The best — and worst — junior golf advice, ranked by a top teacher

Junior golfers are constantly absorbing advice from every direction — coaches, tour players, parents and even friends. While most of it is well-intentioned, not every tip helps. In fact, some of the most common pointers young players hear can actually slow their development and create unnecessary frustration.

In a recent instagram post, Cameron McCormick — a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and instructor to major champions like Jordan Spieth and Celine Boutier — ranked the most common tips junior golfers receive from worst to best, and his answers might surprise you.

By understanding which lessons are worth embracing — and which ones you can ignore — you’ll help your junior golfer develop smarter practice habits, build a better game, and enjoy the path to improvement with less frustration. Here, then, are the most common pieces of advice for juniors, ranked from worst to best.

‘Play as many tournaments as possible’

This one might be a bit surprising, as it’s one of the most common suggestions for juniors looking to become better competitors. But McCormick explains that playing more tournaments doesn’t necessarily mean your junior is gaining valuable playing experience.

“Competition exposes weaknesses, practice fixes them,” he says, “If a players skill isn’t improving between tournaments, more events usually just means more expensive frustration.” 

‘You just need to want it more’ 

If you’re trying to help your junior golfer find that “fire in the belly,” this might sound like good advice. But according to McCormick, it’s not as helpful as many parents think.

“Wanting it more is great for a motivational speech, but desire doesn’t replace skill,” McCormick says, “Most struggling players don’t need more motivation; they need a better training plan.” 

‘Get your reps in’ 

As well-intentioned as this advice may be, McCormick says it often encourages juniors to value time on the range over purposeful practice. And without a clear plan, all those reps can do more harm than good.

‘Watch what the best players do’

In theory, this advice is solid. Watch the best players in the world, and you’re bound to learn something. But if you don’t understand the reasoning behind what they’re doing, simply copying their movements won’t help.

‘Stay positive’ 

It might be one of the most overused pieces of advice junior golfers hear, but that doesn’t necessarily make it helpful. As McCormick explains, a vague suggestion like “stay positive” can actually create more frustration than meaningful improvement.

“Positive thinking has value, but elite performers aren’t successful because they’re positive. They’re successful because they make good decisions after mistakes,” he says. 

Instead, try helping your junior work through the course-management decisions they can make after a mistake. Doing so teaches them how to recover from a bad shot while reinforcing that mistakes are simply part of the game — not something to dwell on.

‘Trust the process’

Another phrase juniors hear all the time — but what does it actually mean? As McCormick points out, if your junior doesn’t have a process to begin with, what exactly are they trusting?

“Without a clear plan, this becomes a slogan instead of a strategy,” he says. 

But, if you can help your junior golfer build a defined practice routine with measurable goals and regular feedback, they’ll have a process that’s worth trusting.

‘Play to your pattern’

“Great players understand their tendencies and build strategies around them, rather than pretending every shot is available every day,” McCormick says. 

This is great advice because it helps juniors better understand their own games, build confidence and recognize that even the best players don’t have every shot at their disposal every day.

‘Focus on what the ball is doing’

This advice encourages juniors to become better problem-solvers instead of obsessing over swing positions.

Ball flight provides immediate feedback. By learning to connect what the ball does with what created that shot, young golfers develop a deeper understanding of their swings and become more capable of making adjustments on their own.

“Elite players learn to connect what they do with what the ball does instead of obsessing about the positions,” McCormick says. 

That’s a skill that pays off at every age.

‘Practice like you play’

McCormick’s top piece of advice is also one of golf’s oldest — and for good reason.

Whether your junior is just getting started or dreaming of college golf, practice should resemble the situations they’ll face on the course. That means creating pressure, changing targets, going through a full pre-shot routine and holding themselves accountable for every shot.

“If your training doesn’t resemble performance, don’t expect your performance to magically appear on tournament days,” McCormick says. 

The closer practice mirrors competition, the more prepared your junior will be when the score starts to matter.