Common Junior Golf Swing Faults and Simple Fixes
The swing issues coaches see most often in young golfers, and simple, low-pressure ways to work on each one.
Every junior golfer develops a few quirks in their swing as they learn, and that's normal - golf is a genuinely difficult motion to coordinate, especially for a growing body. A handful of faults come up again and again in junior coaching, and most have simple, low-pressure fixes that don't require overhauling a child's whole swing.
Grip pressure that's too tight
Many young golfers grip the club far harder than they need to, especially when they're excited to hit the ball hard. A tight grip restricts wrist hinge and speed, and often shows up as tension through the whole swing. A simple fix is the "toothpaste tube" cue - hold the club firmly enough to control it, but gently enough that you wouldn't squeeze anything out of an imaginary tube of toothpaste in your hands.
Over-swinging in search of distance
It's natural for kids to want to hit the ball as far as possible, and that often leads to a backswing that's longer than the body can control, causing the club to lose its structure at the top. Rather than telling a child to "swing shorter," a more effective fix is shifting the focus to balance: can they hold their finish position, on balance, for a few seconds after the shot? Chasing a balanced finish naturally shortens an over-long swing without the child feeling restricted.
Early extension (standing up through impact)
Standing up out of the athletic setup posture as the club approaches the ball is one of the most common faults in junior golf, usually caused by a young player instinctively trying to help the ball into the air. A simple fix is to have the child keep their back against a wall, chair back, or an alignment stick a few centimetres behind their hips during slow-motion practice swings, so they feel what maintaining posture through impact is meant to feel like.
Looking up too early
Lifting the head and eyes to see where the ball went before the swing is finished is another very common junior fault, and it usually causes thin or mishit shots. Because it's driven by excitement rather than poor technique, the best fix is often simply patience and reassurance - reminding a young golfer they'll see the ball flight soon enough, and encouraging them to listen for the sound of a good strike instead of trying to watch it happen.
Should every swing fault be corrected straight away?
No. Junior coaching generally works best when one fault is addressed at a time, chosen for whichever is most affecting contact or consistency right now. Trying to fix grip, posture, swing length and head movement all in the same session usually overwhelms a young golfer and can slow progress rather than speed it up.