Episodes

In today's episode, Mark brings data about how Tour pros deliver the driver. Most golfers are familiar with the loft of their clubs, but dynamic loft is also extraordinarily important: not just the loft of the club, but the actual loft delivered at impact. Greg and Lou register their guesses, and then a thoughtful discussion arises about how to interpret data gathered from Tour pros—and what factors might not be the most relevant to your own improvement. For the best price on the HackMotion sen...

SMS - 5 Shots or Better than Scoring Average, Low and High Index

Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. How often do you go out and shoot (for you) and really low round? In this episode, Lou asks Greg and Mark how often really good golfers (low single figures) and really not as good as those golfers golfers (over 20 index) shoot a score 5 strokes or more less than their average score. The answers might surprise you, and should factor in to managing your expectations on the course. Each of these will be a mini-episode (...

Slow Play Changes on Tour

In recent days, the Tour announced policy changes on a topic that is often the source of complaint: slow play. But the changes they announced were certainly not what many hoped: indeed, they seem to be more tolerant of slow play than before. What's the purpose of these changes? Why are Tour players so slow? And how might the changes affect the viewing experience for golf fans? Greg, Lou, and mark tackle these questions in today's episode. For the best price on the HackMotion sensor, use code GO...

Forearm Rotation

It's almost a Project Lou! In this episode, Lou makes a discovery about his golf swing and Mark has him pull out the HackMotion sensor to confirm and work on a feel. They talk in depth about forearm rotation in the golf swing: when it should happen, which direction, how much, and why. And they discuss how measuring motion in a swing can be a game changer for correlating feel with real. Greg interjects with his own understanding of a Tour-level swing. For the best price on the HackMotion sensor,...

SMS - 10 index, Drive Distance for 0 SG, FW and Rough

Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. Today, we have another from the "Manage Your Expectations" hall of fame. You're a 10-index on the tee of a 400-yard hole. How far do you need to hit your drive in the fairway to break even in strokes gained with the average 10-index? What about in the rough? Lou brings the data, and Greg and Mark bring the guesses—and the answered surprised them, and it will likely surprise you as well. Listen in and make smart decisi...

Greg's First Season on the Champions Tour

For one last time before winter, it's time for the Gregulators to mount up! In this episode, Greg recaps his full first year on the Champions tour. Beginning with no status and only two guaranteed starts, Greg finished the season in the top 36 of the Schwab Cup rankings, securing full status for next season. He recounts for Lou and Mark the highlights of his season, the challenges of adjusting to a new roster of courses, and his planned work to be even better next year. And Lou continues his end...

Learning From Tour Pro Swings: Greg's Hip Turn and Sway

In today's episode of the podcast, we get to learn, not from Tour Pro average movements, but from the Legendary Needle himself: The Greggie! Mark pulls up Greg's motion capture data, and Greg has to beat Lou in guessing his own swing motion data. As always, the insights here help explain how different movements change the club delivery and why some numbers don't need to be bigger or smaller (but just need to match the swing). As not always, we get a history of the English language, or at least o...

SMS - Low and High Index, Percent Wild Off the Tee

Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. In today's episode, the focus is on driving accuracy: for very good players and for high index players, what percentage of each category might be considered "wild" off the tee (missing the center of the fairway by more than 30 yards on at least a quarter of their drives)? The following discussion will help you understand dispersion, it's relationship to driver length, and how you can be a better player off the tee. E...

Grip Pressure

For those who want to know—and not just guess—what is happening in the golf swing, these are excited times. And there are more things to measure. One of the trickier ones has been grip pressure. In this episode, Lou, Mark, and Greg talk about a recent study presented at the World Scientific Congress of Golf by Liam Mucklow. The study measured how grip pressure changes throughout the swing in both professional and amateur golfers. There are things to learn here already, and interesting discussion...

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 amount of explanation here that will help you understand how the big movements in the golf swing happen for successful golfers. Where to find us: Ma...

Learning from Tour Pro Swings: Rib Cage Sway

SMS - Shots to Hole Out, Hitting vs Missing Green, 125 FW, Scratch

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 of getting the ball on the putting surface on the approach shot—that missing the green near the pin is likely to cost more shots than you might think...

Changes to the PGA Tour

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 Crossfield's weekly newsletter: https://www.crossfieldgolf.com/subscribe Mark Crossfield on Twitter: https://twitter.com/4golfonline Mark Crossfield on Y...

Schwab Cup Playoffs