What we'll cover this week

• Aimpoint Explained – Somewhere between science and sorcery

• Unhappy Gilmore – A flawless display of athletic failure

• Scratch Golfers – What they actually do differently

Estimated read time: 8 minutes

This Week I Learned

Rory is even more likable than I thought.

We usually steer clear of covering pro golf here, but this one’s worth an exception.

Watching Rory’s final round last week, I caught myself thinking:
“Damn, he really is just like us… missing short putts, getting frustrated, regrouping mid-round.”

Only difference? His mental game is next level.

He keeps showing up. Keeps resetting. Keeps climbing back—especially when it matters most.
And if Rory can mentally reset on the biggest stages, maybe I can stop spiraling after a quadruple putt on hole 3. Just maybe.

Useless golf videos we’ve watched this week, so you don’t have to:

35 = 305 minutes saved

(mostly Rory & Justin interviews… plus I got bored)

Aimpoint Explained

The first time I tried Aimpoint, I looked like a monkey doing rocket science— fingers in the air pointing wildly somewhere in the distance, feet shuffling like Muhammad Ali, trying to feel something. I had zero idea what I was doing. It felt just like it looked… but I knew it worked. I just didn’t know how.

So here’s the fix:
Two videos. One’s a bit more in-depth and lays the groundwork for how Aimpoint works. The other breaks it down in under 60 seconds so you can steal the basics before your next round.

Video length: 9:18

Video length: 0:59

TL:DW

What is Aimpoint?
It’s a system for reading putts that uses slope and math instead of your gut and questionable eyesight (guilty). The idea is: feel the slope, assign a number, hold up fingers, and aim accordingly. Simple in theory. Surprisingly effective in practice.

• Feel the slope - Standing in your line gives you a much better sense of slope than staring at it. Your feet and body can detect changes that your eyes can’t.

• The slope scale - You’re working with slopes from 0 to 4°. That’s it. Anything steeper would be a design violation, so you’ll rarely see it.

• Closest slope wins - The slope nearest the hole matters most, since that’s where your ball is slowing down and more likely to break.

• Train your feel - This is where Aimpoint becomes an actual skill. Use a digital slope reader (like a digital bubble level or a clinometer) to “prime” your body to recognize what 1°, 2°, etc. actually feel like under your feet. Practice this on the putting green (the only empty area at every golf club in the world).

• Finger trick - Hold up the number of fingers that match the slope you feel. Your index finger aligns with the hole, and where the edge of your fingers end: that’s your aim point.

• Adjust for distance - The longer the putt, the further out you’ll aim. The Short explains this better than words ever could.

• Adjust for speed - Fast greens: Bring your fingers closer to your face. Slow greens: Extend your arm.

Final thought
Aimpoint isn’t something you master after one range session, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes a cheat code for reading greens. If you’re new to it, start with the full video. If you’re familiar and just want a refresher, go with the Short.

Unhappy Gilmore

Not sure if it’s an exceptional talent or a lack of talent to achieve that, but the guy’s friend has the meanest laugh ever. Well deserved.

golf.fails

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Deals for the Feels

The post-Masters lull is real—and so is the slow season for real savings. But a few drops and price cuts are still worth a look.

GoodGood Spring Collection & 15% savings

• GoodGood just released their newest spring apparel. Use code SPRING15 at checkout for 15% off any apparel, including past releases. Clean looks, solid materials, and some much-needed seasonal color.

Vice Launches Full Club Lineup

• Vice has officially entered the big leagues with a new release of drivers, woods, and hybrids to round out their already stacked lineup of irons, wedges, and more putters than you’ll ever need. No markdowns (yet), but worth checking out if you're eyeing something fresh and under-the-radar.

TaylorMade Qi10 LS Driver $229 price cut

• Last year’s top-tier driver continues to drop. The Qi10 LS is now $370 at RockBottomGolf—down from its $599 launch price. Still one of the best high-performance options available, and at this price, you’re no longer paying for the “just released” hype.

* Please note: none of these are affiliate links. These are genuinely great finds that we recommend without compensation.

Scratch Golfer Things

Fewer than 2% of golfers ever reach scratch; chances are that doesn’t include you or me. But if your sights are set on breaking into single digits (like the 30% who do), it’s worth learning from what scratch players actually do differently.

This video with Coach Lockey breaks it down in a no-nonsense, borderline taunting way.

Video length: 16:14

TL:DW

• Keep Your Driver in Play - Simple, obvious, and still one of the hardest things to do. Coach Lockey’s #1 rule: stop hitting driver into trouble. That alone will save you more strokes than anything else. My goal this season is to lose as few balls as possible, which is a great plan, according to Coach. Distance is useless if you're reloading off the tee box. If your driver gets more reliable, even with initially shorter distances, the distance will eventually come back up.

• Master One Shot Shape - You don’t need a fade, a draw, a stinger, and a baby cut in your bag. Just one consistent shot shape is enough. It builds confidence and repeatability. As Bruce Lee once said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

• Greens in Regulation - You’ll hear it a lot because it’s true: hitting greens is one of the clearest signs of a solid round. No need to chase flags—just aim center green and take the stress off your short game. Even when it doesn’t lead to birdie chances, avoiding short-sided chips is a big win.

• Solid Routine - If you don’t have a preshot routine by now, start building one. And if you do, refine it. It’s your mental anchor before every swing and can calm those first-tee nerves better than any deep breath ever will. Lockey’s got a great example in the video if you’re looking for ideas.

• Expectation Management - Golf is chaos in khakis. Shots will bounce weird, wind will shift mid-swing, and bad lies will ruin good intentions. Accepting that—and knowing what a “great shot” looks like for you—is how you stop the spiral. Rory’s bad shot would make your day. And your best one? He probably wouldn’t even flinch. Get clear on your standard and go from there.

It’s not about chasing perfection. It’s about copying the parts that actually matter. This video’s worth a watch, even if you’ve heard all this before—because chances are, you’re still not doing it.

Quick Bites for the Road

Quiz

If you liked this newsletter, refer it to a friend. If you hated it, send it to the ONE person you desperately want to beat (on the course).

Quiz answer

The 18th hole at St. Andrews' Old Course, due to its status as the “Home of Golf” and its open public access.

Sincerely, your Magic Rabbit.

Leader through the rabbit hole. Has work to do this weekend. Hiding golf balls in kids’ easter nests all over the world.