The Measured Golf Podcast

• Why Chasing Scratch Is Holding You Back

  Chasing scratch sounds noble until it blinds us to how golfers truly improve. We open the hood on handicaps—what they actually measure, why differentials are about potential rather than averages, and how course rating, slope, and conditions can make an 80 a great round for a scratch player on a brutal track. The math is fine; the misuse isn’t. When scorecards include gimmes and casual OB drops, indexes drift into vanity or inflate into sandbagging, and suddenly net leaderboards look like fantasy.Instead of treating a single number like a personality test, we pivot to skills you can train. We lay out four performance buckets—off the tee, approach play, around the green, and putting—and give concrete benchmarks. Want to be a reliable single digit? Aim for roughly 50 percent fairways and greens, 50 percent scrambling, and about 31 putts. Dreaming of scratch? Push those rates toward 60 percent with around 30 putts. These targets reveal where to spend your practice time and why driver fixes alone won’t erase a double-digit gap. We even walk through a junior pounding 118 mph drives who still loses strokes where it counts: wedges and the flatstick.Integrity is the hinge that makes the system work. We talk about putting everything out, honoring stroke and distance, avoiding on-the-fly “adjustments,” and self-policing within your group to protect events and keep competition fun. If you care about getting better, measure what matters, play by the rules, and let the numbers tell the truth. Subscribe for more grounded coaching insights, drop a comment on our Measured Golf YouTube channel, and if you want personalized help, visit measuredgolf.com to explore virtual coaching. Then tell us: which bucket will you attack first this season?

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• Why Golf Lessons Fail

  Ever take lessons, swing “better,” and still shoot the same scores? We unpack why so many fixes fade under pressure and how to build change that sticks. Michael shares a candid client story that redefines what makes a “great coach,” then dives into the core problem: chasing the club instead of coaching the human moving it. You’ll hear why discomfort is essential to motor learning, how implicit practice away from the ball builds durable patterns, and why timing good shots isn’t the same as sequencing a reliable swing.We get specific about measurement. Baselines, force plates, and launch monitor data are more than gadgets; they keep both coach and player honest. Michael explains how to set targets for pressure, path, and delivery, then use test-train-retest loops to confirm that a pattern actually changed—not just the appearance of the swing. He also tackles the incentives that keep coaching transactional, and makes the case for fiduciary or transformational coaching that puts results and referrals ahead of ego. If your coach can’t show their work, you’re guessing.There’s practical guidance too: when to practice without a ball, how to choose specialists for putting and wedges, and what a modern session should include. We break down sequencing for consistency and speed, connect body movement to club forces, and show how better concepts make “limited mobility” less limiting. The payoff is confidence on uneven lies and under stress, with a swing you understand and can self-correct.If you’re ready to move beyond tips and into measurable progress, this conversation is your map. Subscribe, share with a golf friend who’s stuck, and leave a review with the one change you plan to try next.

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• When Golf Becomes A Moral Compass And Maybe Even More

  What if golf isn’t just a game, but maybe moral code or even more? I open up and share the moments that made me see golf as a kind of secular faith—rituals, standards, and the quiet work we do when nobody’s watching.We talk about how COVID packed tee sheets without truly creating more "golfers", why bunkers go unraked and greens riddled with ball marks, and what Scotland gets right: community at the heart of the course, honest handicaps, firm ground that teaches scoring from the soil up. From there, we build a case for self-policing and leading by example. Fix three ball marks a green. Rake every bunker that needs it. Take your hat off inside. Thank the staff. These aren’t fussy rules; they’re small choices that protect pace, conditions, and the shared experience that makes golf feel sacred.Along the way, we get into accountability and the inner game: the solitude between shots, the sting of imperfection, and why progress comes from owning the miss, not excusing it. We explore golf karma, the difference between talking improvement and doing it, and the story of a competitor reminding Tiger Woods to replace his mark with a title on the line—a perfect snapshot of honor over outcome. If you’ve ever felt the course ask more of you than a number on a card, this conversation is for you.If this resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a playing partner who needs to hear it. Tell us your code: what standard do you hold when no one’s looking?

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• Inside Bethpage: Spectacle, Shame, and Sublime Golf

  The roars at Bethpage were real—but so was the unease. I was on the ground for the 2025 Ryder Cup, and what I witnessed was a jarring split-screen: world-class golf from both teams and a fan atmosphere that too often went from passion to hostility. Europe executed in foursomes and four-ball with poise and precision, while the U.S. mounted a gutsy Sunday charge that turned the final day into must-watch drama. From JT’s magic to Rose vs. Cam Young on 18, the shots were worthy of the stage. The question is whether the stage—and the crowd culture around it—honored the game they showcased.We talk through how the event tipped toward spectacle: chants that crossed lines, personal attacks aimed at players and families, and a security presence that told its own story. I unpack why the TV narrative missed how tense it felt on the course, why this wasn’t just “New York energy,” and how operating decisions—from choosing an MC to tolerating provocation—shaped behavior. Then we get practical. Bethpage’s fallaway surrounds erased sightlines, corporate structures walled off views, movement clogged in choke points, and basic amenities lagged. If the goal is to grow the game, pricing out families while delivering a poor live experience is a losing play.We also tackle the pay debate head-on. These are professionals, their allocations go to charity, and comparing them to Olympian amateurs is a category mistake. Respect the craft, reward the performance, and focus on reforming fan culture rather than scapegoating players. Finally, I lay out fixes: choose venues with natural viewing berms (consider anchor sites), reduce corporate obstruction, enforce a clear code of conduct with real ejections, and channel crowd energy into supporting your team rather than demeaning the other. The rivalry is the point; contempt is not.If you care about golf’s future—and love the Ryder Cup at its best—listen, share, and tell us what you’d change. Subscribe, leave a review, and join the conversation so we can push this event back toward the standard the players set.

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• Mass, Pressure, and Technique: Rethinking How We Chip

  The debate about optimal short game technique has heated up in golf instruction circles, with many coaches advocating for the "double-digits down" approach to chipping and pitching. But does this technique really deliver the promised results for all golfers? Michael dives deep into the biomechanics of the short game with scientific precision and measured data.Using sophisticated equipment including Swing Catalyst dual force plates and TrackMan launch monitors, Michael demonstrates the actual effects of different attack angles on ball flight and spin production. The findings are eye-opening: increasing attack angle from 7.8 to 11.5 degrees downward only added about 150 RPMs of spin while significantly decreasing landing angle from 30.4 to 23.5 degrees. The result? A ball that actually rolled out further despite the steeper attack—precisely what most golfers are trying to avoid when seeking more spin.What makes this analysis particularly valuable is the clear distinction between center of pressure and center of mass—concepts often confused in golf instruction. The data reveals that pressure distribution (83% on the lead foot with steeper attack angles versus 64% with more neutral setups) is what creates the difference in club delivery, not body position. This has profound implications for how golfers should approach their short game technique based on their individual biomechanics.For players who struggle with vertical force production—which includes most amateurs—staying heavily on the lead side through impact creates significant challenges. It restricts the backswing, steepens the club too early, and requires precise timing that many find difficult to master consistently. Michael makes a compelling case for tailoring your technique to your physical capabilities rather than following trends that might work beautifully for tour players but poorly for your unique body.Whether you're a coach looking to better understand the science behind different short game approaches or a player trying to find the most effective technique for your game, this episode provides evidence-based insights that cut through the noise of competing instructional philosophies. What matters isn't which technique is "right"—but which one is right for you.

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