Randy Chang would like to infuse a healthy dose of reality into today’s junior golf instruction. No pain, no gain has no shot in his vernacular. In fact, it’s the swings kids are emulating or being taught these days that are painful for him to watch.
Sports injuries and head trauma have been in the news the past few years, but the bulk of the attention has centered on football, soccer and other rough-and-tumble sports. Golf? Not so much. But career-interrupting injuries to popular players such as Tiger Woods and Natalie Gulbis should be warning signs that golf and its repetitive motions and search for power can take a toll on a person before they reach the age of senior citizenship.
And, much like youths who are slumped over a laptop, reclined in an awkward position or constantly staring down at their phones, the bad habits and potential for injuries start when they’re young. With golf, a club that is too heavy or long for a child can lead to bad mechanics, just as a swing that is too twisting, violent or ends with a bowed back could be a neck or back injury waiting to happen.
“When we’re starting them as young as we are, we have a responsibility to make sure we’re not hurting them,” said Chang, who is being highlighted in this issue with other regional people working to make the game more fun and productive for juniors. “Many of the kids are told to stay down through the swing and they finish with a reverse C. They’re limber enough to do that, and it’s not hurting them now, but we’ve seen what can happen down the road.”
Chang, the PGA director of instruction at Journey at Pechanga, is the Southern California PGA Youth Player Development Instructor of the Year for 2015. His mission in golf, he said, is to develop a love of the game in younger players and to get the family to the course to play. His Tiny Tees program at Journey and other sites in the Southland is an introduction to golf and teaches children 3 to 6 years of age the basic swing, short game and social skills in a fun environment.
“I’m honored to be recognized for my efforts in moving the game of golf forward,” Chang said. “My goal is to make golf accessible to juniors. We’re not teaching them to become the next Rory McIlroy or Jordan Spieth, though if they get there that’s a bonus. We develop a love of the game for a lifetime.”
After spending the majority of his adult life in golf instruction or management positions, Chang knows that the game offers a chance for recreation and bonding for multiple generations. But the kids have to like golf enough to stay with it beyond a few hitting sessions at the range.
“Making it fun is crucial,” he said. “We have our traditionalists, which is fine, because golf is never going to go away. We’ll always have the traditional game of golf. But in this day and age of millennials and another new generation coming in, keeping them interested is the key.”
