bunch of them every summer. However they are golf’s version of a 5k, 10k or marathon. Walking 6, 9, 18 or 36 holes in hot weather takes a toll on everyone. So whether your child is an itty-bitty or a seasoned high school golfer, proper hydration is critical.

Your junior golfer is an athlete and your are now the parent of an athlete. Start thinking like the parent of an athlete. You are in charge and it’s up to you to guide your kiddo in ways that put them in a position to succeed. You set the tone in your family so if you and Mom or you and Dad do not drink water, it is time to change and start drinking water to set a good example. Don’t expect your youngster to drink water if you are not a water drinker. (photo of Jason Duffner from golfdigest.com)

Here are some helpful tips:
1. adults must set the example, period, as discussed above

2. drink some extra water during the 48-72 hours before an event, perhaps 20% more than normal. This is called “loading water”.

3. during an event your young golfer needs to be constantly sipping on water. Waiting until she is thirsty is not good during competition as her body is already being negatively affected by fluid loss.

4. buy a 12-16 ounce refillable bottle, a good one made from stainless steel or nalgene or other polymer than does not leach chemicals into the water it contains. Yes, there are times we all have used the plastic bottles that are never to be refilled, but once in a while there is no other choice. Our kids must have water.

Volumes have been written about the importance of good clean water and proper hydration and our family’s favorite book is Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D., readily available on the web. Get it and share the information with your family. It is a great book with readily usable information.

What better legacy can you leave your kids than to ingrain them with healthy habits? Proper hydration is a great place to start.

See you on #1 tee…and everybody better have a water bottle… Sam