The UGP Podcast

Urban Golf Performance
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UGP is a world-leading golf performance company based out of Los Angeles with three locations in Southern California. UGP improves any golfer through golf coaching, fitness training, physical therapy, club fitting, club building, and mental coaching. In The Urban Golf Podcast, Mac Todd (Founder) and Leo Rooney (Chief Operating Officer) invite high performers to discuss golf performance, business, life, and anything in between. In each episode, we explore the methods and processes these world-class performers have used to succeed that listeners can use.

  1. Ep. 58 | Live From Augusta: What is UGP Tour? Leo & Rian Chab On How UGP Ended Up at The Olympics & Ryder Cup

    04/08/2025

    Ep. 58 | Live From Augusta: What is UGP Tour? Leo & Rian Chab On How UGP Ended Up at The Olympics & Ryder Cup

    Send us a text What exactly is UGP Tour? In this special episode recorded at Augusta National during Masters week, Leo and Rian Chab pull back the curtain on one of golf's most innovative performance teams.  From humble beginnings in a tiny Los Angeles fitness space to supporting major champions on the game's biggest stages, Rian shares the remarkable evolution of UGP's tour division. You'll discover how their team of "black shirt ninjas" (as Xander Schauffele calls them) provides integrated fitness and recovery services to elite players like Collin Morikawa and Min Woo Lee. The conversation explores fascinating aspects of Augusta National's mystique – from its underground tunnel network to its strict protocols – while explaining the complex logistics of supporting tour players across a global schedule. Rian reveals the stark differences between training amateurs versus professionals, noting how tour players' extreme sensitivity to performance impacts creates unique challenges. You'll gain insights into team dynamics at the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, and Olympics, plus hear candid reflections on what it's like building relationships with the world's best golfers. Whether you're curious about career paths in golf performance, interested in the inner workings of professional tournaments, or simply want to understand what those uniformed staff members do for players, this episode offers a fascinating glimpse into a rarely discussed aspect of the professional game. Curious to learn more about bringing elite-level training to your own golf game? Visit UGP's website to find a location near you and experience the same performance approach that's helping top players excel on tour. Follow us on Instagram: @urbangolfperformance Follow Mac: @mactoddlife Follow Leo: @leo_ugp Website: urbangolfperformance.com

    1h 17m
  2. Ep. 57 | Nick Winkelman, PhD on How to Build Movement That Sticks by Shifting from Assembly Line Coaching to Automation

    04/04/2025

    Ep. 57 | Nick Winkelman, PhD on How to Build Movement That Sticks by Shifting from Assembly Line Coaching to Automation

    Send us a text What if the words you use as a coach are more powerful than the technical knowledge you possess? Dr. Nick Winkleman, Head of Athletic Performance and Science for Irish Rugby and author of "The Language of Coaching," revolutionizes our understanding of how communication shapes athletic performance. After nine transformative years in Dublin following a decade at EXOS working with NFL athletes, Winkleman has crystallized what most coaches intuitively sense but struggle to implement: the power of language to unlock movement potential. "I recognized the importance of communication," he explains. "What we say to individuals had a massive impact on the quality of the relationship, but also the quality of the movement." Through compelling research and real-world experience, Winkleman reveals why external cues ("push the ground away") consistently outperform internal cues ("extend your knees") across virtually all sports and skill levels. He describes coaching as being a "marriage counselor between the individual and their body," bridging the gap between knowing what to do and knowing how to do it. The discussion navigates the delicate balance between constraints (tools that guide movement) and verbal cues, suggesting they work best when strategically combined. Perhaps most eye-opening is his distinction between "assembly line coaching" (where athletes depend on constant technical reminders) and true learning (where skills become automated). Quoting John Wooden, he reminds us that "I have not taught until they have learned," emphasizing that real learning only happens when athletes can perform without prompts or feedback. For coaches, athletes, and movement enthusiasts alike, this conversation provides concrete strategies to enhance communication effectiveness, build stronger coach-athlete relationships, and create lasting skill development. Whether you're coaching golf, tennis, or any movement-based activity, understanding the language of coaching could be your most powerful tool for unlocking human potential. Ready to transform your coaching approach? Listen now and discover how the right words at the right time can make all the difference in athletic performance. Follow us on Instagram: @urbangolfperformance Follow Mac: @mactoddlife Follow Leo: @leo_ugp Website: urbangolfperformance.com

    1h 19m
  3. Ep. 56 | Dr. Manny Garcia On Building The UGP Recovery Department & What Happens When You Say Yes to Something Bigger Than Yourself

    03/28/2025

    Ep. 56 | Dr. Manny Garcia On Building The UGP Recovery Department & What Happens When You Say Yes to Something Bigger Than Yourself

    Send us a text Manny Garcia, UGP's Director of Recovery, shares his extraordinary journey from owning a successful physical therapy business to building UGP's recovery department, exploring how saying yes to something bigger transformed his life and perspective. • Leaving behind a thriving business to join UGP in 2018, taking a leap of faith to pursue greater personal growth • Learning that self-accountability has limits, and how teams expose weaknesses while providing the foundation for unprecedented growth • Discovering that self-deprecation can be productive but also self-defeating without awareness and moderation • Building a recovery department by planting seeds in unexpected places and following processes rather than rigid goals • Finding that behavioral change trumps technology in creating lasting physical transformation • Recognizing that orthopedic health is the greatest predictor of quality of life in later years, yet most people won't invest five minutes daily in it • Embracing difficulty, failure and challenging conversations as essential components of growth • Understanding that true impact comes from unlimited caring and service to others If you're ready to discover what's possible when you say yes to challenges bigger than yourself, come visit us at UGP or check out our website for more information about our services. Follow us on Instagram: @urbangolfperformance Follow Mac: @mactoddlife Follow Leo: @leo_ugp Website: urbangolfperformance.com

    1h 12m
  4. Ep. 55 | Dr. Will Wu, PhD - How To Practice According to Science, The Most Common Mistakes Amateur Golfers Make and The Power of External Focus

    12/06/2024

    Ep. 55 | Dr. Will Wu, PhD - How To Practice According to Science, The Most Common Mistakes Amateur Golfers Make and The Power of External Focus

    Send us a text In this episode of the Urban Golf Podcast, Dr. Will Wu discusses the importance of practice science in golf, highlighting common mistakes made by both amateurs and professionals. He emphasizes the significance of understanding practice personalities, the myth of learning styles, and the power of observational learning in skill acquisition. The conversation also delves into the efficiency of communication in coaching and the ongoing debate between internal and external focus in golf instruction. In this conversation, Leo Rooney and Dr. Will Wu delve into the importance of external focus in enhancing movement efficiency, particularly in sports like golf. We discuss how external cues can lead to smoother and more athletic movements, contrasting this with the inefficiencies of internal focus. The duo emphasizes the significance of managing expectations in golf performance, especially among junior players, and the inherent inconsistencies in skill-based sports. They also explore the balance between block and random practice, advocating for a tailored approach based on individual needs and goals. In this conversation, Will Wu and Leo Rooney delve into the intricacies of golf practice, discussing the effectiveness of different practice methods, the importance of frequency, and how to manage both physical and psychological fatigue during training. They emphasize the need for individualized practice plans that evolve and introduce the innovative Practice Coach app, which utilizes AI to tailor practice sessions based on player assessments and performance data. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Practice Science in Golf 03:02 Common Mistakes in Golf Practice 05:57 Understanding Practice Personalities 08:51 Abandoning Techniques: When and How 12:07 The Myth of Learning Styles 15:01 The Power of Observational Learning 17:53 Communication Efficiency in Coaching 20:51 Internal vs External Focus in Golf Coaching 29:40 The Power of External Focus in Movement 33:20 Optimizing Practice Through External Cues 39:19 Managing Expectations in Golf Performance 42:53 Understanding Skill-Based Inconsistency 49:34 The Balance of Block and Random Practice 56:50 Understanding Practice: Block vs. Random 58:59 The Importance of Frequency in Practice 01:01:40 Managing Physical and Psychological Fatigue 01:04:36 Optimizing Practice Sessions for Better Learning 01:08:06 The Individualized Approach to Practice Plans 01:19:08 Introducing Practice Coach: AI in Golf Training Follow us on Instagram: @urbangolfperformance Follow Mac: @mactoddlife Follow Leo: @leo_ugp Website: urbangolfperformance.com

    1h 25m
  5. Ep. 54 | Dr. Harry Sese on working with Jon Rahm & Wyndham Clark | The Life of a Tour Physio

    02/26/2024

    Ep. 54 | Dr. Harry Sese on working with Jon Rahm & Wyndham Clark | The Life of a Tour Physio

    Send us a text Dr Harry Sese Instagram Golfletica Follow us on Instagram: @urbangolfperformance Follow Mac: @mactoddlife Follow Leo: @leo_ugp Website: urbangolfperformance.com

    1h 26m
  6. Ep. 53 | Dana Dahlquist On His #1 Advice To Any Golfer & Coaching Bryson DeChambeau & More Insights

    02/22/2024

    Ep. 53 | Dana Dahlquist On His #1 Advice To Any Golfer & Coaching Bryson DeChambeau & More Insights

    Send us a text Dana Dahlquist Instagram Dana Dahlquist Website Follow us on Instagram: @urbangolfperformance Follow Mac: @mactoddlife Follow Leo: @leo_ugp Website: urbangolfperformance.com

    1h 30m
  7. Ep. 52 | David Novak on Recognition, Leadership, Inventing Doritos Cool Ranch and Leading The Biggest Fast Food Brand In The World

    09/13/2023

    Ep. 52 | David Novak on Recognition, Leadership, Inventing Doritos Cool Ranch and Leading The Biggest Fast Food Brand In The World

    Send us a text David Novak is an American businessman, author, and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership, and co-founder and former CEO of YUM! Brands Inc. During Novak's tenure at Yum! Brands, the company doubled the number of restaurants to 41,000, market capitalization grew to almost $32 billion from just under $4 billion and it was an industry leader in return on invested capital. Novak was president at KFC and Pizza Hut, and held senior management positions at Pepsi-Cola Company, including chief operating officer and executive vice president of marketing and sales. Follow us on Instagram: @urbangolfperformance Follow Mac: @mactoddlife Follow Leo: @leo_ugp Website: urbangolfperformance.com

    1h 18m

  8. 03/30/2023

    Ep. 51 | Growing TEAM UGP from 1 to 50

    Send us a text In this episode, Mac and Leo talk about how UGP was taken from 1 team member to over 50 in the last 10 years. We discuss the tools required to grow a culture and a team beyond one person in the golf performance industry.  Follow us on Instagram: @urbangolfperformance Follow Mac: @mactoddlife Follow Leo: @leo_ugp Website: urbangolfperformance.com

    54 min
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4.9
out of 5
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About

UGP is a world-leading golf performance company based out of Los Angeles with three locations in Southern California. UGP improves any golfer through golf coaching, fitness training, physical therapy, club fitting, club building, and mental coaching. In The Urban Golf Podcast, Mac Todd (Founder) and Leo Rooney (Chief Operating Officer) invite high performers to discuss golf performance, business, life, and anything in between. In each episode, we explore the methods and processes these world-class performers have used to succeed that listeners can use.

Information

  • Creator
    Urban Golf Performance
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The UGP Podcast
  • Show Website
    The UGP Podcast