Aiden started his first golf lessons in a group environment to see how he would do. It went pretty well. There were about 8-10 kids and I lost track at one point. They normally do not start kids until 5 years of age because of their attention span and their ability to understand terminology that a 3 year can barely grasp. However, since Aiden showed an interest in golf at 21 months and can behave, we gave it a shot for the first time and the instructor agreed to take him. Aiden was the youngest of the group, but all the kids made him fit in.
The instructor was very patient. He would make a wonderful dad, if not already, based on my observation that day. He started off the lesson by showing the kids three different ways of gripping a golf club. He recommended that a 10-finger baseball grip with their thumbs pointing down the shaft was encouraged for now. Then, the kids took turn hitting the balls with the grip they learned and later moved together to the putting area.
For non-golfers, putting is the most important part of the game and it really takes technique and lots of practice. This is where Aiden came out of his shell when his instructor spent a few minutes teaching him how to putt. He concentrated and when he was able to score, he screamed out “I did it!.” Then, he said it again, “I did it.” Keep in mind; it was quiet until Aiden open his mouth. Ever since he started school, his personality has changed and he’s no longer shy. We sat from a distance (almost in hiding) so he wouldn’t be waving and screaming “Hi, Mommy!” I couldn’t bare but laugh because our little man was jumping in delight. He scored and made sure it was known to the instructor. He’s so goofy and makes us fall more in love with him every single day.
For Aiden’s 3rd birthday, I had a sign that read “follow your dreams” on his dessert and cake table. As parents, I can say that we’re not envisioning our son to be the next “Tiger Woods”. That would cause harm to our guy’s dream. We’re encouraging our boys to grow with dreams of their own because these are dreams that they should follow and not dreams of what their parents envision their life to be. I’m sure there are parents out there who have a desire to dream for their children because of their tender age, but that’s NOT us. Honestly, all we want from our boys is to make sure they have fun with what they’re learning and are happy. If not, it’s probably not meant for them and they would never be pushed to do it.
For now, these golf lessons are just for fun and to put him in a new learning environment.
Love my boys. XOXO.
Love my boys. XOXO.
Meet our little golfer (a mini-me of Papa Dang)
Practice makes perfect.
