I've found that you need to be a kid at heart to teach juniors. I find anything to make them remember what we're learning at the time. I've had them hit water ballons, long drive with marshmallows, time contest on how quick they can tee five balls up, straightest drive, tossing balls in a circle on the green, and hitting rubber ducks out of the sand. Make it fun at younger ages until they're ready to make real changes.

One of my favorite things to do in golf is to travel and play courses in different locations and different climates. I have found over the years that it requires a certain level of golfer to be able to handle the adjustments to a new environment and still be able to post the same scores that they do at home. It is one thing to be able to get the ball around your home course where you know every slope and every hazard - it is quite another thing to do it on a course that you have never seen before when you are thousands of miles from home. I believe that every golfer should try to take a trip at least once to test how their game holds up under different conditions. Not only is it great fun, but you can also learn a lot about your game and what parts of it need work. I am from the Seattle area where most golf courses are lined with trees and the turf is generally soft and damp. While my game is well suited to those conditions because they are what I am used to, I enjoy heading south to the desert to play on golf courses that are completely different than what I am comfortable with. It requires me to hit different shots, think differently, and adapt quickly in order to shoot good scores. If you do get a chance to take a golf trip, I have a few quick tips to help you play your best - Figure out yardages first. Depending on where you have traveled, there is a good chance that the ball will fly a different distance than it does at home. For that reason, make figuring out your yardages the first task on your list. Pay close attention to the shots you hit on the first few holes and quickly adjust once you figure out a pattern in the distance of your shots. Ask around. There is nothing quite like local knowledge, and most golf pros will be happy to share their tips. Tell them you are visiting from out of town and that you would appreciate any advice they have on how to play the course. Get out on the practice green. The type of grass used on the courses where you visit might not be the same as at home, so get onto the practice green before your round and figure out what the grass is like. Different grasses affect putting and chipping the most, so pay attention to those areas of your game while making the adjustment. You don’t have to play great golf to enjoy a golfing vacation - I have played plenty of poor rounds on my trips and still have a memorable time. However, it is always more fun to play well, so I hope my tips can help you dial in your game as quickly as possible.

For most golfers, winter is a slower time of year. Even if you live in a warm state, chances are you won't play as much golf during the winter as you will in the summer. While that might not be much fun, it does give you the chance to work on your game and improve some of your weaknesses. You don't want to mess with your swing in the summer when you are busy playing as much as possible, so put off those changes until the off-season. So what should you work on during the winter? Figuring that out is as easy as looking back on the season that you just finished. What were the weak parts of your game? Where were you happy with your performance? You shouldn't have to think too long in order to decide what parts of the game you need to work on. Don't make the same mistake that most golfers make and practice the parts of the game that you are already good at - attack your weaknesses if you really want to get better. Below are a few ideas for improvements you can make during the winter months - Ball flight change. If you would like to change from a draw to a fade, or vise versa, winter is the perfect time to make the change. This is an adjustment that will take some time, so it is best done when you aren't playing very often. Grip changes. Making an adjustment to your grip might be the most challenging change that you can make in your game. Should you decide to change your grip, commit to taking some time away from the course so you can simply practice your new grip on the driving range until it becomes comfortable. Changing putters. Decided that you need a new putter to take your performance on the greens to the next level? Try putting the new flat stick in the bag during the winter. That way you can gradually get used to the new putter before the golf season really kicks in again. For any major change you plan to make in your game, the winter season is the ideal time to do the job. Give yourself plenty of time in between rounds to work on your improvements, and you should be ready to take a big step forward in your game when spring arrives.