Play Ready Golf

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 episode: Simple Stats Tracker: playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/simplestatstracker Benchmark PDF: playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/comprehensivestats 59-Minute Practice Plan: playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/59minuteplan The app launches March 29th: https://playready.golf/the-app Timestamps 0:00 Your swing isn't your biggest problem 0:13 Mistake 1: Your range sessions feel productive but aren't 1:43 Block practice vs. random practice (when to use each) 3:54 The 25/25 ball split for a practice session 5:25 Why random practice is supposed to feel hard 7:03 The Spanish flashcard analogy 8:22 Isaak's college 7-iron confession 9:37 Mistake 2: Your approach shots cost twice what your putting costs 11:30 The real scoring hierarchy (approach, putting, tee, chipping) 12:00 Why a 10-handicap should expect to miss 40% of 5-footers 13:24 What watching pro golf does to your expectations 15:13 Scratch golfers only make 70% from 5 feet 17:22 Mistake 3: You don't know your distances as well as you think 18:19 Your best shot is not your average shot 19:02 The Bob Does Sports distance example 19:25 Overdo the opposite to find your real tendencies 20:16 Shoot the front and back of the green, not just the flag 21:52 "There's no long drive contest for 7 irons" 24:16 Mistake 4: The shot after a bad shot is your most expensive 25:05 Blowup holes come from compounding bad decisions 26:43 Phil Mickelson's 8-out-of-10 rule 27:12 Doubles per round by handicap (the real numbers) 28:31 Give yourself time to be mad, then reset 30:30 Mistake 5: You're playing a strategy built for a scratch golfer 33:05 Your system has to match your personality 35:17 Make it simple so it doesn't get in the way of fun 36:17 The 5-mistake recap 37:00 Your swing matters, but it's not the most important thing for scoring 38:38 Hayden's Q school and "boring golf for exciting results"

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 by 5 at his home course 5:21 From volleyball to varsity golf in one year 8:03 Walking on at Dayton with zero recruiting interest 13:33 73 stroke average, 54-hole program record, then COVID ended it 14:14 His wife's ultimatum that changed everything 17:09 What changes when you lose your practice facility and teammates 19:28 The first thing he cut from practice (and why) 22:28 Pick your speed before your line 25:17 How he preps 2 weeks before a big tournament 26:39 Playing a practice round with 3 future PGA Tour players 29:17 What working golfers get wrong about practice 31:26 Prep for the event, not your swing 36:25 How to play your own game when everyone else looks better 38:40 What he'd tell his college freshman self

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 the range 6:02 What we learned from Christian Brand (Ep. link below) 7:31 The 10 handicap breakdown 9:19 Expectation management for the 10 10:30 Why 10 handicaps hit great shots but still score high 11:30 Approach play expectations by handicap 15:39 The scratch golfer 17:49 Keep your misses manageable 21:01 Putting stats that will shift your mindset 23:24 It all comes down to decision making 25:28 What the 10 handicap should focus on this week 26:30 What the scratch golfer should focus on 28:04 How to NOT get better at golf this year 29:25 Play Ready Golf app launch (March 29th) FREE RESOURCES: Download the Simple Stat Tracker (free): playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/simplestatstracker Join the Play Ready Golf app waitlist: https://playready.golf/the-app Founding member pricing locks in for life. Launches March 29th during Masters week. LISTEN TO LAST WEEK: Christian Brand interview (top 250 WAGR, 2x WV Amateur champ): https://youtu.be/ahEGhIGIVvQ

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 free is just "don't care where the ball goes." And the story behind holing a pitching wedge at the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine while a boom mic was in his face. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 0:23 How does a State Farm agent win by 21 shots? 1:14 What daily life looked like on the Korn Ferry Tour 3:41 How he carves out practice time now (family, business, golf) 6:01 "You don't practice what's fun. You practice what you need." 7:49 Has his practice gotten smarter with less time? 9:08 Why 10 min/day for 6 days beats one 60-min session 10:28 The one putting drill every golfer should do daily 12:10 What amateurs almost certainly get wrong about practice 14:20 His exact process preparing for a big tournament 17:17 How to handle playing better than you're used to 20:37 Listener Q: The Azalea story (driving 100 miles back) 22:28 How to get the most out of a bad round 26:05 The analytical on/off switch in his process 26:42 The U.S. Amateur boom mic story (pitching wedge, hole 9, Hazeltine) 28:03 What "playing free" actually means (7 words) 30:17 His one piece of advice for the next 15 years 31:14 Gasparilla: "like fighting the strongest little person in the world" Christian is a two-time WV Amateur champion, four-time WV Open winner, former Korn Ferry Tour player (67 starts), and has competed in the Round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur and quarterfinals of the U.S. Mid-Amateur. Follow Christian: @seebrand on Instagram Need Insurance in WV? https://www.statefarm.com/agent/us/wv/hurricane/christian-brand-92xc39nydge Play Ready Golf launches March 29, 2026 during Masters week. Lock in founding member pricing (for life) at https://playready.golf/the-app

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 Explanation, No Math Degree Required) 9:51 Strokes Gained Off the Tee: Why the Rough Isn't Your Enemy 14:17 Stop Tracking Fairways Hit. Here's What to Do Instead. 15:49 Strokes Gained Approach: Where Scoring Actually Starts 19:22 Strokes Gained Around the Green: The One Chipping Rule That Changes Everything 25:28 Strokes Gained Putting: Speed, Short Putts, and Why 10-25 Feet Doesn't Matter 31:00 Why Total Putts Is a Useless Stat 34:18 Every Stat You'll See on TV This Weekend, Explained in 10 Minutes 39:52 Feet of Putts Made, Scrambling %, Up and Down: Garbage Stats Explained 43:46 The 4 Stats to Track on Your Scorecard Starting This Weekend

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 when you've got 10 minutes before tee time Why some golfers play their best when they stop caring Chapters: 0:00 — Introduction 0:22 — What most golfers get wrong about the mental game 2:31 — Does mental game matter if your swing stinks? 7:45 — How journaling will lower your score 19:39 — How to actually practice your mental game 29:03 — Dealing with adversity 39:18 — The financial incentive of swing advice 45:52 — Where to find Brad About Brad Smith: Brad Smith is a PGA teaching professional with 38 years of experience working with golfers at every level. https://firstcutt.com/ https://golfdronline.com/ About Play Ready Golf: Play Ready Golf uses strokes gained analysis and motor learning research to create personalized practice plans for time-constrained golfers. The app launches March 29, 2026 — founding member pricing available now. 🔗 Get founding member access: https://playready.golf/the-app 📧 Join the newsletter: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com #golf #mentalgame #golfimprovement #golfpractice #playreadygolf

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 waitlist: https://playready.golf/ Timestamps: 0:00 A made putt doesn't mean it was a good putt 5:27 My worst putting season 9:33 How to actually read a green 13:11 Is Aimpoint the problem? 19:29 Speed control is the real skill 22:00 Don't hit the same putt twice 26:08 Face control is the easiest skill 28:09 I practiced the wrong thing for years 33:37 The pullback drill 34:52 March 29th Links & Resources: 🕸️ Website: https://playready.golf/ 📧 Newsletter: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/ 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/play_ready_golf/ 🎶 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/42OckPTUFO9fNurJ6yGx3V?nd=1&dlsi=cfabbe566e9c473c

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 and run should be your go to shot, and whether better players use fewer wedges. The 90% Rule: Why you should only hit shots you can pull off 9 out of 10 times, and how this mindset saves you strokes. One Club Chipping: What Patrick Cantlay and the pros know about simplifying decisions around the green. Three Drills to Build Real Feel: The carry distance ladder, the 18 hole up and down game, and the landing spot drill that forces you to think before you hit. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro and Pro Golf Updates 03:23 - Game: Birdies and Bogeys 05:00 - Why We Practice Chipping Wrong 06:06 - What Hayden Learned from PGA Tour Players 10:05 - The 90% Rule Explained 12:34 - Why Chipping is About Not Losing Strokes 17:54 - How to Find Your Go To Club 21:42 - Drill 1: The Carry Distance Ladder 23:18 - Drill 2: The 18 Hole Up and Down Game 26:27 - Drill 3: The Landing Spot Drill 28:09 - Outro and App Launch Details Links & Resources: 🕸️ Website: https://playready.golf/ 📧 Newsletter: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/ 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/play_ready_golf/ 🎶 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/42OckPTUFO9fNurJ6yGx3V?nd=1&dlsi=cfabbe566e9c473c

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: playready.golf Timestamps: 0:00 A high handicapper walks into a podcast 0:34 "I'm not a pro golfer" 4:52 Strokes gained in 90 seconds 7:50 Practicing to feel good vs. practicing to score 10:01 His driver wasn't the problem 12:44 You're playing golf swing, not golf 15:08 Who should NOT use this app 20:50 The feature for golfers with no time 22:38 March 29th 🕸️ Website: https://playready.golf/ 📧 Newsletter: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/ 📷 Instagram: / play_ready_golf 🎶 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/42OckPT...

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 hit the same club twice, or always aim at the pin. The Dirt Road Concept: Why your brain creates ruts when you hit the same club 20 times in a row, and how those ruts fail you under pressure. Interleaving: The research-backed method that feels slower on the range but dramatically improves retention on the course. The One Club Rule: A simple diagnostic to reveal your true skill level with any iron. Simulation 9: A specific practice game that mimics real golf by forcing you to switch clubs and targets every shot. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: Why Your Range Sessions Are Lying to You 01:03 - Weekly Check-In & Updates 03:08 - Game: Birdies & Bogeys (Practice Myths) 05:49 - The Trap: What Most Golfers Do Wrong on the Range 09:42 - The Dirt Road Concept (Why Grooving Fails) 14:43 - Interleaving: The Science of "Ugly" Practice 20:40 - The Randomizer: Exposing Your Weaknesses 22:27 - The Simulation 9 Drill 27:10 - Outro & App Launch Details Links & Resources: 🕸️ Website: https://playready.golf/ 📧 Newsletter: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/ 📷 Instagram: /play_ready_golf 🎶 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/42OckPT...

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 common myths, like whether distance matters more than accuracy or if you should "drive for show, putt for dough". The Mental Game: Why your pre-shot routine and target selection matter more than your mechanics. Tempo vs. Speed: How swinging smoother can actually help you hit the ball further and straighter. Simulated Pressure: Why you need to create "fairways" on the range instead of hitting into an open field. The Wide Fairway Finder: A specific 10-ball drill you can use today to track your success and identify your tendencies. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro & Winter Golf Updates 05:05 - Game: Birdies & Bogeys (Debating Golf Myths) 08:52 - Why the Driver is the Hardest Club to Hit 15:53 - Step 1: Building a Pre-Shot Routine 17:49 - Step 2: Understanding Tempo vs. Speed 19:41 - Step 3: Creating Fairways on the Range 23:51 - The "Wide Fairway Finder" Drill 27:23 - Outro & App Launch Details Links & Resources: 🕸️ Website: https://playready.golf/ 📧 Newsletter: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/ 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/play_ready_golf 🎶 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/42OckPTUFO9fNurJ6yGx3V?si=5pR5EaPhRhaUmVFK4ITRrQ&nd=1&dlsi=cfabbe566e9c473c

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 our own personal goals for the upcoming season—from fixing Isaak’s putting to Hayden’s quest for more speed. In this episode: 00:00 - Welcome 00:30 - Why goals usually fail 05:26 - The two types of goals 09:44 - Making practice easier 13:51 - Stop guessing your swing flaws 6:20 - Training your brain 20:11 - Practice vs. Real Golf 28:33 - Our 2026 goals 32:15 - New app announcement Resources We Mentioned: Book: Fluid Motion Factor*(Isaak's recommendation) Gear: The Stack System (Hayden's speed training) App: Play Ready Golf (https://playready.golf/) About Us: Isaak (former D2 golfer with a 9-to-5) and Hayden (former D1 golfer playing professionally) created this podcast to help you noticeably improve with the time and resources you actually have. Stay Connected: Our Play Ready Golf App launches mid-March with special Founders Pricing available through The Masters. 🕸️ Website: https://playready.golf/ 📧 Newsletter: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/ 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/play_ready_golf