Promising junior golfer, Ava Marano from Jupiter, Florida recently featured in coach Marvin Sangüesa’s Master Your Backswing video. We caught up with Ava as part of our rising stars in girls golf series.

Hi Ava, we’ve heard great things about your game and terrific attitude. How did you get into golf?
My dad introduced me to golf at the age of three. I’ve been playing ever since. He always said that when I first started, I never wanted to leave the driving range. I guess that same stands. I would play golf 24 hours a day if I had the opportunity to do it.

Where is your home course?
I play and practice at Jonathan’s Landing Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida. Johnathon’s has three courses. The Village course which is a really neat course right here in town. The 17th hole actually has a Ferryboat that takes you across a waterway from one fairway to the other. It’s so much fun! The Fazio and Hills courses are both championship courses just minutes from my house. They are both immaculate courses, greens and fairways are awesome. All three of them are a lot of fun to play. The Hills and Fazio courses are the most challenging because the greens are usually really fast. The practice facility is also really nice. They are currently remodeling the chipping area by making it a lot bigger and adding a bunker. I am very excited about that!

Where are you receiving your coaching and what are you currently working on?
I train at the Joey D Golf Performance Center here in Jupiter. We perform numerous workouts that incorporate the golf swing. I learn so much there and have become a lot stronger as compared to when I started about 12 months ago. What is so cool is that Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler both train there as well. I’ve seen them a few times while I was working out. There are a number of great coaches there that have helped my overall game. One, in particular, is Marvin Sangüesa. He has been very helpful with my swing. For example, we are working on how to maintain posture during my backswing and how to separate your lower and upper body in the swing which creates power.

“Ava is a great athlete and as a result, golf comes easier to her. However like many young golfers she sometimes tends to be hypermobile with too much range of motion in certain parts of her swing. So with the help of our strength trainers we have developed a training program that helps her create greater muscular strength to be able to support that extra range of motion. What I love about Ava is that she understands the process of becoming an elite player. Her game is developing at a steady pace. It’s all about sticking to the journey. If she keeps it up she will be one of the best! Without a doubt!” – Marvin Sangüesa

What do you love most about golf?
What I like most about golf is competing in tournaments. I’ve learned to love pressure situations and love the nervousness before you start your round. Tournaments help me experience different situations that help me to grow my game. I also really enjoy meeting other very nice and talented golfers.

Can you tell us about your best ever golf experience?
My best golf experience was when I was working out with my team at Joey D’s and US Open Champion, Dustin Johnson walked in to work out. It was really neat to think that we are getting the same coaching he is getting. He is training to be a champion just like us. My favorite part about that day was when he gave me a tip on one of my workouts. It’s inspiring to know pros like Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler are doing similar if not the same workouts that I’m doing. It’s really amazing to think that he won the US Open and the Bridgestone Invitational not too long after that day.

What part of the game do you love the most and why?
My favorite part of the game is my short game. I especially like chipping and bunker shots because I know how to get them close to the pin. Bunker shots are really fun to hit and surprisingly I am excited when I find myself in them because I know I can get the ball pretty close. I really enjoy hitting these shots.

Who is your favorite player and why?
My favorite player is Lexi Thompson because she is a really talented golfer and turned pro at a young age. I also love how she stays humble and nice to all of her fans while being a top LPGA player. I aspire to be like her.

Finally, Ava what are your goals and aspirations for this year and the long term.
My goals for this year in golf are to maintain a positive attitude every time I play so I can consistently shoot in the low 80’s and hopefully very soon shoot in the 70’s. I want to start placing in the top three. My long term goals are to play the best I can, win more, and become a professional and play on the LPGA.

Our big thanks to Ava, her dad, Michael Marano and Marvin Sangüesa for helping us with this article. The best way to stay up to date with Ava Marano’s progress in golf is to follow @avamaranogolf on Instagram.