Divot: The Golf Performance Podcast

A shank feels random. It isn't. It's a heel strike that's gone too far — and it leaves clues long before it shows up.
 
In this episode, PGA Fellow Coach Steve Thomas breaks down what's actually happening when you shank it, the most common reasons behind it, and how to fix each one. Plus a ten-ball test that tells you whether you're heading towards a shank before you ever hit one.
 
In this episode:- What a shank actually is — and why "you're standing too close" is usually wrong- The only two things that make it happen: the club moves out, or the club moves down- Why an open clubface on its own doesn't tend to cause it- Three of the most common reasons, each with a fix and a drill: the wall drill, the stop-start swing, and the alignment stick and head-height drills- What to do when it turns up mid-round — and why you can't shank a putter- The Strike Map: ten balls, a sprayed clubface and a score out of twenty that shows you where to start
 
Want help making the fix stick? Book a Free Online Coaching Introduction Call — fifteen minutes, just you and Steve, talking about your game: Click here
 
More at stevethomasgolf.com
 
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In this episode of Divot: The Golf Performance Podcast, PGA Performance Coach Steve Thomas explains one of the most important, and most misunderstood parts of consistent iron play: low point control.
 
Where your club bottoms out affects strike, distance and the quality of your approach shots. If the club reaches the ground too early, the result can be a fat shot, a thin shot or an approach that finishes well short of the target. The problem is that many golfers try to fix it by keeping their head down, hitting down harder or manipulating their hands—often making the fault worse.
 
In this episode, you’ll discover:
• What low point is and why the ball should sit before the bottom of the swing arc• Why fat and thin shots can come from the same underlying fault• How pressure, ball position and body rotation influence strike• Three common low-point faults and practical drills to improve them• Why golfers frequently overestimate their normal iron distance• A simple 10-ball test to measure your low-point control without a launch monitor
 
You’ll also learn why choosing clubs based on your best-ever strike leaves so many approach shots short—and how using your average distance can immediately improve your course management.
 
Try the 10-ball test from the episode, then send Steve your score out of 10 and your handicap on Instagram. He’ll help you understand whether low point should be your priority or whether another part of your game is costing you more shots.
 
Follow Divot: The Golf Performance Podcast for practical coaching that helps you understand your game, practise with purpose and perform when it matters most.

Most golfers choose their target based on the best shot they believe they can hit.
The problem is that their best shot does not represent the full pattern of shots they are likely to produce.
In this episode, Steve explains why better course management starts with understanding your dispersion, not chasing the perfect outcome.
You’ll learn how to:
• Choose targets that account for your normal misses• Avoid bringing unnecessary hazards into play• Make decisions based on probability rather than hope• Lower your scores without needing to change your swing
The goal is not to play negatively. It is to give every shot the greatest possible chance of producing a successful outcome.

What does effective golf practice actually look like?
 
In this episode of Divot: The Golf Performance Podcast, Steve Thomas is joined by renowned golf coach Hugh Marr for a wide-ranging conversation about how golfers practise, how they improve and why traditional practice doesn’t always produce better performance on the course.
 
They explore when golfers should work on technique, when they should stop thinking technically, how practice should be structured and how to decide whether a player needs to change their swing or simply change the way they train.
 
The conversation also covers:
• What separates productive practice from simply hitting balls
• How to make limited practice time more effective
• The difference between how elite and club golfers practise
• When repetition is useful and when it becomes unproductive
• How golfers can create practice that better prepares them for the course
• The role of challenge, feedback and measurement
• Common beliefs about practice that may be holding golfers back
 
This episode is for golfers who practise regularly but aren’t seeing the improvement they expect, as well as coaches who want to think more deeply about how skills are developed.
 
Divot: The Golf Performance Podcast helps golfers understand how to practise more effectively, make better decisions and take their game from the practice ground to the golf course.
Subscribe for more conversations about golf coaching, practice and performance.

Big numbers don’t usually come from one bad swing. They often come from a pattern you haven’t properly noticed yet.
In this episode of Divot: The Golf Performance Podcast, PGA Performance Coach Steve Thomas explains how to use The Double Bogey Audit to find the shots, decisions, and mistakes that are really costing you on the course.
Instead of blaming your swing every time your score gets away from you, this episode helps you look at the evidence. You’ll learn how to review your double bogeys, identify the real cause of your dropped shots, and turn that information into a clearer practice plan.
Inside this episode, Steve covers:
• Why double bogeys are one of the biggest scoring leaks for many golfers• Why the shot you remember isn’t always the shot that cost you the score• How penalty shots, poor recoveries, short-game mistakes, three-putts, and bad decisions create bigger numbers• How to track your double bogeys over your next few rounds• How to use the pattern you find to choose a better practice priority
If you feel like you’re playing better golf than your score suggests, this episode will help you stop guessing, review your game more clearly, and build a smarter plan for improvement.
 

A better golf swing can help you hit better shots.
But it doesn’t automatically mean you’ll shoot lower scores.
 
In this episode of Divot: The Golf Performance Podcast, I break down why so many golfers improve their swing in practice but still struggle to transfer that improvement onto the course.
 
Inside the episode, I cover:
1. Why swing improvement alone isn’t enoughA better movement gives you potential, but scoring requires more than technical change.
 
2. The gap between the range and the courseWhy golfers can hit it well in practice but lose clarity, confidence, and control when every shot matters.
 
3. What golfers often missTechnique matters, but so do skill, strategy, decision-making, emotional control, routines, and practice structure.
 
4. A simple performance frameworkHow to move from guessing what to fix to using a clearer process:
Diagnose → Prioritise → Solution → Practise → Measure → Transfer
 
5. A practical action step for your own gameAfter your next round, write down the three shots that cost you the most and label each one as:
Technique, Skill, Strategy, or Performance.
That one exercise can tell you far more than simply asking, “What’s wrong with my swing?”
Because the goal isn’t just to build a better-looking swing.
The goal is to build a game that works on the course.
 
Listen to the full episode now.
 
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Why do so many golfers practise, take lessons, watch videos and buy new equipment, yet still struggle to improve?
In the first episode of Divot: The Golf Performance Podcast, PGA Fellow Professional Steve Thomas explores why most golfers aren't short of information, they're short of a clear process. Discover the difference between practising and simply hitting balls, and learn the framework that creates lasting improvement on the golf course.