Flag Hunters Golf Podcast

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We sit down with Singaporean pro James Leow to unpack the routines, mindset, and technical changes that turned near misses into a closing run of birdies and a fully exempt Asian Tour card. From cowgrass to desert lies, from stat overload to clarity, James shares a simple but tough blueprint.

• earning an Asian Tour card and managing pressure
• training with Jonathan Wallett and force-plate feedback
• returning to a natural draw and optimizing footwork
• speed norms vs scoring skills and course strategy
• simplifying stats into practical proximity bands
• growing up i...

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Golf shouldn’t come with a side of fear. When your first thought on the tee is “don’t let my back go,” your swing tightens and your brain starts guarding. We sat down with osteopath and author Gavin Rutledge to replace that fear with a clear plan: understand what your pain is (and isn’t), use the right movements at the right time, and train a back your brain can trust.

Gavin demystifies sciatica by showing it’s a description, not a diagnosis, and breaks down the difference between nerve compression...

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We sit down with three-time Asian Tour winner Terry Pilkadaris to explore how fundamentals, course awareness, and structured practice drive real scoring gains. The talk maps his rise, mistakes made chasing trends, and the simple systems he now teaches to players at every level.

• growing up with access to a course and early coaching
• why range work must give way to on-course learning
• wind, lies, grain, and shot choice as scoring levers
• parents, YouTube, and the myth of perfect swings
• handicap-based short game options and risk control
• grip...

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Want to hit it farther without wrecking your back or your confidence? We sit down with long drive champion Eddie Fernandes to unpack a smarter path to speed—one that starts with better movement, safe rotation, and a nervous system that says yes instead of no. Eddie explains why fast arms and strong hands are the true engine of clubhead speed, how to load the trail side without shredding the lumbar spine, and why cadence beats “ripping from the top” when you want both power and control.

Eddie walks us through his Ro...

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Two golfers trade stories and sharpen ideas with Jay Delsing, from UCLA glory and Q-School grit to equipment’s impact on strategy, classic courses, and what makes golf a true merit test. Respect, authenticity, and good shots under pressure carry the day.

• UCLA superteam lineup and competitive culture
• Q-School format, mental fatigue and rookie-year lessons
• Golf as meritocracy and the reality of cuts and pay
• Arnold Palmer’s etiquette lesson and leadership
• Why golf unites strangers better than other sports
• Persimmon and balata versus modern drivers and balls
•...

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We explore how an LPGA winner turned performance coach builds elite mental skills through attention, breath, and state. Sandra Gal shares tools to stop overthinking, train presence, and let go of outcomes while playing with more freedom and joy.

• update on Justin’s new base at Hidden Castle Golf Club
• Sandra’s path from Germany to LPGA champion
• discipline versus talent and finding balance
• college breakthrough and early mindset habits
• why overthinking derails and how to return to the body
• surrendering outcomes and focusing on process
• meditation...

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We sit down with Carl Pettersson to unpack a self-taught swing, a calm competitive mind, and what truly sustains a long PGA Tour career. From on-course practice to a coming Champions Tour run, he shares clear, practical lessons for players who want to score.

• multi-sport roots leading to golf specialization
• move to the U.S. and growth through junior competition
• self-taught swing built on feel and observation
• confidence as the engine of consistency and scoring
• practicing on the course to master trajectories
• old-school approach versus stats and tech

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We sit down with Viktor Hovland to unpack how an engineering mindset, smart coaching, and targeted practice turned weaknesses into strengths while keeping faith through slumps. From Norway’s ranges to PGA wins, he explains root-cause problem solving, short game breakthroughs, and gear choices that stick.

• Norway’s golf culture and his early start
• Pushing boundaries without claiming flag-bearer status
• Engineering lens for swing mechanics and feedback
• Influences from Kelvin Miyahira, Joe Mayo, and Grant Waite
• Short game rebuild using spin loft and low point control
• Coaching elite p...

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We trace Georges’ path from France to China and unpack how a clear system—not a one-size method—helps juniors and adults build reliable contact, usable power, and predictable ball flight. We challenge common myths about Stack and Tilt and show how thinking golfers score lower.

• defining turn, tilt, and extend before touching a club
• controlling low point to build solid contact
• creating enough speed to play, not chase max distance
• building predictable ball flight through face and path
• why Stack and Tilt is a system, not a model
• co...

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We challenge the myth that more greens alone lowers scores and show how wedge control and impact-focused coaching change a golfer’s ceiling. Mike shares a short game test, a simple wedge matrix, and a speed move that adds real yardage without chasing positions.

• Mike’s journey from player to coach and key mentors
• Fixing root causes using steep and shallow components
• Why ball flight and communication beat perfect positions
• The Howard Twitty wedge matrix and scoring lessons
• A short game test that sets a real baseline
• Building...

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Two Oklahoma State golfers reflect on a Walker Cup win, wedge-first strategy, and the mental habits that turn off days into solid scores. We share our recruiting paths, daily routine at Carsten Creek, and why multi-sport childhoods beat early specialization.

• why wedges and distance control decide college events
• one-way misses and fat-side targets to lower risk
• how to practice 130–80 yards for real scoring gains
• alternate shot strategy built on patience and par pressure
• using humor to reset after mistakes under pressure
• mental game habits for staying present and co...

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We unpack how John Erickson decoded Ben Hogan’s real mechanics and turned them into a trainable system that manages shaft pressure, not poses. The talk gets practical with drills, gear choices, and practice habits that produce penetrating flight and stable clubface control.

• early wrist set to remove transition pressure
• tripping the shaft to the 4:30 line
• frozen right elbow and low‑left exit
• delayed torso rotation to hold shaft flex
• corkscrew backswing and free ride down drills
• explosion into finish for faster left shoulder
• under‑plane early, up to p...

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John Erickson, father of Advanced Ball Striking, reveals how he cracked the Hogan code by examining the science behind Ben Hogan's legendary ball striking technique.

• Heavy club heads (around 16 ounces compared to modern 10-11 ounce drivers) helped Hogan generate power through body rotation rather than arm speed
• Flat lie angles (6-8 degrees flatter than standard) provided greater accuracy by reducing the possibility of left misses
• "Tripping the shaft" at transition creates the distinctive flattening move that allowed Hogan to approach the ball from inside
• Weight remains on the right fo...

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We welcome USA Walker Cup Captain Nathan Smith to discuss the upcoming matches at Cypress Point Club, the first time this iconic course has hosted the event since 1981 and will be televised for the public to see its splendor.

• Nathan Smith brings his perspective as a four-time US Mid-Amateur champion who has played in four Masters
• Cypress Point's Alister MacKenzie design philosophy offers "an easy birdie or a hard-fought bogey" on every hole
• The course demands strategic precision with properly played angles rather than just power
• Each section of the cour...

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Bernie Najar, PGA Director of Instruction at Caves Valley Golf Club and coach to World Long Drive Champion Kyle Berkshire, shares his individualized approach to golf instruction that respects each player's unique physical capabilities and natural swing tendencies.

• Working with Kyle Berkshire since age 10, respecting his strong grip and upright swing rather than forcing conventional changes
• Focusing on player assessment before making swing changes to ensure physical capability
• Learning from mentors including Wayne DeFrancesco, Mac O'Grady, Jim Hardy, and Mike Adams
• Understanding the body-swing connection through physical screening
• In...

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Riley Andrews, owner of Elite Golf Schools, explains his approach to teaching golf as a highly individualized process rather than forcing students into a predetermined method.

• Understanding that different PGA Tour players have vastly different swings but achieve similar results
• Teaching based on three "global laws": Woo-Woo (rhythm/tensegrity), Spirals (myofascial lines), and Geometry (club relationships)
• Using fascia and spiral lines to generate effortless power rather than muscle-based movements
• Focusing on ribcage rotation rather than hip rotation as the primary engine of the golf swing
• Recognizing that students n...

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Swedish golf coach Petter Tarbe shares his groundbreaking approach called "Forgotten Master Moves" which focuses on rediscovering the efficient swing techniques used by golf legends from the 1940s-1960s. His research reveals that focusing on club intentions rather than body mechanics creates more powerful, injury-free golf swings that feel natural and require less effort.

• Moving from positional training to intention-based motion
• Understanding the key difference between base level and master level golf
• Using perceived power in the club to create a "whipping" downswing
• Keeping a straighter spine angle to preve...

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Karl Morris, a performance coach based in the UK and host of the Mind Caddy podcast, shares insights on developing effective golf mindsets and transferring range skills to the course. He explains how separating training and playing mindsets can help golfers access their true abilities during competition.

• Two distinct mindsets needed: training (skill development) and playing (skill access)
• Five potential "one-points" of attention: target, ball flight, golf club, body, or something unrelated
• The red dot technique - placing a colored dot on clubface to improve awareness and impact control
•...

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We dive deep into the subconscious barriers keeping you from reaching your golf potential. Paul Salter, performance coach and hypnotherapist, reveals how childhood programming creates an "upper limit" to success and provides practical strategies to break through mental blocks.

• Our subconscious controls 95% of daily actions including performance under pressure
• First seven years of life program our belief systems while we're in a "theta" brainwave state
• Self-imposed mental limits are rooted in fear of standing out or changing identity
• Technical proficiency (swing mechanics) matters less as you approach scratch level
• Th...

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Austrian golf coach Christoph Bausek joins us to share his journey from elite amateur to European tour coach who revolutionized his teaching through technology, science, and engaging social media content.

• Started golf at age 3 near his family's weekend home in Austria
• Competed with top juniors like Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson before trying professional golf
• Failed as a tour player due to technical swing issues that weren't properly diagnosed
• Discovered TPI and 3D motion analysis around 2008, becoming obsessed with measuring what elite players do differently
• Transformed from nearly 400...

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Howard Falco joins us to discuss how awareness—both internal and external—can transform your performance on the golf course and beyond. We explore how our subconscious mind often drives our actions, and how becoming aware of these hidden forces can dramatically improve our game and our lives.

• Acceptance is the first step to improvement—recognizing your current abilities without judgment
• Most amateurs avoid weaknesses while pros actively seek them out to transform them
• Our identity and self-perception create invisible boundaries on our performance
• True improvement requires changing how you fundam...

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Discover why your mental approach might be sabotaging your golf game with renowned sports psychologist Dr. Raymond Pryor. In this profound exploration of golf psychology, we uncover the concept of "stable confidence" – self-given permission to perform freely without guarantees – and how it transforms performance under pressure.

Dr. Pryor, author of “Golf Beneath the Surface”, challenges conventional wisdom about golf psychology, explaining why common practices like distraction techniques and positive self-talk often fail long-term. Instead, he reveals how acceptance of uncertainty and potential failure actually creates the psychological space needed to access your bes...

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Mark Heartfield, a Class A PGA member since 1986 and former Director of Golf at Sankaty Golf Club, shares his teaching philosophy and career journey spanning over three decades in golf. His approach emphasizes understanding each player's unique swing characteristics rather than imposing a system, helping students realize their full potential through personalized instruction and course management strategies.

• Started playing golf at 15, played collegiately at Stetson University, and turned professional immediately after graduation
• Worked at prestigious clubs including Hyannisport, Plymouth Country Club, Baltusrol (under Bob Ross), and 33 years at Sankity Head
...

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Trevor Telin, mindset coach for elite athletes including those at IMG Academy, reveals practical strategies for golfers to overcome mental barriers and perform at their best under pressure. After experiencing his own mental roadblocks as a college basketball player, Trevor developed techniques that help athletes bridge the gap between technical ability and peak performance.

• Awareness of personal thresholds is the first step in managing pressure situations
• Mental skills require dedicated practice just like physical golf skills
• Personalized strategies work better than generic mental game approaches
• Resonance frequency breathing (4-second...

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Tim O'Connor shares his journey from golf-obsessed amateur to performance coach, revealing how the mental game is often what separates good players from great ones.

• Getting into golf initially as a caddy, observing and learning from scratch players
• Moving from technical, "tab A into slot B" approaches to more instinctual, joy-focused golf
• Understanding that mistaking the golf ball for the target creates unnecessary tension
• Recognizing how we typically view golf as a test of competency rather than an experience
• Exploring "inside-out thinking" and finding happiness from within rather tha...

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John Novosel from Tour Tempo joins us to discuss how discovering the consistent 3-to-1 tempo ratio in professional golf swings revolutionized understanding of what makes great players successful. He explains how this measurable, quantifiable element can be easily adopted by amateur golfers to drastically improve their game without complex swing changes.

• Tour Tempo methodology identifies the precise timing ratios (frames of video) found in professional golf swings
• The 3-to-1 ratio (backswing to downswing) appears consistently among top players like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy
• "Low and slow" backswing is actual...

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Unlock the power of your golf game through innovative grip technology with JumboMax. This episode showcases how the right grip size and weight can transform your performance on the course. 

• Introduction of John Mazzinoble owner of Jumbo Max Grips 
• Discussion around the historical perceptions of golf grips 
• Importance of fitting grips to your hand size for optimal control 
• Exploring the impact of grip weight on swing dynamics 
• Insights from user experience with Jumbo Max grips 
• Encouragement to utilize the Jumbo Max fitting app 

Don't forget to check out...

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Our conversation emphasizes the profound link between yoga practice and improved golf performance. By focusing on the mind-body connection, mobility, breath control, and embracing discomfort, golfers can cultivate resilience and enhance their game. 

• Importance of yoga for mind-body connection in golf 
• Benefits of increased mobility and flexibility as one ages 
• Ground reaction forces and their impact on swings 
• Deep breathing practices to manage stress on the course 
• Embracing discomfort in yoga translates to performance resilience 
• Yoga as a moving meditation fosters connection to the present moment 
• Holistic appr...

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Support the show

To find Justin best, please find him on Instagram @elitegolfswing or email him, justin@elitegolfswing.com

To find Jesse best, also find him on Instagram @flaghuntersgolfpod or TEXT him, (831)275-8804.

Flag Hunters is supported by JumboMax Grips and Mizuno Golf

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Join us for an enlightening conversation with life coach Tanya Oliver, where we explore how to overcome internal barriers that hinder our performance in golf and life. Discover the significance of the Four Pillars—mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical—and how they can guide you toward reaching your full potential. 

• Introduction to Tanya Oliver and her journey 
• Discussion on maladaptive programming and its effects 
• Exploring the Four Pillars for holistic development 
• Importance of self-reflection and emotional intelligence 
• Techniques for transmuting struggles into strengths 
• Impact of breathwork on performance and anx...

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Kick off the 2025 season with us on the Flag Hunters Golf Podcast as we bring you an engaging conversation with Nick Chertock, the mastermind behind Open Forum Golf. This pioneering platform has evolved from a lively Facebook group into a dynamic event at the PGA show, creating a nexus for golf pros, sports scientists, and tech innovators. Nick shares the Open Forum's core philosophy: fostering debate and discussion to drive golf's evolution. Discover how this vibrant community is pushing the boundaries of golf knowledge and technology, ensuring the game remains at the cutting...

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Unlock the secrets of a revolutionary golf swing with insights from legendary golf instructor and former PGA Tour player Bradley Hughes. What if mastering a few key movements could eliminate swing thoughts and lead to more consistent, powerful shots? Bradley shares his groundbreaking drill series, developed alongside John Erickson, that focuses on muscle awareness and body mechanics. They promise golfers of all levels a path to transform their game by emphasizing target-based play, drawing inspiration from the techniques of icons like Trevino, Hogan, and Price.

Discover how the simple yet profound "430...

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Join us for an insightful conversation with John Erickson, the visionary founder of Advanced Ball Striking, and Louis Brown, the reigning USGA Senior Amateur Champion. Discover how John's expertise on club transition was a game-changer for Louis, helping him claim victory after a year-long hiatus from tournaments. Lewis shares his incredible journey from the Junior World Tournament in 1981 to balancing a demanding career in investment with his passion for golf, illustrating the meticulous preparation and mental fortitude required to succeed at the highest levels.

Explore the fascinating world of golf swing...

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Unlock the secrets of Advanced Ball Striking (ABS) with John Sing, a remarkable golfer who has turned his mid-range handicap into a sub-par game through this revolutionary technique. Join us as John shares his transformative journey, revealing how ABS has simplified his golf swing and reduced his emotional attachment to ball flight outcomes. With insights from golf masters John Erickson and Bradley Hughes, this episode promises to provide you with a fresh perspective on refining your golf skills and reaching new heights in your game.

Discover the power of repetitive drills...

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Unlock the secrets to mastering the mental game of golf with Laura Scott, a remarkable UK-based golf mental coach, as she shares her transformative journey from competitive sports to becoming an expert in the mental strategies that enhance performance and joy on the course. Discover how Laura's holistic approach, which combines goal-setting, belief examination, and self-awareness, can lead to significant improvements in your golf experience. Her collaboration with teaching and fitness professionals provides a comprehensive pathway to success, and her insights into understanding the 'why' behind your desire to play are particularly illuminating.<...

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What happens when you blend the wisdom of a legendary golf coach with life coaching insights? Sean Foley, a luminary in the golf world, joins us to share his transformative journey from swing coach to personal mentor. We promise you an episode filled with insights that go beyond the fairway, encouraging a deeper understanding of personal growth and introspection. Sean's unique approach challenges us to question societal norms and embrace curiosity as a path to success, not just in golf, but in life.

Explore the fascinating balance between distance and accuracy...

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Jim Hardy, a legendary figure in golf instruction, joins us on the Flag Hunters Golf Podcast to unravel the complexities of the golf swing. Known for his revolutionary insights into the one-plane and two-plane swings, Jim shares his fascinating journey from a multi-sport athlete to a professional golfer. Through personal stories and anecdotes, he brings to life his experiences at Oklahoma State University and on the PGA Tour, providing a rare glimpse into the evolution of swing instruction that has influenced countless players and coaches around the globe.

Dive into the...

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Unlock the secrets of golf mastery with insights from Eric Schjoberg, a distinguished
 coach from McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona, who joins us for an enlightening conversation on the Flag Hunters Golf Podcast. Dive into Eric's captivating journey from an injury-battered aspiring golfer to a renowned coach, sharing how the teachings of David Leadbetter reshaped his path. Eric's analytical approach and perseverance are a testament to the transformational power of finding the right guidance and methodology in golf coaching.

Discover a fresh perspective on modern golf instruction as we challenge o...

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Ever wondered how the right golf equipment and mental strength can transform your game? Join us for an enlightening conversation with Anthony Broussard, a former Corn Fairy Tour player turned elite golf coach in Dallas, Texas. Anthony provides a captivating journey through his career, highlighting critical moments like his achievements at the Texas State Open and the US Open at Pinehurst. With insights from his state-of-the-art teaching studio and invaluable experiences under legendary coach Chuck Cook, this episode promises to inspire golfers at all levels.

Anthony dives deep into the often-overlooked...

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Unlock the secrets to mastering your putt with the legendary "Putt Doctor" himself, Dr. Craig Farnsworth. Join us as we journey through Dr. Farnsworth’s transformation from a sports vision optometrist for the Denver Nuggets to a revered putting coach in the golfing world. Discover his unique methods to enhance your putting skills by harnessing your visual abilities. From target accuracy to alignment and peripheral awareness, learn why vision is the cornerstone to a successful putt and how most golfers overlook this critical aspect before focusing on stroke mechanics or equipment choices.