Play Ready Golf | Strokes Gained for the 9 to 5 Golfer
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...
Amateurs Practice Fancy Shots. Winners Drill Boring Ones. - Scott Cahill (Ep. 30)
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...
Scratch Golfers Hit the Same Bad Shots You Do - Ep. 29
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...
Amateurs Aren't Lazy. They Practice Too Hard. - Nate Smith
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, m...
Practice Is Cheaper Than Golf. That's the Trap.
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...
He Got Better Practicing Less - Cody Sundberg
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...
Amateurs Practice Too Much. They Play Too Little. - Nate Gahman
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...
You Are Almost As Straight As Scheffler
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:<...
More Practice Won't Lower Your Scores. Less Will. - Jon Weiss Jr.
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. Driv...
Amateurs Aren't Bad Putters. They're Bad From 150.
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...
He Just Made a PGA Tour Cut. ft. Connor Doyal
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...
The Approach Shot Lie Costing Amateurs 3 Strokes A Round
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...
He Hits Balls 5 Times a Year and Still Wins Tournaments ft. Scott Turner
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...
74 Million Shots Prove You're Not a Bad Putter
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...
He Made the USGA Semis With Two Toddlers at Home ft. Mike Smith
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...
The Range Hasn't Changed Since 1913. That's the Problem. (BONUS)
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...
He Practices Less Than You and Plays Better ft. Will Davenport
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...
7 Mental Traps That Ruin Your Tournament Score
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...
The Best Mid-Ams Would Rather Play Than Practice ft. Jonathan Keane | Mid Am Golf HQ
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 👉htt...
5 Free Fixes That Drop More Strokes Than a New Swing
Most golfers leave the course convinced their swing cost them strokes. But the 5 biggest mistakes amateur golfers make have nothing to do with their swing. They're decision-based. And they're free to fix. In this episode, we break down the 5 lowest-hanging-fruit mistakes that are silently inflating your scores, from how your range sessions are secretly working against you, to the one shot per hole that's costing you more than any other. If you're a golfer with a 9 to 5 who wants to actually play better without overhauling your swing, this is the episode. Download the free resources we reference in this...
Playing in 3 USGA Events While Working an 8 to 5 ft. Domenic Maricocchi
Domenic Maricocchi works 8 to 5 in commercial lending and just landed 3 straight top 3 finishes at the Ohio Mid-Am, including a win by 5. He holds the University of Dayton 54-hole scoring record and almost made the cut at the US Amateur playing golf once a week. This is how he does it! Follow Domenic: https://www.instagram.com/dmaricocchi/?hl=en Download the free Simple Stats Tracker: playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/simplestatstracker Join the Play Ready Golf founding member waitlist (launches March 29): https://playready.golf/the-app 0:00 Banking by day, winning state championships by weekend 0:31 3 straight top 3 finishes at the Ohio Mid-Am 4:28 Winning...
The Real Reason You Can't Break 90 (Ep. 10)
A 20 handicap makes 6.6 doubles per round. A scratch golfer? 0.25. That's 12 shots of difference in big numbers alone. In this episode, we break down what actually separates each handicap level using real scoring data. No swing tips. No equipment talk. Just the numbers and the mental shifts that move you forward. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 The biggest misconception about lowering your handicap 0:37 Why "more birdies" is the wrong goal 1:02 Birdies vs doubles by handicap (the data) 2:44 What a 20 handicap needs to do 3:04 Mental shift: play your own game 3:49 How to use stats to find your weaknesses 4:51 The best way to spend 30 minutes at...
He Won the State Am by 21 Shots ft Christian Brand
He won the West Virginia Amateur by 21 shots at 22-under par. He's also a State Farm insurance agent, a husband, and a dad who practices 30 minutes a day in his garage simulator. Christian Brand is proof that you don't need 8 hours on the range to play elite golf. In this episode, Christian breaks down exactly how he structures practice around a full-time job. Why 10 minutes of putting drills six days in a row beats one long session. How to build a repeatable process you can fall back on when nothing is working. What he means when he says playing...
The Golf Stats Everyone Tracks That Don't Actually Work
Most golf stats are lying to you. We break down every major stat category in golf, which ones actually help you score better, which ones are just noise, and the 4 simple stats you can track on your scorecard starting this weekend. Plus, we made a free stat tracker so you never have to guess what to work on again. Download the free Simple Stat Tracker: playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/simplestatstracker Get on the Play Ready Golf waitlist (launches March 29): https://playready.golf/the-app Timestamps 0:00 Stats Trivia Cold Open 0:28 Birdies and Bogeys: 5 PGA Tour Stat Questions 5:17 What Is Strokes Gained? (Real...
A PGA Pro Says Your Swing Isn't the Problem...Your Brain Is
Most golfers think their biggest problem is their swing. Brad Smith, PGA, has spent 38 years proving them wrong. In this episode, we unpack why the mental game matters even if you're a 20 handicap — and what you can actually do about it beyond reading a Bob Rotella book. What you'll learn: What the mental game actually is (and why most golfers completely misunderstand it) Whether a 20 handicap really needs a pre-shot routine The course management mistake almost every amateur makes How to train your mental game when you only have 1 hour per week How to mentally prepare for a round wh...
The Range Series Part 4: Why Putting is Simple
I had 11 three-putts and a four-putt across 4 rounds at the Ohio Am. I hit the ball great. My putting destroyed me. This is the finale of the Range Series. Hayden and I break down the 3 skills that actually matter on the green: reading, speed control, and face control. I spent years grinding face control drills because they felt productive. Turns out that wasn't my problem! We cover Aimpoint, why speed drills beat gate drills, and a simple pullback drill you can do anywhere that tests all 3 skills at once. The Play Ready Golf app launches March 29th. Get on...
The Range Series Part 3: Make Chipping Easy
Phil Mickelson. Jordan Spieth. Seve Ballesteros. These are the guys we watch pulling off miraculous up and downs from impossible spots. So we try to replicate them. The problem? We blade the ball into someone's backyard and lose it forever. In this episode, we continue their four part range series by tackling the short game. You will learn why most golfers overcomplicate chipping and how the best players in the world keep it stupidly simple. In this episode, we cover: Birdies and Bogeys: We debate common myths, like whether short game is about touch and feel, if the bump...
The 20 Handicapper Building Your Next Golf App
Luke is a 15-20 handicapper who works a 9 to 5. He's not a pro. He's not a coach. He's the guy building the Play Ready Golf app. In this episode, Luke explains why being the worst golfer on the team makes him the perfect person to build a practice tool. He thought his driver was the problem. The data said otherwise. We talk strokes gained, why most range sessions are wasted time, and what 6 months of intentional practice actually looks like. The Play Ready Golf app launches March 29th. Join the waitlist for the biggest discount we'll probably ever offer...
The Range Series Part 2: How to Approach Iron Practice
You hit great shots on the range for an hour. You think you finally have it figured out. Then you get to the course, chunk your first iron, and watch the dirt fly farther than the ball. Your practice lied to you. In this episode, we continue the Range Series by tackling approach shots. You will learn why "grooving your swing" is actually making you worse and how switching to random practice builds skills that transfer to the course. In this episode, we cover: Birdies and Bogeys: We debate common beliefs like whether you should groove a swing, never...
The Range Series Part 1: How to Fix Your Driver
The driver is often the most expensive club in the bag, but it is also the most daunting. It is the longest club, has the least loft, and offers no ground assistance, making it incredibly difficult to square up consistently. In this episode, Hayden and Isaac kick off a four-part series covering every club in the bag. They start with the big stick. You will learn why most golfers practice driver incorrectly and how to change your routine to see real results on the course. In this episode, we cover: Birdies and Bogeys: We play a game to debate...
How We Set Golf Goals That Actually Lower Scores
In this very first episode of the Play Ready Golf Podcast, we break down exactly how to set goals for 2026 that you will actually stick to. We know that most golf goals end up like "motivational posters"—they look nice, but they don't help you make the right decisions on a random Tuesday with limited time. We discuss the difference between "outcome goals" (what you want) and "process goals" (how you get there). We also share why you need to lower the friction in your practice routine so you can improve even with a 9-to-5 job. Plus, we reveal ou...
