You won't find any "secret moves" taught at the Wadden Golf Academy. We believe a golfer's ability to achieve his/her full potential rests upon their ability to integrate and master golf's four essential fundamentals:

• The correct grip
• A shaft that stays "on-plane" throughout the swing
• A proper rotational movement around the body's core
• A balanced and "connected" finish that allows the body's rotational momentun to continue uninterrupted through impact

We differentiate ourselves in two areas: First is an insistence that our students learn to form a perfect grip. This critical fundamental is often diminished in importance when you hear: "there are three ways to grip the club, choose one that is most comfortable for you." Seeking comfort rarely produces a good grip, yet a correct grip feels comfortable immediately. We agree with Ben Hogan, who began the opening sentence in his bestselling book, Five Lessons The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, with the statement:"Good golf begins with a good grip."

Second is strict attention to a balanced finish. We show the student how to build a properly "architected" finish that releases the body toward the target after impact and develops a sense of purpose that begins right from the start of the swing. A proper finish is so balanced and comfortable ... you can't wait to get there.

Since the move away from the ball is the initial action a golfer performs, it is intuitive to think that the backswing should also be the beginning focus of instruction. Many instructors follow an incremental approach that teaches the swing in sequential phase from the takeaway to the top-of-the-backswing to the follow-through.

Our students are taught in the reverse order. First, we show them how a perfect grip facilitates a powerful and effective "hinge" between the left arm and the club. We then proceed with the "end-in-mind," and teach our students to make a complete, balanced, and connected finish.

This marks an important moment for our beginning students. They get off to a faster start hitting the ball straight and solid and immediately develop a sense of confidence and excitement that they will finally learn to enjoy this endlessly fascinating game. With this foundation, we teach the basics of a rotary swing motion and how to determine whether the clubshaft is travelling "on-plane." Our experience shows that remaining problems in the backswing are minimized once a student has mastered the correct grip and follow-through.

Tired of your instructor referring you to a clubfitter located far away in a strip mall? Tired of your clubfitter being indoors without any idea of the progress you are making with your swing? Should I change my equipment now to keep it from interfering with new swing changes? Or should I wait to buy new clubs until my swing undergoes its next phase of improvement? These questions are best answered with an integrated approach to teaching and clubfitting.

Identifying the right moment to change equipment is an important decision. Getting it wrong can be expensive. Unless you are 5'10", have a 34" wrist-to-floor measurement and a 95-100 mph clubhead speed, there will be some aspect of your equipment that will need to be customized to your particular swing and build.

We are expert clubfitters with an "open source" approach to clubfitting. With the flexibility to choose among many competing component products; we can help you cost-effectively optimize your existing set of equipment, create a lower-cost custom-fit alternative to the golf superstores, or put you into the highest-end equipment that money can buy.

Until just a few years ago, putting was considered a black art. You were either a labeled a great putter or terminally diagnosed with the "yips." Thankfully, some of the most significant strides in golf instruction in recent years have occurred in the area of putting.

Putting methods among touring pros are now converging toward a single "correct" stroke. We can show you the stroke mechanics the pros are using to achieve such outstanding results. Confused as to whether to take the putter straight-back-and-straight-through, as putting guru Dave Pelz advocates; or inside-to-square-to-inside, as his peer Stan Utley recommends? We'll show you why each expert is right in their own regard, and how to integrate both of these concepts correctly into your putting stroke. We'll also fit your existing putter in a fashion that gets the shaft swinging on a plane perfectly aligned with your forearms, together with the putterhead sitting perfectly flat on the ground.

Our younger students rank among the best junior players in Illinois. We currently teach the reigning IHSA State Girls Champion, as well as two USA Kids Regional champions. Last summer, our students won a total of fifteen IJGA YDP events combined among them.

Not only do we teach young competitive juniors, but we are parents to them as well. Bill and Biv Wadden have both raised children that have competed successfully in high school and collegiate varsity golf, swimming and crew. We understand what it takes to be successful at both the local and national level, and can help your child develop appropriate competitive ambitions and realize them. You'll also hear us continually stress how important their academic success is to being recruited by college golf coaches.