What we'll cover this week

This week’s email is a little different—it’s 100% powered by you. Since March, we’ve sent out 37 emails packed with 45,000 words of golf goodness and bad jokes, and somehow, 2,541 of you are still here. Why?

Well, maybe it’s the unique humor (seriously, someone tell my wife I’m funny) or the fact that we’ve saved you hours of your life by filtering out the weak golf content and serving up only the best.

So, here’s what we’ve got: the top 3 posts you voted as your absolute favorites or clicked on the most. (And no, last week’s clickbait thumbnail isn’t included —you filthy bunch!) We have included the original texts to keep the context and the lessons.

Estimated read time: 7 minutes

This Year I Learned

Patience.

Clubs thrown: 0

Tantrums thrown: 0

Club championships won: 0

The first two are definitely helping the third. My time will come... eventually.

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

0 videos = 0 minutes wasted.

👑 Video Of The Year 👑

Drumroll, please… here it is: our most-loved video of the year! 🥳 A whopping 81% of you said it was “helpful content,” and honestly, I couldn’t agree more. 🐰

This video is packed with so many wisdom nuggets it’s worth a rewatch—or, at the very least, a quick reread of the TL:DW. These tips will boost anyone’s game by miles. Don’t sleep on this one!

Breaking 90

Breaking 90 is one of those elusive goals in golf. Doing it consistently? Even tougher - but it doesn’t have to be.

In one of my favorite Golf Sidekick videos, Matty breaks down what it really takes to score 90, and here’s a hint: it’s not about hitting 300-yard drives. 🤷‍♂️

Video length: 37:44 (but just the first 13 minutes will do the trick)

TL:DW

Your New Game Plan:

• Adjust Your Par: Mentally add one stroke to every hole. A Par 4 becomes a Par 5 in your mind, easing the pressure of making a “Scratch Par.” This way, if you land on the green in 3 strokes on a Par 4, you’re still on track to break 90.

• Straight 175+ Yard Club: Leave the ego at home. Use the club that lets you consistently hit straight shots of at least 175 yards. If you can’t trust your driver, leave it in the bag.

• Plan, Think, Commit: Plan your shots so the next one is easier. Choose shots you can hit 9 out of 10 times and commit fully. If you have the slightest doubt in your mind, it’s probably not the right shot.

• No On-Course Amnesia: Stick to your plan during your round. Don’t get tempted by risky hero shots—play smart, and you’ll stay on track.

• No Copy & Paste Shots: A 100-yard shot on hole 1 isn’t the same as on hole 2 because of different lies and conditions. Adjust accordingly and don’t expect the same results from different situations.

Don’t Do:

• Learn from YouTube Mechanics: Skip the confusing mechanics videos unless they cover universal basics. You don’t need more contradictory advice. (that’s why we rarely feature specific mechanics videos)

• Driving Range Ban: While the range is fun, it’s not where real improvement happens. Spend more time on the practice green or chipping area, or treat the range like a course and aim for different targets with each ball.

• Scrape and Hit is Sh*t: If you’re hitting 40 balls in 20 minutes, you’re not practicing golf—you’re just wasting time. Slow down and practice as you play.

• Chase Distance: Hitting 300 yards is great, but not if it’s inconsistent. Focus on a controlled 80% swing that lands you in a good spot instead of the bunker. (Guilty as charged!)

• Rely on Trackman: Know your distances, but remember that real-world conditions aren’t the same as a controlled environment. Use a GPS watch or Arccos Sensors for accurate, on-course data.

Matty covers even more in the video, so if you’re serious about breaking 90, watch it. But as you can see, breaking 90 is much more about the right mental approach than it is about hitting massive drives.

Year’s End update: I’m still chasing distance but no longer Scrape and Hit. I also feel like I’m adapting my shots to the lie much better than before. Thanks, Matty. (He doesn’t read the newsletter, but let’s just pretend he does)

Runner Up

This video by Coach Carolin is officially our most-clicked video of the year—and honestly, it’s one of my personal favorites, too. Carolin doesn’t mess around; she gets straight to the point and nails the most important concept for improving compression.

For me, this video was a total lightbulb moment. It finally explained what I’d been doing wrong better than anything else I watched this year.

Warning: If you’re not already doing this move, it will mess with your swing for a while. But once you lock in that feeling, you can stitch your swing back together—and it’ll be so worth it.

Lag For More Distance

Smashing a ball down the horizon feels great. Period.

One of the keys to greater distance is lag – that’s the angle created between your lead forearm and the club shaft during the downswing. If your hands open too early, you’re sacrificing speed. Basically, your hands should lag behind your body to create maximum lag or compression.

There’s an insanely easy drill to create lag:

Video length: 6:20

TL;DW:

• Push the Handle Away – Coach Carolin’s tip is to create the feeling of pushing the handle away from your body as you initiate the downswing. That’s it - brilliant and easy.

Try it without a club while you watch the video and realize what a MAJOR difference this subtle movement makes.

The movement is harder to describe than it is to watch the video. So just…👇

Deals for the Feels

The final deals before Christmas are here, and surprisingly, there are still some gems to snag. Let’s dive in:

Callaway Paradym AI Smoke Drivers

• The hottest driver of the season is finally seeing some discounts—save $50 to $100 across the entire lineup. If you’ve been waiting to grab one, now’s your chance.

TaylorMade Qi10 Max Driver

• Guess what? The other hottest driver of the year is on sale too. Save $100 on the Qi10 if that’s the one calling your name. A Christmas miracle? Maybe.

Ping Traverse Cart Bag

• This week’s closeout sale features the Ping Traverse, the cart bag equivalent of the iconic Ping Hoofer. More space, cart-friendly, and just as reliable. Half-the-price! Grab it while it lasts!

Third Most Watched

Matty makes it to the podium again—well deserved! 🏆

This video is a game-changer, teaching me how to properly open my hips. Until now, I didn’t really get what my hips were supposed to be doing in my swing. Pair this with last week’s Ben Hogan video, and suddenly everything starts clicking. Two words: highly recommended.

The Art of Long Drives

There’s no better feeling than crushing a drive on the range and hearing that gasp of admiration from the golfer beside you.

Enter Matty from Golf Sidekick with this week’s video. Despite the title, it’s not just for 40-year-olds - we can all benefit from more distance.

Video length: 11:41

TL;DW:

• Get a Coach: Some naturals don’t need a coach to become scratch golfers. Then there’s us. A coach can guide us and shorten our learning curve.

• Hip Rotation: Like Matty, I never truly understood “rotate your hips.” Think of starting a lawn mower; that’s the right hip movement.

• Address Position ≠ Impact Position: These two positions aren’t the same, and many golfers misunderstand this.

• Custom Fitted Shaft & Driver Head: Never had a club fitting but want more distance? This is the easiest solution. All my clubs are fitted, and the difference is huge.

• No Mechanical Thoughts: We always hear this, but still do it. Matty suggests visualizing a feeling you want to recreate, like swinging a heavy hammer down on your ball instead of the lightweight club. Gravity will do the rest.

• Find Your Golf Ball: Like Matty, I tested all kinds of golf balls (on the green, short game, driver, and simulator) and now only play those. Playing a found ball usually ends in disaster. Find your personal ball type and stick to it.

These are essential tips that work for everyone. I don’t believe in overly specific YouTube swing tips - I leave those to my coach for me to improve. That’s why they’re not in the TL;DW.

Honorable mentions

These videos barely missed the Top 3 but still deserve your attention.

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

Just the one above. We’re professionals!

Ok, a few, but they were all intentional and added character to each emial.

Sincerely, your Magic Rabbit.

Leader through the rabbit hole. Thinks he’s funny. Mrs. Rabbit doesn’t think so. But what does she know?