Today, I share a personal story about a rough round of golf I had, and how journaling helped me pinpoint the issue with my swing. Then we get into a topic that keeps coming up during the Live Lesson Friday sessions that I do weekly via Zoom with the members... keeping your elbows together for a better shoulder turn, better synchronization, and better tempo.  Then I share my favorite training aid for making your range sessions better.  As always... Remember the #1 key to improvement......

The force was with Bryson on US Open Sunday.  Today I tell a story of how I used to feel about Bryson and how that all changed in March of 2023 when he went out of his way to spend some real quality time with my 12 year old son.  It's something neither of us will ever forget.  Then we break down the shot that made history.  The WAY he decided to play it was, like so many other things about his game, unconventional.  You're going to see that shot replayed over and over whether you like it...

Today we're laying out the stages to improvement.  Where are you in these stages? And do you really HAVE to do anything? Just knowing where you are and understanding the stages is progress in itself.  Give yourself grace and don't put pressure on yourself.  You are where you should be and you'll take the next steps when your ready.  And you'll do it from an informed perspective.   

Today, I’ve got a fresh story for you. Yesterday, on the seventh hole at Gallery North Course in Marana, Arizona, my buddy Josh hit his tee shot into a bunker. He had that long bunker shot that everyone dreads - about 40 yards. He hit a 60-degree lob wedge and came up way short. Here’s where it gets interesting: I had him switch to a 46-degree pitching wedge and hit the same shot. The result? Two out of three within ten feet. The lesson here is about using the right club and avoiding...

When it comes to improving your game, most people "play the field" to their own detriment.  I got the idea for today's episode from a podcast I listened to by Alex Hormozi - a business mogul who's in his 30's and worth over $200 million.  He said that before he got married, he spent 40% of his time "chasing tail" - his words not mine - haha! And getting married freed up 40% of his time.  He was relating the same concept to business owners. He said most business owners waste 40% of their...

The reality is, while it DOES take consistent work to improve, most players are making it WAY harder than it needs to be. HINT: It's NOT about spending hours at the range. Unfortunately, less than 1% of golfers will ever break through because they keep jumping from one method to another or spend too much time hitting balls at the range without purpose. The key is quality practice at home. Aim for 80% of your practice to be at home, making good quality repetitions without the distraction...

Center face contact is crucial for pure, powerful shots.  But so many players don't even know where they're hitting the ball on the face.  Do you know where you hit it on the face? The easiest way to find out is to spray foot powder on your club face.  And you can skip the fancy $13 sprays with a picture of a golfer on it and grab a $5 can of Dr. Scholl’s instead. It’s the same thing. You'll quickly learn whether you tend to miss it on the toe or the heel. And just being aware of it...

Too often, players misidentify their main issues.  You might THINK hanging back on your back foot is the root cause of your inconsistency like the member I use as an example in today's podcast. More often than not though, there's something else going on - a root cause that you'd never identify on your own.  You might have an open clubface due to a weak grip or a cupped lead wrist at the top of the swing causing an open club face. That might be the REAL cause of your poor ball striking.  ...

Today we're talking what we're always talking about - the TRUTH about improving your game.  Every week we do Live Lesson Friday where members send in their swings for my personal feedback and today we're putting a few members in the spotlight and sharing what they've been able to accomplish with 10 minute at-home daily practice sessions.  You can do it too!  

Are you one of those players who has fallen in love with your 56 degree sand wedge or even your 60 degree lob wedge from around the green? Today we're talking about a better way to get the ball close to the hole and shave strokes.  And there's a TON of actionable stuff you can do right now.  We cover shot and club selection... how to pick your landing spot... the BLT setup for better contact and shots that role right up by the hole... PLUS a formula for picking your landing spot based on...

Motivation comes and goes as how you FEEL. That's why you can't rely on motivation to change your game (or to change anything else in your life for that matter). Change requires work. Fortunately, the work is simple... But simple does NOT mean easy.  It's simple because it's super easy to understand, and it only takes 5-10 minutes a day. And you can do it at home.  But the hard part is that it requires DISCIPLINE. CONSISTENCY matters.  It all means that if you only do the...

Most players don't practice at home. And if they DO practice at home, it's maybe 10-20% of their practice and the other 80-90% of their practice is at the range.  For effective skill building, we've got to reverse that.    

Here's what they are... Check your grip Set yourself up to practice at home Learn training vs trusting mode/read Golf is not a game of perfect by Bob Rotella Start working on chipping with a less lofted club This episode is packed with a LOT of actionable stuff!  Let's go!

Improving your game does NOT take a Herculean effort.  At Face First Golf we work smarter, not harder.  Real improvement comes from doing the little things day in and day that add up to big things... like reducing your handicap by a third like Ben Miller did.  With 1000 days to go until his 60th birthday, Ben decided to do something golf related every one of those 1000 days.  He shares his story in today's podcast. 

Every master of his craft needs his tools.  In this episode I'm sharing audio from one of the first videos you get after signing up.  There are 7 you're going to need and you can get all of them for less than $100.  Set yourself up for success!

What a great live lesson Friday we had this morning! Great attendance, great interaction, and just a fast paced ride to improving your grip among other things.  Mastering your golf swing is just like mastering anything else. And I got reminded of it when my wife and I started dance lessons this week.  I'm no dancer, and it put me in that space that you'll be in when you finally decide to give up the gimmicks and quick fixes.  You've got to pick it up and put it down over and over to...

The 3 previous episodes were about the 3 myths of golf improvement.  Today I wanted to summarize all 3 and add the 4 pillars of success in improving your game.  Thanks for checking it out! Craig

Have you ever heard that when it comes to improving your game you have get worse before you better? These days we only hear about quick fixes.  But there's a good reason that old school prevailing thought was that you have to get worse before you get better.  It's all explained in today's podcast along with the exact way you can ensure you can go through any swing change without ever having to worry about going backwards. 

The driving range is NOT where you fix your swing.  The driving range is where you hit 200 balls with 7 different swing thoughts.  On the driving range, a lot of players wonder... Am I crazy or is this not doing any good at all? You're not crazy! There are 2 big problems on the range.  The first is that nobody will do the small swing work that's required to make big swing changes at the range.  The second problem at the range is that you get distracted by ball flight.  Instead of...

Today's episode is a little different.  I recorded a video about how you need to walk before you run to make the big changes.  It means learning good motion with small, slow swings before building it into your full swing at full speed.  The video I recorded got a little long - 8 minute or so. And it was a pretty in depth explanation of the concept of starting small and slow and building on it.  So I decided to make the audio from that video into a podcast.   

Today's episode dives deep into one of our favorite topics: the grip. Ever heard of a strong grip? Well, if your handicap's over 12, you might want to listen up. Picture that neutral grip—yeah, that V between your thumb and forefinger? Let's make sure it's pointed in the right direction. And hey, weak grip creep? It's real, and it leads to trouble. So, members, time to check that grip. Not a member yet? Well, head over to facefirstgolf.com and let's talk serious game improvement. See you next...

Craig kicks off the episode with a candid discussion about the reality of improving your golf game. He emphasizes the necessity of hard work and consistency over time to see real improvement. Lesson 1: Start Small to Make Big Changes Drawing on his 25 years of teaching experience, Craig talks about why starting with small swings at slow speed small is key. Trying to make big swing changes at full speed and length just doesn't work. Start with slow, short swings, gradually ramping up as your...

Stage 1: Starting with Zero Knowledge: This is  where every golfer begins, knowing nothing about the technicalities of the game. Stage 2: Getting Stuck in Online Programs and YouTube: Next comes the phase where you might find yourself endlessly scrolling through online lesson programs and watching countless YouTube tutorials. While these resources can boost your confidence temporarily, they often fall short in addressing your fundamental swing issues. Stage 3: Transitioning to One-on-One...

Today’s discussion revolves around the importance of hitting the driver well, contrary to the common belief that short game is all that matters. Craig recounts a conversation with an experienced golfer who offered a simple yet profound insight into improving his swing. He dissects the mechanics of the swing, particularly focusing on achieving depth at the top of the backswing. This depth allows for a better delivery of the club path from the inside on the downswing. The episode emphasizes...