Off TRAQ Podcast — Golf's Real Conversations

If Rory McIlroy were an NBA player, would he be Kobe Bryant or LeBron James? Is Bryson DeChambeau golf's Steph Curry or Shaq? And is Scottie Scheffler the Tim Duncan of golf?We're back for Part 2 of Golf Greats in NBA Terms, and this time Charles and Roy take on the modern era of golf, with Alex returning as judge.From Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson to Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau, we debate which NBA players best represent today's biggest golfers.But we're looking beyond stats and championships. We're comparing career trajectories, playing styles, personalities, cultural influence, and even the controversies that define their legacies.Some comparisons are obvious. Others spark heated debates. And a few leave Alex questioning our basketball knowledge.After dozens of comparisons and some questionable judging decisions, one of us finally walks away with the win.Who did we get right? And which comparisons would you change?Welcome back to Off TRAQ, where golf meets everything else.Presented by TRAQ Golf — helping golfers practice with purpose.traqgolf.com

If Tiger Woods is golf's Michael Jordan, who's the NBA equivalent of Phil Mickelson? What about Jack Nicklaus, John Daly, or Anthony Kim?This week on Off TRAQ, Charles and Roy go head-to-head pitching NBA counterparts for 12 of golf's most recognizable players, while Alex serves as the judge.We're going beyond wins and championships to compare playing styles, personalities, rivalries, cultural impact, and the legacies that define these athletes.From the undisputed greatness of Tiger and Jordan to the unfulfilled potential of Anthony Kim, some comparisons are obvious, while others spark serious debate.Whether you're a golf fan, an NBA fan, or both, join us as we explain golf's greatest players in basketball terms.Who did we get right, and who deserves a different comparison?

Does playing in golf tournaments actually make you a better golfer, or does it just expose the weaknesses you already have?This week on Off TRAQ, Charles and Roy debate whether amateur golfers should compete in tournaments and what tournament pressure teaches you that a casual round with friends can't. Charles shares his experiences in individual competitions, team scrambles, and the Audi Quattro Cup—including why overpreparing has sometimes made him play worse.We get into course management, mental resilience, playing under pressure, and why tournament golf might be the best way to discover your true scoring ability. Plus, how much money would you have to bet with your friends to recreate that same competitive pressure?Then we lighten things up with a round of Golf Would You Rather, where Roy puts Charles through some impossible choices:Never three-putt again or never lose another ball?A perfect driver or perfect wedges for life?Driver off every tee (even par 3s) or never hit driver again?Break 80 but lose every bet, or win every bet but never break 90?Shoot 69 once or shoot 77 every round forever?Some answers might surprise you.Whether you're looking to take your game more seriously or just enjoy debating ridiculous golf hypotheticals, there's something for every amateur golfer in this episode.Off TRAQ is brought to you by TRAQ Golf. Practice with purpose using TRAQ Spray and Blueprint. Learn more at TRAQGolf.com.

Brian Kim, founder of Liteyear Golf, joins Off TRAQ to talk about what it really takes to build golf equipment from scratch and why most junior clubs are designed the wrong way.Brian shares how he went from DocuSign to launching a golf equipment company, what goes into designing clubs specifically for kids, why Liteyear chose blade style irons, and how weight, shaft design, feel, sizing, and manufacturing all come together.We also get Brian’s perspective on Grant Horvat’s Little Legends launch, the $200 junior golf club controversy, and whether more competition is ultimately good for the junior golf market.Then Charles and Roy get into this week’s bigger golf debates: whether the Presidents Cup is still a real rivalry, what could make the event more competitive, the latest equipment and golf ball rollback discussion, whether amateurs really play the “same equipment” as tour pros, and electric push carts being allowed in NCAA golf.CHAPTERS3:14 Brian Kim + story behind Liteyear Golf5:59 How Liteyear Golf got started12:05 Blade Irons for Kids?33:30 Brian Reacts to Lil' Legends Golf Set47:57 Rapid Fire Qs with Brian55:20 Near President's Cup Clash, Equipment Rollback, and Carts in College Golf?

Which golf stats actually help amateurs improve, and which ones are mostly noise? Charles and Roy go through driving distance, fairways hit, putts per round, greens in regulation, double bogeys, and handicap and decide what they would keep, kill, or replace. They also reveal the three stats they would track if they could only choose three.Then, they break down LIV Golf’s Chapter 11 restructuring, what it could mean for its biggest stars, and whether LIV ultimately changed professional golf for the better. Plus, TaylorMade is up for sale. Why now, what could the company be worth, and would Charles or Roy put their entire $3 billion portfolio into buying it?CHAPTERS:00:00 Intro 03:43 Are Golfers Tracking the Wrong Stats? 15:00 Driving Distance: Keep It or Kill It? 22:40 Why Fairways Hit Is a Flawed Golf Stat 30:54 Are Putts Per Round Misleading? 38:57 Is GIR the Most Important Golf Stat? 53:23 The Stat Amateurs Should Track 58:00 Is the Golf Handicap System Broken? 1:03:39 The 3 Golf Stats We'd Actually Track 1:07:12 What LIV Golf's Bankruptcy Means 1:12:14 Why TaylorMade Is For Sale 1:17:21 Would We Buy TaylorMade for $3 Billion? 1:21:30 Golf Jeopardy: Test Your Golf Knowledge

Golf instruction has never been more accessible, but has it actually made golfers better?Charles and Roy break down golf’s biggest swing trends, including the one plane swing, Stack and Tilt, Sean Foley’s controversial years with Tiger Woods, George Gankas and the shallowing craze, and the modern “hold and turn” release.Which ideas can actually help amateurs, which require very specific physical matchups, and how does combining random YouTube tips create a Frankenstein swing that is worse than the one you started with?Plus, we react to the Good Good and Callaway ad controversy, debate whether Grant Horvat’s $200 toddler golf clubs are worth it, and discuss TaylorMade moving to a two year driver release cycle.Follow Off TRAQ for honest golf conversations, questionable swing advice, and a little chaos along the way.CHAPTERS00:00 Intro02:02 One Plane Swing: Simple or Unnatural?13:18 Stack and Tilt: Useful or a Dead End?27:14 Did Sean Foley Ruin Tiger’s Swing?38:58 George Gankas and the Shallowing Craze49:30 Hold and Turn vs. the Traditional Release1:03:44 Why YouTube Tips Create Frankenstein Swings1:06:48 The Good Good and Callaway Ad Disaster1:14:30 Are Grant Horvat’s $200 Toddler Clubs Worth It?1:21:00 TaylorMade Moves to a Two Year Driver Cycle

What does it actually take to build a golf company from scratch?This week, Charles and Roy share the story behind TRAQ — from the early range session that sparked the idea, to failed prototypes, manufacturing problems, 3D printing, supply chain chaos, and figuring out how to turn a golf obsession into an actual business.We also break down how we personally use TRAQ, what happens when your passion becomes your job, and where we want to take the company next.Then we get into this week’s golf news: the rumors surrounding Jon Rahm potentially leaving LIV Golf, why the best players in the world are suddenly hitting it farther, and whether LeBron James becoming a YouTube golfer is actually good for golf.And to finish things off, we rank the best golf course snacks from S tier to F tier.Chapters1:40 — How Our Golf Startup Started13:45 — How We Use TRAQ24:07 — What It’s Like to Blend Passion With a Job39:38 — What’s Next for TRAQ?53:17 — Rahm, Distance Gains & LeBron’s Golf Channel1:05:48 — Ranking the Best Golf SnacksFollow @traqgolf on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, and learn more at TRAQGolf.com.

Charles just played his worst golf in years: shanks on the range, topped drives, push slices, a triple, and more doubles than he would care to remember.In this episode, Charles, Roy, and new co-producer Alex break down exactly what went wrong, why a medicine-ball drill may have quietly thrown Charles’ swing out of sync, and the one swing thought that helped him turn things around on the back nine.Along the way, they discuss how to reset when your swing disappears mid-round, whether you should ever “play your miss,” and the pride that keeps amateurs fighting a lost cause until hole 15.Then the guys get into the news: Is LIV Golf finally nearing the end, and do performance-enhancing drugs really give golfers an advantage?Finally, Charles and Roy draft rival Ryder Cup-style teams in a $20 auction and let AI decide the winner. Loser buys Wendy’s.Subscribe and follow wherever you listen, and find us on Instagram and TikTok at @traqgolfStop guessing and start practicing with real feedback at traqgolf.comChapters00:45 – Meet Alex, Our New Co-Producer04:48 – Charles’ Worst Round12:27 – What Went Wrong?18:40 – How to Reset When Your Swing Disappears28:43 – The One Swing Thought That Fixed Everything40:49 – Is This the End of LIV? & PEDs in Golf50:04 – Build the Best Golf Team: $20 Auction01:03:48 – AI Decides the Winner

Mini drivers and 7 woods are two of the hottest clubs in golf right now, but do they actually belong in the average golfer’s bag?Charles and Roy break down why mini drivers have surged in popularity, what they are really designed to do, and why buying one may not solve your driver problems. Then they dig into the 7 wood boom, why more tour players are using one, how it compares with long irons and hybrids, and which golfers could benefit most from making the switch.Later, they react to the biggest controversies from The Open, including Bryson DeChambeau’s penalty, Scottie Scheffler’s free relief, and whether golf’s rules are being applied consistently.To close the episode, Charles and Roy draft competing golf bags from a limited pool of clubs. The result includes aggressive strategy, questionable selections, a chipper, and one host attempting to use a 2 iron as a putter. Chapters00:18 Golf at Yosemite?04:10 What’s the Hype With Mini Drivers and 7 Woods?13:45 Should Amateurs Buy a Mini Driver?27:04 Why the 7 Wood Became a Tour Favorite36:08 Should You Replace Your Long Irons With a 7 Wood?44:21 The Open: Penalties, Drama and Controversy1:00:39 The Ultimate Golf Club Draft1:07:39 Who Built the Better Bag?

On this episode of Off TRAQ, Charles and Roy ask a deceptively simple question: is modern golf actually better? With better equipment, launch monitors, rangefinders, YouTube instruction, and more data than ever, golfers should be getting dramatically better… so why has the average handicap barely moved?They break down how golf has changed from the early 90s and 2000s to today, where technology has genuinely helped, and where it may actually be making golfers more confused, dependent, and cluttered. Then they hit current events, including Scottie Scheffler’s playoff loss, Jordan Spieth testing a new putter, and first reactions to Your Golf Tour. To close, they put each other on the spot with a bag audit and call out the one club the other probably shouldn’t be carrying.Chapters:00:32 Happy 250th America03:28 Is Modern Golf Actually Better?39:53 Scottie's Playoff Loss, Spieth's New Putter & YGT46:08 Bag Audit: What Club Has to Go?