))
Movies. Music. Games. Tech. Life.
…
continue reading
We dive deep into golf, sharing expert insights to help you improve your golf swing and lower your scores. Renowned golf coach Mark Crossfield, stats expert Lou Stagner, and PGA Tour player Greg Chalmers join forces to bring you an engaging, informative, and entertaining show dedicated to all things golf. Your game will improve, and you will have a lot of laughs along the way listening to the banter of these three friends. Whether you're a seasoned pro or beginner golfer, this podcast is you ...
…
continue reading
There's always more to learn about the golf swing: even if you're a career Tour player playing in your first Champions Tour Playoff finals. In this episode, Mark pulls up the data for how the torso of the average Tour player moves throughout the swing and leaves Lou and Greg baffled and guessing. Because the results are unexpected, there is a good …
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. In today's episode, Lou asks Greg and Mark the scoring difference a scratch golfer well see between hitting and missing a green from the fairway at 125 yards. After Mark concludes his complaint about the question, the guys offer a good reminder of the critical importance…
…
continue reading
This week, the PGA Tour announced a pretty substantial overhaul of who gets to play on their Tour and how qualification takes place. In this episode, Greg, Mark, and Lou discuss these changes: why they're being done, who they benefit, and whether they'll make the PGA Tour a better product for those of us who watch it. Where to find us: Mark Crossfi…
…
continue reading
Welcome back to another episode of the world's hottest PGA Tour Champions podcast! In this episode, recorded before the playoffs started, Greg takes Mark and Lou through the schedule of the final three events of the season: the Schwab Cup Playoffs. Greg enters the playoff in the low-20s, hoping to make a run up the standings for the final event. Jo…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. In today's episode, the subject is Greg's peers: the guys on Tour. From 110-119 yards in the fairway, with a wedge in their hand, expectations are high: their expectations, the audience's, and certainly the announcers. What percent of the time do they actually make birdi…
…
continue reading
It's been a hot topic in the short game in the past couple of years: what is the ideal angle of attack? But this measurement has application throughout your bag, not just in your short game. In this episode, Mark guides Lou and Greg through the meaning of angle of attack, how changing it tends to influence other elements of club delivery, what AoA …
…
continue reading
Is the driver swing different from the iron swing? If so, how? In this episode, which is the sequel to last week's episode on iron shaft lean, Mark quizzes Lou and Greg about the driver shaft lean at address and impact. The numbers are...not the same as the iron swing. Stick around in this one: the guesses that Lou and Greg provide lead to a furthe…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. In today's episode, you've hit the green, but you're a long way from home. How many putts does it take, on average, for a scratch golfer to hole out from 50' away? What about the (notorious) 20-handicapper? Mark and Greg offer their best guesses to Lou's question, but th…
…
continue reading
Today's episode is a thoughtful one. Mark, Lou, and Greg have all been playing golf for years. In those decades, we've learned a lot about the game and the game has changed a lot. If they had to start over, knowing what they know now and how golf would evolve, what would they do differently? This is an important question, for at least two reasons: …
…
continue reading
Like lag, shaft lean can be one of those golf buzz/fad terms that can make golfers chase the wrong things. To start, it's good to know what a reasonable standard might. In this episode, Mark has Lou and Greg guessing the average shaft lean for a Tour pro at address and then at impact. From this, they offer useful advice about how ordinary golfers c…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. In today's episode, Lou puts Greg and Mark to the test on their knowledge of long approach shots from an average golfer. What's the difference between a 15-handicap golfer from 200 yards in the rough versus being in the fairway? The answer here is important, because it c…
…
continue reading
The SG revolution has taught us that driving the ball a long way and hitting irons close are the key to consistent scoring. But the fact remains: you have to get the ball in the hole, and most of the time, that means you have to putt. In this episode, Mark, Lou, and (one of the greatest putters in the history of ever) Greg give their thoughts on im…
…
continue reading
Mark continues to use measured Tour pro data to help us all play better golf. In this episode, he has Lou and Greg guessing how the pelvis moves vertically through the golf swing? Is it going up or down on the backswing? By how much? And how does it move returning to impact? Here is a useful episode, because your guesses here (like those of Lou and…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. In today's episode, Lou addresses the long-standing argument that while scratch players are better than handicap golfers at a specific distance, it's chiefly because they're generally hitting a higher-lofted club from the same distance. So here, the question to Lou and G…
…
continue reading
It's a debate that arises from time to time, especially in conjunction with team events like the Ryder and Presidents Cups: what is an "appropriate" celebration in golf? In today's episode, Lou, Greg, and Mark talk about the unwritten rules about the decorum of celebrating. Where are the lines? Is anything over the top? Or should we all just lighte…
…
continue reading
Today's episode of the podcast looks at another element of a top level swing: the speed the grip is moving. For Rory, when hitting driver, how fast are his hands moving? Is he faster in his downswing than his backswing? If so, by how much? And maybe even more importantly: when are his hands moving the fastest in his swing? Mark leads Greg and Lou t…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes long) about an interesting golf stat. We will discuss what you can learn, and most importantly, how you can apply this on the golf course to lower your scores and lower your handicap. Listen on your drive to the golf co…
…
continue reading
You're looking to buy new clubs, and you know you should get fitted for them. But what does that mean? How many clubs in your bag should be customized for you? Is there a difference between your 8 iron fitting and your 6 iron? In this episode, Mark leads a discussion with Greg and Lou about what we should be expecting from custom fitting. They cove…
…
continue reading
Mark, Lou, and Greg continue to take measured data from Tour swings and see what it tells us for making real improvement in our games. In this episode, Mark quizzes Greg and Lou about the elbows: particularly, how far apart Lydia Ko's elbows are at address versus at the top of the swing. Do they get closer together, further apart, or maintain the s…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. Today's episode is a "manage your expectations" special. We have a very good player, a 5-index, 75 yards from the hole in the fairway. How often is he getting up and down from there? How often is it taking him 4 or more shots to finish that hole? This is certainly an epi…
…
continue reading
If you're a golfer, your putter should come inside with you regularly. Indoor putting practice can be a huge benefit for your game, especially for those who live in climates where it can be the only significant practice for a portion of the year. In this episode, Mark and Lou talk about ways to make your indoor putting practice more beneficial. Som…
…
continue reading
Golf's handicap system is one of its most enduring features: the ability for golfer's of differing skill levels to have a match against each other remains a major draw. But that system is complicated, and most golfers have a very rudimentary understanding of how it works—if they don't misunderstand it altogether. In this episode, Lou and Mark (Greg…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. Today, we're with a solid golfer. He's hit a tee shot on a par 5, leaving him 200 yards to the hole. How often should he expect to birdie the hole from there? How often will he make bogey? After Mark and Greg register their answers to Lou's question, they talk about stra…
…
continue reading
Mark, Lou, and Greg continue to take measured data from Tour (and, in this case, also amateur) swings and see what it tells us for making real improvement in our games. In this episode, Mark quizzes Greg and Lou about hip movement at setup and through the swing. Lou asks a perceptive question: does the pelvis movement create the good swing, or is i…
…
continue reading
WIthin the past couple weeks, Scottie Scheffler capped an amazing season on the PGA Tour by winning the Tour Championship and with it, the Fedex Cup and its giant pool of bonus money. In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg discuss how the Tour structures its season-ending playoff, with the pros and cons of determining a season-long champion using a p…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. In this edition of the Saturday Stat, Lou returns to Greg's wheelhouse: putting. Here, Greg and Mark take their best guesses at how often a scratch and a 20-index golfer 3-putt from 16–20'. Turns out, the answers surprise them—and likely you as well. Three-putt avoidance…
…
continue reading
Today's episode is all about lining up your putts. Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about using the line on the ball vs drawing lines, whether to use a line at all, how the line on your ball might interact with any alignment lines on your putter, and then, in a discussion for the ages (and one to be continued): an epic new ball marker, invented by Lou, tha…
…
continue reading
Today's episode is the second part of Mark's interview in Sean Foley. Here, Mark asks Sean what Sean regards as his greatest accomplishment in coaching. The discussion turns philosophical, as Sean reflects on what he really values most in coaching, what he's learned over the years, and what he appreciated most when (as a surprise gift) his wife com…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. In this edition of the Saturday Stat, a golfer is sitting in the fairway, 175 yards from the hole. How likely is he to make double or worse if he's a scratch golfer? What if he's a 15-index? Mark and Greg register their guesses, and the actual number surprises them quite…
…
continue reading
Welcome to another episode of the top-ranked Champions Tour podcast in the world.* In this episode, Greg gets us (and Mark and Lou) up to date as his first season on the Champions Tour draws near the playoffs. We'll hear from Greg how he thinks the season has gone, what has worked well and what hasn't, what has led to a couple of rough closing hole…
…
continue reading
In this special episode of the Hack It Out Golf Podcast, Mark has the opportunity to sit down for an extended conversation with famed golf coach Sean Foley. In this segment of their discussion, they talk about Sean's time coaching one of the greatest players in the history of the sport: Tiger Woods. Sean discusses the unique pressures of coaching T…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. Golf's statistical revolution has made it clear: distance matters. And because distance matters, speed matters. But what happens when you bring the speed, but miss the center of the driver face? In this episode, Lou asks Greg and Mark about the drop-off in distance for o…
…
continue reading
Mark, Lou, and Greg continue to take measured data from Tour (and, in this case, also amateur) swings and see what it tells us for making real improvement in our games. In this episode, Mark pulls up data on the distance between the golfer's center of mass and the edge of his hand, both at address and at the top of the backswing. Because these can …
…
continue reading
Recently, Mark had a lesson with Sean Foley, famed for his work with a number of elite Tour pros. In this episode, he recaps that lesson with Greg and Lou, talking about Sean's approach to coaching, the way he integrates technology and a concern for the whole body, how Mark approaches making swing changes for his own game, and (maybe) what Mark mig…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. Today's episode will make you think. Take a 10-index golfer: what will he score in rounds where he hits 13 fairways? What about in rounds in which he hits 9 greens in regulation? Lou puts this question to Lou and Greg, and after settling the winner, the discussion turns …
…
continue reading
In this episode, the guys continue to see what they can learn about the golf swing using motion tracking analysis. Here, Mark asks Greg and Lou how much the hip should turn in the swing (using Tour players as a benchmark) and compares that number to his own measurement. A key idea in this episode: because our bodies are connected and our swing is o…
…
continue reading
New technology keeps making information that was once exclusive to expensive equipment available to the avid regular golfer. In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg look at information about Lou's swing captured by Sportsbox AI, which takes video of a golf swing and translates it to measured data comparable to motion capture technology. The data: how …
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. Modern golf instruction emphasizes distance; the old "drive for show" slogan has been thoroughly debunked. But does that translate to recreational golfers, or is that just for Tour players? In this episode, Lou quizzes Mark and Greg about the effects that gaining 10 yard…
…
continue reading
Go Greggie, Go Greggie! In this episode, Greg joins Mark and Lou to recap the 2024 Senior Open Championship, in which Greg finished T17. They discuss Dougie's tenuous hold on Greg's bag (ahem), the joy of having friends and family at a tournament, and Greg's challenge at adapting to Carnoustie's green speeds. If you want to get better at dialing in…
…
continue reading
Is it the shoes? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk golf shoes and the ways that our footwear can influence how we play. From a discussion of metal spikes, to hightops, to shoe fit, to "traditional" versus more modern sporty shoes, it's a wide-ranging discussion of a piece of equipment that probably doesn't get the attention it deserves. Whe…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. This week, a chastened and humbled Mark returns with Greg to guess how well scratch and 20-index players play the hole on the course that is officially the easiest. Lou Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes long) about an interesting golf stat. We will disc…
…
continue reading
In today's episode, Mark again is analyzing motion capture data from elite players—this episode features Rory McIlroy. In this episode, Mark asks Greg and Lou about Rory's left knee movement at address through impact. A little spoiler: his knee does turn quite a bit toward target at impact: but the way that he gets there might not be what you think…
…
continue reading
We all love new golf gear. But in the hierarchy of sparkly new golf clubs, drivers are likely at the top, followed by iron sets and putters. What about your wedges? Could a new set of wedges make a real difference in your scoring? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the performance changes of worn out wedges, and the ways in which—not j…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. Is this the best Saturday Stat ever? Probably. Today, Lou asks Mark and Greg about the putting make rate from 8 feet. Many golf statheads know that this is the break even point for Tour pros: they make 50% of these. But what about scratch players? And what about 20 index…
…
continue reading
In today's episode, Mark again is analyzing motion capture data from elite players—this episode features Brooks Koepka. Today, Mark quizzes Lou and Greg (who, as always, loves making random guesses) about Koepka's hip turn in his swing. In the discussion that follows, the guys talk about the massive effects that hip turn can have on your swing—incl…
…
continue reading
Greg Champions Tour major schedule takes him to the other side of the Atlantic, where he's headed to Carnoustie to play the Senior Open Championship. In this episode, he joins Lou and Mark to talk about the upcoming major, including his thoughts on the course and his history playing there, his preparation, and also his take on Rolexes and haggis. W…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. We know that the traditional putts per round stat is very dependent on approach play: in general, the better your approach play, the more putts you are likely to have. But what about Strokes Gained:Putting? In this episode, Lou asks Greg and Mark what happens to a 10-ind…
…
continue reading
In today's episode, Mark again is analyzing motion capture data from elite players—this time, Jon Rahm. Jon is famous for having a relatively "short" backswing, even with driver. The question today for Lou and Greg: how much does Rahm turn his upper body? And as always, the discussion turns from Rahm's swing to how we can learn how to improve our o…
…
continue reading
In today's episode, Lou joins Mark and Greg to talk about his recent visit to a golf Mecca: the Titleist Performance Institute. There, Lou experienced a body screening that measured his mobility and strength, got fitted for some of Titleist's newest products, and saw some of their future plans. Listen in and learn how TPI (and there are TPI-certifi…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. The topic today: megaduffs. How often do you hit your approach shot and come up short 30% or more of your distance to the target? In today's episode, Lou, Mark, and Greg talk about that number for both scratch and 20-index golfers, and the answer might surprise you. The …
…
continue reading
