The Three Pillars of Putting
Better Golf Academy: Strategy to Awesome Golf
Most golfers approach putting completely wrong, obsessing over stroke mechanics while missing the three fundamental skills that actually matter. Through the dramatic story of Alexander the Great solving the legendary Gordian Knot with one decisive sword stroke, discover why putting success comes from systematic execution rather than perfect technique. Learn how to read greens like a tour pro using your feet as much as your eyes, develop the technical precision to consistently start putts on line, and master distance control through external focus. Packed with research from putting experts...
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Playing Your Way To Peace
Better Golf Academy: Strategy to Awesome Golf
In this episode, I explore the powerful connection between golf and mental health, examining how and why golf has become a form of self-care and therapy for millions of players. Using research from sports psychology, insights from mental health experts, and personal anecdotes, I demonstrate how golf provides unique mental health benefits through its combination of nature exposure, physical activity, social connection, and mindfulness practice. With younger generations now citing mental health as their primary reason for playing golf, this episode offers practical strategies for intentionally...
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How To Avoid Blow-Up Holes
Better Golf Academy: Strategy to Awesome Golf
In this episode, I explore the three crucial strategies high handicappers can use to avoid disaster holes: embracing the boring play, knowing your go-to shot under pressure, and developing a post-mistake routine. Using research from sports psychology, insights from golf legends, and personal anecdotes, I demonstrate how these mental game approaches can help golfers lower their scores dramatically without changing their swing. The episode explains how most high handicappers aren't held back by their inability to hit good shots, but rather by their poor decisions and emotional reactions...
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Golf Parenting Done Right
Better Golf Academy: Strategy to Awesome Golf
After witnessing a disturbing interaction between a father and his talented young daughter on the driving range, this episode dives into the critical question: Can we raise kids who excel at golf while maintaining their passion for the game? Through research from sports psychology and youth development experts, I explore how parents can foster excellence without sacrificing joy. The episode offers three science-backed strategies that create a foundation for both competitive success and long-term love of golf. Learn how fostering autonomy, developing a growth mindset, and creating emotional...
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Strokes Gained 101
Better Golf Academy: Strategy to Awesome Golf
Ever wonder why pro golfers remember every detail of their rounds while you can't recall the hole you just played? In this eye-opening episode, dive into the revolutionary concept of Strokes Gained that's transformed how the pros play and practice. Discover how this stat, developed by finance professor Mark Broadie, breaks down performance into four key categories: Off-the-Tee, Approach, Around-the-Green, and Putting. You'll learn shocking statistics about Tour pros' putting percentages (they miss more than half their 10-footers!), understand how to interpret Strokes Gained numbers, and...
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What Dreams Are Made Of
Better Golf Academy: Strategy to Awesome Golf
In this episode, we witness history as Rory McIlroy finally captures the green jacket he's been chasing for 11 years, completing the career Grand Slam after countless heartbreaks at Augusta National. From his beginnings as a three-year-old swinging in his living room to his emotional collapse on the 18th green, we explore what this moment teaches us about persistence, resilience, and the winding path to achieving our dreams. This isn't just a golf story—it's a powerful reminder that extraordinary achievements come with extraordinary obstacles, and sometimes the most meaningful...
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How To Control Your Rage
Better Golf Academy: Strategy to Awesome Golf
Ever wonder why you lose your cool on the golf course? In this episode, I reveal the psychology behind those club-throwing moments and why anger is never actually the first emotion you feel—it's always covering something deeper. You'll discover why one pro golfer went to the extreme of taping his mouth shut during a tournament (spoiler: it didn't work) and learn the three powerful keys to emotional mastery that the world's best players use under pressure. I'll share personal stories of my own emotional disasters on the course, practical drills you can use immediately, and the...
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Stop Practicing Like a Robot
Better Golf Academy: Strategy to Awesome Golf
What if everything you’ve been told about practice is wrong? I spent 25 years playing piano the “right” way—grinding the same songs, chasing perfection, and dreading every recital. Then, I watched my son fall in love with music overnight… not by memorizing notes, but by playing thunder. Turns out, golf practice has the same problem. Most players are stuck in their own lifeless recital—mindlessly smashing balls, grooving flaws, and wondering why they never improve. In this episode, you’ll learn why the driving range is LYING to you (and what to do instead). And learn about the...
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How To Get Out Of A Slump
Better Golf Academy: Strategy to Awesome Golf
Are you in a slump? Are you feeling cluttered, overwhelmed, and lost? In this episode, we’re breaking the cycle: no more band-aid fixes, no more swing overhaul madness. Instead, we’re going against conventional wisdom with three powerful (and often overlooked) strategies. Plus, we’ll talk about the real reason slumps linger (hint: it’s not your swing) and how to fall back in love with the game when nothing seems to work. If you’re tired of the endless grind and ready for a smarter way out of your slump, this episode is your game plan. "The slump isn’t your enemy—it’s your...
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Learning Not To Dwell
Better Golf Academy: Strategy to Awesome Golf
What do Roger Federer, Scottie Scheffler, and Rory McIlroy all have in common? It’s not just their incredible talent or their trophies—it’s their ability to bounce back. In this episode, we dive deep into the art of resilience, exploring how the greatest athletes in the world turn setbacks into comebacks. Did you know that even Federer, one of the most dominant tennis players of all time, only won 54% of the points he played? Or that Scottie Scheffler, the current world number one in golf, has the highest bounce back rate on the PGA Tour at 33.33%? These stats aren’t just...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Better Golf Academy, I discuss how the motivation works and why after a certain point, or when it gets too hard, or when we start losing steam, drive, and motivation...we slowly fade out and even quit. But what keeps us motivated to continue to pursue our goals?
Dr. Tali Sharot, a neuroscientist with her research focusing on how motivation influences our decisions. And She talks about these 3 foundational principles that help motivate us.
- Progress Monitoring. The brain does a good job processing positive effects. And as you progress, it helps you to stay focused and going after your goal. As you know, I always talk about my Engineering days...and the famous quote “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it”. There’s definitely some truth in that.
- Social Incentive. We are social people. We really care what other people are doing. We want to do the same and we want to do it better. Example: 9 out of 10 people pay their taxes in time enhanced compliance in that group by 15% bringing in 5.6 billion pounds. Highlighting what other people are doing is a very strong incentive. I truly believe this, one of the most effective results-driven workout concepts out there is still CrossFit. Because of their philosophy of this Social Incentive. It’s brilliant creating a small community of people to encourage each other, compete with one another and keep each other accountable. Social Incentive.
- Immediate Rewards. True that! We are impatient, some of us have ADD (me) and we need immediate feedback, immediate incentive and lots of immediate rewards...in whatever form that we can get it in.
I think we can all agree that improving our golf game is a long, and ambitious goal. We need more inspiration than hey, you suck, you need to go practice and get better. We need to intentionally put steps in place to guide us day to day and keep us motivated to get there. And, I think this is a great science that is backed up by research.
Here are the 3 action steps for you:
- #1, set specific goals, remember to go to bettergolfacademy.com/9 to download the performance report to help you set your specific goals.
- #2, Don’t be a loner. Play together, bet, create competitive situations to push you, care about each other’s performances and improvements. This will create an incentive to work harder and improve. And...
- #3, Make turn your goals into tiny habits. Reward yourself often and see your simple progress and celebrate.
I am still so still inspired by the quote by Jacob Riis “...I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow, it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it—but all that had gone before.”
Let’s keep hammering away. Hundred, thousand, 10 thousand, 100 thousand balls hit, putts hit, chips hit, every club in your bag hit, pursuing excellence, setting goals, achieving them and celebrating the small victories!! I am here celebrating it with you. And hoping for a huge breakthrough in your game, the rock splitting in two moments in your golf journey.
In the meantime, thank you so much for listening to Better Golf Academy, let’s get better together. Yeah? Cool. Love you guys, bye for now.