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Juniors in the Norman Puckett Junior Golf Clinic hit golf balls on the driving range at Duncan Park Monday morning. Clinic pro Khater Salomon said the kids were learning how to stay loose in their swings.

His main lesson to young golfers is tension relief as they learn the fundamentals of a golf swing. A golfer’s muscles should be loose to swing the golf club right, he said.

If a golfer braces for impact and tenses up, the golfer can not turn the club face over and get a good swing in, he said. Junior golfer Kate Whitman said she is learning how to settle down and stay loose in her swings.

“You can’t rush yourself you just have to stay calm,” Whitman said. “You just have to think about it and watch the ball. I try to not think about other people and instead I think about focusing. Staying focused has helped me because I stay loose. Turning the club was a hard concept to grasp before the turn2blue.”

She said she hopes to play for Cathedral next year and is also looking forward to the tournament held at the end of camp. Hope Gutter was swinging a clubon the same station as Whitman.

Gutter plays golf and basketball at Robert Lewis Magnet School. She said she has been practicing this summer before the camp but has not played a round of golf since school let out. Golf is different than basketball because of what it demands of the player, she said.

“You have to be way more focused and remember to not get frustrated,” Gutter said. “Sometimes I get frustrated, but I have to calm myself down. I count to 10, or I just remember it is all on me. I have to calm down, swing and relax.”

Golfer Kelly McMorris emulated the proper way to swing, as shown by Gregg Brooking. He first started playing golf in 2015 because he needed a summer activity.

McMorris said he has come to the junior camp for the past four years. This year’s junior golf clinic has taught him how to hit and drive the ball better, he said.

“I enjoy learning golf, and hopefully, I can earn a scholarship in it,” McMorris said. “These camps have helped me get a lot better at golf than I originally was. I want to grow up to be like Tiger Woods. I like the way he plays golf.”