About Ron Del Barrio

Ron del Barrio is a former Tour professional turned golf instructor. He is the Golf Professional at Studio City Golf Course (and Weddington Golf & Tennis in Los Angeles), where he has taught for over 30 years.

He developed the "Passive Golf Swing" - a simple to understand and easy to apply approach to swinging the golf club for increased consistency.

Background

Ron del Barrio began his golf journey late, not touching a club until after high school when he joined the fire department at 18. Initially drawn to golf to be "one of the guys," he discovered a passion for the sport and eventually teaching.

He pursued professional golf for three years under sponsorship from Smokey Robinson (after catching Robinson's attention with a clever cap-gun trick at the range). Though he won three tournaments in his third year, del Barrio recognized his competitive limitations and transitioned to coaching full-time.

The Passive Golf Method

The Passive Golf Swing method involves a simple, uncomplicated method of passive swinging of the club. Key elements include:

Passive hands and arms - The arms and hands stay passive throughout the swing
Compressing the ball at impact - Focus on solid compression
Constant grip pressure - Keeping grip pressure consistent throughout the swing is crucial; grip pressure cannot weaken on the downswing
Head release technique - Letting the head turn at the beginning of the downswing helps golfers swing the club smoothly instead of "jerkily trying to hit the ball"
Body freedom - The release of the head seems to free up the body and hips to clear fully through

Teaching Philosophy

Del Barrio emphasizes collaboration with students rather than dictatorial instruction. He believes coaches work for their clients, not vice versa. He encourages students to question their instructor and challenges them intellectually. His core philosophy involves teaching the client how to swing according to their own body.

Celebrity Clients

Ron del Barrio has worked with numerous celebrities and professional golfers including:

Tour Players: Jesper Parnevik, Anthony Kim
Celebrities: Will Smith, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Van Halen, Samuel L. Jackson, Adam Levine, Larry David, Joe Pesci, Smokey Robinson, Clint Eastwood, Bob Hope

He is known for his discretion with celebrity clients - "There's a golf pro that won't sell you out."