Ball Rollback, Ground Reaction Forces & LIV's Reckoning

Baden and Clappy are back to unpack a massive week in golf. They kick off at Harbour Town — a course that makes the case that great design, not a rolled-back ball, is how you defend par. From there it's a proper debate on the USGA's bifurcation plan: is it pointless engineering theatre, or the future of the pro game? The boys get into why slower swingers barely notice the change, the social awkwardness of "which ball are you playing?" at your home club, and why Trotty Golf reckons driver designers will claw every yard back anyway.Then it's ground reaction forces — the thing Baden famously doesn't have. Clappy breaks down the three flavours (lateral, vertical, rotary), why Scottie Scheffler slides and Matt Fitzpatrick pulls his front foot out of the way, and how understanding ground forces turned his clubhead speed from 116 to 132 mph. Plus a sharp take on why most 18-handicappers should be nowhere near a force plate.The back half dives into LIV's rumoured cash crunch, TaylorMade team rebrands, and the no-man's-land waiting for returning players like Cam Smith, Joaquin Niemann and DJ — while Patrick Reed serves out his suspension. Bryson's stirring up trouble again. And next week: golf media insider Luke Kerr-Dineen joins the pod.Grab a coffee. Plenty to chew on.

The Masters is done for another year — and Rory McIlroy made it look frighteningly comfortable. Baden and Clappy break down how a man who ranked second-last in driving accuracy for the weekend somehow won by three, why Augusta may be more forgiving than it used to be, and whether any of the chasing pack ever really had a chance.Then the conversation turns to a topic that lit up the coaching world during Masters week: Brandel Chamblee's claim that Scottie Scheffler has a "steepening move." The boys dig into why the terminology matters, what the camera angle wasn't showing, and how the steep-vs-shallow debate — however it's framed — keeps causing real confusion for everyday golfers.They wrap up asking a question that's been nagging all season: where are the new personalities? With the same veterans filling the leaderboard week after week, is the game crying out for its next superstar — and is the coaching world doing enough to find them?

Augusta National is the greatest stage in golf, and this week it's centre stage. Baden and Alex (Clappy) kick off Masters Week with an unfiltered preview — debating why the Masters beats every other major (no phones, perfect contrast, Amen Corner), picking their contenders for the Green Jacket, and revisiting Tiger's single most iconic moment on that course.They also touch on what it actually takes to win Augusta — why first-timers rarely contend, why the best players almost always win it, and what separates the course knowledge of someone like Ludvig Åberg from the rest of the field.This week's picks:Baden: Bryson DeChambeau & Jason Day (tip from Matt Fryer)Clappy: Chris Gotterup & Cam Young — plus a quiet word for Patrick ReedAnd if you're watching all the action and feeling the itch to fix your game — every coach on Skillest is offering 20% off your first month. Use code GREENJACKET at checkout. Offer ends Sunday night.

What do you get when a pain-riddled amateur golfer goes down every rabbit hole imaginable — coaching, biomechanics, club grinding, and manufacturing — and ends up accidentally building one of the most disruptive equipment brands in the game? You get Tom Bailey and Avoda Golf.Tom joined us for a wide-ranging conversation about how a bench grinder, a brother with an e-commerce background, and a frustrated Bryson DeChambeau turned a 50-set goal into one of golf's fastest-growing club companies.We get deep into the science behind what Avoda actually does differently — lie angle as the single most important spec in your bag, why combo-length irons make more sense than you think, how the right grip size is just like wearing the right shoe, and the curve-face technology that had Bryson saying "I've never seen a club do that." We also get into Tom's current work with Jason Day and his coach Colin Swatton, and the remarkable story of how the right sole grind fixed in a week what they'd been working on for years.In this episodeWhy lie angle trumps everything elseCombo length vs same length ironsThe Bryson DeChambeau storyJason Day's wedge revelationCurve face tech explainedThe precision fitting system for coaches"We know the golf club is not just a thing that you buy and use for a year. You can get it dialled in exactly how you need it — to take you on the journey you're going on with your coach."— Tom Bailey, founder of Avoda GolfAVO Golf is giving away three precision fitting systems to coaches. Follow @avogolf and DM the word Skillest to be entered into the draw.

The comeback continues.In Episode 2 of The Skillest Pod, Baden Schaff and Alex Clapp dive into everything happening in golf right now — from Tiger’s latest situation to the rapid rise of launch monitors, VR golf, and what the future of coaching actually looks like.They cover: The reality behind Tiger’s latest headlines  Why launch monitors are about to be everywhere  VR golf, wearables, and the next wave of coaching  The shift to “always-on” coaching  How top coaches are building scalable businesses Plus, Gary Woodland’s incredible comeback and a preview of an upcoming episode with elite club fitter Tom Bailey.No fluff. Just real conversations about where golf — and coaching — is going next.

The Skilly Pod is back — and we’re kicking things off with Alex Clapp.In this episode, Baden and Alex set the tone for what this podcast is all about: getting better at golf, building better coaching businesses, and having a bit of fun along the way.We dive into: Alex’s journey from 45+ hours of in-person coaching to building a global, hybrid coaching business  Why consistency beats any “secret sauce” when it comes to coaching success  How online coaching is changing the way golfers actually improve  The power of community, communication, and “in-between” learning  And a few honest takes on what’s happening in the golf world right now (including LIV, course setup, and what actually makes golf interesting to watch) This is a raw, first conversation — part intro, part deep dive — into how coaching, learning, and the game itself are evolving.If you’re a golfer or coach trying to improve, this is where it starts.

We had an AMAZING FINISH at Pinehurst, and Ludda (our boots on the ground) had plenty to document. The boys broke down the iconic moments from the tournament, analyzed Rory's swing (and collapse), as well as discussed the significance of the face of LIV beating the face of the PGA...As always, you can sign up for Skillest here: https://skillest.com/Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/skillest-1-sports-coaching/id1054851741

Happy U.S. Open Week! Ludda is out this episode, as he will be our "boots on the ground" LIVE from Pinehurst (stay tuned for more podcasts this week) but in his place TODAY, we have the brilliant Alex "Clappy" Clapp, a renowned golf coach and Skillest icon. In this pod, Clappy breaks down what to expect from Pinehurst this week, as he recently played the course. Later on Baden discusses a MASSIVE $10,000 GIVEAWAY Skillest is distributing... you will have to listen to find out more.To be eligible for the giveaway, you must be a Skillest subscriber who makes a purchase this week using the promo code "USA24" where you can also get a 20% discount on lesson packaging. As always, you can sign up for Skillest here: https://skillest.com/Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/skillest-1-sports-coaching/id1054851741

The boys break down the 2024 PGA Championship as they talk Schauffele winning, the biggest surprises of the tournament, and other amazing stories from the weekend in Valhalla.As always, you can sign up for Skillest here: https://skillest.com/Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/skillest-1-sports-coaching/id1054851741

The boys are BACK and brought some championship level energy to this pod! They broke down all things PGA Championship play at Valhalla, who they think will win it, and yes... they mentioned Scottie Scheffler's all time performance today. As always, you can sign up for Skillest here: https://skillest.com/Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/skillest-1-sports-coaching/id1054851741