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Episode Summary
Ross very nearly gets to scratch this week - painfully nearly. He talks through a round where one missed short putt on the 18th left him sitting at 0.5, along with the classic golfer’s curse of knowing you should stick to process while your brain quietly screams, “go on then, make history.” Colin, naturally, offers sympathy while also enjoying the drama just a little bit.
The pair then get into gear chat, with Colin trying to make sense of the new TaylorMade Spider putter range and the Cobra OPTM Max-K driver, while Ross brings the lower-handicap reality check on forgiveness, lie angle, workability and why most amateur golfers probably don’t need to be shaping it like prime Tiger.
There’s a big short-game section too, covering Ross’s chipping experiments, looking away from the ball, cack-handed chips, landing-spot practice, ladder drills, using a putting stroke with different clubs, and even the mighty five-wood chip-and-run. They wrap up with Colin entering the Golspie open, Ross recommending Grantown-on-Spey, and a reminder to follow the show on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and Instagram.
Episode Highlights
🟢 Ross misses a two-footer on the 18th that would have taken him to scratch - brutal, funny, and very golf.
🟢 Colin tries to decode the TaylorMade Spider putter family, from Tour and Tour X to the smaller V model and different hosel options.
🟢 Ross explains why looking away from the ball has helped free up his chipping stroke, borrowing the same idea from his putting.
🟢 The boys talk through practical chipping games, including landing drills, 15-yard stock shots, ladder practice and up-and-down challenges.
🟢 A deep chat on lie angle, flatter clubs, workability and why “standard” clubs might quietly be sending half of us left.
Gear & Resources Mentioned
🟢 TaylorMade Spider Tour / Spider Tour X / Spider Tour F / Spider Tour V putters — discussed around forgiveness, MOI, True Path alignment and the White TPU Pure Roll insert. TaylorMade describes the White TPU Pure Roll insert as using 45-degree grooves to encourage forward roll and says the white insert works visually with True Path Alignment. (taylormadegolf.com)
🟢 Cleveland Frontline putter — Colin’s current Spider-ish mallet putter, which he still seems dangerously close to replacing because golf equipment exists.
🟢 Cleveland wedges — Ross gives another glowing mention to his newer Cleveland wedges after a very tidy bunker shot on the 18th.
🟢 Scotty Cameron putter — Ross compares his current larger-headed Scotty Cameron setup with the stability he used to like in the Spider.
🟢 Cobra OPTM Max-K driver — Colin’s latest temptation in the “maybe this will fix my driver” category. Cobra says the OPTM driver line uses shaping and weight placement to reduce twisting, while Golf Monthly describes the OPTM Max-K as Cobra’s most stable model, with a combined MOI of 13K. (COBRA Golf)
🟢 Scott Fawcett / DECADE Course Management — referenced again in Ross’s scratch-handicap journey, especially the idea of sticking with process and long-term averages rather than forcing one heroic outcome.
🟢 Golspie Golf Club — Colin has entered an open there and is looking forward to testing the game somewhere slightly more exciting than the garden lawn. The club’s open competition listings include the Millicent Bowl & Campbell Shield and the Golspie Open. (Golspie Golf Club)
🟢 Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club - Ross’s weekly open recommendation, picked partly because it looks gorgeous, has heather, mountain views, and doesn’t cost the price of a new wedge.
Weekly Competitions
🟢 Golspie Golf Club — Millicent Bowl & Campbell Shield, Golspie, Scottish Highlands. Saturday 13 June 2026. Gents singles strokeplay. Visitor entry listed at £35, members £25, with Golf Empire listing the handicap index limit as 28.0 for men. (BRS Golf)
🟢 Golspie Golf Club — Golspie Open, Golspie, Scottish Highlands. Saturday 25 July 2026. Gents singles strokeplay. Visitor entry listed at £35, members £25. The club describes this as its flagship competition on its James Braid-designed course. (BRS Golf)
🟢 Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club — Gents “McCulloch Cup” Strokeplay, Grantown-on-Spey, Scottish Highlands. Sunday 6 September 2026. Ross mentions a handicap limit of 24 and an entry cost of £27 per person in the episode; I found a Golf in Scotland post confirming Grantown-on-Spey’s 2026 open schedule includes the Gents McCulloch Cup Strokeplay on 6 September, but the visible search result did not confirm the £27 price. (Facebook)
Chapter List
00:00 Welcome back, intro duties, and Ross taking four shots to start the podcast
02:51 Ross hits the crossbar on his scratch-handicap attempt
08:30 TaylorMade Spider putters and Colin trying to understand the range
12:12 Mallet putters, forgiveness, Rory, Scottie and off-centre strikes
17:00 Ross’s chipping practice update and balance work
20:13 Switching chipping grips during a round
24:20 Chipping games, landing drills and target practice
25:40 Why the 15-yard chip is such a useful stock shot
26:53 Using a putting stroke for chip-and-run shots
27:29 The five-wood chip-and-run enters the chat
30:28 Colin enters the Golspie open
32:02 Cobra OPTM Max-K driver and the search for more forgiveness
35:35 Workability, shot shaping and whether average golfers really need it
37:46 Lie angle, flatter clubs and why standard might not suit everyone
41:58 Why getting your lie angles checked could make a huge difference
43:31 Ross recommends the Grantown-on-Spey open
