Play Ready Golf | Strokes Gained for the 9 to 5 Golfer
Published by Isaak Ramsey & Hayden Zimmerer | Smarter Golf Practice in Less Time
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Golf improvement for people with a 9 to 5. We use strokes gained data and motor learning science to help you practice smarter, save time, and shoot lower scores with the clubs, schedule, and life you already have. Most golf advice is built for people with unlimited range time and a coach on speed dial. This show is built for the rest of us. The weekend warrior. The dad who gets 90 minutes on a Saturday. The mid-handicapper who has been stuck at the same score for three years. Every episode gives you one thing you can actually use. A practice drill you can do in your living room. A course management decision that saves you two shots. A data point that shuts down the bad advice you keep getting from your buddies. New episodes every Friday morning. Try the Play Ready Golf app free for 7 days at playready.golf
Try Play Ready Golf free for 7 days. Code PRGPOD takes $20 off every year: https://onelink.to/93ggkv The Mid-Am Insights PDF. Every lesson from every mid-am we have interviewed, in one download: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/secretsofthemidam Support the new home of the Ole Miss Patterson School of Accountancy: https://accountancy.olemiss.edu/new-building/ Brett's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bpatterson03/ Brett Patterson is the 5th ranked mid-am in America. He teaches 300 accounting students at Ole Miss, has 2 girls at home, and touches a club 3 or 4 times a week at best. In college he hit 300 balls a day and got worse. Then he left tournament golf for 5 years, came back, and started winning everything. We get into the 4 weeks off before he opened 7 under, the wedge and putter plan that replaced the bucket, the mental spiral that almost ended his golf, and the piece of advice he says actively hurts amateurs. Timestamps 0:00 The #5 mid-am barely touches a club 0:53 4 weeks off, then 7 under in round 1 2:18 A Tuesday with 300 students and 2 kids 3:52 College: 300 balls a day, sun up to dark 7:19 Less practice, better golf. The flip. 8:39 5 years away and the 2022 U.S. Amateur 14:22 What he'd tell every college golfer 16:54 His practice now: wedges and lag putts 19:59 An accountant's take on tracking stats 22:35 Bring back Golfstat 26:09 The biggest mistakes amateurs make 28:58 Never the most talented. What separates him. 31:08 What scratch golfers miss about scoring 34:16 Championship golf vs weekend golf 35:42 The advice that actively hurts amateurs 37:05 Pressure putts and choosing confidence 38:36 How to stay sharp after time off 40:43 The reinstatement debate 50:49 What he wants his daughters to know 53:48 A shoutout to the mid-am wives 54:02 Prepping for the U.S. Mid-Am at Sand Valley 56:26 Support the new Ole Miss accountancy building
Want 1 science based practice fix a day for the next 30 days? That is the second link: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/30hacksin30 The Play Ready Golf app turns 30 seconds a hole into tour level strokes gained data and a practice plan built around your time and facilities: https://onelink.to/93ggkv Code PRGPOD gets you $20 off every year for life: https://apps.apple.com/redeem?ctx=offercodes&id=6752723937&code=PRGPOD Grab the free Greenside Menu, the 1 page decision card we walk through in this episode. Print it or save it to your phone: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/menu Your short game problem is not your hands. It is the order you pick shots in. In this episode of the Play Ready Golf Podcast (Ep. 31) we use Shot Scope and Arccos data to show why golfers at every handicap level fail from 50 yards, why the flop shot became everyone's default, and the 4 question menu that fixes it without a single lesson. Timestamps: 0:00 Nobody has hands 1:42 The data: up and down by handicap 2:56 The app in 30 seconds 3:22 The highlight reel raised you 5:57 Extreme sells: the wedge industry 7:00 Jason Day: one motion, many clubs 8:53 Option 1: the putter 10:17 One email a day for 30 days 10:33 Option 2: the low chip 11:11 Option 3: the pitch 12:34 Option 4: the flop 13:40 The cost of ignoring the menu 14:17 Judge every shot by its miss 15:27 What Hayden sees caddying 19:19 Rule 1: can I putt it? 20:18 Rule 2: lowest loft that clears the trouble 21:59 Rule 3: pitch only when something is in the way 22:45 Rule 4: the flop is the fire escape 23:37 The menu in order 25:20 What about bad lies? 26:33 2 honest notes about the data 27:29 The takeaway Missed the double bogey episode we reference? Watch it here: https://youtu.be/D1ZK1E_06Xs Data in this episode comes from Shot Scope, Arccos data via Lou Stagner, PGA Tour scrambling stats, and Edoardo Molinari via Golf Digest.
Download Play Ready Golf and get tour level strokes gained data in 30 seconds a hole, plus a practice plan built around your time and your facilities: https://onelink.to/93ggkv Use code PRGPOD for $20 off every year, for life Get 1 science-based practice hack in your inbox every day for 30 days: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/30hacksin30 Grab the free 59 Minute Practice Guide, built on strokes gained data and motor learning research: https://onelink.to/59minplan Follow Scott: https://www.instagram.com/cachill21 Scott Cahill had full status on PGA Tour Latinoamerica. He gave it back, took a full-time job, and barely touched a club for 5 years. Then he fell back in love with the game and won the Arizona Mid-Amateur at Grayhawk, on a course where the field made 1,158 bogeys in 3 days. He did it with a newborn at home and a practice routine he calls a cram session. This episode is the blueprint for playing your best golf with the least time you've ever had. Timestamps: 0:00 Walking away from the Tour 2:17 The pro golf grind nobody sees 5:37 Five years without touching a club 8:11 When golf stopped feeling like work 11:35 What he'd change about his pro practice 14:02 Golf with a newborn and a full-time job 18:24 Inside his boring practice routine 21:30 The stat that surprised him 25:21 Winning the Arizona Mid-Am at Grayhawk 32:00 The 59 at Tobacco Road 35:55 Signing with the Grass League 38:04 The reinstated pro debate 48:42 What winning actually gets you 51:17 Lessons for his son
Sick of 1 hole wrecking your whole round? Grab the free Disaster Card. It has the 4 rules on the front and a 3 round leak tracker on the back that shows you exactly where your strokes are going: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/disaster Once you know your leak, the Play Ready Golf app builds every practice session around it: https://onelink.to/93ggkv Podcast listeners get an extended free trial plus a discount with code PRGPOD: https://apps.apple.com/redeem?ctx=offercodes&id=6752723937&code=PRGPOD Your golf handicap is not decided by your swing. It is decided by 3 or 4 blow-up holes a round. In this episode of the Play Ready Golf Podcast (Ep. 29) we use Shot Scope and Arccos data to prove that double bogeys, not birdies, separate every handicap level. Then we walk through the 5 leaks that cause blow-up holes and the 4 rules that stop them. None of it requires practice time. Timestamps:0:00 The number that breaks your brain1:14 Hayden's triple at US Am qualifying4:45 The data: doubles by handicap5:58 The free Disaster Card6:18 Why golfers blame the swing10:54 Birdies happen by accident12:30 The 5 leaks behind every blow-up hole13:00 Leak 1: tee shots into trouble14:20 Leak 2: the hero recovery15:43 Leak 3: the short-side miss17:47 Leak 4: the double chip19:01 Leak 5: three-putts21:15 Hayden's worst blow-up holes27:04 The Disaster Card: 4 rules27:59 Rule 1: count your doubles (the Train Game)29:52 Rule 2: the one-job shot30:56 Rule 3: get long putts inside 3 feet32:39 Rule 4: short-sided means middle of the green34:57 Is this just playing scared?37:26 2 honest notes about the data38:14 The takeaway40:15 What to watch next Data in this episode comes from the Shot Scope Annual Report (74M+ shots), Arccos data via Lou Stagner, Mark Broadie's Every Shot Counts, and Edoardo Molinari via Golf Digest.
Play Ready Golf app: https://onelink.to/93ggkv Use code PRGPOD for 20 dollars off every year, for life. One science based hack a day for 30 days: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/30hacksin30 Free 59 minute practice guide: https://onelink.to/59minplan FIND NATE Mountain Creative Construction, licensed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Teton Valley, Idaho Nate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ndizzle4shizzle/ Nate Smith made it to pro golf, then walked away at 30 because he did not like who the game was turning him into. He got an MBA, moved to Idaho, built a construction business, and barely touched a club for eight years. Then he came back as an amateur and started winning, beating players half his age who practice every day. If you love golf but cannot give it your whole life, this one is for you. Nate plays a few weeks a year and still competes at the top of the amateur game. He breaks down how he practices with intent, why not being obsessed with results is his biggest edge, and what he would tell anyone trying to get better with limited time. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Walking away from a Tour card at 30 01:48 What eight years away taught him 04:23 The hardest lesson, he was not always first 05:53 What pulled him back in 2022 07:36 Coming back after eight years off 09:56 Winning right away, and why it did not surprise him 10:41 Competing while running a construction business 13:26 How much you should actually practice 15:04 Practice with intent, hit 20 balls and leave 18:04 Taking your practice to the course 20:12 North and South week, identity over outcome 22:10 Playing at elevation versus sea level 24:36 Grass League and the Hollywood Hitters 28:06 The truth about amateur reinstatement 33:48 What he would tell his 25 year old self 35:14 What is next on his schedule 38:03 Where to find Nate
7-Day App Trial: https://onelink.to/93ggkv 59-Minute Practice Plan: https://onelink.to/59minplan 30-Hacks for Busy Golfers: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/30hacksin30 Chapters: 0:00 A $12 bucket vs a $40 round 1:48 Why leaving the range happy is a bad sign 2:59 What practice costs, and what actually lowers scores 4:20 Quality over quantity: making 30 minutes count 5:58 Where the "beat balls" myth came from 8:48 The 1992 study: why your range swing doesn't show up 9:54 Bubba Watson barely touched the range 13:39 Hayden's confession: practicing just to say he did 14:58 How to actually practice: fewer balls, real pressure 20:02 Tournament golf exposes your tendencies 24:45 Why "just hit more balls" fails 27:38 Rule 1: Play more, and play cheaper 29:45 Rule 2: Give the range rules 32:15 Rule 3: Practice on the course for free 34:27 Rule 4: Aim where you leak 35:49 Tendencies vs dispersion 43:32 When the range is actually the right call 46:16 Good intentions vs being intentional
Try Play Ready Golf free for 7 days and use code PRGPOD for 20 off your annual plan for life: https://onelink.to/93ggkv Free 59 minute practice plan: https://onelink.to/59minplan Virgil Abloh Foundation: https://thevirgilablohfoundation.com/donate/ Broomsedge: https://www.broomsedgegolf.com/ Most golfers think the path to lower scores is more reps. Hit more balls, grind more hours, fix the swing. Cody Sundberg is proof of the opposite. He is a plus 4.5 mid-amateur playing the best golf of his life right now, and he got there by practicing less, not more. Cody is also the guy who bet on Broomsedge, the brand new South Carolina course that just landed at number 94 on Golfweek's list of the best modern designs in the country. He went from grinding mini tours, to commercial real estate, to writing the first big check for a course that was being shaped by a guy with 82 dollars left in the bank. In this episode, Isaak and Hayden sit down with Cody to talk about why hitting more balls is quietly making you worse, how progressive overload applies to your golf game, what it actually took to build a nationally ranked course from dirt, and why great golf should not require two planes and a four hour drive. We cover: Why a plus 4.5 plays his best golf by practicing less The tour pro range habit that changed how Cody practices How progressive overload applies to golf, and why we never apply it Betting on a course being built by a guy with 82 dollars left The welcoming private club idea and sharing great golf with everyone What it really takes to build a nationally ranked course from scratch Timestamps 0:00 The most mispronounced course in golf 1:09 How a real estate guy from Chicago got involved 2:00 The club supply problem that sparked the idea 3:26 Finding the land with Koprowski and Franz 4:31 Why Cody thought modern courses got too easy 6:14 Borrowing the UK model and letting outsiders play 7:05 Funded by spring, playing it by that October 7:40 Betting on a course built with 82 dollars left 9:02 Why he first wanted Broomsedge to be public 10:01 Learning to run five businesses at once 11:16 Bringing in Mike Keiser Jr. and Baker Thompson 12:29 The professional golf years 14:37 Life on the Hooters tour with future major winners 17:52 What he tells the golfer who wonders how good he could be 20:26 Why tournament golf is a completely different game 21:43 The welcoming private club idea 23:56 The design philosophy behind the course 26:10 Back-to-back par 3s and building on 180 acres 27:25 The postage stamp 11th that almost did not exist 29:48 What the Carolinas Mid-Am taught them 32:33 Why he plays his best golf practicing less 34:15 The tour pro range habit that changed everything 36:41 Why progressive overload applies to golf 38:34 The lessons his dad passed down 40:42 What is next on his calendar 42:51 Where to find Broomsedge
The App (use code PRGPOD): https://onelink.to/93ggkv Nate's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_gahman/ Identify over outcome: https://www.id-outcome.com/ Last year an insurance agent with 2 kids walked into the Georgia Open and beat a field of professionals by 2 shots. He barely practices, and when he does, he never grinds for more than an hour. In this episode Nate breaks down how he competes at the top of the amateur game on almost no practice time. Play more than you practice. One good 4 iron and the work is done. 90 percent of his putting is 4 and 5 footers. And he decides how he is going to react before he ever hits the putt. If this makes you rethink how you spend your range time, that is exactly what the Play Ready Golf app is built for. It takes the time you actually have, the facilities you can get to, and your skill level, then builds a practice plan that gets harder as you get better. Use code PRGPOD on the link below for a free 7 day trial and 20 dollars off your annual plan for life. The App: https://onelink.to/93ggkv Chapters 0:00 Beating the pros with a full time job 1:11 Play more than you practice 2:56 The $0 pro career that made him quit 6:34 How his wife pulled him back in 8:13 Decide how you will react before you putt 9:37 What 90 minutes of practice looks like 11:01 Why one good 4 iron is enough 12:49 Winning the Georgia Open in the rain 15:40 Play your game, not the optimal one 16:23 Stop copying YouTube golf 17:22 The 50 footer at the Palmetto Amateur 19:12 An insurance agent against the world's best 22:42 His wife on the bag 23:43 Removing joy from your results 26:40 Why treating practice like a job burns you out 27:46 What he hopes his kids learn from golf
Use code PRGPOD for $20 off your first year. Link below for a free 7-day trial. https://onelink.to/93ggkv Your driver pattern is almost the same width as Scottie Scheffler's. About 5 yards apart. You don't have a swing problem. You have an aim problem. In this episode we break down the four things amateurs do off the tee that quietly cost them 4 to 7 strokes a round. None of them are about your swing. All of them are about how you're aiming a shotgun like it's a rifle. We cover: What a tour pro's actual driver dispersion looks like, and why yours might be closer than you think The 4 wrong moves: aiming at the middle, pulling 3-wood for safety, standing on the wrong side of the tee box, and trying to work it both ways The Scott Fawcett rule for when to hit driver, and when not to Why penalty strokes, not crooked drives, are what's actually blowing up your scorecard Hayden's 7-over-par confession from one hole at a tournament last year The four things you should do on your next round Sources cited in this episode: Mark Broadie, Every Shot Counts (PGA Tour data from top 40 pros, 2004 to 2012) Lou Stagner / Arccos (1B+ shots tracked, dispersion data and penalty stroke research) Scott Fawcett, DECADE system (course management principles and the 70-yard rule) PGA Tour stats (Scheffler's 2025 strokes gained off the tee, right rough tendency, driving distance) Want to actually see your own dispersion broken down? Stop guessing what your shot pattern looks like and start measuring it. Play Ready Golf builds a custom practice plan based on where you're actually losing strokes. 0:00 You're Not A Bad Driver. You're A Bad Aimer. 0:50 The Stat That Reframes Everything About Scheffler 3:00 How Wide Is Your Driver Pattern, Really? 8:48 You Are 5 Yards From The Best Player On Earth 11:13 Wrong Move 1: Aiming At The Middle Of The Fairway 13:00 Wrong Move 2: Pulling 3-Wood For Safety 16:55 Wrong Move 3: The Wrong Side Of The Tee Box 22:00 Wrong Move 4: Trying To Work It Both Ways 30:55 The Fawcett Rule: Hit Driver Almost Every Time 35:30 The Hole Hayden Was 7-Over On 39:25 Four Things For Your Next Round 42:00 What To Watch Next
House of Hope of The Pee Dee: https://hofh.org/ Play Ready Golf 7-Day Trial (use code "PRGPOD): https://onelink.to/93ggkv Most golfers grind for hours and never drop a shot. Jon Weiss does the opposite. He runs a 50-employee ministry, he is married with a full calendar, and he rarely practices more than an hour. Then he goes and wins one of the toughest mid-am events of the year in 35 mph wind. In this episode Jon breaks down how he competes at a high level on almost no practice. Low expectations. Drive it in play. Putt it well. Zero double bogeys over his last six competitive rounds. A good attitude before he ever reaches the first tee. Chapters 00:00 The lowest expectations in golf 01:43 The last time he practiced over an hour 03:50 What he works on, and what he ignores 05:33 Why mid-am golf runs on supportive wives 08:08 The switch that erased his double bogeys 10:30 Winning Jupiter in brutal wind 12:15 Coaching a JV team to 40 fewer shots 15:28 The coaches who built his short game 17:55 Make 3 footers before you chase 20 footers 20:44 The dumbest thing range golfers do 21:47 Get more from 34 balls than a full bucket 24:38 Inside House of Hope of the Pee Dee 30:13 Why he really plays golf now 32:41 Rock bottom to surrender 38:08 The national stage, Erin Hills and Philly Cricket 43:51 The qualifying mindset most golfers get wrong 45:33 How attitude beats most of the field 48:22 Course rankings and a 340 yard hole he hits 7 iron on 50:44 What is next, and slowing down
Try the Play Ready Golf app free for 7 days. Use code PRGPOD at checkout for $20 off your annual plan for life: https://onelink.to/93ggkv Grab the free stat tracker and proximity benchmarks PDF mentioned in the episode: https://onelink.to/stats Most amateurs spend 30 minutes on the practice green before every round. They hit 5 greens out of 18 and lose 40 yards of proximity from 150. You're not a bad putter. You're bad from 150. Mark Broadie analyzed the top 40 PGA Tour pros from 2004 to 2012 and found putting is 15% of the gap between elite and average pros. Approach play is 40%. A scratch golfer beats a Tour pro on the greens in more than 30% of rounds. The data has been public for 12 years. In this episode Isaak and Hayden break down where your strokes actually leak, why Bobby Locke, Harvey Penick, and Dave Pelz built the putting myth, and what to practice instead. 📊 Data sources cited in this episode: Mark Broadie, Every Shot Counts (Columbia University, top 40 PGA Tour pros 2004-2012) Shot Scope (350M+ shots) Arccos via Lou Stagner (1B+ shots) Dave Pelz, Short Game Bible (2000) Harvey Penick, Little Red Book (1992) Chapters: 00:00 Why you're not actually a bad putter 00:53 The Broadie data nobody talks about 02:20 The Play Ready Golf app 02:42 Putts per round vs greens hit 04:57 The 150 yard truth (54 feet vs 122 feet) 09:00 How to practice when nothing feels like progress 15:00 The myth: Bobby Locke and "drive for show putt for dough" 20:56 The myth: Harvey Penick's Little Red Book 27:57 The myth: Dave Pelz and the 80% lie 29:26 Where putting actually matters (the steel-man) 32:33 How to raise your floor with approach play 40:00 Random practice and why blocked practice fails 44:42 "But I 3 putt all the time" (the data on lag putts) 48:19 What to take from this conversation
Connor Doyal is a 26 year old caddy at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. He almost never goes to the range. 3 weeks ago he won the Terra Cotta Invitational against a stacked junior field. Last week he Monday qualified into the PGA Tour's Myrtle Beach Classic and made the cut on the number after hitting his approach into 18 from 137 yards in a divot. This week he's at Desert Mountain playing the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. In this one we get into the 14 for 12 playoff that put him in the U.S. Mid-Amateur at Kinloch, the quarterfinal against Evan Beck that gave him the confidence to compete with the best mid-amateurs in the country, the mental reframe that made the PGA Tour feel less nervy than an amateur event, why he never practices on the range, and the 30 minute practice protocol he'd give an average golfer. Follow Connor: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connordoyal/ Try Play Ready Golf (Use code PRG POD): https://onelink.to/93ggkv Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:34 Quitting Consulting in Atlanta 02:26 Why He Didn't Play College Golf 04:19 An Albatross on His First Day Caddying 06:12 The Practice He Actually Does 10:16 The Biggest Mistake Amateurs Make 12:08 The 14-for-12 Playoff at Kinloch 13:50 First USGA Match. Down Three Early. 17:25 Quarterfinal vs Evan Beck 19:58 Monday Qualifying for the PGA Tour 21:21 Making the Cut From a Divot 22:49 "I'm Just on Vacation." 25:56 Winning the Terra Cotta 30:46 He Never Goes to the Range 32:21 The 30 Minute Practice Protocol 34:11 Prepping for the Four-Ball
App: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6752723937 Most amateurs think they know how far they hit their irons. The Arccos data says they don't. The average 20 handicap thinks their 5 iron flies 187 yards. The actual median carry is 152. That 35 yard gap doesn't just cost one shot. It cascades. Short approach, harder chip, missed up and down, lag putt from 90 feet, three-putt 27% of the time. Two to three strokes per round, every single round, and it had nothing to do with your swing. This episode breaks down where the cascade actually starts, why "80% of strokes lost inside 100 yards" is the most repeated lie in golf, and the 15 minute gapping session that fixes most of it before your next round. ——— Free resources The 59 minute practice plan: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/59minuteplan The PRG benchmarks PDF: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/comprehensivestats The simple stat tracker: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/simplestatstracker ——— 00:00 The 35 yard lie in your bag 01:46 Hayden's college par-3 story 03:25 Why hitting past the pin feels worse 05:43 The cascade from one wrong club 06:32 Where amateurs actually miss from 150 08:45 Aim long until you actually go long 10:48 The 9, 7, 5 gapping drill 13:52 Why Pelz was wrong about the short game 15:30 Isaak's launch monitor rabbit hole 17:58 The middle 6 of 10 balls drill 21:04 Two rules that kill club selection ego 23:54 The Bryson 5 iron rant 25:50 The take two more clubs challenge 29:35 Why block practice does not transfer 30:38 What to actually do at the range 34:21 Resources and final word
Scott Turner owns the Minor League Golf Tour, runs over 100 events a year, raises a daughter, and somehow still wins elite mid-am tournaments against fields full of guys who hit it 310 yards. He hits balls 4 to 5 times a year. His best tournament prep is 9 holes with his buddies for 20 bucks. In this conversation he explains exactly how he competes without practicing, why 90% of professional golfers lose money every year, what Eric Cole was like for a full decade before breaking through to the PGA Tour, and the course management mistake that every handicap level makes without realizing it. We also get into his years as a "part-time hobby professional" working 28-hour weekends in a cart barn to fund Monday qualifiers, the college golf team that rejected him for 4 years straight, and what he tells young players who ask him whether they should keep grinding or hang it up. If you're a working golfer trying to get better with limited time, this one's for you. FOLLOW SCOTT + THE MINOR LEAGUE GOLF TOUR: Website: https://minorleaguegolf.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/minorleaguegolftour ALSO MENTIONED: Back of the Range Podcast (Ben) : https://www.instagram.com/thebackoftherange/ PLAY READY GOLF: Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6752723937 CHAPTERS: 0:00 Introduction 0:27 How Scott stays sharp hitting balls 5 times a year 2:41 Beating 310-yard bombers with a 15-year-old hybrid 5:09 Why 9 holes beats 7 days at the range 7:54 The college team that rejected him for 4 years 13:44 Life as a "part-time hobby professional" 17:21 Turn pro or stay mid-am at 23? 20:50 How the Minor League Golf Tour started 24:18 90% of pro golfers lose money every year 27:45 What separates the 10% who make it 30:25 Eric Cole shot 65 every day for a decade 34:09 The $100 training division for working golfers 37:07 How good are mini tour players really? 41:26 The club selection mistake every golfer makes 43:28 Winning the Gasparilla at Palmacia 47:18 Legacy, fatherhood, and the Jumbotron story 50:21 Where to find Scott and the Minor League Golf Tour
You watched four days of the Masters and decided your putting is broken. It's not. 74 million shots say amateur golfers miss more than 60% of putts from 8 feet. Tour pros miss 3 out of 4 from 15 feet. A scratch golfer misses 2 out of every 3 from 10 feet. Your putting isn't the problem. Your expectations are. And those broken expectations are quietly making your putting worse round after round. In this episode, Isaak and Hayden break down what the data actually says about putting performance at every handicap level, why watching the Masters creates a choking loop you didn't know you were in, and how to recalibrate what a "good putt" actually looks like. Plus the drills that build putting under real pressure, not practice-green pressure. Get a handicap-specific benchmark card in the show notes. Figure out where you actually lose strokes and practice the right things with Play Ready Golf. Use code PRGPOD for $20 off your first year. CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold Open: The Masters Made You Think You're a Bad Putter 00:56 Why Your Expectations Are the Real Problem 03:46 15%, 40%, 25%: The Putting Stats Nobody Shares 11:28 The Choking Loop That Starts on Your Couch 14:18 Hayden's Ohio Am Putting Meltdown 15:52 Green Reading and the Pre-Shot Routine 25:37 Realistic Make Rates by Distance (The New Scoreboard) 36:20 How to Practice Putting Without Wasting Time 42:15 You're Not a Bad Putter RESOURCES Play Ready Golf app: https://onelink.to/93ggkv Realistic Expectations by Handicap: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/comprehensivestats #golfpodcast #golfpractice #puttingtips #strokesgained #golfstats
Mike Smith is the founder of ForeCollegeGolf, a recruiting consultancy that has helped over 200 families in 40+ countries place junior golfers at college programs. He's a two-time Florida Foursomes champion, a 2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball semifinalist, and according to his Four-Ball partner Will Davenport, the most clutch golfer he's ever played with. He also has two boys under four and runs his business full time. In this conversation, Mike walks through what golf parents get wrong about recruiting, why he refuses to practice his weaknesses, the partnership and the wedge shot that nearly took him and Will to a USGA title, and the mental shift he made after becoming a dad that completely changed how he competes. For golfers who feel stuck between wanting to improve and not having time to grind, this is the reframe. Get a 7 days of free personalized practice plans: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/play-ready-golf/id6752723937?ppid=af3c9fac-74c5-46b7-9bea-e41648182e7d Follow Mike: instagram.com/forecollegegolf ForeCollegeGolf: forecollegegolf.com Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:16 Showing up to a USGA championship missing a shoe 02:18 What growing up at TPC Sawgrass actually does to a kid 05:28 Why he chose James Madison over bigger programs 09:54 Climbing the junior golf ladder without skipping rungs 11:46 Becoming team captain as a junior at JMU 14:47 Starting ForeCollegeGolf in 2014 16:13 The biggest thing parents get wrong about college golf recruiting 17:49 What to tell the dad whose 13-year-old just broke 80 22:53 Why his real passion is not college recruiting 27:10 Meeting Will Davenport at the Womet Invitational 29:21 The broomstick putter that changed Will's game 31:43 The Lago Mar eagle (and the rule that got changed the next year) 34:22 The Sam Bradford putt at Plainfield 37:53 Why he refuses to practice his weaknesses 40:28 Faith, family, and the mental shift after becoming a dad 42:19 What he'll teach Lucas and Graham about competing 44:25 Scotty Scheffler, cross-training, and praising effort over outcome 48:04 The holy grail: course management and outcome detachment 49:12 Wrap #golf #collegegolf #midamateur #golfpractice #usga
The driving range business model hasn't meaningfully changed since the first one opened in Pinehurst in 1913. Lights, mats, and automatic ball dispensers. That's it. But the science of how people learn motor skills has changed dramatically. And none of it says "hit the same club to the same target until it feels good." In this episode, we break down exactly how to structure your limited practice time using strokes gained data, random practice principles, and pressure finishes. Three complete sessions: 15 minutes at home, 30 minutes at the range, and a full 59 minute plan that covers every part of your game. Hayden, a professional golfer who practices 3.5 to 4 hours a day, has a specific target on every single shot. If the guy with the most time is the most intentional, that should tell you something about how you're spending your 30 minutes. Download the free practice plan PDF: playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/59minuteplan Try the Play Ready Golf app: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6752723937 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playreadygolf.app 00:00 Why "feel" is lying to you 02:00 Practicing to say you practiced 03:00 Bob Rotella's 60/40 rule 03:59 Strokes gained breakdown: where your shots actually come from 04:44 The 5 rules of effective practice 06:12 "If you aim anywhere, you'll hit it everywhere" 06:33 Full pre-shot routine on every shot 07:37 Track something. Write it down. 08:12 End every session with pressure 08:30 15 minute home putting session 11:49 30 minute range session 14:09 Stop training for penalties 17:14 Wedge distance control 18:43 The 59 minute practice plan 22:13 Why iron play is where you improve the most 23:17 Tee ball: keep your shoes on 25:05 Putting and chipping: don't fluff the ball 27:27 Full routine or no routine. Pick one. 28:06 Why people don't practice like this 29:09 The range hasn't changed since 1913 30:37 Practice for the golf course, not your swing
He works 60+ hours a week at Boston Consulting Group. He's ranked #16 among mid-amateur golfers in the entire country. Will Davenport is proof that structured, intentional practice beats volume every time. In this episode, Will walks through exactly how he structures his limited practice time into three buckets, why he switched to a broomstick putter (and the one missed putt that forced the decision), the story of how he went from losing his match at the U.S. Mid-Amateur to caddying at the Masters, and why he thinks every golfer needs to play faster. Will is a member at Pine Tree Golf Club, a Yale grad with a molecular biology degree, a Wharton MBA, and one of the most decorated mid-amateur competitors in the country. His competitive resume includes a U.S. Amateur Four-Ball semifinal, a U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinal, and the 2024 FSGA Player of the Year award. Follow Will @willywonka93: https://www.instagram.com/willywonka93/ Will’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wcd-fl/ If you want to practice smarter with the time you actually have, Play Ready Golf builds you a personalized practice plan based on your limited time. Download the app and start your 7 day free trial IOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/play-ready-golf/id6752723937 Google Play (US Only): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playreadygolf.app CHAPTERS: 0:00 Cold Open 0:55 How Will balances BCG and elite golf 2:05 The moment he knew pro golf wasn't the path 4:54 Does a molecular biology degree help your golf game? 7:56 A typical practice week (3 buckets) 11:59 What gets cut first on busy weeks 13:47 The biggest practice mistake he sees at every club 18:20 Why he switched to a broomstick putter 23:14 The 2019 U.S. Mid-Am and the Lukas Michel story 29:08 What it's like to caddy at the Masters 33:55 Why he's elite in team golf 36:08 Playing fast vs. playing rushed 41:07 The hardest mid-am golf course he's played 43:45 Advice to his younger self 46:46 What's next on his schedule
Most golfers walk into their club championship, member-guest, or first tournament expecting to play their normal game. The data says you should expect to play worse. Not because you choke. Because the conditions are fundamentally different in ways nobody warns you about. In this episode, we break down exactly how to prepare for tournament golf when you have a 9-to-5. From the week before to the warm-up to the mental traps that silently eat your score mid-round. Hayden just came off a professional tournament where he shot 9 over through two rounds and then 8 under the final two. What changed? Nothing about his swing. If you're playing a tournament this season, listen to this before you tee it up. The Play Ready Golf app is live. Use code PRGPOD for $44/year if you sign up by April 12 (founding member pricing ends after the Masters) Apple: https://apps.apple.com/app/play-ready-golf/id6752723937 Android(US Only): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playreadygolf.app Download the free resources we reference: Benchmark PDF: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/comprehensivestats Simple Stats Tracker: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/simplestatstracker 59-Minute Practice Plan: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/59minuteplan Questions? isaak@playready.golf Studies referenced: Social facilitation (Zajonc, Bond and Titus 1983) Caffeine and golf performance (Mumford et al. 2016, Auburn) Carbohydrate intake and golf fatigue (2023 randomized crossover) Ironic process theory (Wegner 1994) The Fluid Motion Factor by Steven Yellin (book) Timestamps 0:00 Why you should expect to play worse in tournaments 1:22 The 3 reasons nobody talks about 4:21 The marathon mindset for your first tournament 5:35 The number one mistake: swing changes before a tournament 6:04 Hayden's tournament prep: show up with the swing you have 10:42 The marathon taper principle applied to golf 11:45 Hayden's 3 keys to course-specific preparation 15:27 Take the longest club you can swing confidently 19:04 How to avoid the snowball after a bad shot 20:48 Hayden's full pre-round warm-up routine 25:58 Your warm-up is not a practice session 28:03 Hayden's first tournament: 9 over to 8 under 31:10 Tip 1: Go on vacation between shots 32:04 Tip 2: Pick one controllable to focus on 33:03 Nutrition: blood glucose drops 10-30% during a round 34:05 Caffeine: 2 strokes better on the back nine 35:35 The 7 mental traps in tournament golf 44:03 Identity pressure and ego-driven shot selection 46:17 Post-round: focus on what went right 48:15 The Play Ready Golf app and founding member pricing That comes in around 2,400 characters. Plenty of room if you want to add anything back. What I cut and why: sub-timestamps within sections that were already covered by a parent timestamp (the individual trap numbers 1 through 7 collapsed into the single "7 mental traps" entry since the section plays continuously), mid-section moments that were interesting but not entry points (Cam Young story, Ohio Mid-Am warm-up, Tiger swing change), and anything that was a continuation of a conversation rather than a new topic. I kept every major section shift so a listener scanning can jump to prep, warm-up, mid-round, mental traps, or post-round directly.
Jonathan Keane carries a +2.8 handicap and plays tournaments at Pine Valley, Garden City, and Oakmont. Instead of chasing his own game, he built Mid-Am Golf HQ to cover the most competitive amateur circuit in the country. In this episode, Jonathan breaks down how elite mid-amateurs actually practice, what the reinstatement debate gets wrong, how to break into the invitational circuit, and why NIL money is about to change competitive amateur golf. Follow Mid-Am Golf HQ: @midamgolfhq on Instagram Newsletter: nichegolfhq.com If you want a structured practice plan that fits your schedule, try Play Ready Golf free for 7 days 👉 https://playready.golf/the-app 0:00 The reinstatement test nobody expected 0:12 Why a +2.8 covers everyone else's game 1:16 The moment that started Mid-Am Golf HQ 3:06 How COVID accidentally built a platform 4:33 Competitive golf after college hits different 9:57 How a +2.8 actually practices 12:14 The best mid-ams skip the range 13:29 What 9 to 5 golfers get wrong about practice 14:02 The 4-4-4-4 drill method 15:44 Building a newsletter with 82% open rate 18:00 Why some tournaments are a "black box" 20:30 Building Niche Golf HQ (juniors, seniors, events) 24:42 "Glorified travel services" in golf media 26:35 Where the business brain comes from 29:05 What a mid-am event actually feels like 32:00 The Gasparilla: "the perfect amount of hard" 35:55 The reinstatement debate (full breakdown) 41:57 NIL is about to flood the mid-am circuit 42:42 Defending Stu Hagestad 44:33 How to actually break into mid-am golf 49:00 What's next on Jonathan's calendar
