The Play Smart Podcast

Rarely does one play a perfect round when everything goes according to plan. But limiting mistakes and getting back on track as quickly as possible is as much mental as it is physical. In this episode LKD and Sam Weinman frame how to think about turbulent times in your round and how to handle them.

LDK and Drew Powell discuss uses of artificial intelligence in golf instruction. Through the use of a new app, Mustard, you can diagnose flaws in your swing and get tips from the best instructors in the game.

We've all been there. The pros experienced it a few weeks ago at Royal Troon. The wind is whipping and it feels nearly impossible to keep your ball on the planet. It's easy for your swing to get all out of whack trying to fight the wind, but LKD and Drew Powell explain how to combat the winds and safely make your way around the course.

Not all bunkers are created equal. But there are some fundamentals that should (almost) never change when trying to extract your ball from the sand. On this episode, Luke Kerr-Dineen and Drew Powell explain how hinging your wrists can help with a number of shots out of the bunker.

Breaking 80 isn't easy, especially for two middle handicappers, but physical ability isn't always the defining factor. Sometimes, or even often, mental mistakes or intrusive thoughts can be the difference between glory and disappointment. This is how two regular players deal with those thoughts with glory on the line.

Sam Weinman and Shane Ryan, two aspirational 80-breakers, try to hone in on what's working for them when their games are at their best. Shane, who has a few sub-80 rounds under his belt, details his tee-to-green prowess, while Sam, who's still on the hunt grapples with why he can't clear the final hurdle.

Pros talk about it all the time—when they're not playing well, they have a go-to shot to fall back on. In this episode, we explain how you can find your go-to shots to salvage the rounds when you're not feeling your best.

It's not easy to flip the switch between playing a regular round and one that matters. In this episode, two former college players detail how they prepare and strategize for competitive rounds and how to avoid mistakes that may derail them.

One of the most common swing problems in golf is early extension. But what exactly does that mean? How do you fix it? On this episode of Golf IQ, Luke Kerr-Dineen and Drew Powell discuss this swing-killing move, drills to avoid it and what Ludvig Aberg does so well to make his swing so aesthetically pleasing.

Hitting the ball farther is all the rage, but what about hitting it straighter? In this episode, LKD and Drew Powell share their favorite tips, including some from pros, on how to improve accuracy.

Luke Kerr-Dineen and Drew Powell highlight the importance of ball position and illustrate how recognizing typical or atypical ball flights can help identify when a change in your setup is needed, even in the middle of a round. Also, a simple driving range tip so you can master ball position before you get to the course.

Sam Weinman revisits a round Golf Digest contributor Shane Ryan played with PGA Tour caddie Paul Tesori on the bag. Ryan recounts the stark differences between playing the course one day on his own and the next day—with the goal of breaking 90—with the assistance of a caddie who has been on the bag for some of the best men in the game.

Sean Zak returns do preview a fan-favorite chapter in his book Searching in St. Andrews, in which he caddies for Joel Dahmen in the Scottish Open and the lessons he learned in the process, including why you sometimes have to account for bunkers 400 yards from the tee and to always check which tee box you're playing from.

Golf writer Sean Zak joins LKD to preview his book 'Searching in St. Andrews,' detailing his summer abroad in Scotland. It was a bizarre summer for the world of golf, but personally, Zak relearned the importance of hitting knockdown shots, removing spin on full shots and playing the ball on the ground. Important discoveries about the game of golf followed.

It's the U.S. Open. Many greens will be missed. But on a typical U.S. Open venue, players would reach for a lofted wedge and play aerially toward the hole. This week, viewers will see pros grab their putter from off the green. Here's why and how they'll do it. Plus, a bonus tip on how to play a greenside recovery shot from the kind of thick rough we normally see at a U.S. Open.

LKD and Drew Powell preview the 2024 Men's U.S. Open at Pinehurst, focussing on No. 2's famous Donald Ross turtleback greens. The team explores "effective green size" and how pros will—or at least should—go about their approach shots to put themselves in contention this week. Presented by the USGA.

Sam Weinman revisits a round Golf Digest contributor Shane Ryan played with PGA Tour caddie Paul Tesori on the bag. Ryan recounts the stark differences between playing the course one day on his own and the next day with the assistance of a caddie who has been on the bag for some of the best men in the game.

Sam Weinman and LKD explore the world of USGA Handicap Indexes. The team dives into misconceptions about handicaps, how handicaps can help you become a better players and what excites them about their upcoming, summer-long quest to improve their indexes. Presented by the USGA.

2022 U.S. Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick walks LKD through the final three holes at Muirfield Village, one of the toughest closing stretches on the PGA Tour. With water, bunkers and heavy rough lurking to derail players' rounds, Fitzpatrick details how he uses statistics and analytics to avoid the trouble. Presented by Workday.

Tiger Woods has an interesting reason for why he was so good at the top of his game. LKD and Drew Powell dive into the intricacies of lag putting and why speed is more important than line.

LKD and Drew Powell explain the benefits of a smooth putting stroke and why smooth doesn't necessarily mean slow.

LKD and Drew Powell talk about why speed is so important and how close players should reasonably expect to hit their putts from various distances using the pros' eight percent rule.

"The Pride of Augusta" Sam explains how Augusta National is actually quite playable and does, in fact, have some slow putts.

Hitting quality golf shots under pressure doesn't have to amount to luck. Sam Weinman joins LKD to share some tips on how to think about approaching an important shot.

Host Luke Kerr-Dineen and Maddi MacClurg discuss the state of their golf games at the beginning of the season and detail how they will go about improving as the year goes on. 

LKD is joined by Golf Digest staffer Will Irwin and Titleist Performance Institute Fitting Analyst Chris Baingo to discuss how to get the right combination of clubs in the bag. Chris explains how he worked with Will to optimize performance with every club and the key metrics that go into determining which clubs were right for him.

Golf Digest staffer Will Irwin joins the pod to talk about iron fitting.

Here's how to shake off the rust in a way that will leave you feeling good—and confident.

Golf Digest's Sam Weinman joins the Golf IQ podcast to talk about expectation management, and the best way to shake the rust off your game.

Creating speed in your swing starts with the takeaway.

Lilia Vu's over-the-top swing thought can help you fix your swing.

Why some golfers prefer to float the club before starting their swing

Focus on this instead.  

The secret is in the trail arm.

And you should, too.

Scott Fawcett explains why shot patterns matter.

The lessons I've learned from playing with old clubs.

Don't overlook your footwork. It's a ball-striking essential

Tour pros do this on nearly every shot. Here's why you should, too

In this episode of the Golf IQ podcast, Golf Digest's Luke Kerr-Dineen and Drew Powell talk about some green-reading advice that helped Drew on the greens.

In this episode of the Golf IQ podcast, Golf Digest's Luke Kerr-Dineen talks with Sam Weinman about the dreaded 'over the top' move in golf and how to prevent it.

In this episode of the Golf IQ podcast, Golf Digest's Luke Kerr-Dineen talks with Sam Weinman about how to make your range time work better for you.

In this final Hot List-themed episode of the Golf IQ podcast, Golf Digest's Luke Kerr-Dineen talks to equipment experts Mike Stachura and Mike Johnson about the two things they really want you to know about equipment.

In this Hot List-themed episode of the Golf IQ podcast, Golf Digest's Luke Kerr-Dineen talks to equipment experts Mike Stachura and Mike Johnson about some of the biggest equipment trends in 2024.

In this Hot List-themed episode of the Golf IQ podcast, Golf Digest's Luke Kerr-Dineen talks to equipment experts Mike Stachura and Mike Johnson about how to spot some equipment-related problems in your ball flight.