Hack It Out Golf

It's hard to play effective golf with an extreme swing path. The problem: most golfers are very consistent with swing path—even when they don't want to be. In this episode, Mark and Greg talk about strategies to dislodge a less-than-optimal path and move it to a place of greater functionality. They explain that path sometimes is the result instead of the cause of the problem and the importance of...

What's it worth? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the recently-released price for next year's Ryder Cup at Adare Manor. Is the significant price increase warranted? Is the Ryder Cup worth attending at all? The guys give some tips for watching golf in person, discuss some of the early news about captain selections, and attempt to establish international understanding among English-sp...

From a reasonably long par 3, what scores are typical for golfers of different levels? In this episode, Lou asks Mark and Greg about scoring averages on a 175-yard par 3. Tiny spoiler: there's a bonus question in this episode, and the answer there provides real insight into course strategy when fairway bunkers are in play. Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes long) about an interest...

One episode, a few professional golf topics. In this edition, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the unfolding confirmation of the end of PIF funding for LIV and what that might mean for the future of that league—and its players. Then they shift gears to the PGA Tour, where Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick recently teamed up to win a Tour event, securing a card for Alex. (Could Scottie carry Lou to a Tour ca...

When the best player in the world is "struggling," everyone has a solution. In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the language of the golf swing. It seems everyone talks about shallowing, but few define it. What is shallowing? Why does it matter? And shouldn't we have some idea what we're talking about before we talk? If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here...

Once again, we have a green light: 120 from the hole in the fairway. How different are amateurs and pros? In this episode, Lou asks Mark and Greg how 10 and 20 index golfers compare on this shot to a Tour pro. And perhaps a lot of 10s and 20s have their expectations set by the Tour numbers, rather than reality closer to home. Each of these will be a mini-episode (10-15 minutes long) about an inter...

It's Champions Tour major season, which means it's time for Greg—and the Gregulators—to mount up! In this episode, Greg joins Mark and Lou to recap the first major of the season, the PGA Championship at The Concession Golf Club. Greg was right in the mix but cooled off late. He talks about some of the really impressive play from Cink, Alker, and the ageless Langer, his impressive hole-out eagle (n...

If you could sub in a professional golfer for one shot each hole, what would it be? In this episode, Mark talks Lou and Greg through a recent video of his that tests this question. On some holes, he hit a tee shot for his friend; on others, the approach shot. Which helped more? And which might make the biggest difference in your game? Knowing this might give you an insight as to the best place to...

If you listen to this podcast, you probably know that Tour pros average about 50% on their putts from 8 feet. But how does that number change for players when they finish in the top 10? Or, on the other hand, in weeks in which they miss the cut? Lou puts this question to Greg and Mark, and the answer might give some insight into how much putting contributes to the hot and cold rounds that we all h...

Trouble down both sides—what's your best option? In this episode, Mark, Greg, and Lou give advice for approaching a hole when neither side offers a bailout. What are the strategic considerations to take into account when neither miss is great? And what are some drills to get you ready to face the pressure to hit the demanding shot the moment it's needed? If you have a question you want covered on...

Do you play golf to shoot your lowest scores—or to bubble wrap your ego? In this episode, Mark and Lou take up a listener question on chipping. Most golfers get around the green and grab a wedge (often their most lofted wedge) for almost all their shots. But there are other options: from irons to hybrids to fairway woods to putter to—yes, even chippers. Is your short game a part of golf in which y...

From the same yardage, better golfers are, well, better . Duh. But better golfers most often are hitting less club from the same distance. If a scratch golfer and 15-index both have a pitching wedge from the fairway, won't they hit the green at a similar rate? That's the question the Lou puts to Mark and Greg. Once they settle the winner for the weekend, they talk about the advantages of a better...

Rory retains his Green Jacket! In today's episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the recently completed 2026 edition of the Masters. Tempers flared, the course setup offered some surprises, and multiple great players ascended the leaderboard—almost. What does Rory's win mean for his position in the history of golf? And could Mark help Rory's game? If you have a question you want covered on the po...

What's different in your approach to match play? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg take up a listener question about match play. In addition to any general changes in strategy, they discuss how to handle a match in which you're giving a lot of strokes to your opponent, as well as some of the pros and cons of gamesmanship in a match format. If you have a question you want covered on the pod, ple...

For many of our listeners, it's the beginning of the golf season, and those partial wedge shots are often some of the trickiest to re-find on the course. What's a good shot? In this episode, Lou asks Mark and Greg about a 50-yard shot from the fairway. At what distances are a scratch, 10 and 20 index golfers breaking even on strokes gained? The answer is essential for having reasonable expectation...

Do you need to have a preferred shape on the course? Why can't straight be a shape? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg take on a listener question about that affects swing and course strategy. With so many talking about "taking one side of the course out of play," is an intentional straight ball really a bad idea? Mark weighs in from a coaching perspective, Greg as a pro, and Lou as someone who,...

It's Masters Week! In today's episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the otherworldly magic that exist at Augusta National, where the normal rules of reality seem not to apply. Has Scottie peaked? What does Rory do for an encore? And who are they picking to win this year's edition of the tournament? If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf....

Ah, the short par 5: might as well call them gimme birdies, right? Ahem. In this episode, Lou asks Mark and Greg how often solid amateur golfers of two different standards will break par on a short par 5. After the answers are sorted, they offer advice for dealing with expectations for scoring on each of the standard par holes—advice that might make you appreciate your birdies even more. Each of t...

Again. Sadly, again. In this episode of the podcast, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the arrest of Tiger Woods for driving under the influence. They discuss the media coverage and the place of Tiger in the modern golf marketplace. If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please submit here: https://www.hackitoutgolf.com/contact/ Listeners can also leave us a voicemail! https://www.hackit...

There are just a handful of notable professional golfers still using the long putters, and whenever they have success, they are often publicly suspected of cheating the no-anchoring rule. In this episode, Mark and Lou discuss this pattern. Should anchoring have been banned in the first place? Is there a performance advantage from anchoring? And there's a putting technique that Lou hasn't tried? If...

With Greg missing, Lou brings a Tiger question to today's Saturday Stat. We all have the memories of Tiger's clutch moments, many of which were must-make putts that he seemed to always make. But did he? Today's question: how does Tiger's make rate for putts in the final round of tournaments compare with his normal make rate? Mark competes against Lou's newsletter audience as we seek to separate fa...

The whole golf world knows: one way to lower your scores is to increase your swing speed. But all the swing speed in the world won't help your scores if you can't convert it into ball speed—and that means you still need to find the center of the clubface when you're swinging fast. In this episode, Mark and Lou answer a listener question about exactly this topic, and offer pointers to help ordinary...

In today's episode, Mark and Lou take on a grab bag of questions. Should the Tour Championship be a match play event? Is match play a decent way to find the best golfer—and is it a good format for watching golf? And the European Ryder Cup team recently announced that Luke Donald is coming back as captain for the third time—should Team USA just concede the 2028 Ryder Cup now? If you have a question...

A 5-index golfer is a good player. How close does he need to hit his approach from 40, 100, and 180 yards in the fairway to gain strokes? This is today's question from Lou's dive into the Arccos database, and Mark and Greg's answers lead to some significant surprises. As always with the Saturday Stat: these are numbers that can help you set and maintain expectations on the course, and even help es...

Right now, the question is whether Tiger will play the Masters. But if he wants tournament reps, should he also play the Champions Tour? In this episode, Mark and Greg talk about that possibility. What would make it worthwhile for Tiger to play on the Champions Tour? Would he dominate the field there? Is he just scared of the Greggie? If you have a question you want covered on the pod, please subm...