Buying anything for children – be it clothes or a bike – can be a difficult decision. Sometimes the temptation is to buy so that the child will ‘grow into’ it. Of course, on the face of it, this makes sense. A pair of shoes that are bought slightly oversized for the child at the time will last longer, as the child will literally grow into them. Similarly, a bike that might be slightly too big when purchased will be fine after a time after the child has grown a little bit more.
So, it’s understandable that some parents do this kind of thing, to save the cost of spending more money further down the line. However, what it doesn’t factor in is the lack of comfort – and in the case of an oversized bike, the potential danger of being on the road on a bike that a child hasn’t got complete control of.
Similar issues exist when it comes to choosing golf clubs for children. It is important that golf clubs are chosen that suit both the child’s height and strength. Most manufacturers offer a height range for their clubs. Ideally, you should look for one where the child's height is somewhere in the middle of the range. Obviously, if the child is close to the bottom, the club might end up being too long for them. Similarly, if they are too close to the top of the range, the club will be too short. All manufacturers categorise in different ways, so there is a good chance you will find one that suits.

A bad fit can lead to bad habits

Choosing clubs that are too long can cause a child to develop bad habits in their golfing game. This is only natural, as people will compensate for the extra length and/or the weight of the club. The real problem is that bad habits are really difficult to break. It’s difficult to get an exact fit with children’s clubs, but the closer you can get, the better it is.