Grades 9 to 10
Lesson #1
Learning Outcomes
•
•
•
•
Golf Fact:
Demonstrate knowledge of proper set-up, aim, and stroke of the putting
technique.
Demonstrate the ability to strike the ball through putting using close targets.
Demonstrate knowledge of proper putting technique through peer
assessment.
Demonstrate knowledge of proper golf etiquette.
The first Canadian
male to win a PGA
(Professional Golfers
Association) tour event
was Allan Balding in 1957.
Equipment
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Putters (one per student)
Putting Assessment Checklist – Appendix C (one per student)
Pen/Pencil (one per group)
Cones (two per group)
Indoor golf balls (five per group)
One set of golf clubs with bag
Pinnies (three blue, two red, one green)
Warm-up
Fitness Tag (4 minutes)
• Students may run anywhere in the gym to evade taggers. Instruct students to stay away
from walls, keep head up, and look out for other people. May use the basketball court as a
boundary.
•
Adaptations – Other exercises may be used, such as: push-ups, crunches, tuck jumps,
squats, lunges, plank, etc. Length of time may be shortened or extended.
Round 1 (1 Minute)
Round 2 (1 minute)
Round 3 (1 minute)
Three students wear blue pinnies and are “it”.
When tagged by a student
with a blue pinnie, that student must stop where they
are, perform 10 jumping jacks,
and then continue evading.
Give blue pinnies to new taggers.
Introduce two red pinnies.
When tagged by a student
with a red pinnie, that student
must perform 20 high knees.
Give blue and red pinnies to
new taggers.
Introduce one green pinnie.
When tagged by a student
with a green pinnie, that student must perform 5 burpees.
Blue = 10 Jumping Jacks
Red = 20 High Knees
Green = 5 Burpees
Stretching (3 minutes)
• Engage in a variety of stretches, including golf-specific stretches that target the muscle
groups used in golf movements. Refer to Appendix B for examples.
Golf iN Schools
11
Introduction & Assessment
Safety Instruction (5 minutes)
•
Review Safety Rules #1-4 with students (see Appendix A).
1.
2.
3.
4.
Only swing or hit a ball when instructed by the teacher.
Always look before you swing to make sure it is safe.
Stay well behind those who are swinging.
Carry your club in a cane position.
Golf Etiquette Explanation
Talking quietly. It is important to keep your
voice at a low level to avoid distracting the
person taking their shot.
Golf Etiquette (5 minutes)
Introduce golf etiquette tips to students:
•
•
•
•
•
Talking quietly
Counting strokes/keeping score
Order of play
Where to stand
Waiting your turn
Counting strokes/keeping score. Golf is
a game of honour and honesty. However,
you are not required to keep score if you are
playing recreationally or just for fun!
Order of play. The person with the lowest
number of strokes on the previous hole will
shoot first on the next hole. If there is a tie,
keep the same order. When the ball is in
play, the person with the greatest distance
to the hole will shoot first.
Where to stand. Do not stand in the sightline of the person shooting.
Putting Instruction (5 minutes)
•
•
•
•
Waiting your turn. You must wait until the
group ahead of you has left the hole before
you may begin.
Demonstrate proper putting technique
Students model without putter (2-3 repetitions)
Break down technique into component parts,
as students model each part
Putting Skills Cues
• Skill components:
1. Feet shoulder-width apart,
• Set-up
slight bend in the knees
»» Grip, Stance, Posture
2. “Tic” - slight backswing
• Direction / Aim
“Toc” - forward stroke
»» Aware of target
3. Follow-through at target
• Stroke
»» Pendulum motion
Students demonstrate the entire sequence with a putter (5 repetitions).
Putting Common Errors
1. Thumbs not on the top of the flat grip/handle
2. Posture may be very rounded or quite tall with minimal, or no, hip bend
3. Poor distance control - most often too big of a backswing, and therefore as a
coping mechanism to try and control the distance, very short follow-through
4. Over-use of the hands and minimal shoulder movement
12
Golf iN Schools
Putting Technique
•
•
•
•
Grip
• Palms face each other with left hand closer to the end of the club (for right-handed
golfer).
• Putter rests in fingers.
• Curl hands around and place thumbs on the top side of the putter. This will be slightly
different for all other clubs, as the putter grip (handle) is flat on top.
• Note: Opposite for left-handed golfers.
Stance and Posture
• Feet shoulder-width apart.
• Slight bend in the hips.
• Ball positioned slightly closer to front foot (left foot for right-handed golfer).
• Eyes over the ball.
Direction/Aim
• Feet, hips, and shoulders parallel and aimed slightly to the left of the hole (for righthanded golfer).
• Align the putter perpendicular to the intended target line.
• Set-up so follow-through aims directly towards the target.
Stroke
• Pendulum motion – “tick-tock”.
• Slight backswing.
• Club travels just above the ground.
• Club face stays straight; perpendicular to the body.
• Follow-through at the target.
• Head and eyes stay down after contact.
• Note: This is not a swing. The club face does not travel higher than ankle level.
SHORT
PUTT
SET UP
BACKSWING
FOLLOW THROUGH
FRONT
SIDE
Golf iN Schools
13
LONG
PUTT
SET UP
BACKSWING
FOLLOW THROUGH
FRONT
SIDE
Long Putting Common Errors
1. Thumbs not on the top of the flat grip/handle
2. Posture may be very rounded or quite tall with minimal, or no, hip bend
3. Poor distance control - most often too big of a backswing, and therefore as a
coping mechanism to try and control the distance, very short follow-through
4. Over-use of the hands and minimal shoulder movement
5. Feet/body alignment may be poorly aimed, often right of the target in order to
aim the feet at the hole rather than parallel left of the target
Practice and Assess (23 minutes)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Review the Putting Assessment Checklist with students (see Appendix C).
In small groups (2-4 students), students will set-up their own putting station with the target
cone against the wall. Groups may choose their own putting distance based on ability and
comfort level (less challenging 4-foot putt; more challenging 8-foot putt).
One student performs 5 putts, while the observers evaluate proper technique using the
Putting Assessment Checklist.
Observers discuss feedback with performer.
Student performs 5 more putts using feedback.
Observers re-evaluate.
Rotate until all students have had an opportunity to putt.
Clean up equipment.
What’s in the Bag (10 minutes)
•
Introduce and identify the components of each club and accessory in a golf bag
(see Appendix D).
Closure (5 minutes)
•
14
Review the putting skill cues and demonstrate proper technique. Try a long 15-foot putt for fun!
Golf iN Schools