The Spin Axis - Golf Podcast

Should golfers focus on their bodies, the club, the ball, or the target when they’re trying to change or improve a movement? The conventional wisdom strongly favors external focus, and there is substantial research supporting that position. However, newer analysis has raised important questions about publication bias, differences between studies, and whether the effect is as universal as it’s often made out to be. The guys discuss how internal and external cues actually work in golf instruction, why an internal focus may be useful when building a new movement pattern, and why a golfer may ultimately perform better with an external cue or feel. The bigger takeaway is that there probably isn’t one attentional strategy that works for every golfer, every skill, or every stage of learning; good coaching means figuring out what helps this golfer make the desired movement and perform the shot. Links to the studies referenced: Reanalyzing the Evidence for External Focus Superiority – A robust Bayesian meta-analysis and reanalysis of previous external-focus research found that, after accounting for publication bias, the advantages of external focus were negligible and the evidence often favored the null hypothesis. External vs. Internal Focus in Golf Learning – A review of research on attentional focus in golf found that external-focus strategies generally outperformed internal-focus strategies, although much of the research involved novice golfers and relatively simple putting tasks. External Focus and Learning a Golf Pitch Shot – An experimental golf motor-learning study found that golfers using an external focus showed better delayed retention and transfer, along with greater self-efficacy and more positive affect, than those using an internal focus. Attentional Focus and Motor Learning Review – A broad review of motor-learning research concluded that an external focus generally promotes more effective and automatic movement than an internal focus, including evidence from novice golfers. External Focus and Motor Learning Overview – This review synthesizing roughly 15 years of attentional-focus research concluded that external focus generally improves performance and learning across a wide range of tasks, skill levels, and populations, while discussing possible explanations for the effect. Meta-Analysis of External vs. Internal Focus – A meta-analysis combining 73 studies on performance and 40 on learning found advantages for external focus in immediate performance, retention, and transfer, with the effects generally becoming larger for measures of learning. Foundational Review of Attentional Focus – This foundational review of motor-learning research proposed that directing attention internally toward body movements can interfere with automatic control, whereas focusing externally on the movement’s effect can promote more efficient automatic processes. Hosts: Erik J. Barzeski, Jayson Nickol, Tyson Deskins — If you enjoyed this episode, please share that with us and your friends on Instagram @thespinaxis or Twitter/X @thespinaxis. You can also share or visit our site at https://thespinaxis.com/.

How useful are Tour-player ranges and “windows” when teaching amateur golfers? Why do outliers create so much confusion? Erik, Jayson, and Tyson revisit the idea that elite players can look dramatically different while still operating within effective ranges for dozens of important movements and impact conditions. They discuss how just a handful of variables (wrist hinge, trail elbow bend, arm lift, and lead-arm adduction) can combine to produce an enormous variety of swing appearances, especially when timing is added to the equation. The key distinction is that great players may occasionally have an outlying movement paired with an effective compensation, while struggling golfers often have multiple variables outside useful ranges at the same time. Rather than trying to copy a single Tour-player outlier, the discussion focuses on using real data and broad windows to help golfers build simpler, more repeatable swings. Hosts: Erik J. Barzeski, Jayson Nickol, Tyson Deskins — If you enjoyed this episode, please share that with us and your friends on Instagram @thespinaxis or Twitter/X @thespinaxis. You can also share or visit our site at https://thespinaxis.com/.

Why do so many golfers feel fine for the first 12 holes and then suddenly start struggling? The guys discuss the difference between being genuinely fatigued and simply losing focus, along with the importance of building up your ability to walk and play 18 holes rather than expecting your body to be ready without preparation. Sleep, hydration, nutrition, footwear, walking fitness, and even playing longer practice rounds all get attention, as does recognizing how your swing and decision-making change when you’re tired. Recent research supports the idea that walking substantially increases the physical and physiological demands of a round, while proper fueling and hydration can help limit fatigue and maintain performance. Hosts: Erik J. Barzeski, Jayson Nickol, Tyson Deskins Sponsor: Carl's Place (https://carlofet.com) - Listen to the Episode for a coupon code! — If you enjoyed this episode, please share that with us and your friends on Instagram @thespinaxis or Twitter/X @thespinaxis. You can also share or visit our site at https://thespinaxis.com/.

Cooper Dossey joins the Spin Axis for a wide-ranging conversation about his path from junior and college golf to professional golf and the Korn Ferry Tour. A Baylor standout and two-time All-American, Dossey won the 2019 North & South Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2 and turned professional in 2021; he has since competed on PGA TOUR Canada and the Korn Ferry Tour. He talks about his instructional journey, what he learned along the way, how practice changes as you progress through the professional ranks, and what it takes to make the jump from simply being a very good player to believing you can compete at the highest level. With Dossey sitting 12th on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour points list at the time of the episode, there’s also plenty of discussion about the realities of trying to earn a PGA TOUR card. Cooper’s bio on the PGA Tour site is here. Hosts: Erik J. Barzeski, Jayson Nickol, Tyson Deskins --- If you enjoyed this episode, please share that with us and your friends on Instagram @thespinaxis or Twitter/X @thespinaxis. You can also share or visit our site at https://thespinaxis.com.

What does the kinematic sequence really tell us about how golfers create speed? Dr. Sasho MacKenzie returns to discuss the relationship between pelvis, chest, arms, and clubhead velocity, as well as why the classic “pelvis, torso, arms, club” sequence may not describe every elite golfer, with Erik and Tyson seeing a substantial number of players whose arms peak before the chest. The conversation also digs into “braking” forces and why slowing one segment down is often less about actively applying the brakes and more about the next segment accelerating. Sasho also explains how kinematic sequencing can be used as a teaching tool, how the Stack can be used to train sequencing, and what golfers can do when their lead-arm velocity is lower than they’d like. Topics: The Kinematic Sequence Lead Arm Velocity and Transition Kinematics as a Teaching Aid Pelvis Sequencing “You Can Never Release Too Early” Using the Stack to Train Sequencing Working on Casting Hosts: Erik J. Barzeski, Jayson Nickol, Tyson Deskins — If you enjoyed this episode, please share that with us and your friends on Instagram @thespinaxis or Twitter/X @thespinaxis. You can also share or visit our site at https://thespinaxis.com/.