How to Teach Golf to a 5-Year-Old

Introducing your 5-year-old to the game of golf should feel like a day at the park, not a formal lesson. The secret is to prioritize fun above all else, focusing on play and exploration to build a lifelong love for the sport. This guide will walk you through exactly how to do that, covering everything from making it safe and fun to introducing the basic movements and turning practice into a series of exciting games.

Start with Fun and Safety, Not Technique

Before a single ball is hit, we need to set the scene. For a 5-year-old, the primary goals are simple: have a blast and stay safe. If you get these two things right, you've won the day. Forget about perfect form or hitting pro-level shots. That’s not the point right now.

The Golden Rule: Make It a Game

At this age, golf is not a sport of pars and bogeys, it's a game of hitting a ball with a stick towards a cool target. Your role is less of a coach and more of a "fun-director." If your child is laughing and wants to stay longer, you are doing it perfectly. The moment it feels like a chore, you’ve lost them. High-fives, celebrating small successes (like just making contact!), and plenty of encouragement are your most important teaching tools.

Essential Safety Guidelines

Golf clubs, even lightweight kids' clubs, can cause injury. Establish these non-negotiable safety rules before you even hand them a club:

• The Safety Circle: Use a hula hoop or draw a circle on the ground. This is the "swing zone." Only the person swinging is allowed inside the circle.
• One Swinger at a Time: Make it a clear rule. When one person is hitting, everyone else stands back in a designated "observation" spot, far behind the hitter.
• Always Check Behind You: Teach them to look behind them before they even think about swinging, just to be sure no one is there.
• Never Walk in Front: Instill the habit of always walking behind other golfers.

Gear Up for Fun (Not for the Tour)

You don't need a top-of-the-line set of clubs. In fact, a fancy set might be too heavy and unwieldy. Start small and focus on equipment that makes it easy and enjoyable.

• Clubs: Start with plastic or oversized clubs. When you do upgrade, find an ultralight kids' set. The set should ideally contain a putter, a wedge, maybe an iron, and a small wood or driver. Look for clubs with flexible, lightweight shafts. Height is more important than age when fitting clubs, so make sure they’re the correct length.
• Balls: Forget real golf balls for now. Use foam balls, wiffle balls, or even tennis balls. They are safer, less intimidating, and won't a break a window. They also don't travel as far, which is perfect for a small practice area.
• Targets: Use anything but a tiny hole. A pop-up laundry hamper, a hula hoop lying on the ground, a cardboard box, or a brightly colored beach towel all make fantastic, inviting targets.

Introducing the Building Blocks: Grip, Stance, and Swing

Now that we have the fun and safety sorted, we can gently introduce some of the basic movements. Remember to use analogies and simple language. Connect the movements to actions they already understand.

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How to Hold the Club: A Simple "Handshake"

A complicated grip will only cause frustration. The most important thing is that their hands are working together comfortably. Forget the interlock or Vardon grip you might use. The best grip for a young child is the 10-finger (or baseball) grip.

Here’s how to teach it:

1. Have them hold the club out in front of them with their lead hand (left hand for a righty).
2. Tell them to place their trail hand (right hand for a righty) on the club right underneath the lead hand, with the pinky finger of the trail hand touching the index finger of the lead hand.
3. All ten fingers should be on the handle, much like they are holding a baseball bat. It’s natural, comfortable, and provides a stable connection to the club.

Don't worry about knuckle alignment or thumb positions. Just check that their hands aren't twisted in an extreme way. The palms should generally face each other.

The Stance: Getting Ready for Action

The "athletic posture" is an unfamiliar feeling. Use physical cues and comparisons to other sports they know.

• Foot Position: Have them stand with their feet about as wide as their shoulders. Ask them to "get in their ready position like they're about to play tag" or "stand like a goalie in soccer." This naturally creates a balanced base.
• Knee Bend: From a standing position, tell them to bend their knees just a little bit. A slight flex is all they need to feel athletic and un-stiff.
• Leaning Forward: This is the strangest part for kids. Ask them to "stick their bottom out" slightly and bend forward from their hips, not their waist. A great cue is to tell them to "let their arms hang down naturally," like a monkey. The club should rest on the ground comfortably without them having to reach or feel cramped.

The Swing: A Roundabout, Not a Hammer

If you take one idea from expert coaching, let it be this: the golf swing is a rotational action. It moves around the bodyin a circle, not up and down like chopping wood. Simplify this concept for your 5-year-old.

Avoid talking about swing planes or wrist hinge. Use these cues instead:

• "Tick-Tock": For putting and short chips, the "tick-tock" rhythm of a clock is perfect. Small motion back ("tick"), small motion through ("tock"). This teaches rhythm and tempo.
• Turn and Turn: For bigger swings, focus on the body. Instead of saying "swing," say "turn." Say things like, "Turn your belly button back away from the target, then Turn your belly button to face the target." This promotes a body-driven, rotational motion rather than an all-arms swing.
• The "Superhero Finish": The follow-through is a vital part of a balanced swing. Encourage them to finish their swing facing the target and hold their "finish pose like a superhero" until the ball lands. This prevents them from stopping at the ball and encourages a smooth acceleration through impact.

Bring on the Games: Fun Drills and Activities

Drills are boring. Games are fun. Reframe every practice activity as a game with a clear, achievable objective. This is where you’ll see the most engagement and progress.

Putting Games

The putting green (or your living room carpet) is the perfect first classroom. Success is easy to achieve and it builds confidence.

• Feed the Animal: Get a medium-sized cardboard box and draw a funny face on it. The goal is to "feed the animal" by putting the ball into the box's mouth (a cutout hole).
• Putt Tic-Tac-Toe: With sidewalk chalk or some rope, create a large tic-tac-toe board on the green. Players take turns trying to land their ball in a square to claim it.
• Ladder Drill: Place three towels or pieces of painter's tape on the floor at different distances (e.g., 3 feet, 6 feet, 9 feet). The goal is to putt one ball to land between the starting line and the first towel, one between the first and second, and so on.

Chipping Games

Chipping introduces the concept of getting the ball in the air, but in a controlled way that feels less chaotic than a full swing.

• Land on the Island: Lay a towel or hula hoop on the ground about 10-15 feet away. The towel is a deserted island, and the goal is to land the ball on it. Balls that land on the "island" are safe, balls that miss are "in the water."
• Over the River: Place a pool noodle or rope (the "river") a few feet in front of the hitting area. The only goal is to chip the ball so it flies over the river. This helps them understand that striking down on the ball makes it pop up.

Full Swing Fun

When it’s time for bigger swings, use foam balls and big targets. The feeling of making solid contact is the only feedback that matters here.

• Jungle Wrecking Ball: Set up a pyramid of empty plastic bottles or cereal boxes. The goal is simple and satisfying: knock them down with the "wrecking ball" (the golf ball).
• Blast Off!: On a field, place a cone or a colorful marker about 20 yards away. Challenge your child to hit a shot that rolls past that marker. As they get better, move the marker further back. This gives them a clear sense of progression without the pressure of a perfect swing.

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Final Thoughts

Teaching a 5-year-old to play golf is a journey of patience, creativity, and shared joy. Focus on turning it into their new favorite game by celebrating effort over results, keeping instructions simple, and always ending on a high note. If they walk away with a smile, looking forward to the next time, you've succeeded.

As they grow and their questions get more specific, it can be tough to provide the right answers for your own game, let alone theirs. It’s times like these when I found having an expert resource on hand becomes invaluable for me as the teacher. With a tool like Caddie AI, I can ask any golf question that pops into my head and get a clear, simple answer in seconds. This helps me improve my own understanding, making it far easier to translate those concepts into fun, simple instructions for the youngest golfers.