I’ve known Brad for a long time. We chat on Twitter every now and then, and have been going back and forth over this interview for ages. This interview is a LONG time coming, and I am glad that we were able to make it a reality. Brad is a PGA Master Professional, and truly understands what it takes to be a successful golf pro. He not only teaches on the range, but he is also sharing his knowledge of the game with several golf magazines. Last time I saw Brad was at the PGA Merchandise Show down in Orlando, Florida. I hope to see him again next year. Brad is a great pro, understands this game inside and out, and above all that… he’s a nice guy! I will stop talking so we can all meet Brad Redding from Brad Redding Golf.
What is your first memory of golf?
Playing golf at the age of nine with my family on Sunday afternoons. My mom, dad, brother and sister all played together. Mom was always saying to speed up we are holding up golfers behind us, my brother liked driving the cart and my sister and I were interested in catching tadpoles in the pond.
You are the Director of Golf Instruction at The Members club at Grande Dunes. I am not familiar with that course. Tell me a little bit more about the facility and your role there.
The Members Club at Grande Dunes opened in 2006. The course was designed by Nick Price. It is one of only three truly private courses in Myrtle Beach. As the Director of Instruction I conduct all teaching programs and help train the staff.
Where are you originally from?
I am from Knoxville, Tennessee. If you cut me I bleed BIG ORANGE!
Do you set your lesson rates, or does the club?
I set all my instruction fees, from lessons to schools.
There are a lot of great golf pros out there. You are a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher. What does it mean to you being on that list?
I am very grateful and proud to be on that list.
You blog. How often do you post to your blog?
Not as often as I should. I post a couple of times a month
Your tagline is “Getting Your Game To… Stay on Plane”. How do you do that? How do you help your students get on plane?
The swing plane is about the golf ball and where it is at address. 1. It is on the ground. 2. It is to the side of you. So you need to do two things when you swing the club. It has to go up and down and it has to go around you. The key is you have to apply the proper amount of each element. To help a student get more on plane the student needs to understand where they are. Are they too steep or too flat? I found where they are and help them adjust.
I am Tiger’s biggest fan. Do you honestly think he will break Jack’s majors record?
Yes, he has the time and I think he is getting back to being a dominate force.
Speaking of Tiger, did you read The Big Miss?
Yes. Great book and a fair observation of Tiger’s journey and his golf game from a Hank’s first hand account.
Have you ever had a hole-in-one?
Nope, but I have had two double eagles on the same hole in the same week.
There are a lot of teaching aids out there. Do you use these in your lessons? What is your favorite training aid?
I use a few. My favorite is the impact bag.
Your dad played golf at Purdue University. I graduated from Purdue! Did you play college golf?
No. I started playing competitive golf late. Although I played on the high school golf team, I didn’t take it seriously until I was a senior.
You are a PGA Master Professional. How is that different from a PGA teaching professional?
I am a PGA Master Professional in Instruction. It is the highest level a PGA professional can obtain. I was on the pilot panel for this program and am now on the faculty for the PGA Master Professional in Instruction.
Do you ever do playing lessons?
Yes, that is one of the important elements in my teaching programs.
I love the Titlesit Pro V1. What golf ball do you play?
Good choice. I also play the Titleist Pro V1.
Tell me about your relationship with “Academy Live” and “Your Game Night” on the Golf Channel.
I appeared on Academy Live twice and I appeared on Your Game Night three times. When I did Golf Academy Live the producer was pleased with my performance and found that was very comfortable in front of the camera. So they asked me to appear a number of times.
You are on the Titleist Leadership Advisory Staff. Does that mean you play Titleist equipment?
Absolutely. My driver, 3 metal and hybrid are Titleist. 3 through PW AP-2 irons. My 52 and 56 degree are Vokey wedges and I use a Scotty Cameron Newport putter.
How often do you play?
I play a couple of times a week and practice almost every day.
When I play, I sometimes roll the ball if I get a bad lie. When you play, or when you teach for that matter, how important are the rules of golf for casual rounds on the weekend with buddies?
Come on Ricky, ALWAYS play by USGA rules.
How are the Resort Club and the Members Club different at Grande Dunes?
The Resort Club is tougher and much longer. It plays 7,600 yards from all the way back. (That is the 2nd longest course in South Carolina with the Ocean Course at Kiawah being longer.) The Members Club is just that; a Member course. It has wider fairways and is shorter. The holes weave through a forest of trees and it has a more classical feel.
Tell me more about your relationship with Hank Haney.
We are good friends and he is one of my biggest mentors. I very grateful to him for all the time he spent with me and helping me to be where I am today as a golf instructor.
Belly putters are a hot topic right now… what are your thoughts on belly putters? Do they help make more putts? Do you think they should be banned?
They help some with making a better stroke. For me, they make my stroke worse. They should be banned as they do not conform to the rules of golf. It will be hard to ban them as they are so rooted in the game.
You are a member of the Proponent Group. What does being involved with organizations like that do for you and your career?
The Proponent Group is a great group. They secure contracts with different companies. They provide services like resume building and contract negotiations with clubs. They also do a lot of instruction webinars and summits throughout the year. I was one of the first members and find being with them enhance my knowledge. Lorin Anderson is a great friend and council.
It makes sense that you write for them, but tell me about your work with MyrtleBeachOnline.com.
It is another way of promoting my services and getting my name in front of the public. This brings people in for lessons and increases attendance at schools.
I have seen you in several golf magazines. How do you get involved with these different magazines?
They usually contact me. By being a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher and a PGA Master Professional I have learned to leverage areas by my status in the golf industry.
I hate to practice. But I LOVE to play. I do hit balls for 20-30 minutes before I tee off. Can a player get better only hitting balls before the round?
To be honest… it would be difficult unless you are actually trying to implement a change from lessons. Even then it would be tough to do as you have very limited time to work on it. Hitting balls before a round is simply warming up. To make a motor pattern change you need to practice between rounds.
You have worked with PGA, LPGA, and Nationwide players. When working with a PGA player, do you travel to events or just watch at home? I know Mike Bender even caddied for Zach Johnson a few weeks ago.
Mostly from home but I do make a few trips out the events a work with them.
You are all over Facebook and Twitter. You also have a YouTube channel. What success have you seen from using social media?
It is another way of keeping my name in front of potential and current clients. I love doing YouTube videos. They are just fun. My mom always said I was a big “ham”. I have always found it easy to be in front of the camera. Peter Kessler was amazed how good I was when I did Golf Academy Live. I once had a live radio show called the “Brad Redding on Golf” and a live television show called “Better Golf with Brad Redding”. I had these while in Knoxville, Tennessee. People saw I have a future in being on camera.
Let’s grab a beer. What types of beer do you like?
I don’t. Sweet tea is my beverage of choice. But I would welcome the chance to hang out and talk “shop” with you.
You recently hosted two AimPoint schools with John Graham. How was that? Are you AimPoint certified?
They went very well and I learned a lot. I am working on getting AimPoint certified.
Do you use V1?
Yes, it is great technology. I use it in every golf lesson and school. I have a Branded Academy with V1.
Will I see you at the PGA Merchandise Show in January?
Absolutely! I will be spending some of my time in the Swingbyte booth. I am on their National Advisory Board.
What’s next for Brad Redding?
I am currently working out a deal to do golf instruction in China three or four times a year and having a contingent from China coming to Grande Dunes for instruction. Really excited about this. I am getting involved in the PGA’s PGM Program. I will be an adjunct faculty for this program. I am on the National Board for The Golf Academy of America. We have a campus here in Myrtle Beach and I will be going there twice a week to work with the students games and teaching skills.
I can’t thank you enough for doing this, Brad. It was a long time coming! In all of the interviews I do I always give the artist the last word. Go.
I am truly grateful for all my experiences in golf. I am blessed to be in being in a craft that I truly love to do. I get up every morning excited to going to work – having an impact of people’s lives by helping them play better golf and get more enjoyment out of their game. It doesn’t get any better than that. I am also grateful to the people that have an impact on my career. It is true that I sought them out but they were kind with their time and information. I think they saw a “spark” in me that I really wanted to help golfers get more satisfaction out of their experiences on the golf course. I live by a quote that I have in my office. “No cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” I live by these words everyday. Thank you Ricky. I appreciate your support and what you do for golf.
