Hack It Out Golf

In response to some recent (inaccurate) comments about professional ball speeds, Lou assembled a list of the ball speeds of the top-ranked players on the PGA Tour. In this episode, he shares that list with Mark and Greg, and they discuss the biggest surprises, the effect of speed at the highest levels of golf, and the need for accurate data when making decisions about the future of the game, and t...

In a recent episode, Lou proposed that Mark should try to qualify for one of the main senior tours. In this episode, Greg re-joins the podcast to give a truly professional opinion on Mark's chances of success. They talk about the amount of commitment required, Mark's psychological approach to the task, and whether Lou is ready to stop trying to take Greg's bag from Doug so that he can caddie for M...

Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. What difference does hitting the fairway make? In this episode, Lou compares golfers of different skill in their ability to hit the green from 125 yards in the fairway versus the rough. Mark and Greg give their guesses, and what follows is a discussion about the skill of controlling a ball with good iron play from the f...

Today's the day: an important league match, a club contest, or maybe a chase for a better index. How should you get ready for your round? In today's episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about how to prepare your body, your swing, and your mind so that you're ready to post the best score possible. Where to find us: Mark Crossfield's weekly newsletter: https://www.crossfieldgolf.com/subscribe Mark Cros...

When—and how —should you change your swing? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about when you should consider making a change, the reasons for making a change, and the work that is required to make that change stick. Golf improvement rarely comes by doing exactly what you've always done. Where to find us: Mark Crossfield's weekly newsletter: https://www.crossfieldgolf.com/subscribe Mark Cro...

Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. You've missed the green in the rough, but you're still hoping to get up and down and save a score. How far are you likely to end up from the hole when you're 35 yards away and in the rough? In this episode, Lou quizzes Mark and Greg on median distance by handicap. Afterwards, they reiterate why you need to be aware of w...

Greg's well into his 2025 Champions Tour season, and in this episode, he joins Mark and Lou to recap the season so far. They discuss where he currently stands in the race for the Schwab Cup, how he works on his game during the season, and what keeps him playing golf at this stage of his career. Where to find us: Mark Crossfield's weekly newsletter: https://www.crossfieldgolf.com/subscribe Mark Cro...

Mark's recent match with Greg got Lou thinking: should Mark try to qualify for the Champions Tour or Legends Tour? In this episode, Lou is in the uncomfortable position of having to say nice things about Mark. He observes Mark's skill (despite unstructured practice) and the way Mark has added distance while avoiding the gym. Mark ponders the possibility, and they both solicit feedback from the aud...

Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. How far away is five shots from the hole? Obviously, this varies by skill level. In this episode, Lou asks Greg and Mark how far from the hole a scratch, 10, and 20-index golfer would need to be to average five shots to hole out. The gaps might be bigger than you think and provide the basis for an interesting discussion...

Is better scoring found in a cup of coffee? In this episode, Mark and Lou talk about a study Lou recently read about the effects of caffeine on golf performance. Mark and Lou talk about the findings of the study, their own coffee preferences, the meaning of cream, their new plan for on-course concessions—and how you might save a stroke or two your next round with a cup of coffee. Link to Lou's new...

As part of Mark's recent visit with Greg, he followed along for Greg's workouts and fitness planning. In this episode of the podcast, they discuss some of what Greg is working on, and then Mark and Lou talk about the ways in which taking care of the body is great for golf and for life in general. Video of the Greg's gym work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBgCJN2cmS0 Where to find us: Mark Cross...

Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. Your ball is in the fairway, 150 yards from the hole. Now, put the ball in the rough, but at a yardage at which, on average, you'd hole out in the same number of strokes that you would have from 150 in the fairway. Where are you dropping? In this episode, Lou asks Mark and Greg this question for golfers of various skill...

Recently, Mark jumped the Atlantic to spend a few days documenting Greg's 2025 Champions Tour work. In addition to his training session, Greg played a match against Mark. In this episode, they recap the match, which has its share of twists and turns—and will undoubtedly become part of the enduring lore of this podcast. Video of the match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBgCJN2cmS0 Where to find u...

If you're listening to this episode, you probably have a driver with adjustable loft. How do you know where it should be set? How would you know whether you need a different head with much higher or lower loft? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about the lofts they play, why those are the best for their games, and how you should determine the best loft to optimize your tee shots. Where to...

Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. In today's episode, someone is way off. Lou asks Greg and Mark how often scratch, 10-index, and 20-index golfers hit shots from 125-yards to within 20 feet. After the scores are tallied, Lou offers an additional stat that really highlights the skill you need to work on to drop your scores. Each of these will be a mini-e...

Mike Tyson's famous aphorism is true for golf as well: everyone has a plan until he's punched in the face. And a round of golf will punch you in the face. When you find trouble during your round, how do you avoid those round-destroying blow-up scores? In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg bring three tips for minimizing the damage. They talk about strategy, the skill of hitting recovery shots, keep...

The most recent Saturday Stat addressed how often different levels of golfers manage to avoid three-putting. The truth: everyone does. The further truth: there are good ways to do so less often. In today's episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk through practice tips and approaches to putting that will reduce wasted shots on the green, so that you can shoot better scores through better putting. Where to...

Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. Greg is on a roll! In today's episode, Lou is asking about 3-putts—in particular, how often scratch, 10 index, and 20 index golfers go the entire round without three putting. After the answers are revealed and the winner crowned, the guys talk about not just avoiding 3-putts, but getting the cause right when the 3-putt...

The 7-iron, in the middle of most player's bags, is often a benchmark club for distance. How far should you hit it? In this episode, Mark tackles this question with Lou and Greg. There are a number of ways to think about answering this question, from knowing what's typical at different indexes to knowing how to judge between your typical shot and your outliers. Do you want to be pin high more ofte...

Most golfers know how a handicap works, even if they don't maintain an official one. The anti-cap is its opposite: your worst 8 scores in your past 20 rounds. In this episode, Lou leads a discussion with Mark and Greg as to why an anti-cap matters, why tracking it can be an asset when your handicap improvement has stalled, and what a low anti-cap means for your golf game, Where to find us: Mark Cr...

Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. It's been common advice for so long: if you can't reach a green, lay up to a particular full swing yardage, so that you don't have to judge those tricky in-between distances. In this episode, Lou brings the data to Greg and Mark to see how many golfers really do score better if they follow that advice. The answer: not m...

It's Masters week! In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about what they hope to see in this week's tournament. A friendly wager is made for Mark's bucket hat, and then the guys make their picks from different buckets: LIV golfers, dark horses, and their overall pick to win. Where to find us: Mark Crossfield's weekly newsletter: https://www.crossfieldgolf.com/subscribe Mark Crossfield on Twitt...

Here's a trip down memory lane: Mark, Lou, and Greg go back through their lives in golf to pick their favorite ever drivers. Of course, Lou goes a bit off the beaten path with his, there's a Sasquatch sighting, and Mark has comments on all of it. Where to find us: Mark Crossfield's weekly newsletter: https://www.crossfieldgolf.com/subscribe Mark Crossfield on Twitter: https://twitter.com/4golfonli...

Welcome to the "Saturday Morning Golf Stat" from the Hack it Out Golf Podcast. Lots of golfers, both pro and amateur, are trying to hit the ball further. But does it really matter when it comes to scoring? If you gain 10 yards off the tee, how likely are you to lower your index? In this episode, Lou puts that question to Mark and Greg. The answer will likely shock you. Each of these will be a mini...

The tee shot is the only part of a golf hole in which you can perfectly control your own lie. And yet many golfers don't take advantage of this privilege. In this episode, Mark, Lou, and Greg talk about tee height. You might guess that if you tee the ball higher, you're likely to hit up on it more. But what happens to face and path with higher and lower tees? Knowing these factors—both in general...