A few Instagram slides from LPGA veteran Jenny Shin have sparked a much bigger conversation than a typical social media post. Her words, aimed squarely at parents guiding young golfers, challenge a familiar idea in junior sports. Many parents think that allowing young golfers to play means giving them freedom, which will lead to success. However, Shin’s stories hint at how far parents should go when shaping a child’s future on the fairway.

“To give context to my previous story, I get asked a lot from parents about their children’s golfing career – “should I let my kids decide what they want to do (with golfing)?” Jenny Shin wrote in her Instagram story.

“Unfortunately there isn’t a right answer. But most kids under 18 don’t know what they “should do” or what is the “right thing to do.” I never knew, my friends certainly didn’t know either. If you see talent and see interest, it’s okay to challenge them and push them. There are definitely ways to do it correctly, not violently, and you can learn them through trial and error.”

“Either way, letting your kid do “whatever they want” has never produced excellent outcome. Listening to them is crucial, allowing them to make mistakes and watching them fail is very important. My parents taught me consequences + cause and effect and it taught me great lessons, helped me understand things quicker, and be curious of the world.”

Her previous story was a post by Millionairessteps.

The post was about a Chinese mother being asked why she doesn’t ask her child’s opinion. She answered that a child doesn’t understand consequences. And choice without experience is not freedom, it’s abandonment. This is totally the opposite of what most parents in Western countries do.

They don’t make decisions for their children. Instead, they let the little ones decide.

According to Jenny Shin, this never produces good results.

Parents should try to stop young golfers when they are wrong. And there are many non-violent ways to do this, too.

The 1x LPGA winner even admitted that many of her decisions were made by her parents. In fact, Shin repeatedly credits her parents for teaching discipline, the value of money, responsibilities, and accountability.

Sharing an Instagram post in November 2023, featuring herself and her father, Shin wrote, “He raised me like a son and at times it was a challenge and caused a strain in our relationship but I am who I am because of him.”

This shows that she truly believes in a little stricter upbringing than just letting kids do what they want. However, she also acknowledges that if they do see talent, it is important to consider their thoughts and listen to them. As she mentioned, it’s a trial-and-error process, which she also applies to her professional golf career.

Her own season shows how growth in golf also comes from confronting mistakes, missteps, and hard lessons between the ropes.

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Lessons from Jenny Shin’s own setbacks on the LPGA

Jenny Shin’s recent struggles on the LPGA Tour have offered a real-time example of the patience and accountability she encourages in young players. In late 2025, in a conversation with the LPGA, she opened up about the steps she had taken to steady her career after a stretch marked by injuries.

One of her main focuses is to remain healthy. In the LPGA YouTube feature, she revealed a speed-training routine that led to a left rib injury. This sidelined her for a month. Learning from those mistakes, she made some changes in 2025.

This time around, she and her trainer track every detail more closely. They do this using weekly video sessions to fine-tune weights, reps, and recovery. Then, she shares the feedback on muscle soreness with her osteopath. This turned her training plan into a constant loop of adjustment rather than a fixed schedule.

Equipment also played a bigger role in her slump than she first realized.

Jenny Shin revealed in mid-2025 that her new Titleist GT2 driver was four swingweight points heavier than what she had used her entire career. The mismatch led to lost distance, scattered ball flights, and swing changes she assumed were technical flaws. Once the issue was corrected, she said shaping shots felt natural again, a reminder of how easily players can chase the wrong problem.

With more than 135 top-25 finishes on her résumé, Shin remains focused on turning those lessons into better results. Her push to fix what went wrong mirrors the same cause-and-effect thinking she believes young golfers need to learn early.