How to help your child start golf, even if you don’t play.

You can be helpful without being the swing coach.

You can arrange a place to play, find equipment that fits, take turns, ask questions, and notice effort. You do not need to invent a lesson plan or have all the technical answers. You can learn alongside your child, whether you want to play yourself or simply understand what they are learning.

First Tee’s advice for non-golfing parents is to be interested and supportive, including letting children explain what they have learned. That makes a useful starting point for a family: be a partner in the experience rather than a running commentary on every shot. [1]

Try asking your child to choose a target or explain a game. Afterward, ask which part they want to do again. There is no need to turn every practice into a score review.

A place to practice, equipment to use, and a way to learn.

Getting started involves more than choosing clubs. You need a way to practice and something useful to do once the equipment is out. TROSS brings those decisions together: each kit combines junior clubs, a bag, a practice net, a mat, golf balls, soft practice balls, and an included period of app access. The club selection, practice gear, and access period vary by kit.

That gives your family options: an indoor practice session with the net, mat, and foam balls where space and equipment instructions support the activity, practice in a suitable backyard, or time together in a park area where golf practice is permitted. Choose the equipment and activity for that particular space, check with park staff before setting up, and follow the final equipment instructions with adult supervision.

The TROSS app is being built to connect that equipment with junior golf instruction, rules and etiquette, games, and challenges. Kids can learn a skill and have something fun to try with their clubs. Parents can learn alongside them, including parents who want to understand the rules for themselves or feel more confident helping their child.

Explore the kit comparison for the planned contents of each kit and the app preview for the learning experience in development. You can use the simple activities in these guides while launch content is being prepared.

Plan a first session that is easy to repeat.

Choose the place before the activity.

A supervised putting activity on a clear, level surface is a simple option. At home, use soft practice balls and check the putter’s entire movement area. The putting green or a junior introduction session at a golf facility may be another option; ask staff about access, equipment, and rules before arriving.

TROSS includes a practice net, mat, and yellow foam balls to help families practice at home. With enough clearance for your child’s club and the ball path, a properly set up indoor practice station can support chipping and full swings as well as putting, within the equipment’s intended use. Our home practice planning guide helps you match the setup and activity to your space.

Use equipment the child can manage.

Ask about borrowing or trying a suitable junior putter before buying a larger set. Check the maker’s height guidance and the child’s comfort. Our club sizing guide explains why age labels and gripping down cannot solve every fit issue.

Explain the turn-taking routine.

Only one person plays at a time. Everyone else stays outside the club’s reach and ball path. Stop, put the club down, and then collect the balls. If you cannot keep that routine under control, pause the activity and simplify the setup.

Offer one game and an easy finish.

Try rolling a ball into a wide, flat target zone. Let the child choose whether to repeat it, try an easier version, or finish. A brief enjoyable attempt is more useful than completing a quota after interest has gone.

Adapt the activity to the child, not just the age.

These age groups match the way TROSS organizes parent ideas. They are optional ways to adjust an activity, not claims about what every child should be able to do.

• Ages 5–6: offer one simple target, keep explanations brief, and let the child repeat a favorite game. A wide target and a nearby starting point can remove unnecessary difficulty.
• Ages 7–8: offer a choice between two games and let the child help set the target. Keep scoring optional.
• Ages 9–12: invite the child to choose a personal challenge, design a putting hole within the agreed space, or explain a coach’s instruction in their own words.

Use the easier option at any age if it produces a better experience. A new twelve-year-old and an experienced eight-year-old do not need the same task simply because of their birthdays.

PGA coach Mariana Gottret recommends keeping instruction simple and praising the process rather than comparing children. If a coach has given one specific cue, help the child remember that cue instead of adding several competing fixes. [2]

How to guide their next step.

Start with one skill, one activity, and a chance to try again. The TROSS app is being built around that lesson-to-practice flow: junior golf technique, rules, and etiquette connected to games and challenges for kids and parents. You can explore the working app preview now; training content and features are still being developed for launch.

For now, repeat a game from this guide or follow instruction your family already uses. When app lessons become available, choose one that matches the child’s experience and your practice space. Keep explanations simple and let the child show you what they are learning.

Where an in-person coach can help

A junior coach can complement guided practice with feedback on your child’s own swing. Consider individual help when a difficulty keeps causing frustration or you want to introduce full swings in a suitable setting. Ask a coach or fitter if equipment fit remains uncertain; an app lesson cannot confirm an individual fitting or approve a home setup.

Before booking, ask about experience with beginners of your child’s age, lesson format, safeguarding and supervision arrangements, loan equipment, and how parents should participate. A qualification is useful information; the instructor’s ability to work patiently with your child matters too.

First Tee encourages beginners to ask staff and coaches for help and treats taking turns and consideration for others as part of learning the game. You do not need to master the entire rulebook before asking about a first visit. [3]

Let progress stay personal.

Notice a child remembering to wait, choosing a sensible target, handling a missed putt calmly, or asking to try again. These observations do not replace coaching or prove a technical skill, but they help you understand whether the experience is working for your family.

If the child asks to stop, put the club down and finish. You can offer another opportunity later. If something hurts, stop rather than trying to coach through it.