The Weird World of High School Golf

High School SnoozicalI’ve come across a number of people over the years who played golf in high school. It makes me wonder if I would have been a better golfer if I too had begun at an early age. Maybe so – they say the brain responds more effectively to training at a young age. But then again, maybe not.

High school golf experiences depend, obviously, on what high school you go to. There are the golf teams at high-brow prep schools, where the movers and shakers of the future go to lash out at their disciplinarian overlords until they make it through puberty. Then, at many public schools, however, the golf team is often a place for students to slack off and get an easy PE credit.

Perhaps learning to play golf in a competitive environment at a young age may have made me a better golfer. Or maybe it would have made me disillusioned, and prompted me to give up golf entirely. I’ve seen a lot of high school golfers, driven by their “Tiger Moms (and Dads)” who never really liked it in the first place. Usually, they are turned off and may never return to the sport.

As it is, I’m happy with my golf game. I picked it up at about 40 years old, and once I started the Pause-N-Throw, it became in interesting research project for me. Developing this training aid, had definitely improved my game, as it will yours. But for anyone entering high school, the golf team might be something you’re glad you did – even if it takes you decades to come to that conclusion.