Want to practice like it counts? We open the notebook from a Scottsdale trip and dig into the real differences between coaching tour players and everyday golfers—where benchmarks, decision-making, and data matter more than pretty swings. Pros already meet the speed, approach, and scrambling standards, so the work shifts to human skills: choosing the right shot, trusting a plan, and validating ideas with objective feedback. Amateurs often miss the target by misreading their own games, chasing distance while leaks in putting and chipping quietly add strokes.

We lay out clear scoring benchmarks—why roughly 31 putts per round correlates with breaking 80, how three-putt control and short game proximity drive scoring, and what “makeable” actually means from 6 to 10 feet. Then we compare practice that sticks versus practice that soothes. Pros test feels across lies, use alignment every session, and build motor patterns without a club before confirming ball flight. They activate, not stretch, before tee times, turning on the chains they’ll use under pressure. You’ll hear how to copy that flow with simple activation, constraint drills, and short game games that tie reps to results.

We also get honest about equipment. Tour players benefit from elite fitting and consistent shaft profiles, swing weights, lofts, and lies. Many amateurs game clubs that are too long or mismatched, forcing compensations no drill can fully fix. We break down how to work with a fitter who understands delivery, why proper sole interaction matters, and how the right build can clean up contact, start lines, and distance control.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start growing, this conversation gives you the blueprint: human-first movement, measurable benchmarks, focused practice, and gear that actually fits. Subscribe for more, share this with a golfer who needs a plan, and leave a review telling us where you’re losing the most strokes—putting, wedges, or tee shots?

Looking for more distance without sacrificing control or your back? We dig into why most golf speed programs fall short and what actually creates sustainable gains: sequencing, braking, and face stability. Instead of stuffing a V8 into a Civic, we focus on upgrading the brakes—teaching your body to decelerate at the right time so the shaft can kick and speed shows up where it matters.

We break down the chain from pressure shift to ground reaction forces, how a closing face in transition forces a stalled pivot, and why “left going left” is the only ball flight that never works. You’ll hear how to pair speed with face control, why carry is the metric that pays the bills, and how to avoid the trap of chasing ball speed with pull‑draw knuckles that look fast but go nowhere on wet fairways. We also tackle common myths: vertical force isn’t the answer by itself, juniors need balanced torque and horizontal components to stay healthy, and real speed doesn’t come from jumping off the ground.

Along the way, we share a pro case study: a 26‑yard carry gain in minutes by de‑weighting sooner to create an effective brake—no arm yanking required. Then we zoom out to the system that sustains progress: four to five focused sessions a week, objective feedback from pressure or force tools when available, and smart strength work that supports rotation, stability, and clean deceleration. If you’ve tried speed sticks, stacks, or radars and didn’t see lasting results on the course, this conversation shows what’s missing and how to build speed that holds up for 18 holes.

Enjoy the episode? Subscribe, drop a review, and share it with a golfer chasing distance. Have questions or want help with your pattern? Find us on YouTube at Measured Golf and connect through the Measured Golf website.

Chasing scratch sounds noble until it blinds us to how golfers truly improve. We open the hood on handicaps—what they actually measure, why differentials are about potential rather than averages, and how course rating, slope, and conditions can make an 80 a great round for a scratch player on a brutal track. The math is fine; the misuse isn’t. When scorecards include gimmes and casual OB drops, indexes drift into vanity or inflate into sandbagging, and suddenly net leaderboards look like fantasy.

Instead of treating a single number like a personality test, we pivot to skills you can train. We lay out four performance buckets—off the tee, approach play, around the green, and putting—and give concrete benchmarks. Want to be a reliable single digit? Aim for roughly 50 percent fairways and greens, 50 percent scrambling, and about 31 putts. Dreaming of scratch? Push those rates toward 60 percent with around 30 putts. These targets reveal where to spend your practice time and why driver fixes alone won’t erase a double-digit gap. We even walk through a junior pounding 118 mph drives who still loses strokes where it counts: wedges and the flatstick.

Integrity is the hinge that makes the system work. We talk about putting everything out, honoring stroke and distance, avoiding on-the-fly “adjustments,” and self-policing within your group to protect events and keep competition fun. If you care about getting better, measure what matters, play by the rules, and let the numbers tell the truth. Subscribe for more grounded coaching insights, drop a comment on our Measured Golf YouTube channel, and if you want personalized help, visit measuredgolf.com to explore virtual coaching. Then tell us: which bucket will you attack first this season?

Ever take lessons, swing “better,” and still shoot the same scores? We unpack why so many fixes fade under pressure and how to build change that sticks. Michael shares a candid client story that redefines what makes a “great coach,” then dives into the core problem: chasing the club instead of coaching the human moving it. You’ll hear why discomfort is essential to motor learning, how implicit practice away from the ball builds durable patterns, and why timing good shots isn’t the same as sequencing a reliable swing.

We get specific about measurement. Baselines, force plates, and launch monitor data are more than gadgets; they keep both coach and player honest. Michael explains how to set targets for pressure, path, and delivery, then use test-train-retest loops to confirm that a pattern actually changed—not just the appearance of the swing. He also tackles the incentives that keep coaching transactional, and makes the case for fiduciary or transformational coaching that puts results and referrals ahead of ego. If your coach can’t show their work, you’re guessing.

There’s practical guidance too: when to practice without a ball, how to choose specialists for putting and wedges, and what a modern session should include. We break down sequencing for consistency and speed, connect body movement to club forces, and show how better concepts make “limited mobility” less limiting. The payoff is confidence on uneven lies and under stress, with a swing you understand and can self-correct.

If you’re ready to move beyond tips and into measurable progress, this conversation is your map. Subscribe, share with a golf friend who’s stuck, and leave a review with the one change you plan to try next.

What if golf isn’t just a game, but maybe moral code or even more? I open up and share the moments that made me see golf as a kind of secular faith—rituals, standards, and the quiet work we do when nobody’s watching.

We talk about how COVID packed tee sheets without truly creating more "golfers", why bunkers go unraked and greens riddled with ball marks, and what Scotland gets right: community at the heart of the course, honest handicaps, firm ground that teaches scoring from the soil up. From there, we build a case for self-policing and leading by example. Fix three ball marks a green. Rake every bunker that needs it. Take your hat off inside. Thank the staff. These aren’t fussy rules; they’re small choices that protect pace, conditions, and the shared experience that makes golf feel sacred.

Along the way, we get into accountability and the inner game: the solitude between shots, the sting of imperfection, and why progress comes from owning the miss, not excusing it. We explore golf karma, the difference between talking improvement and doing it, and the story of a competitor reminding Tiger Woods to replace his mark with a title on the line—a perfect snapshot of honor over outcome. If you’ve ever felt the course ask more of you than a number on a card, this conversation is for you.

If this resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a playing partner who needs to hear it. Tell us your code: what standard do you hold when no one’s looking?

The roars at Bethpage were real—but so was the unease. I was on the ground for the 2025 Ryder Cup, and what I witnessed was a jarring split-screen: world-class golf from both teams and a fan atmosphere that too often went from passion to hostility. Europe executed in foursomes and four-ball with poise and precision, while the U.S. mounted a gutsy Sunday charge that turned the final day into must-watch drama. From JT’s magic to Rose vs. Cam Young on 18, the shots were worthy of the stage. The question is whether the stage—and the crowd culture around it—honored the game they showcased.

We talk through how the event tipped toward spectacle: chants that crossed lines, personal attacks aimed at players and families, and a security presence that told its own story. I unpack why the TV narrative missed how tense it felt on the course, why this wasn’t just “New York energy,” and how operating decisions—from choosing an MC to tolerating provocation—shaped behavior. Then we get practical. Bethpage’s fallaway surrounds erased sightlines, corporate structures walled off views, movement clogged in choke points, and basic amenities lagged. If the goal is to grow the game, pricing out families while delivering a poor live experience is a losing play.

We also tackle the pay debate head-on. These are professionals, their allocations go to charity, and comparing them to Olympian amateurs is a category mistake. Respect the craft, reward the performance, and focus on reforming fan culture rather than scapegoating players. Finally, I lay out fixes: choose venues with natural viewing berms (consider anchor sites), reduce corporate obstruction, enforce a clear code of conduct with real ejections, and channel crowd energy into supporting your team rather than demeaning the other. The rivalry is the point; contempt is not.

If you care about golf’s future—and love the Ryder Cup at its best—listen, share, and tell us what you’d change. Subscribe, leave a review, and join the conversation so we can push this event back toward the standard the players set.

The debate about optimal short game technique has heated up in golf instruction circles, with many coaches advocating for the "double-digits down" approach to chipping and pitching. But does this technique really deliver the promised results for all golfers? Michael dives deep into the biomechanics of the short game with scientific precision and measured data.

Using sophisticated equipment including Swing Catalyst dual force plates and TrackMan launch monitors, Michael demonstrates the actual effects of different attack angles on ball flight and spin production. The findings are eye-opening: increasing attack angle from 7.8 to 11.5 degrees downward only added about 150 RPMs of spin while significantly decreasing landing angle from 30.4 to 23.5 degrees. The result? A ball that actually rolled out further despite the steeper attack—precisely what most golfers are trying to avoid when seeking more spin.

What makes this analysis particularly valuable is the clear distinction between center of pressure and center of mass—concepts often confused in golf instruction. The data reveals that pressure distribution (83% on the lead foot with steeper attack angles versus 64% with more neutral setups) is what creates the difference in club delivery, not body position. This has profound implications for how golfers should approach their short game technique based on their individual biomechanics.

For players who struggle with vertical force production—which includes most amateurs—staying heavily on the lead side through impact creates significant challenges. It restricts the backswing, steepens the club too early, and requires precise timing that many find difficult to master consistently. Michael makes a compelling case for tailoring your technique to your physical capabilities rather than following trends that might work beautifully for tour players but poorly for your unique body.

Whether you're a coach looking to better understand the science behind different short game approaches or a player trying to find the most effective technique for your game, this episode provides evidence-based insights that cut through the noise of competing instructional philosophies. What matters isn't which technique is "right"—but which one is right for you.

What happens when you mix child psychology, creative play, and golf instruction? You get a revolutionary approach to junior golf that's changing how young players connect with the game.

Meet Lisi Mueller, an assistant golf professional who left a high-paying corporate job to pursue her passion for teaching golf to children and women. Drawing from her educational background in child psychology and development, Lisey brings a refreshingly innovative toolkit to the driving range—complete with stuffed animals, ribbons, and hopscotch patterns that translate complex golf movements into age-appropriate learning experiences.

Throughout our conversation, Lisi shares the beautiful simplicity of her teaching philosophy: meet children where they are, not where traditional golf instruction expects them to be. Her monkey named Rory teaches body rotation, her octopus Shelly demonstrates grip pressure, and her creative hopscotch patterns help four-year-olds understand weight transfer without ever using those technical terms. The results? Children who hit "a million balls" while having fun, develop critical self-awareness, and keep coming back to the course with excitement rather than obligation.

Beyond teaching methods, we explore deeper questions about golf's accessibility, particularly for young girls who rarely see themselves represented in the game. Lisi's courage to be visible in predominantly male spaces creates pathways for future generations of female golfers. Her reminder that "no one owns golf" and "golf can look like whatever you want it to look like" offers a powerful counterpoint to an industry increasingly focused on professional competition over recreational enjoyment.

Whether you're a parent hoping to introduce your child to golf, a coach looking for fresh teaching approaches, or simply someone who believes golf should be more inclusive and joy-centered, Lisi's insights will inspire you to see the game through new eyes. Connect with her on social media @lisilea_tothetee to learn more about her innovative teaching methods.

What if your biggest obstacle in golf isn't your swing but your mind? In this illuminating conversation with clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Klein, we uncover the powerful psychological elements that separate elite performers from struggling golfers – regardless of physical ability.

Dr. Klein brings a unique perspective as both a trained psychologist with over 18,000 therapy sessions and an experienced golf mental coach working with players from juniors to tour professionals. His central message? While not everyone can move like a pro, anyone can learn to think like one.

We explore how anxiety manifests on the course through two primary channels: future-oriented worry ("don't hit it in the water") and past-focused grief over missed opportunities. Dr. Klein offers practical strategies for regulating emotions, including breath control techniques, walking rhythm adjustments, and accessing feelings of gratitude to flush out negativity.

The conversation delves into the critical importance of pre-shot routines – how professionals perform the same sequence every time, creating a dependable framework that allows them to execute under pressure. We examine the concept of "agency" – the psychological feeling that you're capable of the task at hand – and how selecting shots from your actual repertoire builds genuine confidence.

Perhaps most revolutionary is Dr. Klein's perspective on finding your authentic golf identity. Not everyone needs to adopt the stoic Tiger Woods approach to succeed. Some players thrive with more emotional expression, while others perform better with quiet focus. The key is discovering how you function best rather than forcing yourself into someone else's model.

Want to transform your mental approach and experience more freedom on the course? This episode provides the roadmap to thinking like a champion, regardless of your handicap.

Standing on the first tee of the Old Course at St. Andrews, a strange calm washed over me. The nerves that typically plague my game had vanished. Six holes later, after holing out an eagle on the ninth, I turned to where my father would have stood and whispered, "That's for you, Dad." Twenty years after his passing, I broke down in tears on golf's holiest ground, feeling his presence in a way I hadn't experienced since losing him.

This transformative journey through the UK revealed the stark differences between American and Scottish golf cultures. While American courses often emphasize manicured aesthetics and cart-based play, Scottish links golf embraces the natural terrain and walking. At Carnoustie, I watched children and women casually enjoying the same championship courses the pros struggle with during major championships. The local clubs function as community centers where golf is accessible to all – with memberships at world-class venues costing a fraction of American prices and programs ensuring every child receives free lessons and equipment.

Course design philosophy differs dramatically as well. Conversations with architect Mike DeVries reinforced that great courses should be playable and engaging for everyone, not just elite players. This contrasts sharply with American golf's obsession with length and difficulty that caters to professionals while forgetting that most golfers shoot in the 90s and drive the ball modest distances. The Scottish approach treats golf as more than a game – it's a communal experience, an honor code, and a way of life connecting generations.

After playing 169 holes in seven days (all rounds under four hours while walking!), I've returned with a renewed connection to why I love this game. The experience at St. Andrews wasn't just about golf – it was about reconnecting with joy on the course and feeling my father's influence once more. If you have the means to take the person who introduced you to golf to St. Andrews, do it. There simply isn't a better way to honor what this game truly means.