Junior Golf: Let’s Sweat

In this Monday Mulligan we are going to embrace summer and the heat and humidity that many of us will be enjoying for the next few months. Being an athlete means playing your sport in the conditions at hand as long as the game can be properly played and participants and spectators are safe.”

If you or your daughter tends to make statements like, “Wow, it’s going to be hot today!”, or something similar, Linda and I recommend you engage in a change of attitude. Your daughter will play in many more events that are too hot, too cold or too rainy, than she will when it’s 75 degrees and low humidity. Accept it and learn how to deal with it, sooner, rather than later. (photo jennleforge.com)

Today we’re talking about sweat, the act of sweating. This is a healthy function helping with the body’s temperature regulation, the elimination of toxins and pollutants and removing the grit and grime that causes pimples. Hey is your junior golfer ready to go sweat now? Funny stuff!

You can surely see the LPGA and PGA players with wet shirts, skirts and pants. They sweat just like your junior golfer. But they know how to deal with all that moisture.

How does sweat impact you daughter’s ability to play well? 2 things come immediately to mind: 1st, she must have dry hands to properly grip and swing the club. Have at least 2 dry towels for wiping off hands, arms and face.And wear a glove on the weak hand-read right handed golfers wear a glove on the left hand. Take the glove off in between shots and when putting. Keep at least 2 spare dry gloves in the golf bag and again have 2 or more dry towels to wipe off with. 2nd, sweat must be kept from running down her forehead into her eyes. Did you ever wonder why so many pros wear visors, caps or hats? Sure fashion and endorsements are a part of it, but keeping the sweat and sun out of their eyes is the real reason, oh yeah and the endorsement money haha! (Tiger photo free republic.com)

S3 has always had a slight nervousness about sweaty-butt syndrome. This is, of course, when his backside is particularly wet on a hot and humid day. I think he quit thinking about it as much once it became clear to him that white underwear was the only option when wearing those beautiful white golf pants!

Your daughter is going to get sweaty on the golf course. Plan ahead with her clothing choices. The new breathable and wicking fabrics are wonderful. We no longer buy cotton golf shirts or underwear. Please educate yourself and your girl on the advances in sports clothing and the new fabrics that provide for a very comfortable time on the golf course.

See you on #1 tee, no sweat… 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

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

Junior Golf Tournaments: Last Minute Checklist

In today’s Friday Flop Shot, we’ll go over your last minute check list for junior golf tournaments. It is time to gather everything and head to the golf course. Your child is excited, really everyone is excited and it is easy to forget something important in the thrill of today’s possibilities! (Flop shot photo from offcoursefolfnetwork.com)

Take a breath and lets get started:

1. golf bag and clubs, 14-club maximum by rule.
2. golf balls, tees and 2 gloves
3. a towel or 2, small ones, for cleaning balls and clubs and to wipe face, hands, arms, etc
4. sunscreen and insect repellent
5. cap, visor, glasses
6. golf shoes

Proper clothing is another requirement. The mindset is that you want to dress nicely out of respect for the game, course and tournament. For boys it is basically wear slacks or Bermuda-length shorts , with belt and collared golf shirts tucked in. Denim shorts, jeans, T-shirts, sleeveless shirts, denim shirts and shirts with inappropriate words or images are not permitted.

Girls are asked to wear blouses with sleeves or sleeveless blouses with collars. The most popular top for female golfers, however, is the polo-style shirt. Turtleneck tops are also widely accepted. Inappropriate tops for the golf course include T-shirts, halters and tank tops. For warm weather, girls are mostly wearing crops, shorts or skorts. Jeans, sun dresses, sweats or athletic pants are all considered improper. (photo from paloaltojrgolf.com)

Last but not least is nutrition and hydration. Make sure your golfer get a good meal, but not too heavy or spicey before teeing off. During the round, which can be as long as 5 hours, your kiddo must have a lot of hydration and additional nutrients. Good clean water is best and some sports drinks are OK as well. Snacks for summer golf are tricky, because some are made inedible by the heat. Foods that work are: gummy bears in the small baggies as the brain must have some glucose. Additional excellent choices are peanut butter crackers, pbj sandwich cut into 4 pieces, small baggies of non-msg beef jerky and health/granola bars. Avoid chocolate as it turns into a nasty mess almost immediately in the summer heat. Remember that in most tournaments, unless you are the caddy, you cannot give you junior golfer anything once they have teed off. So these items must be in the bag.

Your junior golfer needs to drink fluids almost constantly and consume some food, just a few bites,every 3 to 4 holes.

Are you wishing you had reviewed this list last night-lol! Enjoy the tournament, these are some of the best times of your family life!

See you on #1 tee… Sam

Beat the Heat – Tips for Your Junior Golfer – part 1

Junior golf is not for the weak of heart! Ditto for parenting junior golfers…

Living in South Central Texas means your junior golfer will play a lot of tournaments in hot weather. Heat is a fact of life down here, “hot” is considered 95 degrees and above.
If you live or play where the temperature is a challenge, you need to prepare your JG (Junior Golfer) for the heat.

S3 (our son, Sam III) was five, playing in one of his first tournaments, when he mentioned how hot it was on the golf course. I began preparing him for his future in golf with my answer: “Son you live and play golf in South Texas and it is hot here most of the time. Together we will learn how to deal with the heat and the fact that it is hot, will not affect your game.”

Though he didn’t realize it, S3 was already beating the heat by being properly hydrated and in “golf shape”. In this post and the next, I’ll share some beat-the-heat tips; you can use to prepare your JG.

The Beat the Heat List:

1. Be physically prepared: Your Junior Golfer’s goal is have basically the same energy level at the end of their round as they had on #1 tee. Physical conditioning is paramount. There are a number of convenient ways to get your Junior Golfer in “golf shape”, here are a few:
• He or she should carry their bag and walk rather than ride
• Play 9 holes at least three times a week
• Eat healthy on and off the course (limit processed foods)
Many tournaments are won or lost on the last few holes and being in “golf shape” is a great advantage.

2. Wear light-colored clothing: Choose the dri-fit/quick dry/wicking type of polyester fabric. Be sure to include “wicking” socks…they really help keep your Junior Golfer’s feet comfortable. Nike, Adidas, PGA Tour, and Under Armour are just a few of the great brands we prefer. Check out their websites.

3. Hydrate in advance and during the round: Advance hydration means having your Junior Golfer drink about ½ their body weight in ounces of water every day…for at least 2 or 3 days prior to their event. If he or she weighs 80lbs, it would be 40 ounces. (As a fitness specialist, Linda teaches that everyone should be drinking this much water daily) Hydration choices during the round include: water, sports drinks and green tea (without artificial sweeteners). Our Junior Golfer prefers the original Gatorade or water. Encourage yours to drink throughout the round. Don’t let your Junior Golfer wait until they are thirsty to start drinking – by then they are becoming dehydrated.

4. Be mentally prepared: Following the first three tips will give your Junior Golfer a physical advantage in the heat. He or she also requires mental preparedness and you can help by saying, “You have really prepared well, now let’s go out, have some fun and play golf!”

5. Carry at least 1 large golf towel: A must-have to wipe away sweat, this is invaluable. (Cold watered-down towels are great to place on the neck of your Junior Golfer as well)

6. Keep Energy Level Balanced: Your Junior Golfer is burning a huge amount of calories and they lose many nutrients in their sweat. Performance suffers without nourishment. Foods that hold up in the heat: peanut butter crackers, pb & j sandwiches, fruit snacks, jerky (without msg) and whole-grain bars. Eat a few bites every 3 or 4 holes. S3 has made a tradition of eating ½ of a turkey and cheese sandwich-dry, at the turn. Hamburgers are down the list as they sit heavy on the stomach –maybe ½ a burger only. Hot dogs and sausages are off the list as they sit heavy and greasy. No chocolate –too messy in the heat. Remember –eat light and eat frequently!

Okay, my next post will cover six more tips you can use to beat the heat. Let me hear from you –Sam