What's up? We need more time to golf.

What we'll cover this week

• D1 Golf Qualification: How hard could it be?

• New Wedge Introduced: Giant club head alert!

• Golf Myths Busted: Golfer brain talk

Estimated read time: 6 minutes

This Week I Learned

The average golfer is getting younger.

3.5 million juniors play golf, a 40% increase since 2019. The average age has dropped from 44.6 to 43.5. An encouraging trend! [source]

When you look at off-course activities (Topgolf, etc.), the average age drops to 31.

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

15 = 165 minutes saved

D1 Golf = Hard?

We all know that one guy who's 100% SURE he would’ve gotten a D1 golf scholarship if only...

This video shows how tough it actually is to make a D1 team (Michigan State University) and what drills they use to test applicants.

Video length: 14:28

TL;DW

• The player in the video is a 4 HCP, so already much, much better than your usual loudmouth.

• To make the team, you must excel in four tests: chipping, putting, bunker, and irons.

• Chipping: 6 holes with 6 different clubs. To make D1, you need 5 up-and-downs plus 1 hole-out.

• Putting: Tested through the Compass Drill. You need to make four directions (N, E, S, W) around the hole with 4 ft, 6 ft, and 8 ft putts.

• Bunker Drill: The hardest part of the D1 qualification test. Two towels between the bunker and the hole. Players must land and keep one ball (out of 10) on the towel to pass and not leave a single ball in the bunker.

• Irons Test: Shape your shots alternately within a tight window. For 10 shots, hit a draw, hit a fade, hit a draw, hit a fade, and so on. D1s shape 7 out of 10 shots successfully.

The video gives a great idea of how hard it is to make a D1 roster. Plus, it shows amazing drills you can incorporate into your daily practice (except for the irons drill, which requires a simulator). I haven’t tried the bunker drill yet, but the chipping and putting drills were eye-opening—and also made me realize I’d never make a D1 roster 😛

I won’t spoil the reveal of whether the guy in the video makes it as a D1 player ;)

Shovel Wedge

I’m lost for words. How?

steve.waltman

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Golf Psychology Myths Busted!

Last week’s mental game tips really hit home for many of you.

So, guess what? I found a podcast that dives even deeper into the mental side of golf! It’s a treasure trove of wisdom, and this episode is all about busting some common myths we’ve all heard a million times.

Episode length: 47:36

TL;DL (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)

• "Just be positive" doesn’t work: You can't just outpositive a bad shot. Fun fact: it takes 5 positive emotions to erase one negative emotion. Trying too hard to stay positive can actually mentally exhaust you because you're juggling too much.

• Forced distractions are a no-go: Counting backward or using other tricks to distract yourself from that crucial shot? Nope, doesn’t work. It's just mental multitasking, which makes you worse at both tasks. So, skip the distractions.

• Use the force? More like losing the force: Willing the ball into the hole or trying to force a feeling? Totally impossible. Using too much willpower actually drains you faster. Stay cool and even-tempered instead.

• "Just forget it" is a myth: Moving on from a bad shot isn’t about forcing yourself to forget. You need to acknowledge and accept the mistake. Your brain can’t just erase errors on command. Turn subjective feelings (“I always do that”) into objective statements (“I didn’t hit that shot well. I’ll fix it on the range. Now, onto the next shot.”).

Mastering the mental game is mostly about removing emotions. For example, I play terribly when paired with an annoying flight partner. I'm working on teaching my brain that every so often, there’ll be an annoying partner, and there’s nothing I can do about it.

Next time you’re out there, ditch the gimmicks we’ve been fed over the years. Stick to visualizing your shot (like last week) or recreating a swing feeling.

Quick Bites for the Road

One of those days…

… was his last day. EVER!

Quiz

Feedback & send your stories

That's it for this week. Keep on training and be a real athlete in an utterly unathletic sport.

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How did you like this issue of Rabbithol?

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 ​🥕🥕 Could've been better​

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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

Hailing from Sweden, Annika Sorenstam holds the record for the most wins on the LPGA Tour with a whopping 72 victories (the #2 spot has just 41 wins).

Annika started her legendary journey in 1994, and she’s still going strong, playing 1-2 tournaments a year. Her latest game was at the U.S. Women’s Open last year.

With an impressive career, Annika has raked in $22.5 million. Want more Annika in your life? Check out her Instagram Profile.

Sincerely, your Magic Rabbit.

Leader through the rabbit hole. Is thinking about adding the shovel wedge to his bag.