Episodes

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 compiled thank you videos from all his students over his coaching career. Where to find us: Mark Crossfield's weekly newsletter: https://www.crossfield...

SMS - Scratch and 15 Index, 175 in Fairway, Double or Worse

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 a bit. The takeaway: a lot of us have a lot to learn about making smart decisions on the course. Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes...

Greg's Champions Tour Update

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 holes in his good rounds, and what he's hoping for as the Schwab Cup playoffs get under way. * I assume. I haven't confirmed this. Where to find us: Ma...

Sean Foley on Coaching Tiger

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 Tiger, what he learned from the experience, what he might have done different, and what he thinks of Tiger as a student. Where to find us: Mark Cross...

SMS - Amateur Driver Distance When Missing the Center

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 off-center driver strikes. You'll see why strike matters a ton, and that if you're going to miss center, there's a side of your driver face you really ...

Learning from Tour Player Swings, Part 8 (Center of Mass to Hand Distance)

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 both move (and they move quite differently between pros and amateurs), the distance answer might be surprising (it was to Lou and Greg!). From this, t...

Takeaways from a Lesson with Sean Foley

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 might have learned to be a better coach to Lou. Where to find us: Mark Crossfield's weekly newsletter: https://www.crossfieldgolf.com/subscribe Mark C...

SMS - 10 Index, Scoring Average Hitting Fairways and Greens

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 to how this knowledge can help you shoot your best scores. Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes long) about an interesting golf stat. ...

Sportsbox AI: Mark's Hip Turn

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 one big motion, changing one element of how your body moves will almost always change a number of other features of the way you deliver in the club. Ex...

Sportsbox AI: Lou's Hand Lift

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 high do Lou's hands get from their starting point at address? And more importantly: why does it matter and how can it help your swing? Where to find ...

SMS - Gaining Distance and Scoring

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 yards of driving distance has on Arccos golfers. How many of them improved? What percent of them improved by 3 shots/round or more? And what percentage of...

2024 Senior Open Championship Recap

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 your putting speed, take a look at ExPutt. For the best price on Exputt use code: GOLFSALE https://crossfieldgolf.info/ExPutt Where to find us: M...

Do Golf Shoes Matter?