If you're listening to this podcast, there's a good chance you have a swing thought—and there's a pretty high chance that you're thinking about how some part of your body should be moving (or not) during the swing. In this episode, Mark and Greg talk about one of the most important ideas in golf improvement: you can think about something other than your body position during the swing. They discuss the meaning of internal and external focus, when each might be useful, and how an external focus ca...
May 18, 2026•19 min•Ep. 148
Scratch is a aspiration for most amateur golfers, and it's a very good standard of play. How good? In this episode, Lou brings three different stats about scratch golfers, and Mark and Greg attempt to guess how a scratch player would perform in each. The answers might be surprising—and will absolutely contribute to all of us managing our expectations. 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...
May 16, 2026•11 min•Ep. 147
It's hard to play effective golf with an extreme swing path. The problem: most golfers are very consistent with swing path—even when they don't want to be. In this episode, Mark and Greg talk about strategies to dislodge a less-than-optimal path and move it to a place of greater functionality. They explain that path sometimes is the result instead of the cause of the problem and the importance of both measured data and a trained eye to make the quickest progress to good golf. If you have a quest...
May 14, 2026•18 min•Ep. 146
What's it worth? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the recently-released price for next year's Ryder Cup at Adare Manor. Is the significant price increase warranted? Is the Ryder Cup worth attending at all? The guys give some tips for watching golf in person, discuss some of the early news about captain selections, and attempt to establish international understanding among English-speaking countries. If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://ww...
May 11, 2026•33 min•Ep. 145
From a reasonably long par 3, what scores are typical for golfers of different levels? In this episode, Lou asks Mark and Greg about scoring averages on a 175-yard par 3. Tiny spoiler: there's a bonus question in this episode, and the answer there provides real insight into course strategy when fairway bunkers are in play. 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 t...
May 09, 2026•12 min•Ep. 144
One episode, a few professional golf topics. In this edition, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the unfolding confirmation of the end of PIF funding for LIV and what that might mean for the future of that league—and its players. Then they shift gears to the PGA Tour, where Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick recently teamed up to win a Tour event, securing a card for Alex. (Could Scottie carry Lou to a Tour card?). And finally, they check in with Brooks Koepka, who is piecing together his first season back o...
May 07, 2026•32 min•Ep. 143
When the best player in the world is "struggling," everyone has a solution. In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the language of the golf swing. It seems everyone talks about shallowing, but few define it. What is shallowing? Why does it matter? And shouldn't we have some idea what we're talking about before we talk? If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/contact/ Listeners can also leave us a voicemail! https://www.hackit...
May 04, 2026•16 min•Ep. 142
Once again, we have a green light: 120 from the hole in the fairway. How different are amateurs and pros? In this episode, Lou asks Mark and Greg how 10 and 20 index golfers compare on this shot to a Tour pro. And perhaps a lot of 10s and 20s have their expectations set by the Tour numbers, rather than reality closer to home. 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 o...
May 02, 2026•14 min•Ep. 141
It's Champions Tour major season, which means it's time for Greg—and the Gregulators—to mount up! In this episode, Greg joins Mark and Lou to recap the first major of the season, the PGA Championship at The Concession Golf Club. Greg was right in the mix but cooled off late. He talks about some of the really impressive play from Cink, Alker, and the ageless Langer, his impressive hole-out eagle (no biggie!), and what he's working on for the rest of the season. If you have a question you want cov...
Apr 30, 2026•29 min•Ep. 140
If you could sub in a professional golfer for one shot each hole, what would it be? In this episode, Mark talks Lou and Greg through a recent video of his that tests this question. On some holes, he hit a tee shot for his friend; on others, the approach shot. Which helped more? And which might make the biggest difference in your game? Knowing this might give you an insight as to the best place to invest your practice time. Video link: https://youtu.be/S8-xjEwELR0?si=JjZjKy6l1jItbKPq If you have ...
Apr 27, 2026•21 min•Ep. 139
If you listen to this podcast, you probably know that Tour pros average about 50% on their putts from 8 feet. But how does that number change for players when they finish in the top 10? Or, on the other hand, in weeks in which they miss the cut? Lou puts this question to Greg and Mark, and the answer might give some insight into how much putting contributes to the hot and cold rounds that we all have. Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes long) about an interesting golf stat. We wi...
Apr 25, 2026•12 min•Ep. 138
Trouble down both sides—what's your best option? In this episode, Mark, Greg, and Lou give advice for approaching a hole when neither side offers a bailout. What are the strategic considerations to take into account when neither miss is great? And what are some drills to get you ready to face the pressure to hit the demanding shot the moment it's needed? If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/contact/ Listeners can also leave us a vo...
Apr 23, 2026•20 min•Ep. 137
Do you play golf to shoot your lowest scores—or to bubble wrap your ego? In this episode, Mark and Lou take up a listener question on chipping. Most golfers get around the green and grab a wedge (often their most lofted wedge) for almost all their shots. But there are other options: from irons to hybrids to fairway woods to putter to—yes, even chippers. Is your short game a part of golf in which you lose shots for ego reasons? If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit her...
Apr 20, 2026•17 min•Ep. 136
From the same yardage, better golfers are, well, better . Duh. But better golfers most often are hitting less club from the same distance. If a scratch golfer and 15-index both have a pitching wedge from the fairway, won't they hit the green at a similar rate? That's the question the Lou puts to Mark and Greg. Once they settle the winner for the weekend, they talk about the advantages of a better player, and how we all can hit more greens in our next rounds. Each of these will be a mini-episode ...
Apr 18, 2026•14 min•Ep. 135
Rory retains his Green Jacket! In today's episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the recently completed 2026 edition of the Masters. Tempers flared, the course setup offered some surprises, and multiple great players ascended the leaderboard—almost. What does Rory's win mean for his position in the history of golf? And could Mark help Rory's game? If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/contact/ Listeners can also leave us a voicemai...
Apr 16, 2026•35 min•Ep. 134
What's different in your approach to match play? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg take up a listener question about match play. In addition to any general changes in strategy, they discuss how to handle a match in which you're giving a lot of strokes to your opponent, as well as some of the pros and cons of gamesmanship in a match format. If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/contact/ Listeners can also leave us a voicemail! htt...
Apr 13, 2026•21 min•Ep. 133
For many of our listeners, it's the beginning of the golf season, and those partial wedge shots are often some of the trickiest to re-find on the course. What's a good shot? In this episode, Lou asks Mark and Greg about a 50-yard shot from the fairway. At what distances are a scratch, 10 and 20 index golfers breaking even on strokes gained? The answer is essential for having reasonable expectations on the course all year long. Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes long) about an in...
Apr 11, 2026•12 min•Ep. 132
Do you need to have a preferred shape on the course? Why can't straight be a shape? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg take on a listener question about that affects swing and course strategy. With so many talking about "taking one side of the course out of play," is an intentional straight ball really a bad idea? Mark weighs in from a coaching perspective, Greg as a pro, and Lou as someone who, like many of us, isn't always sure what shape shot is coming next. If you have a question you want ...
Apr 09, 2026•20 min•Ep. 131
It's Masters Week! In today's episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the otherworldly magic that exist at Augusta National, where the normal rules of reality seem not to apply. Has Scottie peaked? What does Rory do for an encore? And who are they picking to win this year's edition of the tournament? If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/contact/ Listeners can also leave us a voicemail! https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/voicemail/ Where...
Apr 06, 2026•30 min•Ep. 130
Ah, the short par 5: might as well call them gimme birdies, right? Ahem. In this episode, Lou asks Mark and Greg how often solid amateur golfers of two different standards will break par on a short par 5. After the answers are sorted, they offer advice for dealing with expectations for scoring on each of the standard par holes—advice that might make you appreciate your birdies even more. Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes long) about an interesting golf stat. We will discuss wha...
Apr 04, 2026•12 min•Ep. 129
Again. Sadly, again. In this episode of the podcast, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the arrest of Tiger Woods for driving under the influence. They discuss the media coverage and the place of Tiger in the modern golf marketplace. If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/contact/ Listeners can also leave us a voicemail! https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/voicemail/ Where to find us: Mark Crossfield's weekly newsletter: https://www.crossfield...
Apr 02, 2026•23 min•Ep. 128
There are just a handful of notable professional golfers still using the long putters, and whenever they have success, they are often publicly suspected of cheating the no-anchoring rule. In this episode, Mark and Lou discuss this pattern. Should anchoring have been banned in the first place? Is there a performance advantage from anchoring? And there's a putting technique that Lou hasn't tried? If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/...
Mar 30, 2026•20 min•Ep. 127
With Greg missing, Lou brings a Tiger question to today's Saturday Stat. We all have the memories of Tiger's clutch moments, many of which were must-make putts that he seemed to always make. But did he? Today's question: how does Tiger's make rate for putts in the final round of tournaments compare with his normal make rate? Mark competes against Lou's newsletter audience as we seek to separate fact from myth. Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes long) about an interesting golf st...
Mar 28, 2026•13 min•Ep. 126
The whole golf world knows: one way to lower your scores is to increase your swing speed. But all the swing speed in the world won't help your scores if you can't convert it into ball speed—and that means you still need to find the center of the clubface when you're swinging fast. In this episode, Mark and Lou answer a listener question about exactly this topic, and offer pointers to help ordinary golfers make their best strikes while making their fastest swings. If you have a question you want ...
Mar 26, 2026•18 min•Ep. 125
In today's episode, Mark and Lou take on a grab bag of questions. Should the Tour Championship be a match play event? Is match play a decent way to find the best golfer—and is it a good format for watching golf? And the European Ryder Cup team recently announced that Luke Donald is coming back as captain for the third time—should Team USA just concede the 2028 Ryder Cup now? If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/contact/ Listeners c...
Mar 23, 2026•25 min•Ep. 124
A 5-index golfer is a good player. How close does he need to hit his approach from 40, 100, and 180 yards in the fairway to gain strokes? This is today's question from Lou's dive into the Arccos database, and Mark and Greg's answers lead to some significant surprises. As always with the Saturday Stat: these are numbers that can help you set and maintain expectations on the course, and even help establish better strategy for your approach shots. Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes...
Mar 21, 2026•11 min•Ep. 123
Right now, the question is whether Tiger will play the Masters. But if he wants tournament reps, should he also play the Champions Tour? In this episode, Mark and Greg talk about that possibility. What would make it worthwhile for Tiger to play on the Champions Tour? Would he dominate the field there? Is he just scared of the Greggie? If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/contact/ Listeners can also leave us a voicemail! https://www...
Mar 19, 2026•23 min•Ep. 122
In this episode, Mark and Greg talk forecasting—projecting future outcomes during a round. Drawing from personal experience and Tour insights, they offer strategies for staying present. Mark shares how his most relaxed and enjoyable golf happened when score didn’t matter, and Greg offers practical ways to build awareness of forecasting tendencies that all of us can use in our next round. If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/contact...
Mar 16, 2026•29 min•Ep. 121
Par is just a number. But so is course rating. How much better will a 10 index golfer play at an "easy" course? And what impact will a "hard" course have on his average score? Lou puts Mark and Greg to the test, and we all come away with better expectations for our next rounds of golf. 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 an...
Mar 14, 2026•16 min•Ep. 120
Social media swing tips and training aid adverts are full of help to get you to shallow your swing. Should you? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about shallowing. What does it even mean? How do cameras deceive us about what's happening in the swing? Is there a connection between a shallowing downswing and a shallow angle of attack? And can you play good golf without trying to shallow? If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/c...
Mar 12, 2026•30 min•Ep. 119
