@@GolfSidekickMy friends that got robbed by Thai working girls would beg to differ (true story... Not an uncommon one) ... Different strokes for different folks 🤷
Matt, your channel is hands down my favorite golf channel. Love your philosophy and it's significantly helping how I see the game of golf as a 16 handicap. Thanks for what you do!
Matt, I have been watching your videos and finally yielded to the “way of the playa “. I have been stuck at a 10-12 handicap for the past 3 years. Your toe down chipping, my implementation of my 7 wood off the tee and even a 5-iron has helped a ton. My buddies give me a hard time about “less than driver” - I carded a “75” yesterday. At the end of the round -all I heard were crickets. Thanks Man - from an old man of 60.
I’m 2 years into golf. I’m 44. I play one 18 hole round a week on avg. and on weekends I squeeze an early 9 holes on a short executive 9 hole course either sat or sun morning before the kids get up. My handicap is a solid 15 and I shoot low 90s, high 80s and my best rounds threaten to break 85. Matty couldn’t be more right on. This is the only guy on RUclips you should be listening to if you are similar amateur. There is absolutely no reason to do speed training, try to bomb driver over 300 yards, etc. Learn good course management. (See golf sidekick) Learn your layup shots (again, see golf sidekick) Learn to control the mental (again, see golf sidekick). I found this channel after realizing some of what Matty is saying but he really is a godsend for weekend hackers like me. I’m having a ton of fun, not taking things too seriously and am actually playing a game that resembles golf. I’ve been lucky in that I played hockey my whole life and have been putting spin on balls since I was kid, my body gets the physics of this. But 100% one of the hardest things I’ve attempted to learn. But with effort, anything is possible in life. Great content. Great personality. Great golfer. Thanks Playa…
I’ve followed your advice for about three months now working on missing in the “good” areas. It really works. Went from 12 to 9 Hcp, and just concentrating on getting my distances consistent. Toe down chipping is so simple and effective.
Matt, your golf knowledge and advice is first class. I’ve been implementing your advice and it’s reflecting in my scores. I’m getting “confidentiality “ into my game. Keep it up.
3:20 literally every non scratch golfer needs to hear and internalize this. Distance comes primarily from good technique, not speed. Go get a damn lesson and fix your contact! ❤
100% playa. I did TPI training last year and my distance did go up but it wasn't useable in play because my strike wasn't good enough. Fast forward to this year, I took more lessons from a PGA pro and I've added an extra 10 yards on my irons simply from better technique (and far straighter and tighter dispersion) 33 degree 7i now carrying 160 yards and tight to target. Money. Driver now going to 250-275 depending on what I deliver into it, as I now hit up on it. Also money and no more weight lifting to maintain above average distance. Actually, cycling between rounds loosens up my hips and stretches out all my leg muscles, front and back and that exercise has been very helpful.
The 2 sets of lessons I've taken, both coaches asked me the same thing: What do you want to fix? My response both times was to narrow/shift my dispersion. I don't care about distance, and if I'm hitting it more consistently, then distance will follow. After this batch of lessons, my dispersion is 12-2:30, and very consistently in the 1:30-2 range, I found something yesterday though, and at the end, it was 11-2...of course, it was post lesson practice so I have no idea what I was doing. 😅 The only time I've hit my driver or 3W in a lesson environment was during a swing evaluation. I'd rather be better with the clubs I know I use the most (5/6i to G), then hitting it 250 yards off the tee and into water, sand, trees, rough, or kitchen. Why focus on a club that you use 12-14 times a round while you are putting 40-50 times? That's stupid.
@@farfromprogolf2065 if you have little money, a pro isn't necessary.. just dedication.. chipping and putting is half of the strokes.. unless you are playing tournaments or for cash, just have a great time.. no one cares if you shoot 99 or 84 except you.. best wishes, signed, a broke playa..
2 things señor. 1. I saw two feathers planted next to greens on my round today. I didn't get any birdies myself but par'd the last 3 to stay under 100 for the first time in a few rounds so that was nice! 2. I was helped to that score by only 3 putting once. I listened to Putting out of your Mind after your suggestion from your putting vid and it helped a lot. Just letting go of control and using childlike intuition to find the right length. Always been decent at picking up line so my longest lag putt ended about 3 ft (one of which I managed to push past the hole for the 3 putt). Most were inside 2 feet - one look to get my line, 3 practice swings while looking at hole to let instinct take over, step up to ball, look at target, look at ball, hit and let the universe decide Cheers mate, I'm looking at the 90 score as a realistic target now rather than something to find under a blue moon
So so true. Recently I improved my putting significantly (I’m a 9 hcp) and started being confident on getting g putts close or in. Suddenly my long putts became less nervy and better. My chips became less nervy since I knew I could guarantee two putts from anywhere so now the save par putt became achievable. And of course missing the green on the good side still means a possible par so they become less nervy. Basically everything you say
So much of this is common sense. Agreed with greenevol comment below. Loved your putting segment. Was definitely a different approach and have tried to think better about my game overall.
The advice you give makes a ton of sense. Watching these videos has been good for me. The biggest mistake I was making was the once in a while the impossible hero shot ends up costing several strokes. I seem to have one every round. No more. "Take your medicine" was the golden ticket for me. Now, if I get into trouble, I focus on getting out. Also, the mental death spiral! No more of that for me. I am working up distances with all my irons now for the half swing shot. That makes a lot of sense. Keep doing what you are doing brother. I know a lot of people have rethought some things about their game and it has helped.
Not amazing but I started golfing this spring and just started steadily improving after watching this channel Just broke 120 for the first time. Little baby steps and good head spaces.
Let me start by saying thank you to golf sidekick, I love these videos. I’ve watched many of them. Here’s what frustrates me, as someone struggling to break 90: I don’t have a 9 out of 10 shot. I’m not a beginner, been playing off and on for 28 years (I’m 57). I can and do hit a lot of beautiful shots during any round. I generally shoot 95-100 on a very tight course. Every good golfer I know says he can get me breaking 90 all the time. And they generally describe the tactics and strategies of GSidekick. What I can’t seem to do is eliminate the 4-5 shots each 9 that are flat out awful: stubbed pitches and chips that go nowhere, pulled or pushed wedges that end up in the woods, topped tee shots that don’t make the fairway and end up in a hazard in front of the tee, etc. I just want to know if I’m unusual, or do other 90s golfers struggle with this? I play with enough golfers at my level to think I’m not unusual, but no one who is better seems to acknowledge this, they simply act like they never went through this. It’s admittedly an excuse, but I don’t want to go to the range, I have trouble fitting golf into my schedule as it is. Plus I have physical limitations due to recent surgery, but that’s getting better, at least.
No practice = this is what golf looks like until you start practicing. It’s normal. Lessons plus practice = improvement that lasts. Fit it in and be less frustrated. Do not fit it in and youre not entitled to frustration. That’s the rule. This is what golf looks like normally if you don’t practice and don’t work on ways to eliminate the bad shots that destroy your score. Fixing all of this starts with a change in mindset and a decision to improve. Until then, it is merely the way it is
Smart vid. Old man golf is good because scoring well is good. Recently I put away my driver on a short city course with skinny fairways. Guy I played with of similar level drove it every chance he could. I beat him by 20 strokes (at least 20, he ripped up his scorecard after a 60 in 10 holes) with a 90. I only lost one ball. He lost around half a dozen by hole 10.
If I can hole a 4 footer I don't need to chip it or lag it closer than that. No pressure. If I can chip and putt I don't need to hit the green close to the hole. No pressure. If I can take 3 shots from the short rough I don't need to hit the fairway. No pressure. With no pressure I hit the fairway, then I hit the green and then I 2 putt. But it starts with a 4 footer and no pressure. Learn the game backwards.
Love your videos. I was one who always had to hit the longest shot I could and would get me into more trouble like bunkers near greens etc.. now I try to leave an approach I want like 100 yards.
I see lots of people say hit more greens. My response is I work in getting tighter dispersion with my clubs and the greens will take care of themselves. If you add that to missing in the correct spots your scores will fall quickly.
Hell yeah. Driving is overrated. I might even be convinced that putting is overrated, too. The secret to the game is approach shots and chipping. If you can get on the green with 10-15 feet every time, you're gonna go low and get the hoes.
@@teebob21 I’m going to slightly disagree. Pro golfers get inside 20 feet 7 times a round and D! college golfers get it inside 6.5 times a round. The difference in be them is Pro golfers convert 30% more than college golfers. I’m a short hitter and lose the majority of my shots off the tee. I’m getting older so there is little I can do about that. I prioritized my approach game, short game and lag putting. Arccos tells me my putting is average. I can’t read greens and prioritized lag putting. But if you look at my data I’m not converting when I get inside of 20ft and I’ve found I’m leaving too many putts short. My biggest opportunity in getting lower scores is converting more putts. So for the last week and a half I’ve started using AimPoint. Two things have happened. I’m more confident in the line so I’m putting a better stroke on the ball and I’m converting about 2 more putts a round. Scottie went through a stretch when he was a bad putter. He made a change and became a good putter. It’s his improvement in putting that led to his success.
@@teebob21 It's all interconnected/correlated. I just won a two day tournament this weekend. Everything was just ok except for putting. I caught fire and couldn't miss inside 6 ft. Putting is where I separated myself from those in my division. I was making all those putts and my competition missed a few from 3-6 ft.
This is so true. This year i got my driver carry up around 250yrds purely because i like being in wedge range for my 2nd shot but still not lowering my scores due to a severe miss that happens too often. This past weekend i decided to ditch the driver/3W and hybrid and play irons only as they are easily the best part of my game, scored a personal best of 113 and highlighted that it is my putting that needs the most work as i managed to convert 12 chances for par into bogies and doubles. With a bit of putting and green reading practice i will be breaking 100 in no time.
6:00 That chart really explains why a lot of amateurs will bomb a drive to partial wedge distance, feel great about themselves and then still somehow bogey the hole.
First benchmark for a beginner that has a reasonable swing and some idea of the distances they hit the ball with each club is to play so as not to lose a ball. If you can play and not lose a ball you will see tremendous improvement in your scores by eliminating penalty strokes, playing from better lies and not having to try trick shots around trees or out of hazards.
I agree wholeheartedly, build a solid foundation with a great short game and everything else will fall into place. Great episode as always, good practical advice to play the statically best shots, for one the shots you are best at. Cheers, Mate!
Was stuck at like 110 for months, started watching your videos and quickly dropped to 101 and then 96 in back to back rounds. Today shot a 40 on the front 9. I honestly just want to say thank you Matty. Scores aside, you have made the game so much more fun with the way of the playa. Appreciate you brother.
If you clean your room before your round, and stand up straight with your chest out while talking to the cart girl next to the fairway you hit with your 7 wood, you can please Matty Boom Boom and Jordan Peterson. No false dichotomy here, playas.
You've said this before in other videos, but if you take driver out of the bag and hit a 5w / 7w off the tee, make sure you are still practicing driver and don't abandon it completely. If you can hit your driver as straight as a fairway wood it makes golf a lot easier
A couple of comments: (1) where I play (Connecticut) the rough is really thick. So a drive in the rough doesn't roll out and also can create a highly difficult next shot and (2) in the three times in my life I broke 80, it was because I putted and chipped great, NOT because I had a great day with the driver.
Here's the dumbest part about "distance is king". Take a bog standard easy 350 yard par 4. As a 15+ handicap, what's more likely to leave you putting: a 200 yard fairway wood drive to the fairway and a 150 yard approach, or a pray & spray "300" yard drive and an awkward pitch shot from god khows where (assuming we dont go OB)?
I shot a 79 with 3 greens in reg, but only had 26 putts because i had 9 up and downs. It wasn’t exciting golf to watch but I felt like I was leading the pack at Augusta
Yes exactly. one of the most advanced professional golfers in the world in the field of lie interpretation. Without the lie interpretation as well as extreme arm and wrist strength he has developed through strength training, there is no us open. because he misses so many fairways sacrificing for length, as he says in the video with shiels, he needs to know every lie of the ball and how to play it because he gets in bizarre places. AlWays beware the outlier argument
Because partial wedge dispersion even for tour pros is as wide as when they are 100-120 yards away. Partial wedges are not easy especially for casual golfers who play without much practice. Inside 40 is money. Otherwise a free throw distance from 70-100 is next best. But that 70-100 must be from fairway
one other thing to mention is that if you're in the rough from that range, you can't predict the roll out very well. If you're a little farther back, you can hit the ball with a fuller swing and it will go higher and land softer.
Bravo your eminency-Golf Sidekick-freaky styley-mf'er! I need to school-up on fairway grain-reading and it's effects on ball fight. Thanks especially for your brief tangent/reminder on putting intangibles: uphill vs downhill puts and their respective break potential along with grain. That was perhaps the most prolific 30 seconds ever spoken on RUclips. Gracias! 🙌Btw - in 2023 I broke 80 for the very 1st time (78 Baby!!!), which happens to coincide with when I first started watching Golf Sidekick! 🍻
I dont think I've ever needed a 3W in the bag since the driver works and the 5W works both off the tee and the deck. As I cant hit a 3W off the deck farther than my 5W deck shot - until I can do that means the 3W is a wasted club in my bag. The 5W off the tee gives me plenty of distance to clear any immediate water/brush hazards put in front of a tee box and is a worthy backup driver. Me going driver 5W 7W for the longer clubs give me much better odds to break 90 - my primary goal.
I used your system again today, it works great, the no hero shot advice is top advice, the short game is the great advice, I shot a 88, would have done better if I was not busting balls with my buddy. Next time I plan on total concentration ( I,ll try). LOL
This parent/guardian lover needs to write a book. There’s a reason we evolved to day dream, it’s a mental sim room! Proven to build those neural connections that physical movement does. Ever see the Rugby kickers watch the ball flight before they kick it?
Hey man im coming to Thailand August 18 for a vacation, still unsure of whether or not to stay at a country club or a regular hotel. Would you be able to play some golf?
The game I play with the most is 2 man best ball match play which makes me try to make birdies, which is killing my game (you know-attack, attack, attack, driver, driver driver) and its not very good for me. I was playing tournament play for the last couple years but stopped this year and I was playing way better just trying to keep it in play, playing to the center of greens and trying to two putt, that'll tell you-this works. Its clearest thing I've ever known-I need to that that mindset back
Dumbest one I heard lately was “putting skill isn’t nearly as important and being able to drive it far.” My reply was “if you hit it far out of bounds how many strokes have you saved? Let’s say you drive all the fairways 18/18, and make all greens in reg, but 3 putt every hole, what is your final score? I’ll do the math for you, it’s a 90. Half your strokes to par are on the green, better two putt as many as possible.”
Something I’ve done to help my game is hit 6i off the tee. This has helped me hit significantly more fairways (roughly 80 percent). This leaves me with better shots at the green or minimizes strokes lost from being in the trees or going OB.
Playa, for woods I would recommend most average playas shorten their FW wood by an inch or at least a half inch. Strike and dispersion will improve dramatically but club speed will be identical, because you will feel you can swing more confidentially with the shorter shaft. 43 inches on a 3 wood is too much for amateurs. I play mine at 42 and loft it up to 16 or 16.5 degrees. Last year I started with a 7 wood, learned to hit it well, then added a 5 wood, learned to smash the longer shaft (still shorter than stock) and now that my swing is more shallow, I'm on to the lofted up 3-wood @42 inches. I can play the whole course with it instead of driver if I want. Money. I can hit my driver now 250-275 but I play a 44.5 inch playing length because dispersion is super tight.
If distance was king I would be a tour pro. I can hit the driver 320 yards, but how on earth does that help me when on an average day that drive will result in a lost ball 3/10 times and another 3/10 times in a very difficult 2nd shot? All the distance in the world is useless if you cannot be sure to keep the ball in play. I rather have a ball 200 yards on the fairway than 320 in the hazard (obviously). Same with greens in regulation. In my last round I hit 8 greens in regulation and 1 under regulation. Am I a 2 handicap though? No, because I also short sided myself at least 4 times that round, because of mishits, a few 3-putts, a lost ball, 2 penalty drops and not taking the safe shot option. In the end I "only" played an 89, which is still good for me as a 16 handicap. But with 9 Pars I would have been able to break 85. I was on +10 after 14 holes, but I just could not keep my focus up. Those last 4 holes really messed up my score. If golf was a 12 hole game... Keeping the ball in play, being able to focus for 18 holes and a solid short game are enough to break 90 even if you cannot hit the ball further than 170 yards. 5:47 Yo, those statistics are crazy and eye-opening. I also hate these 40-70 yards shots. I'm much more precise with a full or nearly full wedge from 100-140 yards. Next time people keep questioning my decision to hit a shorter layup club I show them this. 18:45 Hahaha 😂
@@GolfSidekick 😂 well played. You do know that “further” has nothing to do with distance. Just trying to help golfers sound a bit more educated. Liked and subscribed!
I just played my 1st nine holes using the sidekick method and took 12 strokes what I have been doing. Toe down chipping and course mgmt were the biggest differences.
Is the Way of The Playa or the Way of The Wannabe Data Analyst more optimal? I don’t care because it hasn’t taken me long to learn that the Way of the Playa is just more enjoyable (it has also moved me from an 18 to an 8.8 in around 18 months)
Matt, I just saw "that video " u r referring to that DIstance is king , hahaha. BY the way, use the word confident or more confidence ( noun) instead of confidentiality. Keep up the good work buddy.
I struggle with fairways are overrated. I believe the FIR in regulation is not useful to me. I use Adam’s green light drive definition. If I can comfortably get the ball on the green with my approach shot I’m fine. But one thing I’ve noticed that I lose distance on most fairway misses. The ball does not roll as much in the fairway. So on longer holes it’s critical that I hit the fairway. Then playing in the morning I probably lose 25% of my distance hitting out of the rough on my approach . Here’s a good example 7th hole is a forced carry of about 170 yards on the left side of fairway. I put a great strike on the ball that was a low “runner’. If it had hit in the fairway would have gone 180+ yards. Unfortunately it hit in the rough and went 158 yards. So now I’m in the rough ball sitting slightly down and a little below my feet. I hit my 5W 126 yards. On the 4th hole which runs opposite to the 7th. I hit fairway and my 5W went 163 yards for a rare GIR on that hole. For me some holes I can miss the fairway and other holes it’s a lost shot.
Thank you for the advice. I decided to play for my first ever medal as I started golfing this year. Came first in my division! played smart golf and focused on position at all times and shot a 66 with my handicap gross 90, so close to breaking 90. I cannot wait to fulfil that dream!
My goal next round is to shoot an 80 with driver staying in the bag. Also staying in the bag is 58 and 52 degree. PW is my most confidential wedge. My 3 wood is my confidential long club. My 5 iron is going to be aimed at the left edge, not the pin, same with 7,8,9 iron.
@@joshuat7171 after having played that next round and shooting over 90 mainly due to bad tee shots, I realize I do need a little work on my grip. Also at the range I do well trying to address the ball the same every time, but fail on the course with that too.
@@aluminumfalcon552 That’s easy. Mostly. For your irons: When you take a practice swing, watch where your club contacts the ground. Make sure your ball is just behind that spot so you hit ball before ground. That solves front to back. Then drop the club down naturally at address and step in or back so the ball is centered on the face. Two tips for practice: 1. Pick a line and aim straight down it. Don’t play for a push/pull. 2. Hit 3/4 shots at the range over and over making sure to swing out, keep weight on your lead foot, and get your lead hip turned when starting the downswing to clear it out of the way and try to stop your follow through a tad earlier than you are. This will help.
When I go to the range I might hit 5 balls with my driver. The other 70 are all irons or all wedges. Sometimes I do half irons half wedges. I also don’t use my driver but 1 or 2 times per round and tee off with a 4 hybrid or a long iron
If you're playing a 10 year old driver then YES you need a new driver! Went from a Ping G-10 to a Ping 430 and it's like night and day, today's tech is amazing!
confidentiality noun The state or attribute of being secret; privacy. "you must respect the confidentiality of your client's communications" Similar: privacy Discretion in keeping secret information. The property of being confidential. Something told in confidence; a secret. The state of being secret. The GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English • More at Wordnik
Another point about the short game. How many pros when they win a tournament didn’t have their putting and short game on fuego during the fourth round?
Matty would you be alright if I started posting a series called like “Testing the way of the playa” where I implement your lessons and show how it helps scoring?
I know it’s a throwaway joke but Peterson is very easy to understand. Basic message you are wasting time doing unproductive things like spending 4 hours watching tv just cause you have always watched tv during those hours. What would happen if you used those hours and aimed for a goal? Doesn’t have to be a big one can be something as simple as cleaning a room. Now imagine what happens if significant number of people did that. How much better could the world be? So get up and do it. In a lot of sense his approach isn’t different then your golf approach. It’s about choosing winnable battles and focusing on them
I haven`t watched this yet but I`m gonna guess this will be mentioned: "Keep your head down" and "Your head moved", says a fella to his mate after a poor shot.
I know Matty is right because my son-in-law out drives me by 20 to 60 yards, but I outscore him. He loses 2 to 5 balls a round, I lose one every other round. My tee shots are almost always in play. The object of the game is ...
Mark Twain warned us that there were 3 types of lies: “Lies, damned lies, and statistics…” Golf is what Mark Twain must’ve been thinking of. Again, Matty 100% correct: correlations are not causations. This is the biggest single hurdle to people understanding statistics. Golf has way too much variability for simple stats like fairways hit and GIRs to mean much for your avg weekend high handicapper. They just don’t matter much. Again, Matty is correct.
Dude said, "...ground and pound, like my coffee dates." 🤣
I find coffee works better than roofies
😂
@@GolfSidekick 😆😂😳
@@GolfSidekickMy friends that got robbed by Thai working girls would beg to differ (true story... Not an uncommon one) ... Different strokes for different folks 🤷
Matt, your channel is hands down my favorite golf channel. Love your philosophy and it's significantly helping how I see the game of golf as a 16 handicap. Thanks for what you do!
Matt, I have been watching your videos and finally yielded to the “way of the playa “. I have been stuck at a 10-12 handicap for the past 3 years. Your toe down chipping, my implementation of my 7 wood off the tee and even a 5-iron has helped a ton. My buddies give me a hard time about “less than driver” - I carded a “75” yesterday. At the end of the round -all I heard were crickets. Thanks Man - from an old man of 60.
I’m 2 years into golf. I’m 44. I play one 18 hole round a week on avg. and on weekends I squeeze an early 9 holes on a short executive 9 hole course either sat or sun morning before the kids get up. My handicap is a solid 15 and I shoot low 90s, high 80s and my best rounds threaten to break 85.
Matty couldn’t be more right on. This is the only guy on RUclips you should be listening to if you are similar amateur. There is absolutely no reason to do speed training, try to bomb driver over 300 yards, etc.
Learn good course management. (See golf sidekick)
Learn your layup shots (again, see golf sidekick)
Learn to control the mental (again, see golf sidekick).
I found this channel after realizing some of what Matty is saying but he really is a godsend for weekend hackers like me. I’m having a ton of fun, not taking things too seriously and am actually playing a game that resembles golf. I’ve been lucky in that I played hockey my whole life and have been putting spin on balls since I was kid, my body gets the physics of this.
But 100% one of the hardest things I’ve attempted to learn. But with effort, anything is possible in life.
Great content. Great personality. Great golfer. Thanks Playa…
I’ve followed your advice for about three months now working on missing in the “good” areas. It really works. Went from 12 to 9 Hcp, and just concentrating on getting my distances consistent. Toe down chipping is so simple and effective.
one of the best informative and entertaining channels I have seen well done my man,
great advice especially for me a new golfer cheers Matt
“Confidentiality”
If you want to shoot lower scores, then you just have to get the ball in the cup in less strokes. It's that simple!
Only sport I know where the goal is to play as little possible
@@kyleoverstreet4701sometimes you have to play more to play less.
Lol, the 1st sunscreen application made me think of Mr. Whiskers.🐱
Why would I pay to play less?
Just aim for the Green 😂
Best video yet from Playa In Chief
Sensible advice and Jordan Peterson slander. This channel has it all.
Thanks for giving Jordan Peterson free publicity. I just watched 2 of his videos before this one...humans are so silly
@@EaglesEric1 the benzo Buddha
Matt, your golf knowledge and advice is first class. I’ve been implementing your advice and it’s reflecting in my scores. I’m getting “confidentiality “ into my game. Keep it up.
Wadda Confidentiality
Great line. "Stats don't lie. Stats don't speak. Stats are mute and deaf."
Helen Keller was deaf and blind, and she still apparently flew a plane somehow
@@boiant42also somehow graduated from Harvard in 4 years
3:20 literally every non scratch golfer needs to hear and internalize this. Distance comes primarily from good technique, not speed. Go get a damn lesson and fix your contact! ❤
Amen
100% playa. I did TPI training last year and my distance did go up but it wasn't useable in play because my strike wasn't good enough. Fast forward to this year, I took more lessons from a PGA pro and I've added an extra 10 yards on my irons simply from better technique (and far straighter and tighter dispersion) 33 degree 7i now carrying 160 yards and tight to target. Money. Driver now going to 250-275 depending on what I deliver into it, as I now hit up on it. Also money and no more weight lifting to maintain above average distance. Actually, cycling between rounds loosens up my hips and stretches out all my leg muscles, front and back and that exercise has been very helpful.
The 2 sets of lessons I've taken, both coaches asked me the same thing: What do you want to fix? My response both times was to narrow/shift my dispersion. I don't care about distance, and if I'm hitting it more consistently, then distance will follow. After this batch of lessons, my dispersion is 12-2:30, and very consistently in the 1:30-2 range, I found something yesterday though, and at the end, it was 11-2...of course, it was post lesson practice so I have no idea what I was doing. 😅
The only time I've hit my driver or 3W in a lesson environment was during a swing evaluation. I'd rather be better with the clubs I know I use the most (5/6i to G), then hitting it 250 yards off the tee and into water, sand, trees, rough, or kitchen. Why focus on a club that you use 12-14 times a round while you are putting 40-50 times? That's stupid.
@@farfromprogolf2065 if you have little money, a pro isn't necessary.. just dedication.. chipping and putting is half of the strokes.. unless you are playing tournaments or for cash, just have a great time.. no one cares if you shoot 99 or 84 except you.. best wishes, signed, a broke playa..
Love the authenticity with tippies
2 things señor.
1. I saw two feathers planted next to greens on my round today. I didn't get any birdies myself but par'd the last 3 to stay under 100 for the first time in a few rounds so that was nice!
2. I was helped to that score by only 3 putting once. I listened to Putting out of your Mind after your suggestion from your putting vid and it helped a lot. Just letting go of control and using childlike intuition to find the right length. Always been decent at picking up line so my longest lag putt ended about 3 ft (one of which I managed to push past the hole for the 3 putt). Most were inside 2 feet - one look to get my line, 3 practice swings while looking at hole to let instinct take over, step up to ball, look at target, look at ball, hit and let the universe decide
Cheers mate, I'm looking at the 90 score as a realistic target now rather than something to find under a blue moon
So so true.
Recently I improved my putting significantly (I’m a 9 hcp) and started being confident on getting g putts close or in. Suddenly my long putts became less nervy and better. My chips became less nervy since I knew I could guarantee two putts from anywhere so now the save par putt became achievable.
And of course missing the green on the good side still means a possible par so they become less nervy. Basically everything you say
So much of this is common sense. Agreed with greenevol comment below. Loved your putting segment. Was definitely a different approach and have tried to think better about my game overall.
Best golf content on RUclips!
The advice you give makes a ton of sense. Watching these videos has been good for me. The biggest mistake I was making was the once in a while the impossible hero shot ends up costing several strokes. I seem to have one every round. No more. "Take your medicine" was the golden ticket for me. Now, if I get into trouble, I focus on getting out. Also, the mental death spiral! No more of that for me. I am working up distances with all my irons now for the half swing shot. That makes a lot of sense. Keep doing what you are doing brother. I know a lot of people have rethought some things about their game and it has helped.
Not amazing but I started golfing this spring and just started steadily improving after watching this channel
Just broke 120 for the first time. Little baby steps and good head spaces.
Let me start by saying thank you to golf sidekick, I love these videos. I’ve watched many of them.
Here’s what frustrates me, as someone struggling to break 90: I don’t have a 9 out of 10 shot. I’m not a beginner, been playing off and on for 28 years (I’m 57). I can and do hit a lot of beautiful shots during any round. I generally shoot 95-100 on a very tight course.
Every good golfer I know says he can get me breaking 90 all the time. And they generally describe the tactics and strategies of GSidekick.
What I can’t seem to do is eliminate the 4-5 shots each 9 that are flat out awful: stubbed pitches and chips that go nowhere, pulled or pushed wedges that end up in the woods, topped tee shots that don’t make the fairway and end up in a hazard in front of the tee, etc.
I just want to know if I’m unusual, or do other 90s golfers struggle with this? I play with enough golfers at my level to think I’m not unusual, but no one who is better seems to acknowledge this, they simply act like they never went through this.
It’s admittedly an excuse, but I don’t want to go to the range, I have trouble fitting golf into my schedule as it is. Plus I have physical limitations due to recent surgery, but that’s getting better, at least.
No practice = this is what golf looks like until you start practicing. It’s normal. Lessons plus practice = improvement that lasts. Fit it in and be less frustrated. Do not fit it in and youre not entitled to frustration. That’s the rule. This is what golf looks like normally if you don’t practice and don’t work on ways to eliminate the bad shots that destroy your score.
Fixing all of this starts with a change in mindset and a decision to improve. Until then, it is merely the way it is
@@GolfSidekick thank you for the response. I’ll have to find time! Keep posting the terrific videos. GP
Smart vid. Old man golf is good because scoring well is good. Recently I put away my driver on a short city course with skinny fairways. Guy I played with of similar level drove it every chance he could. I beat him by 20 strokes (at least 20, he ripped up his scorecard after a 60 in 10 holes) with a 90. I only lost one ball. He lost around half a dozen by hole 10.
Totally awesome
Creaming those drivers. Love to see it. Best YT golf channel. Confirmed.
If I can hole a 4 footer I don't need to chip it or lag it closer than that. No pressure. If I can chip and putt I don't need to hit the green close to the hole. No pressure. If I can take 3 shots from the short rough I don't need to hit the fairway. No pressure. With no pressure I hit the fairway, then I hit the green and then I 2 putt. But it starts with a 4 footer and no pressure. Learn the game backwards.
Doesn't that just seem so simple?
But, boy oh boy, don't most people fight that concept?
@@tedzink4574 275 into the trees and lost ball is so much more fun.
Love your videos. I was one who always had to hit the longest shot I could and would get me into more trouble like bunkers near greens etc.. now I try to leave an approach I want like 100 yards.
I see lots of people say hit more greens. My response is I work in getting tighter dispersion with my clubs and the greens will take care of themselves. If you add that to missing in the correct spots your scores will fall quickly.
Hell yeah. Driving is overrated. I might even be convinced that putting is overrated, too. The secret to the game is approach shots and chipping. If you can get on the green with 10-15 feet every time, you're gonna go low and get the hoes.
@@teebob21 I’m going to slightly disagree. Pro golfers get inside 20 feet 7 times a round and D! college golfers get it inside 6.5 times a round. The difference in be them is Pro golfers convert 30% more than college golfers.
I’m a short hitter and lose the majority of my shots off the tee. I’m getting older so there is little I can do about that. I prioritized my approach game, short game and lag putting.
Arccos tells me my putting is average. I can’t read greens and prioritized lag putting. But if you look at my data I’m not converting when I get inside of 20ft and I’ve found I’m leaving too many putts short. My biggest opportunity in getting lower scores is converting more putts.
So for the last week and a half I’ve started using AimPoint. Two things have happened. I’m more confident in the line so I’m putting a better stroke on the ball and I’m converting about 2 more putts a round.
Scottie went through a stretch when he was a bad putter. He made a change and became a good putter. It’s his improvement in putting that led to his success.
@@teebob21 It's all interconnected/correlated. I just won a two day tournament this weekend. Everything was just ok except for putting. I caught fire and couldn't miss inside 6 ft. Putting is where I separated myself from those in my division. I was making all those putts and my competition missed a few from 3-6 ft.
@@bultmagl Drive for show, putt for dough.
This is so true. This year i got my driver carry up around 250yrds purely because i like being in wedge range for my 2nd shot but still not lowering my scores due to a severe miss that happens too often. This past weekend i decided to ditch the driver/3W and hybrid and play irons only as they are easily the best part of my game, scored a personal best of 113 and highlighted that it is my putting that needs the most work as i managed to convert 12 chances for par into bogies and doubles. With a bit of putting and green reading practice i will be breaking 100 in no time.
Got on a 500 yard green in two on Sunday. 4 putted. Definitely need to go to the putting green instead of the range!
6:00 That chart really explains why a lot of amateurs will bomb a drive to partial wedge distance, feel great about themselves and then still somehow bogey the hole.
First benchmark for a beginner that has a reasonable swing and some idea of the distances they hit the ball with each club is to play so as not to lose a ball. If you can play and not lose a ball you will see tremendous improvement in your scores by eliminating penalty strokes, playing from better lies and not having to try trick shots around trees or out of hazards.
Always enjoy your illuminational videos Matt !!😁
*illuminati
I agree wholeheartedly, build a solid foundation with a great short game and everything else will fall into place.
Great episode as always, good practical advice to play the statically best shots, for one the shots you are best at.
Cheers, Mate!
Best vid in awhile- thanks Matty!
Was stuck at like 110 for months, started watching your videos and quickly dropped to 101 and then 96 in back to back rounds. Today shot a 40 on the front 9. I honestly just want to say thank you Matty. Scores aside, you have made the game so much more fun with the way of the playa. Appreciate you brother.
Super instructive videos. And the jokes are top notch. Thanks amigo!
If you clean your room before your round, and stand up straight with your chest out while talking to the cart girl next to the fairway you hit with your 7 wood, you can please Matty Boom Boom and Jordan Peterson. No false dichotomy here, playas.
"Before I speak I have something to say"
lol
I had to pause right off the bat and laugh at that one.
Such an informative video.. You're the man! "What did I eat this morning girl.... little onigiri" 🤣🤣🤣
You've said this before in other videos, but if you take driver out of the bag and hit a 5w / 7w off the tee, make sure you are still practicing driver and don't abandon it completely. If you can hit your driver as straight as a fairway wood it makes golf a lot easier
Obviously. 🙄
“I watched some RUclips videos on how not to slice last night, I should be good”
That was my strategy for awhile, lol... Didn't work, strangely enough, but lessons from a PGA professional did.
Good video. Thanks for posting
A couple of comments: (1) where I play (Connecticut) the rough is really thick. So a drive in the rough doesn't roll out and also can create a highly difficult next shot and (2) in the three times in my life I broke 80, it was because I putted and chipped great, NOT because I had a great day with the driver.
Boom
Here's the dumbest part about "distance is king". Take a bog standard easy 350 yard par 4. As a 15+ handicap, what's more likely to leave you putting: a 200 yard fairway wood drive to the fairway and a 150 yard approach, or a pray & spray "300" yard drive and an awkward pitch shot from god khows where (assuming we dont go OB)?
Great video! I thought I was the only one who still used a 7 wood lol. Great club off the tee or from the fairway and much straight then my 3 wood 👍
The foo man chew looks good on you.
2:53 Lou is punching the air right now.
You give more practical advice in a single minute than others do in 20👍
I started chipping w gap wedge around the green , man I've lowered my scores alot
same here. contact, trajectory and roll out are so much more consistently close to expectation. it feels right 🤙
I only hit 1-2 greens per round and still shooting in high 80's. Getting up and down around the greens is the key to success!
I shot a 79 with 3 greens in reg, but only had 26 putts because i had 9 up and downs. It wasn’t exciting golf to watch but I felt like I was leading the pack at Augusta
4:22 bingo Dechambeau won the us open and missed a ton of fairways
Yes exactly. one of the most advanced professional golfers in the world in the field of lie interpretation. Without the lie interpretation as well as extreme arm and wrist strength he has developed through strength training, there is no us open. because he misses so many fairways sacrificing for length, as he says in the video with shiels, he needs to know every lie of the ball and how to play it because he gets in bizarre places. AlWays beware the outlier argument
Matt, why do you say to avoid the 40-70 yard zone when laying up on a par 5? Is it just because people tend to struggle with partial wedge shots?
Because partial wedge dispersion even for tour pros is as wide as when they are 100-120 yards away.
Partial wedges are not easy especially for casual golfers who play without much practice. Inside 40 is money. Otherwise a free throw distance from 70-100 is next best. But that 70-100 must be from fairway
@@GolfSidekick cheers playa
one other thing to mention is that if you're in the rough from that range, you can't predict the roll out very well. If you're a little farther back, you can hit the ball with a fuller swing and it will go higher and land softer.
@@bultmagl precisely playa
I got my first birdie using your break 100 strategy. Thank you for all the help.
Bravo your eminency-Golf Sidekick-freaky styley-mf'er! I need to school-up on fairway grain-reading and it's effects on ball fight. Thanks especially for your brief tangent/reminder on putting intangibles: uphill vs downhill puts and their respective break potential along with grain. That was perhaps the most prolific 30 seconds ever spoken on RUclips. Gracias! 🙌Btw - in 2023 I broke 80 for the very 1st time (78 Baby!!!), which happens to coincide with when I first started watching Golf Sidekick! 🍻
I dont think I've ever needed a 3W in the bag since the driver works and the 5W works both off the tee and the deck. As I cant hit a 3W off the deck farther than my 5W deck shot - until I can do that means the 3W is a wasted club in my bag. The 5W off the tee gives me plenty of distance to clear any immediate water/brush hazards put in front of a tee box and is a worthy backup driver. Me going driver 5W 7W for the longer clubs give me much better odds to break 90 - my primary goal.
Hey king playa!
What determines what tees I shoot from at a course: The length of my tee shots or my handicap?
Length of your tee ball
Here is a guide from Arccos:
pdf.pgalinks.com/p-g-a/Tee_It_Forward_Guidelines.pdf
I love Old Man Golf!
I used your system again today, it works great, the no hero shot advice is top advice, the short game is the great advice, I shot a 88, would have done better if I was not busting balls with my buddy. Next time I plan on total concentration ( I,ll try). LOL
This parent/guardian lover needs to write a book.
There’s a reason we evolved to day dream, it’s a mental sim room! Proven to build those neural connections that physical movement does.
Ever see the Rugby kickers watch the ball flight before they kick it?
Hey man im coming to Thailand August 18 for a vacation, still unsure of whether or not to stay at a country club or a regular hotel. Would you be able to play some golf?
The game I play with the most is 2 man best ball match play which makes me try to make birdies, which is killing my game (you know-attack, attack, attack, driver, driver driver) and its not very good for me. I was playing tournament play for the last couple years but stopped this year and I was playing way better just trying to keep it in play, playing to the center of greens and trying to two putt, that'll tell you-this works. Its clearest thing I've ever known-I need to that that mindset back
@18:46 is funny but so true!
love the dig at JP. so good.
Dumbest one I heard lately was “putting skill isn’t nearly as important and being able to drive it far.” My reply was “if you hit it far out of bounds how many strokes have you saved? Let’s say you drive all the fairways 18/18, and make all greens in reg, but 3 putt every hole, what is your final score? I’ll do the math for you, it’s a 90. Half your strokes to par are on the green, better two putt as many as possible.”
Any one who says putting skill is not important is a moron.
This is the game of golf
Driving 32%
Approach 33%
Inside 100 including putting 35%
@@GolfSidekick yup. 👍🏻 as I said, dumbest one I’ve heard lately
His channel is all about course management which is how you score great channel
“There are three classes of people, those who see, those who can see when they are shown and those that do not see.” Leonardo di Vinci
Feeling more confidential after watching this, cheers
Something I’ve done to help my game is hit 6i off the tee. This has helped me hit significantly more fairways (roughly 80 percent). This leaves me with better shots at the green or minimizes strokes lost from being in the trees or going OB.
Playa, for woods I would recommend most average playas shorten their FW wood by an inch or at least a half inch. Strike and dispersion will improve dramatically but club speed will be identical, because you will feel you can swing more confidentially with the shorter shaft. 43 inches on a 3 wood is too much for amateurs. I play mine at 42 and loft it up to 16 or 16.5 degrees. Last year I started with a 7 wood, learned to hit it well, then added a 5 wood, learned to smash the longer shaft (still shorter than stock) and now that my swing is more shallow, I'm on to the lofted up 3-wood @42 inches. I can play the whole course with it instead of driver if I want. Money. I can hit my driver now 250-275 but I play a 44.5 inch playing length because dispersion is super tight.
Which course is this??
If distance was king I would be a tour pro. I can hit the driver 320 yards, but how on earth does that help me when on an average day that drive will result in a lost ball 3/10 times and another 3/10 times in a very difficult 2nd shot? All the distance in the world is useless if you cannot be sure to keep the ball in play. I rather have a ball 200 yards on the fairway than 320 in the hazard (obviously).
Same with greens in regulation. In my last round I hit 8 greens in regulation and 1 under regulation. Am I a 2 handicap though? No, because I also short sided myself at least 4 times that round, because of mishits, a few 3-putts, a lost ball, 2 penalty drops and not taking the safe shot option. In the end I "only" played an 89, which is still good for me as a 16 handicap. But with 9 Pars I would have been able to break 85. I was on +10 after 14 holes, but I just could not keep my focus up. Those last 4 holes really messed up my score. If golf was a 12 hole game...
Keeping the ball in play, being able to focus for 18 holes and a solid short game are enough to break 90 even if you cannot hit the ball further than 170 yards.
5:47 Yo, those statistics are crazy and eye-opening. I also hate these 40-70 yards shots. I'm much more precise with a full or nearly full wedge from 100-140 yards. Next time people keep questioning my decision to hit a shorter layup club I show them this.
18:45 Hahaha 😂
I love his videos
Thank you for the tips. Here’s mine: use confidence not confidentiality, farther not further.
Here’s mine ruclips.net/video/V9O94UTDAJQ/видео.htmlsi=JgCNBj3ACKiE6sB6
@@GolfSidekick 😂 well played. You do know that “further” has nothing to do with distance. Just trying to help golfers sound a bit more educated.
Liked and subscribed!
I have a Masters in making ends meet
Beautiful Thailand course...Name please..ฉันรักประเทศไทย❤
I just played my 1st nine holes using the sidekick method and took 12 strokes what I have been doing. Toe down chipping and course mgmt were the biggest differences.
Massive.....
Low claiming handicap is not the issue. It's the High claiming ones that are problem. They are the ones taking the money with their 40+ points.🤨
Agreed
I feel personally attacked 😁
“Stats don’t like, because stats don’t speak” dang what a quote
Dont care who you are, how good, how bad, you need to watch this man, he is the bous, however you spell it 😀
ruclips.net/video/0Gl2QnHNpkA/видео.html
Is the Way of The Playa or the Way of The Wannabe Data Analyst more optimal?
I don’t care because it hasn’t taken me long to learn that the Way of the Playa is just more enjoyable (it has also moved me from an 18 to an 8.8 in around 18 months)
Matt, I just saw "that video " u r referring to that DIstance is king , hahaha. BY the way, use the word confident or more confidence ( noun) instead of confidentiality. Keep up the good work buddy.
Which video playa? I haven’t seen it send the link
it was one week ago, cannot remember it now, but i will send to u when I found it.
Distance is king is the mantra of the golf club manufacturers trying to sell you their newest overpriced clubs
I struggle with fairways are overrated. I believe the FIR in regulation is not useful to me. I use Adam’s green light drive definition. If I can comfortably get the ball on the green with my approach shot I’m fine.
But one thing I’ve noticed that I lose distance on most fairway misses. The ball does not roll as much in the fairway. So on longer holes it’s critical that I hit the fairway. Then playing in the morning I probably lose 25% of my distance hitting out of the rough on my approach .
Here’s a good example 7th hole is a forced carry of about 170 yards on the left side of fairway. I put a great strike on the ball that was a low “runner’. If it had hit in the fairway would have gone 180+ yards. Unfortunately it hit in the rough and went 158 yards. So now I’m in the rough ball sitting slightly down and a little below my feet. I hit my 5W 126 yards. On the 4th hole which runs opposite to the 7th. I hit fairway and my 5W went 163 yards for a rare GIR on that hole.
For me some holes I can miss the fairway and other holes it’s a lost shot.
Thank you for the advice. I decided to play for my first ever medal as I started golfing this year. Came first in my division! played smart golf and focused on position at all times and shot a 66 with my handicap gross 90, so close to breaking 90. I cannot wait to fulfil that dream!
"if you can play thru a case of Swamp Ass on the hottest day in checkered polyester pants... Golf Zen is just around the corner".
My goal next round is to shoot an 80 with driver staying in the bag. Also staying in the bag is 58 and 52 degree. PW is my most confidential wedge. My 3 wood is my confidential long club. My 5 iron is going to be aimed at the left edge, not the pin, same with 7,8,9 iron.
You likely need a stronger grip if you’re leaking your irons to the right. It will help you hit it straighter and a little longer. Like a half club.
@@joshuat7171 after having played that next round and shooting over 90 mainly due to bad tee shots, I realize I do need a little work on my grip. Also at the range I do well trying to address the ball the same every time, but fail on the course with that too.
@@aluminumfalcon552
That’s easy. Mostly.
For your irons:
When you take a practice swing, watch where your club contacts the ground. Make sure your ball is just behind that spot so you hit ball before ground. That solves front to back.
Then drop the club down naturally at address and step in or back so the ball is centered on the face.
Two tips for practice:
1. Pick a line and aim straight down it. Don’t play for a push/pull.
2. Hit 3/4 shots at the range over and over making sure to swing out, keep weight on your lead foot, and get your lead hip turned when starting the downswing to clear it out of the way and try to stop your follow through a tad earlier than you are. This will help.
Golf is 70% mental and 40% physical 😉
And 90% confidence.
@@joshuat7171 *confidentiality
When I go to the range I might hit 5 balls with my driver. The other 70 are all irons or all wedges. Sometimes I do half irons half wedges. I also don’t use my driver but 1 or 2 times per round and tee off with a 4 hybrid or a long iron
A golfer once said something stupid to me. I ate his liver with some baked beans and a nice can of Fanta."
If you're playing a 10 year old driver then YES you need a new driver! Went from a Ping G-10 to a Ping 430 and it's like night and day, today's tech is amazing!
When you get paired up with an old guy that hits it 180-200 but dead straight, he’s gonna paddle your behind.
I was shooting in the 110's last August. Just shot +8 today. Huge thanks to your channel & teachings!
Also crazy to hear your stats because I am a 10 handicap and hit 6 GIR today
confidentiality
noun
The state or attribute of being secret; privacy.
"you must respect the confidentiality of your client's communications"
Similar: privacy
Discretion in keeping secret information.
The property of being confidential.
Something told in confidence; a secret.
The state of being secret.
The GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English • More at Wordnik
Are you autistic?
@@GolfSidekick severely
Ground n pound like my coffee dates. Playa G
Another point about the short game. How many pros when they win a tournament didn’t have their putting and short game on fuego during the fourth round?
Matty would you be alright if I started posting a series called like “Testing the way of the playa” where I implement your lessons and show how it helps scoring?
only if you do it properly
Jordan Peterson catching strays 😂
not a stray, he sucks
I know it’s a throwaway joke but Peterson is very easy to understand. Basic message you are wasting time doing unproductive things like spending 4 hours watching tv just cause you have always watched tv during those hours. What would happen if you used those hours and aimed for a goal? Doesn’t have to be a big one can be something as simple as cleaning a room. Now imagine what happens if significant number of people did that. How much better could the world be? So get up and do it. In a lot of sense his approach isn’t different then your golf approach. It’s about choosing winnable battles and focusing on them
instagram.com/p/C9wmDJFP0TA/?hl=en
I hire maids to clean my room on an axiomatic level
Channeling your inner Colonel Sanders, Matty?
Colonel Slanders
I haven`t watched this yet but I`m gonna guess this will be mentioned: "Keep your head down" and "Your head moved", says a fella to his mate after a poor shot.
Honestly this is my miss lately. Seems like it should be the easiest part of the swing but....
I get what you’re saying about the 3 wood, but I’m the exception to that rule.
I know Matty is right because my son-in-law out drives me by 20 to 60 yards, but I outscore him. He loses 2 to 5 balls a round, I lose one every other round. My tee shots are almost always in play. The object of the game is ...
Mark Twain warned us that there were 3 types of lies: “Lies, damned lies, and statistics…”
Golf is what Mark Twain must’ve been thinking of.
Again, Matty 100% correct: correlations are not causations.
This is the biggest single hurdle to people understanding statistics. Golf has way too much variability for simple stats like fairways hit and GIRs to mean much for your avg weekend high handicapper. They just don’t matter much.
Again, Matty is correct.
Exactly I’ll be doing some videos on how to analyze stats from high level to the root cause
@@GolfSidekick love it. Will def keep an eye out for that one.