Chasing Scratch (the Podcast)

[iacas 9,834]

8 hours ago, nevets88 said:

@iacas How'd you find this? There is so much noise out there, I imagine it would be hard to pick this out from all the content out there.

I dunno. Saw a comment somewhere.

Had a podcast idea a long time ago called "Talking Scratch" where I'd interview scratch (or better) players for what they felt was their secrets, their methods, etc.

I don't listen to many podcasts because I don't have much time, but I've listened to this one almost more as background noise, tuning in only when I hear something interesting.

[iacas 9,834]

I'm not documenting everything but occasionally I see the need to note something.

At the start of episode 9, they come up with the "giveaway" stat. Their examples are:

• If you miss the green from 100 yards, that's a +1.
• If you make a 50-foot snake, that's a -1.

Those aren't "terrible" but they're not great, either. From 100 yards, PGA Tour players don't hit the green all the time. Yes, they're sometimes going at the flag a bit more, but there are plenty of times I miss the green from 100 yards… because my ball is in the fringe or a foot or two into the green side rough, with a relatively easy chip shot that I may hole or get close enough to tap in for par.

Then the guy starts reading his round… and he two-putts three times from 10, 10, and 8 feet, IIRC. This should be a +1 giveaway - he should have taken, on average, under 5 putts to make those three putts, and yet he took 6.

In other words, the "giveaway" stat should really just be a Strokes Gained stat, because strokes lost or gained don't often come in actual leaps of one whole stroke. They come in leaps of a tenth here, three tenths there, etc. Those add up.

[Wanzo 114]

14 hours ago, Vinsk said:

Watching people clown around and have no chance to improve is what I’m saying is old. Watching entertaining guys actually making real progress to the goal is what I would be tuning in for is what I’m saying. To each their own of course.

Have you listened to this podcast (chasing scratch)?  i couldn't tell, honest question.

 

6 hours ago, iacas said:

Had a podcast idea a long time ago called "Talking Scratch" where I'd interview scratch (or better) players for what they felt was their secrets, their methods, etc.

I'm always intrigued to hear how people do it who are one step (or many steps) ahead of me.  I've found some interviews on the "18Strong" podcast to be interesting along these lines.  He has had a few guests like this, (former club champion at bellerive, guy who has won many amatuer events and competing nationally in usga am stuff, former Mizzou player now trying to make it on tour, etc.).  it might be more interesting to me since the host is from st. louis (not far) so i am familiar with some of the guests. The strategies and mindsets seem to vary of course, but i would say one common theme is they are focused, have a plan and work the plan.  

 

[Vinsk 1,838]

13 minutes ago, Wanzo said:

Have you listened to this podcast (chasing scratch)?  i couldn't tell, honest question.

Just parts of it. There’s some entertainment and maybe ‘clowing around’ wasn’t the right term. But they’re going about it all wrong ( improving golf wise) which is what I’m more interested in, they’re achieving the goal, not confirming how hard it is.

[iacas 9,834]

Oh goodness, now they're talking about college practice programs. One of their examples is that someone has to get 20 putts in a row (IIRC) within "gimme" range from 20 feet, then 30 feet, then 40 feet.

That's a ridiculously bad drill. Not to mention 20 feet is in the SV① range.

[ChetlovesMer 644]

1 minute ago, iacas said:

Oh goodness, now they're talking about college practice programs. One of their examples is that someone has to get 20 putts in a row (IIRC) within "gimme" range from 20 feet, then 30 feet, then 40 feet.

That's a ridiculously bad drill. Not to mention 20 feet is in the SV① range.

Again, I ask: Why do you continue to listen?????

I gave up after not quite a full episode. 

[iacas 9,834]

1 minute ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Again, I ask: Why do you continue to listen?????

I gave up after not quite a full episode. 

Because, as I said:

• It's offering insight into how the average golfer sees golf and improvement.
• I'm looking to help them actually have a chance at succeeding in season 2.
• I skip most of the dramatic readings, which are boring as f***, and that cuts the average episode time down to 15 minutes. 🙂 (Sorry, guys, but those dramatic readings suck.)

[ChetlovesMer 644]

• It's offering insight into how the average golfer sees golf and improvement. - I think you know how the average golfer sees golf and improvement.
• I'm looking to help them actually have a chance at succeeding in season 2. - Okay, fair enough, if you get involved, maybe I'll listen to season 2
• I skip most of the dramatic readings, which are boring as f***, and that cuts the average episode time down to 15 minutes. 🙂 (Sorry, guys, but those dramatic readings suck.) - I skip the whole thing and get the average time down to zero minutes. 

BTW - Of course, I know what you said, but I gotta give you crap for putting yourself through it. 

[iacas 9,834]

1 minute ago, ChetlovesMer said:

• It's offering insight into how the average golfer sees golf and improvement. - I think you know how the average golfer sees golf and improvement.

Good to be reminded occasionally.

1 minute ago, ChetlovesMer said:

• I'm looking to help them actually have a chance at succeeding in season 2. - Okay, fair enough, if you get involved, maybe I'll listen to season 2

I've sent them the book. That alone should "help" them tremendously, if they're smart enough to read it and use what it teaches. I'm not bragging here; just going off the experiences others have had with LSW.

1 minute ago, ChetlovesMer said:

• I skip most of the dramatic readings, which are boring as f***, and that cuts the average episode time down to 15 minutes. 🙂 (Sorry, guys, but those dramatic readings suck.) - I skip the whole thing and get the average time down to zero minutes. 

Meh. I listen while driving or doing other things. It's not like i'm sitting there hanging on every word, doing nothing else.

[vonbonds 10]

I love their banter. I think this podcast is about best friends hanging out with golf as their favorite thing to do. Actually becoming scratch golfers...I don’t think they see that as attainable since they have jobs and families occupying their time. 

I enjoy the podcast for what it is and not a literal journey to becoming scratch golfers. 

[iacas 9,834]

Oh brother.

In the mailbag episode, they admit to counting rounds played alone. That's in clear violation - and they know it - of the USGA's handicapping rules.

 🤦‍♂️

They also take gimmes "inside the leather" which they probably think is from putter head to the bottom (or top!?) of the grip, not from the top of the grip to the bottom of the lip (about 12-14").

[Cantankerish 103]

I have been enjoying this.  Mike's self-deprecating sense of humor works for me.  Golf at its best is guy time at its best (or girl time for the ladies I suppose - not sure how the notion translates to the fairer sex).  These guys clearly feel that so their golfing experiences ooze sincerity.  The conversations feel familiar.  This comes out in the podcast and I love it.

[iacas 9,834]

Hope they've read and understood LSW. I don't care if it gets even the slightest mention. Just hope they can apply what it exposes.

Doesn't seem like it so far. They've not mentioned any of the critical big ideas.

[Slim_Pivot 119]

35 minutes ago, iacas said:

Hope they've read and understood LSW. I don't care if it gets even the slightest mention. Just hope they can apply what it exposes.

Doesn't seem like it so far. They've not mentioned any of the critical big ideas.

You remind me of an author whose book got turned into a Hollywood movie. 😜

 

 

 

[iacas 9,834]

2 hours ago, Slim_Pivot said:

You remind me of an author whose book got turned into a Hollywood movie. 😜

I'd like to see them succeed. Based on season 1, they need all the help they can get.

They have limited time, and they don't know what or how to practice.

[JonWilliams 1]

So are there any podcasts of a similar ilk that people would recommend where they are going about practice and learning the right way? 

[Cantankerish 103]

Lol It's a very good question.

 I listen to golficity on stitcher sometimes.  There is a snippet of advice and about ten minutes of sponsor content, but the production values are good and the guys are interesting to listen to.

[amished 60]

15 hours ago, JonWilliams said:

So are there any podcasts of a similar ilk that people would recommend where they are going about practice and learning the right way? 

It's not a podcast, but this is a great resource to think about when heading out to practice:

 

It will definitely help to take a lesson (easiest) or be extremely diligent in the shots you're hitting and where your misses are as well as learning what you can and should do to correct those misses so you know what to practice.  I took one lesson recently, and there were three things that I progressed through that I could do sometimes during the lesson.  When I did execute what was being taught to me, I hit the ball incomparably better than I have before.  Now I'm spending time working on the first thing I was taught.  Soon I'm hoping to move on to the second so that I can ingrain that into my swing, and then hopefully finish with the third.  But being able to have somebody see your swing that knows what they're doing, and giving you a path to a swing that you're happy with is an incredible step towards improvement.  

Before, I would try to work on certain things and it would help for a while, but I didn't know if that would be something that will produce long term results because I couldn't really get effective feedback on my swing.  Getting that feedback has given me so much more confidence that I'm working on the right parts of my swing to produce a golf game that I'll be happy with.  That direction makes it so much easier to practice, both in motivation and in technique, for me.