Fairway Performance Podcast

The information isn't the thing holding most golfers back. Fear is. The quiet worry that you've waited too long and your body is too far gone. In this episode Shaun makes the case that nobody is too far gone, and that for most golfers the changes are weeks away, not years. In this episode: The real reason golfers never start, and it isn't time or money Why Shaun has never met a golf...

The golf fitness space has exploded, and not everyone offering it knows how to deliver results. In this episode Shaun gives you a clear checklist for vetting any coach, trainer, or program before you spend a dollar, whether you work with Fairway Performance or someone else entirely. In this episode: The single most important question: do they assess you first Why a coach should be able to show pro...

Early extension. Hanging back. Coming over the top. You've watched the videos and done the drills, and the fault is still there. In this episode Shaun connects fitness to swing mechanics and explains why your most stubborn swing faults usually aren't swing problems at all. They're body problems. In this episode: Why your body takes "detour routes" when proper movement isn&...

"I'd love to start, but I'm just too busy." It's the most common reason golfers put off taking care of their body, and in this episode Shaun challenges it head on. You don't have a time problem. You have a priority problem. Here's why the time is already there, and how to use it. In this episode: Why "too busy" is almost never the real reason How much t...

If your golf swing falls apart right after you start training your body, that might be the best sign you are finally on the right track. In this episode we go deep with Dr. Russ Manalastas, physical therapist, 20-year strength coach, and owner of MANA Performance Therapy in Rochester, New York. Russ works with golfers, hockey players, and baseball athletes, serves as the head PT for Cobblestone Cr...

Most golfers think their blow-up holes are bad luck. Alex Huang has spent 18 years proving otherwise. In this episode we sit down with Alex Huang, co-founder of Decade Golf and the analytical mind behind the system used by Bryson DeChambeau, Will Zalatoris, and dozens of LPGA, Epson Tour, and college players. Before golf, Alex spent nearly two decades in professional poker, and he brings that same...

In this episode, Shaun makes the case for why having a physical therapist or golf fitness professional isn't a luxury it's the single most impactful addition to any golfer's toolkit, and the one that nearly everyone is missing. What you'll learn: The misconception that physical therapy is only for injured people — and why the proactive model is where the real value lives The ca...

In this episode, Shaun reframes core training for golfers — moving away from the sit-up-and-plank mentality and toward the two core functions that actually transfer to the golf swing. What you'll learn: The core has six functions, not one. Most golfers only train flexion (crunches/sit-ups) and maybe isometric holds (planks). That covers two out of six — and neither is the most important for g...

In this episode, Shaun goes deep on the single most important area of the body for golfers the hips and breaks down exactly why they matter, what goes wrong, and how to fix them. What you'll learn: Why the hips are the #1 area Shaun would fix on every golfer if he could only pick one Internal rotation vs external rotation: what each movement is and when each hip needs each one during the swin...

Here's a question that sounds simple but I promise you most golfers can't answer it with confidence: is your golf fitness program actually working? Not "do you feel like it's working." Can you prove it? With data? Because a shocking number of golfers are putting in time going to the gym, doing stretches, following a program and have absolutely no idea whether any of it is...

There are three myths about strength training that are keeping golfers from doing the single most impactful thing they can do for their game. In this episode, I'm busting all three and I'm not holding back. Myth one: lifting heavy will make you stiff and hurt your swing. Myth two: golfers need to train completely differently than other athletes. Myth three: you need to constantly change...

In this episode, Shaun breaks down the three most common pre-round warm-up mistakes that are costing golfers performance and increasing injury risk and what to do instead. What you'll learn: Mistake #1: Relying on static stretching as your warm-up. Holding stretches before explosive activity tells your muscles to lengthen and relax the opposite of what you want before generating speed and for...

In this episode, Shaun takes on one of the most hyped and most misunderstood trends in golf fitness: overspeed training. This isn't an anti-speed-training episode. It's a pro-doing-things-in-the-right-order episode. What you'll learn: Why speed training tools CAN work but only for about 5% of golfers who are physically ready for them The two baseline requirements for safe speed trai...

In this episode, Shaun breaks down one of the most common and most misunderstood injuries in golf trail elbow pain and explains why treating the elbow is almost always a waste of time. What you'll learn: Why your elbow is the victim, not the criminal — 9 out of 10 times the pain source is somewhere else The anatomy of what's happening at impact: flexion, ulnar deviation, and why the insi...

In this episode, Shaun sits down with Mark Williamson better known as The Golf Yogi a former professional golfer turned golf fitness and performance specialist based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Mark played professionally for nearly a decade, competing across the Gateway, Tight Lies, Hooters, Pepsi, Golden State, and U.S. Pro Golf Tours, racking up four wins and three course records. But it was a chanc...

In this episode of the Fairway Performance Podcast, I'm joined by Julien Raya head mental coach at Mental Golf Type (MGT) to talk about something most golfers completely overlook: why stress, not mechanics, is the real reason your game falls apart when it matters most. Julien works directly under MGT founder John Weir and has spent the last five years helping golfers at every level from 20-ha...

If you've ever said "I'm just getting older" to explain why you're losing distance, this episode is your wake-up call. That belief is costing you decades of great golf and it's flat out wrong. The typical golfer loses about 10% of their club head speed per decade after 40. That's roughly 30 miles an hour over 30 years. About 100 yards of carry. That's the di...

There are only three ways to increase your swing speed. That's it. Three. Everything else is just a variation. In this episode, I break down all three rotational mobility, strength and power, and speed-specific training and more importantly, I give you the exact order you need to tackle them in. Because most golfers do it backwards, and that's why they either get hurt or never see the re...

Are you spending $150 a lesson and not improving? It's probably not your instructor's fault and it's not yours either.  The problem is that your body can't physically do what your instructor is asking it to do.  In this episode, I break down why the body has to come first before golf lessons, how fixing your physical limitations turns a 2% return on instruction into a 15-20% re...

In this episode, Shaun breaks down why the vast majority of golfers are physically unprepared for what their swing demands and what to do about it. What you'll learn: The three profiles of golfers: unicorn, balanced, and ticking time bomb — and which one you probably are Why that stiffness, soreness, and slow distance loss is NOT a normal part of aging The four rotary centers that determine w...

In this episode, Shaun explains why 98% of golfers with back pain are treating the symptom, not the cause and reveals the two areas of the body that are almost always the real problem. What you'll learn: Why "where the pain is" is almost never "where the problem is" The role of your lumbar spine in the golf swing (hint: it's supposed to be stable, not the thing doing...

Golf coach Martin Chuck , founder of Tour Striker, joins me to talk about why most golfers never improve — and what to do about it. We dive into: The myths and bad advice that create “lifelong beginners” Martin’s 3 T’s practice formula that every golfer can apply right away How older golfers (40–80+) can make rapid progress without perfect mobility Why training aids like the Tour Striker Smart Bal...

In this high-energy and value-packed episode of The Scratch Golfer’s Mindset Podcast, I sit down with Shaun Diachkoff, founder of Fairway Performance, to dive deep into how golf-specific fitness transforms not just your physical game, but your mental edge as well. Shaun’s background in the Australian military, paired with his deep experience in strength and conditioning, offers a no-BS, high-accou...

Paul Salter is a performance coach and certified hypnotherapist who specializes in helping golfers overcome mental blocks, build confidence, and reach their full potential. With over 16 years of coaching experience, Paul has worked with high performers across multiple fields, helping them get unstuck and unlock their potential through subconscious reprogramming. Paul hosts the Scratch Golfers Mind...

In this episode I dive into seven critical variables that golfers need to adjust in their training programs to overcome plateaus and improve performance on the course. Drawing insights from past interviews with muscle hypertrophy expert Andy Galpin, there are many actionable tips on exercise selection, order, volume, intensity, frequency, rest, and progression. Whether you’re not seeing results fr...