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- 🧠The Easiest Mental Game Fix: 80% Rule
🧠The Easiest Mental Game Fix: 80% Rule
Plus: Painful Training Aid
What we'll cover this week
80% Rule - We ALL need to remember this
Stupid Training Aid - Painful, to say the least
Cheaters - How to deal with them
Estimated read time: 5 minutes
This Week I Learned
Regrip Instead of Turning Your Wrist
During a bunker training session, my favorite pro noticed I was turning my wrist to open the clubface for bunker shots. Turns out, that was a big no-no and part of why I sometimes send stray bullets out of the sand.
So, don’t turn your wrist when you want to open the clubface (whether in the bunker or elsewhere). Instead, turn the club and then regrip, keeping a standard grip with a neutral wrist.
Useless golf videos we’ve watched this week, so you don’t have to:
20 = 231 minutes saved
80% Rule
Ego and golf aren’t the best of friends. We all know we should leave our ego in the clubhouse, but somehow, we still make those “this might actually work this time!” decisions.
That’s where the 80% rule comes in. Jess Ratcliffe, an up-and-coming golf creator, breaks down this rule perfectly and gives some GREAT examples of when it’s time to use it on the course:
Video length: 10:23
TL:DW
80% Confidence: The key is to commit only to shots you’re confident you can pull off 80% of the time. That shot between two trees? Yeah, it’s probably not happening 80% of the time, even if you wish you were Tiger Woods.
Applies to Every Shot: Remember the 80% rule for every shot you take. If you’re thinking, “I carried my driver over that bunker once—maybe today’s the same?” then you know you shouldn’t use the driver. Whether it’s from the fairway, the rough, or a hazard, play it safe and avoid disaster.
Target & Club Choice: The 80% rule isn’t just about which club to use—it’s also about picking your target. Aiming for a pin that’s on the short side and protected by a bunker is a risky move. Instead, aim for a spot on the green where 80% of your shots will likely land safely.
The 80% rule makes 100% sense if you think about it. It’s a great way to keep our egos in check, and it’s easy to remember. I can think of way too many times I got lucky after ignoring it—and even more times when I wish I’d followed it. This might just be a game-changer for my mental game.
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Painful Training Aid
When a training aid literally smacks you in the face, that’s when you know you’ve made a bad investment. Painful and expensive—lesson learned.
Deals for the Feels
Do you smell that? I can smell decent discounts in the distance.
The first decent price drop of the season for golf clubs is here—and it’s on basically all brands. Ping, Titleist, Callaway, you name it. The price drops are about what you’d expect for this time of year unless you’re willing to wait another season for an even deeper cut.
A subtle but stylish drop from GoodGood just landed. The primary colors - black, light blue, and white - look great together. If you’re into understated but fresh gear for the course, this is for you.
Vice is back with free one-sided golf ball customization. Use code FREEPRINT at checkout to snag this deal. I did it last year and didn’t regret it one bit. 🙂
* Please note: none of these are affiliate links. These are genuinely great finds that we recommend without compensation.
Dealing With Cheaters
This Rick Shiels Podcast segment dives into a sad reality of golf: cheaters.
Video length: 9:27
In this episode, Rick and his cohost discuss a scenario from a listener who suspects that a father-son duo is cheating during club tournaments.
They explore some potential solutions and even offer a few ideas if you’re facing a similar situation. Ultimately, their verdict is: “There’s very little you can do.”
It also reminded me of an article I read about dealing with sandbaggers. The article mentioned a program called “Cap Patrol” that clubs can use to catch potential cheaters and automatically analyze on-course performance, making scorecard cheating much tougher. Who knows, maybe that tool could’ve helped Rick’s listener, too.
Still, I’d recommend giving the podcast a quick listen—it’s interesting to hear some pros weigh in on the topic.
Quick Bites for the Road
🦅 Inside Auburn's $14,000,000 Golf Facility - The #1 ranked NCAA golf team’s facility gets a visit—and we get a behind-the-scenes look. The trophy room alone… WOW!
👶🏻 20 Things I WISH I KNEW as a Beginner Golfer... - I’ve got to admit, there were A LOT of good reminders here, even for us more advanced golfers.
🇯🇵 The Best Golf Stores In Osaka, JAPAN! - A peek into a foreign but oddly familiar world. That super-store is absolutely INSANE!
Quiz
What unusual law was passed in New York City in 1940 to stop people from playing golf in the streets?
👇 Answer see below 👇
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
A law was passed making it illegal to hit a golf ball in New York City streets after residents started playing impromptu rounds in public spaces, causing property damage. What’s so bad about a ball ricocheting through a crowded, long street with basically nothing stopping its flight…. oh now I see the problem…
Sincerely, your Magic Rabbit.
Leader through the rabbit hole. Is enjoying the last few lovely golf days before the winter starts its long reign over the land.