Play Ready Golf | Strokes Gained for the 9 to 5 Golfer

Isaak Ramsey & Hayden Zimmerer | Smarter Golf Practice in Less Time
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Golf

Golf improvement for people with a 9 to 5. We use strokes gained data and motor learning science to help you practice smarter, save time, and shoot lower scores with the clubs, schedule, and life you already have. Most golf advice is built for people with unlimited range time and a coach on speed dial. This show is built for the rest of us. The weekend warrior. The dad who gets 90 minutes on a Saturday. The mid-handicapper who has been stuck at the same score for three years. Every episode gives you one thing you can actually use. A practice drill you can do in your living room. A course management decision that saves you two shots. A data point that shuts down the bad advice you keep getting from your buddies. New episodes every Friday morning. Try the Play Ready Golf app free for 7 days at playready.golf

  1. More Practice Won't Lower Your Scores. Less Will. - Jon Weiss Jr.

    6d ago

    More Practice Won't Lower Your Scores. Less Will. - Jon Weiss Jr.

    House of Hope of The Pee Dee: https://hofh.org/ Play Ready Golf 7-Day Trial (use code "PRGPOD): ⁠https://onelink.to/93ggkv⁠ Most golfers grind for hours and never drop a shot. Jon Weiss does the opposite. He runs a 50-employee ministry, he is married with a full calendar, and he rarely practices more than an hour. Then he goes and wins one of the toughest mid-am events of the year in 35 mph wind. In this episode Jon breaks down how he competes at a high level on almost no practice. Low expectations. Drive it in play. Putt it well. Zero double bogeys over his last six competitive rounds. A good attitude before he ever reaches the first tee. Chapters 00:00 The lowest expectations in golf 01:43 The last time he practiced over an hour 03:50 What he works on, and what he ignores 05:33 Why mid-am golf runs on supportive wives 08:08 The switch that erased his double bogeys 10:30 Winning Jupiter in brutal wind 12:15 Coaching a JV team to 40 fewer shots 15:28 The coaches who built his short game 17:55 Make 3 footers before you chase 20 footers 20:44 The dumbest thing range golfers do 21:47 Get more from 34 balls than a full bucket 24:38 Inside House of Hope of the Pee Dee 30:13 Why he really plays golf now 32:41 Rock bottom to surrender 38:08 The national stage, Erin Hills and Philly Cricket 43:51 The qualifying mindset most golfers get wrong 45:33 How attitude beats most of the field 48:22 Course rankings and a 340 yard hole he hits 7 iron on 50:44 What is next, and slowing down

    53 min
  2. Amateurs Aren't Bad Putters. They're Bad From 150.

    May 22

    Amateurs Aren't Bad Putters. They're Bad From 150.

    Try the Play Ready Golf app free for 7 days. Use code PRGPOD at checkout for $20 off your annual plan for life: https://onelink.to/93ggkv Grab the free stat tracker and proximity benchmarks PDF mentioned in the episode: https://onelink.to/stats Most amateurs spend 30 minutes on the practice green before every round. They hit 5 greens out of 18 and lose 40 yards of proximity from 150. You're not a bad putter. You're bad from 150. Mark Broadie analyzed the top 40 PGA Tour pros from 2004 to 2012 and found putting is 15% of the gap between elite and average pros. Approach play is 40%. A scratch golfer beats a Tour pro on the greens in more than 30% of rounds. The data has been public for 12 years. In this episode Isaak and Hayden break down where your strokes actually leak, why Bobby Locke, Harvey Penick, and Dave Pelz built the putting myth, and what to practice instead. 📊 Data sources cited in this episode: Mark Broadie, Every Shot Counts (Columbia University, top 40 PGA Tour pros 2004-2012) Shot Scope (350M+ shots) Arccos via Lou Stagner (1B+ shots) Dave Pelz, Short Game Bible (2000) Harvey Penick, Little Red Book (1992) Chapters: 00:00 Why you're not actually a bad putter 00:53 The Broadie data nobody talks about 02:20 The Play Ready Golf app 02:42 Putts per round vs greens hit 04:57 The 150 yard truth (54 feet vs 122 feet) 09:00 How to practice when nothing feels like progress 15:00 The myth: Bobby Locke and "drive for show putt for dough" 20:56 The myth: Harvey Penick's Little Red Book 27:57 The myth: Dave Pelz and the 80% lie 29:26 Where putting actually matters (the steel-man) 32:33 How to raise your floor with approach play 40:00 Random practice and why blocked practice fails 44:42 "But I 3 putt all the time" (the data on lag putts) 48:19 What to take from this conversation

    50 min
  3. He Just Made a PGA Tour Cut. ft. Connor Doyal

    May 15

    He Just Made a PGA Tour Cut. ft. Connor Doyal

    Connor Doyal is a 26 year old caddy at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. He almost never goes to the range. 3 weeks ago he won the Terra Cotta Invitational against a stacked junior field. Last week he Monday qualified into the PGA Tour's Myrtle Beach Classic and made the cut on the number after hitting his approach into 18 from 137 yards in a divot. This week he's at Desert Mountain playing the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. In this one we get into the 14 for 12 playoff that put him in the U.S. Mid-Amateur at Kinloch, the quarterfinal against Evan Beck that gave him the confidence to compete with the best mid-amateurs in the country, the mental reframe that made the PGA Tour feel less nervy than an amateur event, why he never practices on the range, and the 30 minute practice protocol he'd give an average golfer. Follow Connor: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connordoyal/ Try Play Ready Golf (Use code PRG POD): https://onelink.to/93ggkv Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:34 Quitting Consulting in Atlanta 02:26 Why He Didn't Play College Golf 04:19 An Albatross on His First Day Caddying 06:12 The Practice He Actually Does 10:16 The Biggest Mistake Amateurs Make 12:08 The 14-for-12 Playoff at Kinloch 13:50 First USGA Match. Down Three Early. 17:25 Quarterfinal vs Evan Beck 19:58 Monday Qualifying for the PGA Tour 21:21 Making the Cut From a Divot 22:49 "I'm Just on Vacation." 25:56 Winning the Terra Cotta 30:46 He Never Goes to the Range 32:21 The 30 Minute Practice Protocol 34:11 Prepping for the Four-Ball

    37 min
  4. The Approach Shot Lie Costing Amateurs 3 Strokes A Round

    May 8

    The Approach Shot Lie Costing Amateurs 3 Strokes A Round

    App: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6752723937 Most amateurs think they know how far they hit their irons. The Arccos data says they don't. The average 20 handicap thinks their 5 iron flies 187 yards. The actual median carry is 152. That 35 yard gap doesn't just cost one shot. It cascades. Short approach, harder chip, missed up and down, lag putt from 90 feet, three-putt 27% of the time. Two to three strokes per round, every single round, and it had nothing to do with your swing. This episode breaks down where the cascade actually starts, why "80% of strokes lost inside 100 yards" is the most repeated lie in golf, and the 15 minute gapping session that fixes most of it before your next round. ——— Free resources The 59 minute practice plan: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/59minuteplan The PRG benchmarks PDF: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/comprehensivestats The simple stat tracker: https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/simplestatstracker ——— 00:00 The 35 yard lie in your bag 01:46 Hayden's college par-3 story 03:25 Why hitting past the pin feels worse 05:43 The cascade from one wrong club 06:32 Where amateurs actually miss from 150 08:45 Aim long until you actually go long 10:48 The 9, 7, 5 gapping drill 13:52 Why Pelz was wrong about the short game 15:30 Isaak's launch monitor rabbit hole 17:58 The middle 6 of 10 balls drill 21:04 Two rules that kill club selection ego 23:54 The Bryson 5 iron rant 25:50 The take two more clubs challenge 29:35 Why block practice does not transfer 30:38 What to actually do at the range 34:21 Resources and final word

    40 min
  5. He Hits Balls 5 Times a Year and Still Wins Tournaments ft. Scott Turner

    May 1

    He Hits Balls 5 Times a Year and Still Wins Tournaments ft. Scott Turner

    Scott Turner owns the Minor League Golf Tour, runs over 100 events a year, raises a daughter, and somehow still wins elite mid-am tournaments against fields full of guys who hit it 310 yards. He hits balls 4 to 5 times a year. His best tournament prep is 9 holes with his buddies for 20 bucks. In this conversation he explains exactly how he competes without practicing, why 90% of professional golfers lose money every year, what Eric Cole was like for a full decade before breaking through to the PGA Tour, and the course management mistake that every handicap level makes without realizing it. We also get into his years as a "part-time hobby professional" working 28-hour weekends in a cart barn to fund Monday qualifiers, the college golf team that rejected him for 4 years straight, and what he tells young players who ask him whether they should keep grinding or hang it up. If you're a working golfer trying to get better with limited time, this one's for you. FOLLOW SCOTT + THE MINOR LEAGUE GOLF TOUR: Website: ⁠https://minorleaguegolf.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/minorleaguegolftour⁠ ALSO MENTIONED: Back of the Range Podcast (Ben) : https://www.instagram.com/thebackoftherange/ PLAY READY GOLF: Download the app: ⁠https://apps.apple.com/app/id6752723937⁠ CHAPTERS: 0:00 Introduction 0:27 How Scott stays sharp hitting balls 5 times a year 2:41 Beating 310-yard bombers with a 15-year-old hybrid 5:09 Why 9 holes beats 7 days at the range 7:54 The college team that rejected him for 4 years 13:44 Life as a "part-time hobby professional" 17:21 Turn pro or stay mid-am at 23? 20:50 How the Minor League Golf Tour started 24:18 90% of pro golfers lose money every year 27:45 What separates the 10% who make it 30:25 Eric Cole shot 65 every day for a decade 34:09 The $100 training division for working golfers 37:07 How good are mini tour players really? 41:26 The club selection mistake every golfer makes 43:28 Winning the Gasparilla at Palmacia 47:18 Legacy, fatherhood, and the Jumbotron story 50:21 Where to find Scott and the Minor League Golf Tour

    52 min
  6. 74 Million Shots Prove You're Not a Bad Putter

    Apr 24

    74 Million Shots Prove You're Not a Bad Putter

    You watched four days of the Masters and decided your putting is broken. It's not. 74 million shots say amateur golfers miss more than 60% of putts from 8 feet. Tour pros miss 3 out of 4 from 15 feet. A scratch golfer misses 2 out of every 3 from 10 feet. Your putting isn't the problem. Your expectations are. And those broken expectations are quietly making your putting worse round after round. In this episode, Isaak and Hayden break down what the data actually says about putting performance at every handicap level, why watching the Masters creates a choking loop you didn't know you were in, and how to recalibrate what a "good putt" actually looks like. Plus the drills that build putting under real pressure, not practice-green pressure. Get a handicap-specific benchmark card in the show notes. Figure out where you actually lose strokes and practice the right things with Play Ready Golf. Use code PRGPOD for $20 off your first year. CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold Open: The Masters Made You Think You're a Bad Putter 00:56 Why Your Expectations Are the Real Problem 03:46 15%, 40%, 25%: The Putting Stats Nobody Shares 11:28 The Choking Loop That Starts on Your Couch 14:18 Hayden's Ohio Am Putting Meltdown 15:52 Green Reading and the Pre-Shot Routine 25:37 Realistic Make Rates by Distance (The New Scoreboard) 36:20 How to Practice Putting Without Wasting Time 42:15 You're Not a Bad Putter RESOURCES Play Ready Golf app: ⁠https://onelink.to/93ggkv⁠ Realistic Expectations by Handicap: ⁠https://playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/comprehensivestats⁠ #golfpodcast #golfpractice #puttingtips #strokesgained #golfstats

    44 min
  7. He Made the USGA Semis With Two Toddlers at Home ft. Mike Smith

    Apr 17

    He Made the USGA Semis With Two Toddlers at Home ft. Mike Smith

    Mike Smith is the founder of ForeCollegeGolf, a recruiting consultancy that has helped over 200 families in 40+ countries place junior golfers at college programs. He's a two-time Florida Foursomes champion, a 2024 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball semifinalist, and according to his Four-Ball partner Will Davenport, the most clutch golfer he's ever played with. He also has two boys under four and runs his business full time. In this conversation, Mike walks through what golf parents get wrong about recruiting, why he refuses to practice his weaknesses, the partnership and the wedge shot that nearly took him and Will to a USGA title, and the mental shift he made after becoming a dad that completely changed how he competes. For golfers who feel stuck between wanting to improve and not having time to grind, this is the reframe. Get a 7 days of free personalized practice plans: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/play-ready-golf/id6752723937?ppid=af3c9fac-74c5-46b7-9bea-e41648182e7d Follow Mike: instagram.com/forecollegegolf ForeCollegeGolf: forecollegegolf.com Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:16 Showing up to a USGA championship missing a shoe 02:18 What growing up at TPC Sawgrass actually does to a kid 05:28 Why he chose James Madison over bigger programs 09:54 Climbing the junior golf ladder without skipping rungs 11:46 Becoming team captain as a junior at JMU 14:47 Starting ForeCollegeGolf in 2014 16:13 The biggest thing parents get wrong about college golf recruiting 17:49 What to tell the dad whose 13-year-old just broke 80 22:53 Why his real passion is not college recruiting 27:10 Meeting Will Davenport at the Womet Invitational 29:21 The broomstick putter that changed Will's game 31:43 The Lago Mar eagle (and the rule that got changed the next year) 34:22 The Sam Bradford putt at Plainfield 37:53 Why he refuses to practice his weaknesses 40:28 Faith, family, and the mental shift after becoming a dad 42:19 What he'll teach Lucas and Graham about competing 44:25 Scotty Scheffler, cross-training, and praising effort over outcome 48:04 The holy grail: course management and outcome detachment 49:12 Wrap #golf #collegegolf #midamateur #golfpractice #usga

    50 min
  8. The Range Hasn't Changed Since 1913. That's the Problem. (BONUS)

    Apr 14

    The Range Hasn't Changed Since 1913. That's the Problem. (BONUS)

    The driving range business model hasn't meaningfully changed since the first one opened in Pinehurst in 1913. Lights, mats, and automatic ball dispensers. That's it. But the science of how people learn motor skills has changed dramatically. And none of it says "hit the same club to the same target until it feels good." In this episode, we break down exactly how to structure your limited practice time using strokes gained data, random practice principles, and pressure finishes. Three complete sessions: 15 minutes at home, 30 minutes at the range, and a full 59 minute plan that covers every part of your game. Hayden, a professional golfer who practices 3.5 to 4 hours a day, has a specific target on every single shot. If the guy with the most time is the most intentional, that should tell you something about how you're spending your 30 minutes. Download the free practice plan PDF: ⁠playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/59minuteplan⁠ Try the Play Ready Golf app: ⁠https://apps.apple.com/app/id6752723937⁠ ⁠https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playreadygolf.app⁠ 00:00 Why "feel" is lying to you 02:00 Practicing to say you practiced 03:00 Bob Rotella's 60/40 rule 03:59 Strokes gained breakdown: where your shots actually come from 04:44 The 5 rules of effective practice 06:12 "If you aim anywhere, you'll hit it everywhere" 06:33 Full pre-shot routine on every shot 07:37 Track something. Write it down. 08:12 End every session with pressure 08:30 15 minute home putting session 11:49 30 minute range session 14:09 Stop training for penalties 17:14 Wedge distance control 18:43 The 59 minute practice plan 22:13 Why iron play is where you improve the most 23:17 Tee ball: keep your shoes on 25:05 Putting and chipping: don't fluff the ball 27:27 Full routine or no routine. Pick one. 28:06 Why people don't practice like this 29:09 The range hasn't changed since 1913 30:37 Practice for the golf course, not your swing

    33 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
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About

Golf improvement for people with a 9 to 5. We use strokes gained data and motor learning science to help you practice smarter, save time, and shoot lower scores with the clubs, schedule, and life you already have. Most golf advice is built for people with unlimited range time and a coach on speed dial. This show is built for the rest of us. The weekend warrior. The dad who gets 90 minutes on a Saturday. The mid-handicapper who has been stuck at the same score for three years. Every episode gives you one thing you can actually use. A practice drill you can do in your living room. A course management decision that saves you two shots. A data point that shuts down the bad advice you keep getting from your buddies. New episodes every Friday morning. Try the Play Ready Golf app free for 7 days at playready.golf

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