Ryan Peterson is a PGA Head Golf Professional and General Manager at The Wilderness at Fortune Bay. Ryan offers individual lessons to adults and junior golfers. He also offers group lessons, ladies clinics and our new “create your own clinic” in which you pick what works best for you!
We asked Ryan what he would say are his 5 top golf tips, and his answers follow:
Weight Transfer
One of the most common mistakes I see is the lack of weight transfer during and at the completion of the swing. You want to drive your legs towards the target, have a good hip turn, and completely transfer all the weight to the left side (for right-handed golfers - opposite for left). You should be facing the target with all the weight on the left side at the completion of the swing.
Alignment
Your body and the target are on two different paths. The target line is the line between the ball and the target. The body line is how your feet, knees, hips, and shoulders line up parallel to the target line. Your bodyline is always slightly left of your target line (body line is parallel to the target line). So, don’t line your body to the target line as you ’ll have a good chance to hit it right!
Grip
The grip should be placed more in the fingers of both hands. You want to avoid putting the grip in your palms. It may feel stronger but is really the opposite. Place your hands on the grip like you would hold a suitcase.
Full Swing
The full swing is not about swinging as hard as you can. A full swing should be 80% of the max. By sticking to that you will have better distance control and more consistent ball contact. Then when you need a few more yards you can give it a little extra.
Putting
Avoid 3 putts by creating a consistent tempo and swing length. Try to have the putter head follow through after the ball the same distance as the backswing; if 6 inches back then 6 inches through. Create a consistent tempo/rhythm by thinking of a specific beat or melody or just by counting. Put them together and will start to have better distance control.
For more details on golf lessons at the Wilderness at Fortune Bay, call (218) 753-8917, or visit our contact page.