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

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 bu...

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 t...

He works 60+ hours a week at Boston Consulting Group. He's ranked #16 among mid-amateur golfers in the entire country. Will Davenport is proof that structured, intentional practice beats volume every time. In this episode, Will walks through exactly how he structures his limited practice time into three buckets, why he switched to a broomstick putter (and the one missed putt that forced the decisi...

Most golfers walk into their club championship, member-guest, or first tournament expecting to play their normal game. The data says you should expect to play worse. Not because you choke. Because the conditions are fundamentally different in ways nobody warns you about. In this episode, we break down exactly how to prepare for tournament golf when you have a 9-to-5. From the week before to the wa...

Jonathan Keane carries a +2.8 handicap and plays tournaments at Pine Valley, Garden City, and Oakmont. Instead of chasing his own game, he built Mid-Am Golf HQ to cover the most competitive amateur circuit in the country. In this episode, Jonathan breaks down how elite mid-amateurs actually practice, what the reinstatement debate gets wrong, how to break into the invitational circuit, and why NIL...

Most golfers leave the course convinced their swing cost them strokes. But the 5 biggest mistakes amateur golfers make have nothing to do with their swing. They're decision-based. And they're free to fix. In this episode, we break down the 5 lowest-hanging-fruit mistakes that are silently inflating your scores, from how your range sessions are secretly working against you, to the one shot per hole...

Domenic Maricocchi works 8 to 5 in commercial lending and just landed 3 straight top 3 finishes at the Ohio Mid-Am, including a win by 5. He holds the University of Dayton 54-hole scoring record and almost made the cut at the US Amateur playing golf once a week. This is how he does it! Follow Domenic: https://www.instagram.com/dmaricocchi/?hl=en Download the free Simple Stats Tracker: playreadygol...

A 20 handicap makes 6.6 doubles per round. A scratch golfer? 0.25. That's 12 shots of difference in big numbers alone. In this episode, we break down what actually separates each handicap level using real scoring data. No swing tips. No equipment talk. Just the numbers and the mental shifts that move you forward. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 The biggest misconception about lowering your handicap 0:37 Why "mor...

He won the West Virginia Amateur by 21 shots at 22-under par. He's also a State Farm insurance agent, a husband, and a dad who practices 30 minutes a day in his garage simulator. Christian Brand is proof that you don't need 8 hours on the range to play elite golf. In this episode, Christian breaks down exactly how he structures practice around a full-time job. Why 10 minutes of putting drills six...

Most golf stats are lying to you. We break down every major stat category in golf, which ones actually help you score better, which ones are just noise, and the 4 simple stats you can track on your scorecard starting this weekend. Plus, we made a free stat tracker so you never have to guess what to work on again. Download the free Simple Stat Tracker: playreadygolf.beehiiv.com/simplestatstracker G...

Most golfers think their biggest problem is their swing. Brad Smith, PGA, has spent 38 years proving them wrong. In this episode, we unpack why the mental game matters even if you're a 20 handicap — and what you can actually do about it beyond reading a Bob Rotella book. What you'll learn: What the mental game actually is (and why most golfers completely misunderstand it) Whether a 20 handicap rea...

I had 11 three-putts and a four-putt across 4 rounds at the Ohio Am. I hit the ball great. My putting destroyed me. This is the finale of the Range Series. Hayden and I break down the 3 skills that actually matter on the green: reading, speed control, and face control. I spent years grinding face control drills because they felt productive. Turns out that wasn't my problem! We cover Aimpoint, why...

Phil Mickelson. Jordan Spieth. Seve Ballesteros. These are the guys we watch pulling off miraculous up and downs from impossible spots. So we try to replicate them. The problem? We blade the ball into someone's backyard and lose it forever. In this episode, we continue their four part range series by tackling the short game. You will learn why most golfers overcomplicate chipping and how the best...

Luke is a 15-20 handicapper who works a 9 to 5. He's not a pro. He's not a coach. He's the guy building the Play Ready Golf app. In this episode, Luke explains why being the worst golfer on the team makes him the perfect person to build a practice tool. He thought his driver was the problem. The data said otherwise. We talk strokes gained, why most range sessions are wasted time, and what 6 months...

You hit great shots on the range for an hour. You think you finally have it figured out. Then you get to the course, chunk your first iron, and watch the dirt fly farther than the ball. Your practice lied to you. In this episode, we continue the Range Series by tackling approach shots. You will learn why "grooving your swing" is actually making you worse and how switching to random practice builds...

The driver is often the most expensive club in the bag, but it is also the most daunting. It is the longest club, has the least loft, and offers no ground assistance, making it incredibly difficult to square up consistently. In this episode, Hayden and Isaac kick off a four-part series covering every club in the bag. They start with the big stick. You will learn why most golfers practice driver in...

In this very first episode of the Play Ready Golf Podcast, we break down exactly how to set goals for 2026 that you will actually stick to. We know that most golf goals end up like "motivational posters"—they look nice, but they don't help you make the right decisions on a random Tuesday with limited time. We discuss the difference between "outcome goals" (what you want) and "process goals" (how y...