Insights & Articles

The TigerTOTS Blog

Research, insights, and expert commentary on child development, parent-child bonding, long-term athletic development, and the power of early golf education.

Gavin Grenville-Wood

Gavin Grenville-Wood

Founder & CEO, TigerTOTS Golf · PGA Fellow Coach

Welcome to the TigerTOTS Blog. Here I share research, insights, and expert commentary on child development, parent-child bonding, long-term athletic development, and the power of early golf education. Everything on these pages is built on thirty years of coaching young children and a deep commitment to understanding how children actually learn and grow.

Programme Design28 Aug 2026

How Six Weeks Gives Your Child a Head Start That Lasts a Lifetime

Confidence, coordination, resilience, and a genuine love of the game. Here is what a well-designed six-week TigerTOTS programme actually builds in a child aged 2 to 5, why each benefit only emerges inside a structured block, and why the foundation they lay now lasts for the rest of their life.

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Coaching Practice21 Aug 2026

The Skills We Should Be Developing in Child Golfers, and When to Develop Them

Every skill in golf has a right time to be introduced. Not a fixed age, but a developmental window in which it can actually be absorbed. Introduce it too early and you waste the moment. Introduce it too late and you have left the child working harder than they needed to.

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Coaching Philosophy22 Jun 2026

My Number Two Tip for Junior Golfers: The Tournament Result Doesn't Mean What You Think It Does

If there is one belief I would remove from junior golf overnight, it is this: that the number on the scorecard at the end of a junior tournament tells you anything meaningful about how a young player is developing. It almost never does.

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Coaching Philosophy15 Jun 2026

My Number One Tip for Junior Golfers

When people ask me for my number one tip for junior golfers, they usually expect something about the grip or the swing. What I tell them instead changes everything about how they think about coaching young children.

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Philosophy29 May 2026

The Montessori of Golf: Why Early Years Golf Development Shares Its DNA With the World's Most Respected Educational Philosophy

If you have chosen a Montessori environment for your child's early education, you already understand the principles behind why this programme works the way it does. You just have not seen them applied to physical development and sport before.

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Coaching Practice18 May 2026

What It Actually Takes to Be a Great Coach for Young Children

There is a version of this work that is simply a job. And there is a version that is something else entirely. The coaches who choose the second version do not just teach golf. They shape the people their children are becoming.

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Child Development11 May 2026

Why Golf Is One of the Most Powerful Tools We Have for Child Development

Parents ask me regularly whether golf is the right sport for their young child. My answer is always the same. If you want a sport that develops honesty, responsibility, concentration, perseverance, and communication from the earliest years, there is very little that comes close.

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Parent-Child Bonding28 Apr 2026

The Loudest Voice in Your Child's Life Is Yours. Here Is How to Use It.

Before your child attends their first early years golf session, there is something every parent needs to understand. Not about golf. About themselves. And about the extraordinary influence they carry into every environment their child enters.

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Programme Design16 Apr 2026

Early Years Golf Development: The Framework That Changes Everything

Before a coach speaks a single word, before the session has formally begun, the environment has already done its work. A child who walks into a well-designed golfing playground does not need to be told what to do. They already know they are somewhere extraordinary.

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Golf Development9 Apr 2026

What Golf Instruction for Young Children Actually Needs to Look Like

Most golf instruction for young children is a scaled-down version of adult coaching. Shorter sessions, simpler language, smaller clubs. The problem is that scaling down the wrong approach still produces the wrong outcomes. Here is what the right approach actually looks like.

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Parent-Child Bonding1 Apr 2026

What Actually Happens When You Step Into the Playground Together

Most parents arrive at a TigerTOTS session not quite sure what their role is. By the time they leave, they understand something about their child, and about themselves, that no classroom and no sport had shown them before.

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LTAD25 Mar 2026

The First Five Years: Why the Window We Keep Ignoring Is the Most Important One We Have

Thirty years of coaching children has taught me many things. But the single most important lesson is one our industry still hasn’t fully accepted: by the time most junior programmes begin, the critical work should already be done.

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Expert Articles

Youth Development Knowledge Base

12 Best Motor Skills Games for Preschoolers

12 Best Motor Skills Games for Preschoolers

Find the best motor skills games preschoolers love, with playful activities that build balance, coordination, confidence, and family connection at home.

Golf Activities for 2 Year Olds That Feel Like Play

Golf Activities for 2 Year Olds That Feel Like Play

Discover golf activities for 2 year olds that build coordination, confidence, and connection through simple, playful parent-child movement at home daily.

8 Balance Games for Preschoolers That Build Confidence

8 Balance Games for Preschoolers That Build Confidence

Try balance games for preschoolers that build coordination, confidence, and focus through playful parent-child movement at home or in class together.

How to Practice Golf at Home With Young Children

How to Practice Golf at Home With Young Children

Learn how to practice golf at home with young children through playful, age-appropriate activities that build coordination, confidence, and connection.

When Should Kids Start Golf? A Parent’s Guide

When Should Kids Start Golf? A Parent’s Guide

Wondering when should kids start golf? See how purposeful play and parent support help ages 2-5 build confidence, coordination, and joy through play.

How to Introduce Golf Through Purposeful Play

How to Introduce Golf Through Purposeful Play

Learn how to introduce golf through purposeful play, helping young children build confidence, coordination, movement skills, and joyful family connection.

Early Years Golf Development Guide for Parents

Early Years Golf Development Guide for Parents

This early years golf development guide helps parents build confidence, coordination, and joyful movement through playful, age-appropriate activities.

Structured Play Versus Free Play for Ages 2-5

Structured Play Versus Free Play for Ages 2-5

Structured play versus free play helps young children build skills, confidence, and joy. Learn how both support healthy development every day at home.

7 Preschool Golf Drills at Home That Build Skills

7 Preschool Golf Drills at Home That Build Skills

Try preschool golf drills at home that build balance, coordination, confidence, and joyful parent-child routines through purposeful play each day together.

How to Create a Toddler Golf Routine at Home

How to Create a Toddler Golf Routine at Home

Learn how to create a toddler golf routine at home with short, playful activities that build coordination, confidence, and happy parent-child time at play.

Best Sports for Preschool Confidence That Build Skills

Best Sports for Preschool Confidence That Build Skills

Find the best sports for preschool confidence, with simple ways to choose playful, parent-supported activities that help young children grow with joy.

Parent-Child Sports Activities That Build Skills

Parent-Child Sports Activities That Build Skills

Parent child sports activities help young children build coordination, confidence, and connection. See how to choose playful, right programs together.

Confidence Building Sports for Toddlers That Work

Confidence Building Sports for Toddlers That Work

Confidence building sports for toddlers can grow courage, coordination, and connection. Learn what to look for in a playful first program for ages 2-5.

Improve Preschool Coordination With Golf

Improve Preschool Coordination With Golf

Learn how purposeful, parent-child golf play can improve preschool coordination with golf skills, confidence, balance, and happy movement at home daily.

Preschool Sports Development Through Play

Preschool Sports Development Through Play

Support preschool sports development with purposeful play that builds coordination, confidence, and connection for young children and parents at home.

A Parent's Guide to Toddler Golf Readiness

A Parent's Guide to Toddler Golf Readiness

Our guide to toddler golf readiness helps parents spot developmental signs, choose playful first lessons, and build confidence without pressure at home.

Age Appropriate Golf Activities for Preschool

Age Appropriate Golf Activities for Preschool

Age appropriate golf activities preschool children enjoy can build coordination, confidence, listening skills, and happy parent-child play at every stage.

7 Best Golf Games for Toddlers to Build Skills

7 Best Golf Games for Toddlers to Build Skills

Find the best golf games for toddlers that build coordination, confidence, and connection through playful parent-child practice at home or outdoors too.

How to Teach Toddlers Golf at Home

How to Teach Toddlers Golf at Home

Learn how to teach toddlers golf through playful, age-appropriate activities that build confidence, coordination, focus, and family fun at home.

Purposeful Play for Preschoolers That Works

Purposeful Play for Preschoolers That Works

Purposeful play for preschoolers builds confidence, coordination, and focus through simple movement-based activities that support early learning.

Build Confidence Through Golf Play Early

Build Confidence Through Golf Play Early

Build confidence through golf play with simple, age-appropriate routines that help young children grow coordination, focus, and self-belief.

Toddler Golf Lessons That Actually Fit Age 2-5

Toddler Golf Lessons That Actually Fit Age 2-5

Toddler golf lessons can build coordination, confidence, and focus when they match a young child’s stage, attention span, and love of play.

Best First Sport for Toddlers? Start Here

Best First Sport for Toddlers? Start Here

Wondering about the best first sport for toddlers? Learn what to look for, why golf stands out, and how to choose with confidence.

8 Purposeful Play Activities for Preschoolers

8 Purposeful Play Activities for Preschoolers

Discover purposeful play activities for preschoolers that build confidence, coordination, focus, and parent-child connection through fun movement.

10 Confidence Building Activities for Preschoolers

10 Confidence Building Activities for Preschoolers

Try confidence building activities for preschoolers that support independence, coordination, and joyful learning through play with parents.

How to Improve Toddler Coordination

How to Improve Toddler Coordination

Learn how to improve toddler coordination with simple play ideas, movement tips, and parent-child routines that build confidence and motor skills.

Best Sports for 2 Year Olds to Start With

Best Sports for 2 Year Olds to Start With

Looking for sports for 2 year olds? Learn which activities build confidence, coordination, and motor skills through playful parent-child fun.

Golf Classes for 3 Year Olds That Work

Golf Classes for 3 Year Olds That Work

Golf classes for 3 year olds can build confidence, coordination, and focus through play. Learn what makes a class age-appropriate and fun.

Why Parent Child Golf Classes Work

Why Parent Child Golf Classes Work

Parent child golf classes help young children build confidence, coordination, and focus through playful, guided movement with a parent by their side.

Golf for Toddlers: When and How to Start

Golf for Toddlers: When and How to Start

Golf for toddlers can build confidence, coordination, and focus through play. Learn when to start, what to expect, and how parents help.

Child Motor Skills Development Through Play

Child Motor Skills Development Through Play

Learn how child motor skills development grows through purposeful play, parent involvement, and simple movement activities that build confidence.

What Is an Example of Gross Motor Skill Development?

What Is an Example of Gross Motor Skill Development?

What is an example of gross motor skill development in early childhood? Learn how running, jumping, and swinging build balance and confidence.

What Is Motor Skills in Early Childhood?

What Is Motor Skills in Early Childhood?

What is motor skills in early childhood? Learn how movement builds confidence, coordination, focus, and everyday independence through play.

Importance of Motor Development in Early Childhood

Importance of Motor Development in Early Childhood

Learn the importance of motor development in early childhood and how purposeful play builds coordination, confidence, and school readiness.

Gross Motor Skill Development in Early Childhood

Gross Motor Skill Development in Early Childhood

Learn how gross motor skill development in early childhood supports balance, coordination, confidence, and active parent-child play.

Early Childhood Fine Motor Skill Development

Early Childhood Fine Motor Skill Development

Support early childhood fine motor skill development through play, movement, and parent-child routines that build control, confidence, and focus.