Golf IQ

At its core, golf's 'North-South' Problem is a lesson in course management. It boils down to this: with your wedges and short irons, which you use to hit the shots that affect your score the most, your miss will be greater long or short than it will be left or right. LKD breaks it all down with examples in this edition of Golf IQ.

LKD is back to finish answering your questions with Part 2 of this Golf IQ Mailbag. In today's episode, how to limit early extension, how to hit a push draw and more.

You asked. He answered. In Part 1 of the Golf IQ Mailbag, LKD runs through a handful of your questions, ranging from how to add spin around the green to whether you should change your grip to affect shot shape and what to do with the dreaded yips.

Swing thoughts are how you get better on the range. But a swing feel is how you transfer your progress to the course. LKD presents a buffet of swing feels from major champions and PGA Tour winners.

Matt Fitzpatrick is the most notable cross-handed chipper in the game today, but several tour pros employ the strategy. LKD dives deep on how it works for them, and why it can work for you, too.

Go to the driving range at a pro event and you'll notice a lot looks different than your local driving range — and we're not just talking about the stripe shows the players are putting on. LKD breaks down PGA Tour data on how many shots pros hit and what clubs they're hitting to give a clear picture on how the best in the world practice.

DIY-ing your own golf swing generally isn't advised. But Andreas Kali, coach to multiple tour pros, gave LKD a short checklist of body positions to note during the swing. Hit these body structure points and you'll generally be in a good position to deliver the club to the ball efficiently and effectively.

In this podcast episode of Golf IQ, Luke Kerr-Dineen breaks down Dr. Robert Grober’s study into the physics of the golf swing. Presented at Yale University, it discusses the idea of tempo and the right and wrong way to achieve it.

Draws are kind of an aspirational shot shape in golf. It doesn't come naturally to many players. Luckily, LKD is here to simplify things as he talks all things draw.

There are five numbers you need to know before you hit every approach shot. And knowing them, and how to find them, will make you a better player. LKD explains cover, actual, pitch, max and bailout numbers and why each is important.

LKD *loves* Lee Trevino, and for good reason. The 1971 Champion Golfer of the Year is a soundbite machine. In this episode, LKD breaks down Trevino's tips on how opening your stance might actually help fight your slice.

LKD *loves* Lee Trevino, and for good reason. The 1971 Champion Golfer of the Year is a soundbite machine. In this episode, LKD breaks down some tips from the six-time major champion on how to play Open Championship golf.

Match play is simple enough. Card a better score than your opponent on the hole, you win the hole. But what if you could only win the hole with a birdie or better? That's Birdie Sprint, and, as LKD explains, you'll see it a lot during pro-am rounds at PGA Tour events. Here's how you can play it and/or adapt it for your skill level.

Chris Gotterup just won for the fourth time on the PGA Tour in the last 53 weeks, and he's done it with an unusually open setup and steep swing. In this episode, LKD explains how steep swingers (*cough cough* Jack Nicklaus) have been successful and how you can too.

Keely Levins and Chris Powers return to share with LKD how their respective Golf Galaxy coaches helped them get better ahead of their big showdown. Each player brought their own swing flaws, but, with the help of their coach, they were able to create new, more productive habits.

Busy Golf Digest journalists Keely Levins and Chris Powers have accepted the challenge — to pair up with a team of Golf Galaxy coaches and fitters to analyze and overhaul their game and equipment, work hard over 90 days, and then square off in a high-stakes match to see whose game has improved the most.

Wyndham Clark vs. Sam Burns was the Sunday duel nobody really expected at Shinnecock Hills after Clark took a six-shot lead into the final round, but down the stretch, with Burns several holes ahead of Clark the final round of the 2026 U.S. Open became a real slugfest. How did these two players end up there after falling out of form in 2025? LKD spoke to each of them to find out.

The U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills is coming up and, as LKD explains in this episode, U.S. Opens are won by not making big mistakes. This is how pros plan their bail out strategies and why it works.

Facing a tight driving hole? You may want to tee the ball a bit lower than usual. On the other hand, if it's wide open, that's the time to "tee it high and let it fly." LKD explains why, backed up by his own experience and launch monitor data.

We all have them, tour pros. Here's what you can do, or, perhaps more importantly, not do, to keep a blowup hole or two from becoming a nightmare round.

The flight of the golf ball will tell you (almost) everything you need to know about your golf swing — what's going wrong, how you should fix it, and whether or not you've succeeded in your quest to do so.

Whether it was driver ball position from eventual champion Aaron Rai or a putting alignment technique from Justin Rose and putting guru Phil Kenyon, LKD learned a bunch of great lessons from pros at Aronimink.

Where are you gaining or losing strokes? Do you know? Do you hit it as far as you think you do? Maybe you hit it farther. Do you mesh with larger trends in the game or are you atypical? Arccos' annual Driving Distance Report is here to answer some questions. LKD breaks it all down.

As the weather warms up again, many of us will find ourselves facing our first greenside bunker shots of the season. That may scare some of us more than others, but even the most confident bunker players might need a refresh every now and then. Fear not: With the help of Golf Digest Top Teacher Joe Mayo, LKD explores how shaft lean can help players get the ball closer to the hole.

You asked for it, you got it. In this episode, LKD talks with former World No. 1, 2015 PGA Champion and short game aficionado Jason Day about different types of shots to play around the green and when to play each one ... and you might be surprised at how often certain shots come up.

Golfers often try to push too hard, too soon to make up for mistakes on the course. Sam Weinman talked to Rory McIlroy and Max Homa at the Masters about how and when they go about responding when things go south on the course. Their answers about patience and when to push might be surprising.

Adam Scott has spent more than half his life as a professional golfer. He also has won in three different decades, a testament to his longevity in the game of golf. At Augusta National last week, LKD got to ask how the 45-year-old has been able to stay relevant for so long.

Even when he raced out to a six-shot 36-hole lead at the Masters, Rory McIlroy wasn't firing on all cylinders. He worked hard Friday and Saturday nights to address a few issues with his swing and was aided by a helpful mindset: instead of thinking about what *not* to do, he thought about what *else* he needed to do.

With the help of putting guru Phil Kenyon, LKD explores how players prepare for one of the toughest tasks of the year: putting on Augusta National's greens.

As Strokes Gained has become more mainstream in golf, many players have come to understand that the closer they get to the hole, the fewer strokes it will take them to hole out. And that's still generally true, but PGA Tour data and strategy coach Cory Jez outlines a key scenario where laying up off the tee actually helps.

LKD is back with another episode featuring renowned putting coach Phil Kenyon. Today, LKD and Phil are busting one of putting's biggest myths: that the putter head needs to be rapidly accelerating through the ball. Plus, a drill on how to nail stroke tempo.

Phil Kenyon is the top putting coach in the world. And one thing he notices is amateur players often under-read their putts. He came up with this drill, which he explained to LKD, to help ensure putters both properly estimate the amount of break and, critically, aim accordingly.

The first episode of the PGA Tour's collaboration with NFL Films, called 'Chasing Sunday,' dropped and it is an absolute banger. In it, viewers get to see a detailed back and forth between Akshay Bhatia and his caddie Joe Greiner as they debate what shot to hit with which club. It's a fascinating look into how tour pros make on-course decisions and LKD breaks it all down so non-tour pros can understand.

There has long been a complicated relationship between golfers and lifting weights, often featuring baked in misunderstandings of the how and why surrounding lifting in the first place. In this episode, LKD breaks down who on the tour bench presses the most and why it helps the golf swing to lift weights.

Erik Barzeski, Director of Instruction at Golf Evolution, is the father of a golf pro and an author, but also has the perspective of someone who works with juniors. The ability to switch between wearing those different hats has given him some invaluable insight on how to manage golfers at different abilities and interest levels.

Director of Content at Fried Egg Golf, Kevin Van Valkenburg joins Sam Weinman to discuss his youngest daughter's affinity for and success in golf. Like Sam, KVV has had to find a way to foster his kid's growth past the point of his own skill level on the golf course, which has taught important lessons to both father and daughter.

There are a seemingly infinite number of training aids out there. Where do you start? What training aid helps with which issues? LKD breaks down some of his favorites, how they work and who they're for in Episode 2 of the miniseries 'Training aids I like.'

Sam Weinman's miniseries returns with PGA Professional Mike Thomas, father of two-time major champion Justin Thomas. Mike explains how he just wanted Justin to have a passion for something and was lucky enough that passion turned out to be golf.

There are a seemingly infinite number of training aids out there. Where do you start? What training aid helps with which issues? LKD breaks down some of his favorites, how they work and who they're for in this new miniseries 'Training aids I like.'

Three-time PGA Tour winner and CBS broadcaster Johnson Wagner joins the pod to talk about how his parents shaped his golf experience as a junior player and how he's tried to nurture his son's game.

It might be easier than you think to gain five, 10 or even 15 mph of ball speed. Cordie Walker, founder and chief curator of the Golf Science Lab joins LKD to discuss his biggest jumps in ball speed, how he made it happen and how a regular golfer can do it too.

What's it like raising a kid to play golf when you're a former top-10 player in the world, have won more than a dozen times professionally and played in seven Ryder Cups? Ian Poulter gives us a look into his world, and how he and his son Luke bond over golf.

LKD and Sam Weinman preview the release of a new Golf IQ miniseries: How to be a better golf dad. Golf Digest talked with avid golfers, some of whom are professionals, to gain some insight on how they raised kids who have a good relationship with the game.

Bryson DeChambeau, Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and many other strong players off the tee hover the club before they begin their takeaway, but the reasons why range from "relieving tension" to "creating tension." If that sounds confusing, that's because it is! LKD breaks it all down on this week's episode of Golf IQ.

Nick Chertock joins LKD to break down some common issues golfers face when they're close to hitting a milestone but can't quite breakthrough.

Matt Wallace rejoins LKD to dive into what we, as amateurs, should try to copy from professionals.

LKD returns from paternity leave to resume hosting duty with an interview with PGA Tour pro Matt Wallace, who provides a different perspective on how to think about your golf swing.

The first gear pod of 2026 kicks off with an interview with TaylorMade tour rep Adrian Rietveld and a deep dive into some of the brand's top stars, including Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Charley Hull. Plus, more information on TaylorMade's driver for 2026, the Qi4D.

Through all the decades, wins, injuries, awards and accomplishments, Tiger Woods has always been looking for ways to get better. In this episode, LKD returns once again as a guest on his own podcast to discuss Tiger's swing changes with Sam Weinman.

Tiger Woods was great at many things, but one thing that really set him apart was his course management. Plus, a surprising stat about his recovery shots and a special guest.

After Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters by 12 strokes, he shocked many by changing his swing. Why change the swing that just lapped the field in a major? Tiger knew he could win with his best, but he still wanted to compete when he didn't have it. Sam Weinman and Drew Powell dig in deeper on Tiger's swing change and why it worked.

It's common practice for serious golfers nowadays, but in Tiger Woods' prime, it was rare to find golfers in the gym, and completely unique to Tiger to take it to the level of intensity he reached. As we approach his 50th birthday, Sam Weinman and Alex Myers—whose own fitness routine has greatly improved his golf game—look back on Tiger's fitness regimen and the advantages it gave him ... and how it might have hurt him.

Tiger Woods turns 50 this month. And although he's regarded as one of the best putters of all time, his putting stroke was not perfect. Sam Weinman and Drew Powell dissect Tiger's putting and what made him so good.

The Golf Competence Achievement & Reward Test, otherwise known as the golf CART™, can help you put your year in perspective. Sam Weinman and Golf Digest social guru Will Irwin walk us through the process and share their scores.

We can't control everything, especially not on the golf course. But what we can control is whether we take a moment to settle and refocus. It's called 'The Let Them Theory,' made popular by best-selling author Mel Robbins. Sam Weinman and Keely Levins explain how it's applicable to golf.

Official calendar dates aside, winter is here for much of the country. Sam Weinman and Drew Powell discuss the pros and cons of completely shutting it down in the offseason.

We've all been told to grip down on a club at one point or another. Maybe it's to take a few yards off when the number is between stock yardages. Maybe it's for a bit of added accuracy. We put gripping down to the test and consulted one of Golf Digest's top teachers and found some interesting results.

Stop the hook before things get worse.

Get your mind out of the gutter and back onto the course.

Some drills to fix your game

How to get the online coaching you need

What you'll never hear from a scratch golfer

The pro golf swings you should try to steal

The paradox of choice, and one small thing that might be ruining your golf game.

LKD and Drew Powell are back for Part 2 of this miniseries detailing their offseason practice plan. This time Drew details what he wants to improve upon.

In the first of a two-part mini series, LKD details how he's trying to feel comfortable hitting a fade for next golf season. As someone who typically draws the ball, and whose miss is a hook, a fade makes him uncomfortable for all sorts of reasons. Together with Drew Powell, LKD has come up with a plan.

You read that right. Using a swing robot, we tested different swing paths and ball flights to see how much distance a slicer could gain by straightening their ball flight.

LKD and Drew Powell have another tip from Golf Digest No. 1 Teacher Mark Blackburn, this time regarding how you should set up to hit shots out of the rough.

LKD and Drew Powell are back with tips from Golf Digest's No. 1 teacher Mark Blackburn for hitting different types of wedge shots.

First tee nerves are not reserved for the weekend warriors among us. The affect the world's best, especially on big stages like the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup. Here's how to handle them.

As amateurs, we often find some quick fix that'll help us get better temporarily, but the reason pros get good and stay good is because they have the patience to do things the rest of us typically don't. In this miniseries, LKD explores a number of boring things pros told him they do that work for them.

As amateurs, we often find some quick fix that'll help us get better temporarily, but the reason pros get good and stay good is because they have the patience to do things the rest of us typically don't. In this miniseries, LKD explores a number of boring things pros told him they do that work for them.

Are you comfortable going low? Do you get nervous when you've got a career-best round going? This Bryson DeChambeau-approved drill should help. Emphasis on "should," because as LKD and Sam Weinman found out, it can also reveal glaring deficiencies in your game.

Fixing your golf swing might be easier than you think. Dr. Luke Benoit joins LKD in the fourth and final part of our new mini-series 'How to change your golf swing—quickly.'

You may be practicing wrong. The good news is, humans are wired to problem solve. Dr. Luke Benoit explains how he gets his students' swings calibrated.

Fixing your golf swing might be easier than you think. Dr. Luke Benoit joins LKD in the second part of our new mini-series 'How to change your golf swing—quickly.'

Fixing your golf swing might be easier than you think. Dr. Luke Benoit joins LKD in the first part of our new mini-series 'How to change your golf swing—quickly.'

LKD and Sam Weinman dive into the intricacies of the handicap system and how to input "would be" scores when playing match play and why it's so imperative to record every hole.

In the latest episode of Golf IQ, Luke Kerr-Dineen shares a recent interview with Jon Sherman about double bogeys—and how to avoid them.

JWall and Uncle Gene return with musings on the latest gear trends, including Rocket Classic winner Aldrich Potgieter's curious 3-wood choice, some robot testing numbers and more.

Two World Golf Hall of Famers break down the World No. 1's golf swing

LKD and Sam Weinman dive into what makes a high, low and mid handicapper and how one can move up (or down) a level.

Could a good lie around the green actually be dangerous? On the final episode of Lie Detector, Drew Powell and LKD identify when the ball sitting up in the rough could actually be a bad thing.

We hear it on TV every week: the dreaded flier lie. But what exactly is it? And how can you identify it and plan for it? On this episode of Lie Detector, Drew Powell and LKD explain just that.

Bad lies around the green are magnified because they often feel more consequential than bad lies just off the fairway. But the fact is, they count the same and the way to identify them and get your ball out of them is largely the same as well. LKD and Drew Powell are here to help.

We all end up in bad lies. Getting out of them without making it worse is key to lowering your scores. In this mini series, LKD and Drew Powell discuss different types of bad lies, how to identify them and how to best get out of them.

Is slicing an issue? Golf Digest Best In State instructor Liam Mucklow suggests you check your grip pressure, particularly with your right hand. LKD explains why on this episode of Golf IQ, using a Viktor Hovland-approved drill as an example.

The former World No. 1 is one of the best wedge players of his generation and yet, the practice game he plays to dial in his wedges is something so simple, pretty much anyone can do it.

LKD and Sam Weinman discuss a quote from Dr. Bhrett McCabe, a clinical and sports psychologist, on how to identify and deal with pressure on the golf course.

We've all been there. Should you give that three footer? Should you not? Should your opponent really be making you putt this? On this episode of Golf IQ, LKD and Sam Weinman explore the ins and outs of giving putts.

We just watched Scottie Scheffler win (again) without his A-game. But even though he wasn't in full control, he still knew the shape his stock shots would have, a factor Top 50 teacher John Dunigan says is vital to playing better golf.

The secret to getting off the tee more like the pros is not "swing hard" or "swing soft," but actually to swing with the same effort all the time. LKD dives into the one small change to make that will improve distance control and accuracy and help you keep your ball in play more often.

How the pros practice for the Masters, and how that can help your game.

Chunks. Blades. Chili dips. Outright sh*nks. Chipping can be difficult. But a study by Dr. Andy Hoffer found that 35 of 40 golfers got the ball closer to the hole using this chipping method. Chances are it will help you too.

The annual Golf Digest Company Match Play is BACK. LKD and Sam Weinman give an inside look at how even a company solely focused on golf can still have issues setting up matches. Most of our problems, however, are easily solved by using USGA handicaps. Now if we could only do something about scheduling ...

A study by Dr. Andy Hoffer shows armlock putting is a great method to try if you're a golfer who has the yips, especially one with an overactive trail hand.

Our own Drew Powell was lucky enough to win the Masters media lottery and played Augusta National with Sunday pins the day after Rory McIlroy completed the career grand slam. This is his full story of how the day went and what he learned.

Our own Drew Powell was lucky enough to win the Masters media lottery and played Augusta National with Sunday pins the day after Rory McIlroy completed the career grand slam. This is his full story of how the day went.

We all make lazy swings now and again. But there are physical and mental things you can do to prevent them, especially later in rounds. Here are some of our favorites.