Latest / The Scrambling Dads Podcast / Episode 47: We've Been Doing This for a Year... Here's What We Learned

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Episode 47: We've Been Doing This for a Year... Here's What We Learned · The Scrambling Dads Podcast

• Alex: Jason, welcome back for another episode here. Don't have Marcus tonight. He is on husband duty. It is Blake's birthday. but we're gonna we're gonna talk a little. We mentioned it last last week. It was our one year birthday. So we're gonna do a little talking about year and reflection as it relates to as it relates to the podcast. talk a little open championship, talk a little mental, mental game here. so let's get into this year. you know, what are your what are your first thoughts? You know, what have what have we gained over the past year doing this? Jason: I mean, not as big of an audience as we I would have hoped, but that's fine. but I think there's a couple facets to it. One, it's like we've definitely talked about different parenting styles, different input on that side of it, which has helped kind of reshape how some of the stuff I've done in the last year approaching things. then the biggest component is I think just the overall just knowledge of the game. Alex: Mm-hmm. Jason: Talking to Mikey early on with everything, kind of ways to look at stuff. And then obviously working with the guys at IGP, just learning a lot more, you know, fundamentals, mechanics, and things like that. And obviously, we're gonna touch more about the mentality of it the game. But I I mean, I just enjoy this. It's also it gives us a good outlet to talk. kind express ourselves our opinions a little bit obviously they're not gonna always be right or wrong to you know general people it's just what we've experienced so that's kind of my my general take overall it's been a great experience learned a lot too about all of this still learning a lot more that we need to do better about social media Alex: Yeah, I mean, I think that's always been a push. you know, I think we we had a lot of time last summer. so we were able to kind of dive in head first and we did some good videos and everything. I think this summer has been a little bit of a of a different story, as it relates to that. You've you took on summer school and you know, we talked yesterday when we were all together about some career goals of yours. that it it all just takes time and that's part of why we why we did this was it's like balancing out and having the conversation around like being a parent and a working parent but still having passions and it you know it's it's been nice to create that community. I think, you know, we pulled in Marcus here and he's been a great addition because he offers a a different level of the same kind of passion and granted he has like five other passions with his all the other stuff he has going on. I'm still surprised he hasn't picked up yeah, I'm still surprised he hasn't picked up fishing full time. I I had a full bet thinking that he was gonna be picking that one up. Jason: He's got new hobbies. Maybe it's the whole idea of slimy fish and stuff. I don't know. Alex: But Maybe. But you know, I think one year in, it's I think we've tackled a lot of a lot of the things we wanted to. just being that advocate, that voice for the working parent. definitely things we I think would like to do bigger and better. you know, like getting into not even just like the YouTube as the YouTube space. I think that's a little saturated. But someone always loses their phone, man. But no, but even like just getting in and doing some more of the the fun golf that we've talked about. And you and I were talking about sexing you about potentially doing a little 2v2 shamble with a a buddy of mine and his and our another one of our friends. So I mean, just think doing more of that. We always had a goal of like Jason: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Alex: Pulling in other dads as well. and that's something I'd like to see us do, maybe better, even finding like guests to come on the show, you know, like bring in some other some other parents as well and get their get their perspective. Jason: Mm-hmm. Yeah, no, and it's it's just a different outlet because I think it is an avenue that I believe that could pick up traction because everything that we've seen technically guess growing up in this YouTube world of golf, it's these guys that's what they do. It's their career. So these guys are they're pretty much professional golfers. I mean, let's just admit it. They may not be getting the full paycheck stuff, but they're professional golfers and we're watching them. Alex: Yeah. Jason: But there's not a lot of, you know, where we're at guys who are passionate about the game and trying to balance everything out and trying to still succeed on the course but yet still have enjoyment doing all of the different parts of our lives. Alex: Yeah. And you know, you brought up a really good point. I'm kind of coming through here to look so I wanna I wanna look at some stuff. everyone that has done this has kind of I'm gonna say become a little unrelatable, which is great from an entertainment perspective. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: But even when you go back, like if you go back to the inception of like the good good, you know, they were kind of the everyday average Joe guys. and as I scroll through their thumbnails, it's like one secret golfer has ten thousand dollars, twenty five thousand dollar good, good survivor cup. you know, they did that one verse what ten thousand dollar road trip or something like that. Yeah, one versus one hundred thousand dollar golf road trip episode four. You know, we've seen once where they're playing for a watch. It's like they've become so unrelatable, be not because they got amazingly good at golf. I mean, all of them have obviously gotten better, like Steve has gotten a lot better, but it's like they're playing for legitimate money, to your point, of like being pros. you know, and there's another podcast that I I've Always listened to their own year nine now. And even them have kind of become a little unrelatable. And we've talked about that because they partner with Titleist and now they have access to TPI once a year. They get new clubs every year. And that's amazing for them. Like that's awesome. I don't want to take it away. But there's a level of it just becomes a little unrelatable. And we always wanted to be like that relatable voice of like, we're not like we're not in that market. We don't have the club deals. We don't have all this stuff. The most we have is a partnership with IGP. And even that is Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: It's just, you know, we do some podcasts with them and we kind of but that was organic, right? Because I was already with them as a coach anyways, and I still go there for lessons. So it's not like it's really changed anything other than they come on the podcast. So, you know, we add that to the things I think we've done right is we've tried to stay relatable. I think, you know, another thing we can do a lot better and or getting back to it is having, you know, a legitimate flow and agenda, which we have today. Jason: Mm-hmm. Yes. Alex: You know, we're actually I think it's like I we were both and I said it probably two months ago when the three of us were texting and was like, Man, I I promise I'm not gonna get on and just say I'm busy 'cause like I'm busy every freaking day. Like that's just how it is. So, you know, it's just getting back to normal life and getting back into the flow of things and I've enjoyed the the relationships that we have created. You know, I'm obviously gotten a lot closer with you over the past year. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: I was already close with Marcus, but now that he's in the fold, like the three of us text almost every other day, it feels like about random stuff. my relationship with Colin has gone a lot stronger. I mean, now we're working out together and you know, playing golf and we talk about other things. So it's like the relationships that have come out of it have also been a great thing. Nice little byproduct. Jason: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And that's great because, you know, I've always I've always been a lone wolfer. so it is kind of nice to fall back with you guys, have conversations like the girls have the girlfriends, you know, like I had didn't have a lot of guys to bounce stuff off that are in the same spectrum as, you know, life or passions that I have. Like of all my other friends and people that I've had in the past, none of them were serious about golf. And so, okay, well, that's off the table. you know, woodworking and things like that, I don't do it a ton, but I do enjoy it. Like getting the saws out and creating something, there's not a and I'm not gonna join these community groups for that stuff. I'm just like I'm not into that. so how this organically kind of just folded into place fell into place and it's just yeah, this is fantastic. And then you know, in today. You know, like my relationship with Don has gotten a lot closer. Like he's our neighbor now and you know, we're hanging out, we're using his pool, you know, getting together. And so that's been a great relationship that's built up. and it all started with golf for us, like two years ago. Like he was needing help to kind of how to structure a tournament, like how to go about it. And from there it just kind of took off. Alex: Yeah. Yeah, the you know it's funny, the relationships with golf they last. you know, Casey used to joke when I was playing someone, she was like it's like you make a new friend every time you go play. And and that's kinda how it is. Like you you play together and you get to talk to someone for three, four hours. it just gives you a good chance to know someone when you're stuck sitting in a cart with them for that long, regardless if you know them or not. And obviously I have my buddies and you're kind of one of them now, like Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: We get in a car and we might talk about nothing for four hours. We might talk about a lot in four hours. it kind of is what it is. But when you really get put with a stranger for four hours, like you're gonna talk. It's unless you're just an awkward person that just sits there and stares. Jason: I can't do that. I'm just like I need to just break the eyes, have a convers a basic conversation. Alex: Yeah, like it's it it's impossible to just like sit there. So like it it's been it's been a great great endeavor. I've really, really enjoyed it. you know, and you say like the audience maybe isn't as big. I would also argue that it's bigger than I would have expected. I mean I honestly I I didn't know like when we took this on and we said we were gonna do it weekly, it was like, Okay, this is either gonna be like a massive flop or Jason: It's true. Alex: It's gonna be great. And I I think it kind of just fell right in the middle, like, look, we have a stable base, fifty-fifty of family versus randoms, I think. And it is what it is. And you know, I I think when I flipped a switch on my head going into the spring, and it's like, we're doing this for us. Like, we're doing it just to banner talk. It's our it's our guy time kind of. I stopped caring about the analytics and I stopped even looking at that and I was like, if it's gonna catch, it's gonna catch, right? Jason: Yeah, I remember that in the beginning you were you were so hard on the numbers and I'm just like, man, I just I just wanna have fun with this and then see how it kinda takes off or stays steady. Alex: Yeah, just had other things happen. I was like, you know what? We're just gonna go. And like I said, we rolled Marcus in. It just became that lighthearted, like, cool. We're if people are gonna find us relatable, they are and that's awesome. there he is. Jason: You say hi? And say hi to Mr. Alex. Alex: Hey, Miles. Jason: Okay. All right. Yeah, go to bed. See you next Okay. yeah, I think it's just natural how it all just kind of I think just flows. I kinda always I know I'm glad we have an agenda. We're kind of getting and we've kind of slowly got back to a little bit of topics, but I always coined it as like we're the signfield of podcasts, the show about nothing. Like we literally just jump on and just Alex: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Jason: Guy time it. Just go with it. Alex: Yeah, and it's great to have that. And I think you know, it's great to touch base on the things that that matter. kind of getting back to some of those parent conversations that we started this all over anyways, and that being that vulnerable, that vulnerable parent, you know, and keeping it at least keeping it somewhat somewhat grounded. So that's where I'd like to see it go over the next, you know, future, near future, six months, twelve months, whatever it ends up being. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: you know, we're just gonna take this a and go with it. but I'd like to I'd like to see that a little bit more. We gotta get back into IGP too. I've been talking a bit about that and schedules have just been a little bit tough, especially with his newborn. Jason: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then kind of to the last point there about this whole thing, it's also allowed me to kind of have some different avenues of how to talk to other people, just open up conversations. And I played, you know, last Friday at Ocala just as a little practice round. I just went there by myself and got paired up with an eighty year old guy. and we just started talking. Guy was his name's Terry. His wife passed A few years ago, and then he remarried, and his new wife pays for his Ocalo membership and all like, that's very nice. And you know, he joked, it's like, well, maybe you just don't want me in the house. And I was like, well. but yeah, he worked for American Airlines. He moved out here because of his first wife, stayed here, Boston native, or Massachusetts native, I should say. I don't if he was in Boston. Red Sox Die Hard and Alex: Might be the case. Jason: His claim to fame when he was about, I think, five to seven years old, he shook Ted Williams' hand. Alex: that's cool. Jason: And so it's it's yeah, I mean, golf can bring out a lot of cool things, conversations, talking to people. Yeah. So it's it's great. Alex: Yeah, I mean, two things I'm gonna touch on. one, exactly what you just said. We were we have a presentation tomorrow for work, for a PID that we had put in. and one of the guys, you know, and I think some of it comes with just the nature of my position in the company, and the fact that we've done presentations before. But he was like, You and my boss, he's like, Y'all two are like naturals, like you're great at. Great at this. And like I said, I've obviously done presentations. So there's a there's a part to that where as this individual said that this is maybe his second or third presentation. So he's still new to it. But then you also think it's like, well, I get on a camera and mic once a week for the past year. Like you kind of start to learn how to flow in a conversation. And like I can look at our outline, but also be filling in the gaps and talking about other things. I don't need, you know, I don't need the notes right in front of me, like some people. And so there are some life skills that we've definitely learned through this past year. I mean, even like I remember listening to a first couple episodes and there were like filler words that I would use, and I was like, God, like how has someone not punched me? Like this is ridiculous. Like, why? And like you then you start to focus on that and you fix that, and then you realize you're doing something else, and it kind of just kept going. so it's great. I mean, you've learned a lot about myself. Jason: Okay. You do. just I mean, even being on camera. Like, you know, both of us were just like, We're on camera. It's kinda weird. Even though I don't see, you know, the same. I mean, I just don't see it the same anymore. I don't know how many people watch us versus listen to us, but Alex: Well I don't either, but I think it's funny too. Like, I think it's hard. I think I did this like early on, maybe four or five months in. Like, I ended up FaceTiming you because I was like, it's weird like talking to you on the phone, because now like we're always on camera when we're talking. it's out of texting. So like when we get on the phone, it's like I'd rather FaceTime. But the other thing I was gonna say, I did pull up our analytics just because I was curious. we were just in one country. we are in Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Over the past seven days, s ten countries. Jason: I picked this up. Alex: Vietnam, Hong Kong. I guess I shouldn't just say countries, they're cities. Brazil, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Japan, Ukraine, Pakistan, and Germany. Germany has been a longstanding one. They're they're they've been our international stronghold for for the better part of four months, I think. but hey, we got Vietnam now. So I mean, we're moving up, right? Jason: Hey, what did we joke about the other day? Everything seems to be Asia or Europe before it gets big in the US. It's kinda like in sync, Backstreet Boys, BTS. It was all big overseas and then it finally grabbed hold in the US. Alex: Yeah, exactly. So I mean, I'm not gonna say we don't. Like I it it's hard to say that the audience isn't what we thought it would be because I never would have thought that we were gonna have listeners in Hong Kong. Like it's so there's good to it as well, is all I'm saying. Jason: Hey, I'm telling you, if we go to Germany, we gotta wear scrambling dad stuff and hit major hotspots and just see if somebody I recognizes it. Alex: Mm-hmm. That would actually be really funny. you know, I might just end up might just end up staying in Germany if that's the case. Jason: Mm-hmm. hilarious if you're not either one of us or both of us if were in Germany we were wearing our scrambling dad stuff and someone like recognizes it. Alex: Yeah, that would that'd be a good one. I'd get kick out of that. So it it's been good. you know, we've I think it's I think it's been a lot of good, a lot of learning. And now we get to go into year two with a fresh set of perspective and some new goals. but you know, we we we talk a lot about this, we talk a lot about golf. So let's talk about the open championship. Royal Burkdale. Fun fact I believe to get the royal name, you have to have like a member of the royal family as like your some something within the club. That's how you get the royal distinction. Jason: Instead of like Saint Andrew's or whatever the other I don't even know what the other Carnusti. Yeah, you have to have a royal lineage as a ke member, board member or something. Alex: Yeah yeah, something like that. Something like that. Jason: Interesting. So what so would it just be called Berkdale course? Alex: I believe so. If I'm correct. I heard that fact the other day. and I I thought it was really interesting. I'm trying to read while I'm not gonna do that right now. I'll look it up and I'll fact check myself, but I want to say I heard that stat the other day. I was like, okay, that's kind of cool. Like so so anyways, Royal Burkdale. Jason: Wow. What does Otis say? Yeah. Alex: hasn't hosted since Jordan Speith won in twenty seventeen. Jason: That I knew. Yep. Alex: So and they've done a redesign of what holes like five, fourteen, and fifteen, I think. from what I what I was researching today. so it'll be interesting. I know I've been on Instagram a little bit today, not much. I was with that meeting prep or for that presentation tomorrow. I was in a pretty much presentation prep for five, six hours today. so the little bit that I I was on during lunch, I saw that Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: Everyone is saying it is they've never seen it so brown and dried out. I think someone hit like a two hundred and ninety yard four iron. so it it it'll be it'll be interesting. I mean, it's always gonna be that weather. So that weather tied up with firm and fast is gonna make it really interesting. Jason: That's gonna be r and you know, it it's no surprise. Like when we were in Italy, Rosie who joined us, she lives in Scotland and Scotland, you know, you're talking way up north and they were getting ninety degrees or warmer for almost a week straight. No AC, 'cause that you know, that that's not a thing for them. So it doesn't surprise me that it's burnt out. Alex: Yeah. Mm. Yeah, just 'cause they're not used to watering that much. Jason: I mean, yeah, I mean I don't know what the irrigation system is like over there, but it that's Alex: Well, the open is always I mean, it's it's a link seat style. It's always been a little firm and fast, but maybe not to not to this extent, yeah. Jason: To be brown, they browned out. Yeah. That's like what's the one they the Connapoli in Hawaii, they stopped going there because the that facility just and the which is weird too, because Hawaii is tropical. There's always storms and stuff, but why it it's gotten so bad is ridiculous. Alex: Uh-huh. Yeah, and I mean I don't it's always interesting. The the open always brings out a totally different set of of players. Like I feel like you can watch any of any of the majors. The masters. Generally, who is going to win one is in the top twenty in the world. I don't think there's many people that have won that were not in the top twenty in the world at the time. and two, generally it's someone that has played multiple masters. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: The PJ Championship, I feel like it can always kind of be a crapshoot. But at the same time, like if we go back and look at the last five years, has there really been a PJ champion that you're like a way out of left field? I don't think so. I'd have to go remind myself of who's really won over the past five, ten years. But like you had Shoffley, right? You had Scotty has won a PJ Championship, JT Jason: Mm-hmm. No. Mm-hmm. Alex: Has won one within the past five years. You know, we always had Brooks and Bryson up in that same, same conversation. I just don't think it's anyone that like you're shocked about. Then the US Open is kind of the one that you're like, okay, this can kind of be whoever's just having a good week, kind of like JJ Spawn. Great, great golfer, but you're never gonna like go to a major and be like, you're you're the guy. But then you get to the open and it's a whole different criteria of golfer that wins because it's someone that can play in the wind, someone that has creativity on their shots. You know, you had Harman that won that one year with his 37 waggles, kind of out of left field. But over overall, like you had Cam Smith, right? Like it's always been people that you Jason: Yeah, that was out on left field. Ich Alex: knew would probably do well at a tournament like that. so you take you take all that and now you make it firm and fast like a US Open. And you have to deal with the weather that they're getting with the wind and rain that you typically see during this week. It'll be interesting. And I have no clue what the forecast is there with this heat wave. Jason: Mm-hmm. No, I know I think they're getting blasted again with another round of just like higher heat. But the win will be there. No, that's for a fact. Yeah, I was thinking about it's like even Wyndham Clark. It's like he's a good player, but you know, for him now to get two US opens does speak highly about his game or the style of game that he's comfortable with. So there is a possibility he could be up in the mix with the open. Alex: Yeah, it's so I'm looking at the forecast. it's highs of like low eighties to mid seventies with anywhere from fourteen to twenty five mile an hour wind and like twenty percent chance of rain. So I mean it's honestly a pretty moderate week. Like it's almost like I said, outside of like extreme heat, it's almost playing like a US Open. Jason: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I I think it's gonna be I don't wanna say like a no one. I think it's gonna be someone who's one on tour for sure. Obviously it's not gonna be the anybody like totally out of left field. I I think it's gonna be kind of a kind of a staple name. I think who's gonna come away with this. Alex: Well, who who do you who do you got? Like who Jason: It's hard to say one. So I I wanna say I think Sam Burns has a chance to be up there. I really want Fowler or Fleetwood because both of them do play well. They just haven't been able to close it out on the open. I don't think Rory or Scotty are gonna be in the mix. I think Scotty's got some other issues that are starting to haunt him. Alex: Well, I want circle back to Scotty. so so so two things then. the last 10 open championship winners, I wanted to look that up. starting in 2016, Henrik Stenson, not surprising, right? Jordan Spie, Molinari, you can say is a little surprising at Carnusti. Shane Lowry, not surprising. Colin Warakawa Kawa Jason: Yeah, we'll do that. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Alex: Cameron Smith, Brian Harmon, we talked Xander Shoffley and Scotty Scheffler. So to our point, like two of those names on there are like, okay, that's kind of out of left field. But outside of that, like it's I don't know. Like they're names that you wouldn't not think of. Like, okay, yeah, I could see them winning. the the top of the favorites this week, we have Xander up there. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: Fitzpatrick and Fleetwood are both sitting at some pretty good odds right now. John Rom actually is up there. Rory. And then Scotty is still your favorite this week. Jason: Think they get points for being number one. I mean, he missed the cut, he's been close, but his whole year has been a little rocky, I would think. Just like he's missed early in the season, he almost missed a couple of cuts, but he turned it around, make the cut barely, and then he turned it around Saturday and Sunday and was in contention, I think, in a couple of them. Alex: Y yeah. I'd agree. Yeah, it it's interesting. you know, we said we were gonna talk a little mental game here. So it's like when you look at Scotty, he missed the cut last week and it was his first cut to miss in seventy-eight starts. which is which is amazing. Like that that's great. But you do that, you turn around and you're still the favorite in a in the last championship or major of the year. I mean It's gotta show that everyone thinks that his mental state is pretty good. Like he always has seemed to shake off bad rounds or bad tournaments pretty quick. but like what does it take to be able to to be able to do that? To be able to shake it off and come back prepared and ready to go. Jason: I don't know. I mean, obviously that's why these guys are at this level. And even then it's like you see these guys collapse or struggle. Alex: Yeah, no, you do. And it's so it's hard. And Scotty turned thirty. so I mean he's twenty years older. He's twenty years older than than my son. But even like my son has been testing or did test for the alpha program with the GT. and he didn't end up getting in. And man, his mind like immediately went to like Well, I'm just not smart enough, or I'm not this or I'm not that. And I was like, well, dude, like, let's not focus on the negative. Like, let's be, let's be positive. And you see this all the time in in kids' sports. And, you know, as you and I were kind of texting, what are we going to talk about today? This was kind of something that was front and foremost in my head because as we ramp back up for the baseball season that starts in, you know, all of three weeks, and we're gonna get back into practices and all this stuff, like you even look at kids at, Are still like hanging their head when they strike out. And it's like it's just hard because the mental side just gets bigger and bigger. Like I feel like when you're five, six, yeah, you might get mad that you miss the ball on the tier or whatever, but you're almost out there for the fun of it. And take even the beginning of this conversation for us. Like, I am such a operational, like focused person, and I that I need key performance indicators and I need metrics. And that's why I was getting into all the analytics early on of okay, what do we need to be doing better? How can we pivot? And like, but we're just starting. Like you got to build that baseline first, right? And I think everyone's mind just goes that. So you have to like remind yourself like it's just a game or it's just a it's just a podcast where it's on for fun. and even to Scotty to some extent, like it's just one bad cut, like it's just one bad tournament. I I missed one cut and seventy-eight starts, like you just shake it off and you go play the next one. It like it takes a lot of mental fortitude to be able to do that. And I it's hard to build those reps. Jason: It almost thinks like I you know, he can come out firing and blow the field away because even though it's like these guys always say, I don't think about that, I don't think about like you're human. You think about these stats, these these numbers, and now that it's done, he could be free, a little more freeing. Like Rory, he he won the masters again because he didn't panic. He knew what to do in the position at the time. Alex: yeah. I was just about to say that. Jason: For the course and played it smart and Scotty can come out and now be a little bit freer and maybe focus on a little bit different things that I maybe that have been haunting him in a swing. I I've heard announcers say he doesn't look as sharp with some of his movement and I don't know what it was, but I ca I know they've talked about it. So maybe this gives him that opportunity to just like, okay, pressure of the cut streak is over. I can now like just go with it. Alex: Yeah. Yeah, the crazy thing, I I guess it's really any sport, but I'll I'll focus it on golf. The crazy thing about golf is like the more you hyper focus on the part that you're struggling on, the more it bleeds into everything else. So I remember I did the Dallas Amateur Championship probably four or five years ago now. And my first round was abysmal. and it was all due to my putting. Like I could not make a putt outside of a foot. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: Like it was ridiculous. And as as you lose that confidence, you know, the first, and this is at Trinity Force. I don't if you've ever played there, but you know, it's a field ranch style. Like it's it's a not an easy course, not a tough course. Kind of it's a it's that Lynxy kind of it has a lot of natives. but the Greens have modulations and I mean they're they're playing them quick. And this is one of my first like true competitive rounds. Obviously, I did the qualifier to qualify for it. Jason: Mm mm. Alex: But like this is my true, like real competitive round in a while. And my butting just went to crap. Like it was terrible. And as that lingered, no holes four or five, six, okay. I missed a three-footer, I missed a five-footer, I missed a two-footer, I missed what I thought would be a tap in. And now you're sitting at, you know, five, six, seven over, and you're like, what the heck am I doing? Like, how am I not making these putts? Then you're like, I need to start being more aggressive on. My lines on the approach. And then your margin for error gets smaller and smaller. And then it's like, well, my approach game can't get there. So I need to hit driver where I shouldn't be hitting driver because I need to pick up as much distance as possible to put a closer club in my hands or shorter club in my hands. And you keep all of your decisions stem from one part of your game. So for a pro, I I can imagine they they had their fields are a lot better than ours. But If they're hitting balls and they're like, I'm spinning these back too much, I need to I need to lay off, I'm gonna pick extra club, but you don't have that feel, maybe your now your yardages are off a little bit or this or that and it all bleeds into each other. So keeping that confidence and keeping that mental game, it's it's hard. Jason: Yeah. yeah, to your point. Friday I played, I think I was striking it the best I have. I can't even remember how long. and so I'm like, okay, everything's good, rolling, felt good going into day into our little charity thing today. And early on it was okay. but didn't get to warm up. didn't know the range was actually open. They didn't say anything. Everything was all set up outside. So we're assuming like range was closed because we had heavy rains, and that's how they usually set up. And so literally just walked out and just started going, you know. So trying to get the fuels from the start. and you know, shotgun start, we had us on 16 long par three. so there was things that just weren't in sync and flow. And then one of the biggest hiccups I started just like you know, hyper focusing on, like you said, was like I just wasn't getting my timing was bad. And so like all my wedges, like practice swings were great, brushing in, looking at the low point. All right, everything's good. Just moved lateral just to get right behind the ball. Every almost every time I was six like six six inches behind the ball. Just hitting them fat. I'm just Alex: Uh-huh. Jason: So I was getting hyper focused, frustrated on that. And then drivers were still in play, but man, I was just like catching them low on the face. They were just like line drives, still in play, but nothing. I mean, it was a completely different game that I was playing, and that irritated me. And I just started spinning my wheels. And then I couldn't even like I just could not find a putt today. Like the greens were just fast. Alex: Yeah. Jason: I couldn't get a pace. if I got the line, I was short. But then when I tried to add a little pace to it, I blew it past the hole. But I mean, I missed it by like grazing the hole. And it's just so I was just really starting to beat myself up in the head because I know I can play better, strike it better, and it just the wheels just came off. Not like bad, but it just just things were just not working. Alex: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and I think, you know, i it's tough. And I haven't put myself in a position to feel that pressure. really all year. I mean, I've played two logged rounds this year and I think two scrambles, maybe three scrambles. So I just haven't put that in. But even like even doing the stuff with Colin, we said it I think two weeks ago. Like he texted me today and was like Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: you're in trouble tomorrow. And my response back to him was one of those gifts. I was like, Do I get extra points of act like I care? Like I just I was like, I I don't care. you know, I'm I'm gonna focus on on my game. And even when him and I are hitting and like I hit a bad shot, like he'll be talking to me about, your tempo's this, your tempo's that, or or he'll he'll be one and like help me almost fix it. And I've had to look at him and be like, I'm not worried. Like it'll come back, like I don't play as much as I used to. Like it it's all gonna come back and you know, we've talked about it. Let I think, you know, I put so much into golf, especially when I was in between jobs, because I wasn't getting any validation anywhere else, right? Because I wasn't working, that like that was my hyper focus and it was great. Yeah, cool. I became I I reached all the goals I thought I wanted to as far as being a golfer, other than qualifying for like the US midamp. Like obviously that would have been nice, but Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: I got to a plus handicap. I I saw my full potential. but now it's like, I don't care. And it in some ways it's made me a better golfer because I don't care. And like if I have a bad shot, I shake it off pretty fast. And it's that memory of a goldfish. In some ways, I think it's I gotta balance it out. Like I need to care a little bit. Like it's it's still it still matters, which is where I think the two V two shamble would will be good for me because it'll get that kind of competitive juices going again. Jason: Mm-hmm. Yeah, so that's I think that's part of I took today too. I like Friday, I was like, I'm gonna focus on ball striking and stuff like that. And that was my intent. Play with the like I said, the old elder elder, elder both guy. And it was just us two. and it was just easy, but I can focus on my stuff. But then today, I you know, it I think we've talked about it, the scrambles, you know, it's like, maybe these other guys can help bail us out and You know, there's no real goal here because, you know, we're not gonna be shooting stupid low, which by the way, it was like fifteen or sixteen under that won this thing at El Dorado. And you're like, cu come on, really? Like the the it's so funny how these guys just like kind of start shaving stuff somehow. I don't know. Alex: Uh-huh. Yeah well and that's that that so yeah. Jason: That's why I didn't take it serious and that's why I was like that also hurt me in in some regard. Alex: It's the annoying dichotomy of playing in a scramble these days is like, especially in I don't know the other two guys you play with. Obviously, I know Don. so I don't know the caliber of the guys. But I'm imagining you were probably the best player in the group, given that I know Don. so it's like when you're I'm gonna say the A or B player in a scramble, you have these situations where it's like you are trying to carry the load because everyone expects you to carry the load. But You also kind of know, like, if I'm the best player in the group, this probably isn't gonna go well. D especially depending on some of the other people in the group. So it's like, are we really playing for anything? And then at that point you're like, I don't care, but I do care because there's people, and that's where I get into it. Like when I play with random people and they hear my handicap, that gets in my head more than it gets in their head. Cause I'm like, shit, now they're gonna have an expectation of me. Like, I gotta play to my standard. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: And especially now when I'm not touching my clips that much, I'm just not playing to my standard. Like I'm probably playing four or five strokes less than what that is right now. I mean, it is what it is. So it's like that mental game of just like caring but not caring, like just going out and like just remembering that the best hitters in the world bat 300, 350, right? They're they're not they're not making every at bat count. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: They're not always getting on base. I mean, it's the same thing. I mean, if if golf was easy or easier, these guys a US Open would be under par more often than it's not. There were what six guys under par this last US Open, five guys under par. Golf isn't easy. No sport is easy. And we just have to remind ourselves that like it's okay. It it's okay to fail and get back to it. Jason: Think so. It's yeah, it's tight. Yeah. I think I think it's just I was being more of a navigator because I know the course, like know where the misses are, and I was try I think I was trying to control the swing and placement versus just trust the swing, knowing where I was supposed to hit it or miss it. but yeah, Dawn's great. And then we actually play with one of his Marine buddies. He's a pretty good golfer, like he he's like he can hit bomb it pretty good. Alex: Mm-hmm. Jason: not like consistent at all, but you know, he would like if those two wanted to like jump on, like that's another two sets of dads in different parts of their life and careers. Both love golf. So, you know, those are other opportunities. Alex: I I'd I'd love to get Don's I'd love to get Don's story. He's he's a he's just every time I see him and he he's just a drill sergeant marine. Like you just like he doesn't need a microphone to speak to a group, like that booming voice and you're like, okay. I I'd love to get his life story. But I mean it's it's just it all goes down to like and this is where I think the mind my mind is. So I I need to put it to test on a course. I told this to both my sons after the whole Jason: Yeah. No. Alex: didn't make it into GT thing. and both of them were in the room. So I'm talking to both of them. I was like, guys, look, like at the end of the day, like I obviously have high aspirations for y'all. I have high aspirations for where I want my golf game to be. I have high aspirations for everything I do. Hence looking at metrics and wanting family dads to be like I have goals. But at the end of the day, I don't care what you want to do. You can go be a garbage man for all I care. All Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: I want from you is you're gonna be the best damn Gargeman there is. Like that's all that matters to me. You're gonna put the effort in at no matter what you want, because you care and you're gonna do your best. And that's all it comes down to. It's like if I go out and play, like I'm going to tomorrow morning with Colin, and if he wipes my butt in whatever match we play, I'm gonna look back and say, Did I play the best that I could? Okay. And if I did and he beat me, it is what it is. I move on. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: Goldfish and move up. Like we just go to the next round. Jason: And you know, you and I have been around this game long enough. Like us, the pros, everybody. You go it goes through phases. Like you can be super hot for a week or a couple of days or rounds and then everything goes to crap for a couple of months 'cause you're starting to fight it and then it comes back around and then I think it's just the biggest thing is try to minimize it so the errors are not so big. You can learn from it, still have fun, you know, all the best people in the world. whatever field you're talking about, probably and they'll admit it, they have failed way more than they have actually succeeded. It's just when they succeeded, they just hit the big succeed. Alex: Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. And I so I all of that plays exactly into what Ben and I talked about in my last lesson, right? We sat down and just looked at a presentation of mental games. And it really, I know you've heard the term think box, play box. But there's also the memory box part of that. and it goes back to even when you're introducing kids to golf, right? They say to end on a good note, like if your kid wants to play three holes, but then they just want to. They're kind of done playing and they want to go have ice cream in the pro shop with their dad or mom, whoever it is, go do that. Like make it a good memory because it makes them want to come back. So, like, we're talking about the Thinkbox play box. And for those listeners that don't necessarily know what those are, like Thinkbox is I'm thinking about my shot, I'm visualizing my shot, I'm standing behind the ball. And it's kind of like the Jason Day, like he's Visualizing his eyes are closed, he's holding his club, he's whether he's looking at his line, and all players kind of have their version of this. But that's your think box. When you enter the play box, you're now focused. You have your physical eye looking. Maybe you do your waggles, maybe you do your rehearsal swings, whatever it is. But when you set the club behind the ball and your physical eye is looking at a dimple on the back of the ball, which is why Bridgestone made that little eye on on their ball. Jason: Mm, mm-hmm. Alex: You're focusing on something minute because you're taking all of your focus with your eye to focus on that, all of your energy, and what they call your mind's eye is focused on the target. So I'm visualizing what I was looking at in the think box with my with my brain. And I'm physically looking at the golf ball. So now I'm using all of my cognitive abilities on those two things. So I can't think about what does my swing need to look like? What do I need to do for a takeaway? What's my trigger? What's this? What's that? You have your play box and then you hit your shot. And if it's a good shot, you know, that's where you get the club twirls. That's where you get the you're but you're putting it in your memory box now. Like you're you're kind of on your follow through, you're sitting there, you're visualizing, you're watching it do the exact line. If it doesn't go right, you have some players like a Jim Fuhrer where if it was swing based, he would do another rehearsal swing before he put his club away. So his last interaction with that club was good. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: It was a good feel, you would put it in the bag, move on. So it's like you have that memory box that really dials in the feel afterwards. And if you did everything right, right, like you you feel like you swung the club well and didn't end up with the outcome you want, that's when you start thinking, Okay, did I judge the lie properly? Did I judge the win properly? You know, it there's all these little things. Did I pick the wrong club? There's all these things that you can then break it down. Cause if I know I did everything right mentally, I know it was either a swing or an outside influence. And that's kind of what Ben and I spent a full hour talking through exactly this of how do you properly prepare in think box? What are you thinking about? How are you doing that? How do you move into the play box and do your proper little rehearsal swings? And then obviously how you memorialize the shot. Even to the extent of Matt Fitzpatrick, he documents every shot he's ever taken. He has all those journals. It's the exact same content you know, concept. It's just different ways to implement it. I'm not a journaler, so I'm not gonna be one to put it in a journal. but I do like the thought of like even when I'm practicing some with with Ben and I'm really working on that extension, before I drop the club, I'll put my wrists and my arms in the position that I want it. Maybe I chicken winged it here. I'll now push my arm out and I'll act like I finished in the right spot. So my body learns this is where it needs to be. Then you do it again. And it's like it's just those mental reps as much as the physical reps that matter. Jason: Yeah, I mean that's the that's the thing that you just hit on. I was just realizing it in between the two rounds I had Friday, my thought process was more fluid. It was just smooth and then I didn't sw think about my swing as much. But today it was completely opposite. I was thinking about my swing, my mechanics, where my hands. And that is something I you know, that's part of what I need to figure out. Being comfortable, obviously, Oak Hollow is very easy for me because in the sense that I know where everything is. Like I know where to play. I if I miss it, I know where I'm gonna miss it. and there's this a little air of confidence that you're just like, I got this. And so you s that's one less thinking part. Like today, you know, the course is tight and you gotta hit these specific spots and then it's like makes it a little bit harder. So yeah, I just kind of getting back to like try to visualize it, just keep it simple and then just focus on like very minute things. And just like you said, don't care where everything else is back here, as long as you know you're getting back to here and finishing where you need to be. It should take care of itself. Alex: Yeah, and it it's it's just really understanding that it all plays a role together, like the mental and the physical. And you know, I'm I'm gonna argue that golf is maybe one of the very few sports that you are truly separating the physical and the mental focus, right? Baseball, I'm looking and thinking about the pitcher that's about to pitch me the ball or tracking down a fly ball. You know, maybe being a quarterback, right? Is a little bit different because physically I might be looking over here, but mentally I'm I know I'm actually gonna throw to this guy that's about to make this cut, but I can't look at him or they're gonna know exactly where I'm going. So I mean, yeah, you have some aspects of other sports that that have that, but I think golf is one of the few that you are on every single shot intentionally separating your physical and mental focus. And that is just it it's Jason: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Alex: Hard, it's hard. And then you add that you have so much in your swing, and it's just but you said a great thing as far as like a course. When you play the same course over and over, we touched on it with the Augusta aspect of people that win at Augusta are usually people that have played it multiple times, and that's because you take away the mental focus on the course. Because most of these guys now, okay, I know my shot shape, I know my dispersion, I know the lines. Once you know those three things as a pro, it's kind of like what they say like if a pro gets a read on a putt, there's a really good chance they're gonna make that putt because they know their abilities, they know their speed control, they know their putt or stroke. Like they're probably gonna make the putt if they see it. It's the same concept. You take out the variables of everything, and now it's just wind and weather. Yeah, of their mental focus is almost nothing. And they're solely just focused on hitting the ball. It's like they're at the range. Jason: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, that's just it. And that's why I think a lot of people say, I hit so well at the range, is because yeah, you you aren't stressing or thinking about the course. You're not thinking about a score. And that sometimes the best golf I've played is when I've went out years ago bef before I was taken it even more seriously and just try to, you know, just go out and have get a day of golf, no score and you swing freer because you're like, I don't care about score. You know, just hit it. Alex: You know, th my best round that I ever shot was at Westridge. And it was on a day that it had just rained and more rain was about to come. And I played by myself. Like no one was on the course. I was able to play my pace on a course that I know very well. and it had just rained, so it was soft greens. And I was just it was kind of like they I I'm blinking on the term, but you're in that flow state. That's the term. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: Like I was just in that flow state of I got to my ball, I'd hit my ball, I move on, and it was almost like I could do no wrong. Like even my bad shots were ending up great. I was knocking in putts from twenty feet away. It's like everything just seemed to be going right. You get that flow state, and it's like, okay, cool, cool, cool. And like I there was a point that I think I was I wanna say I was like two over with six to go and then I ended up birding like four in a row. And it was like Jason: Mm-hmm. Decent, yeah. Alex: Just one after the other, after the other, after the other. And you're like, wow, okay, I'm actually putting a good round together. And it's just that mental focus was extremely clear. I knew my lines, I knew the shots, and given how soft the greens were, I was like, I was able to commit to I wasn't worried about a bad bounce. I wasn't worried about it spinning, like the ball was just sitting 'cause of how soft it was. And it just kind of worked out. So it's the mental side of it is Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: The limiter. And I have had this conversation with the kids, like, you know, trip. I'll get on to him all the time. We'll play basketball or whatever sport we're playing at the house. And then I'm like, You gonna beat me today? No, I'm not gonna beat you today. Like, I'm not as good as you was like, well, not with that mindset. Like, anyone can beat anyone on any given day. Like, it it doesn't really matter. I could have a really bad day. You could have a really good day. If those days happen to match up on the same day. Guess what? You could win. Like you gotta have that mindset of like, I'm gonna win today. Jason: Yeah, you always go out there and take get after it, like it yeah, anything. So yeah, the the defeat mindset or lack of confidence is kind of a high, you know, or an issue in a lot of people these days. Alex: It is, I think, and this is probably a conversation for another time, but I think a lot of social media, right? You're you're given, and we talked about this with the parenting concept last week, like you're given this like a social guideline for what you what you think you need to be as a parent of throwing these extravagant parties and this and that. And like if you're not meeting that standard, you're not good. So I think I think the social media has definitely hurt. I think there's some validity to like everything is just a lot more competitive. Like we just have a lot of really good golfers. You have a lot of really good baseball players. You have a of really good football players. Like everyone specializes so early. Where like I was having that conversation today at at Grayson and Tripp's age at ten, eleven, I was still playing multiple club sports. Like I wasn't playing just one. I was playing baseball. I was playing hockey at some point in their ice hockey. I was playing soccer. Like I was still Doing a little bit of everything. I was a jack of all trades, king of none type deal. But now it's like you're specializing so early. So these kids are so good when they get to a certain level. So it is very competitive. So I don't want to take away like it's not just social media telling us that you have to be better. Like there is some validity to you do have to be better than you did 15 years ago to succeed. But it doesn't mean you have to be hard on yourself. Like you can get there, just put the effort in. 1% better every day. Jason: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Put the work. Put in the work. Alex: Yeah. So it's just it's just put that effort. But that's where, you know, you you roll in who is gonna who's gonna turn around and be good this week. And everyone can talk about Scotty and say, well, he missed a cut last week. I also don't know many times that he's has shot two back to back bad rounds. So I I don't know that I would bet against him to not win this week. Like he might come back pissed off and ready to go. Jason: Mm mm. Yeah. That's what I'm saying. Wheels are off. He can swing free. Alex: Well and he if I'm correct, I don't think anyone since Tiger has defended the open championship. Jason: Don't think so. Alex: So I mean Jason: Wait, did Tiger go back to pack? Alex: I think Tiger went back to I'd have to go back and look. I wanna say he did. Let me see here. I know I put some as I was researching, Jason: I think Shawley had a chance to go back to back the year after, I think, but then he slipped like second or third round. And then tried to come back. while you're doing that, I did look it up. So the royal is actually bestowed from the officiating or rec more current monarch. So essentially, King George would have to grant Saint Andrews as royal Saint Andrews. So he did it back in nineteen fifty one. King George the Sixth officially granted royal br or Alex: There we go. Okay. Okay. Jason: Burkdale its royal status at that time. Alex: Okay. So it had something to do with the royal family. I that's what I thought I heard. so that's that's an interesting fact. Jason: But yeah. Yeah, so it is royal it is royal base, so the the current monarch has to grant the title. But I don't is there any others? Or is Royal the only one? Alex: Royal what do you mean? Any other what? Jason: Like r is Royal Brickdale the o Brookdale the only Alex: No. No, there there's multiple royals. Jason: Okay. They just don't maybe use f in rotation with the open? Alex: no they do. Royal isn't it Port Rush? Isn't that Royal? Jason: I don't know. I just th I I people always just say the shorten the Brookdale port rush. They don't always I guess coin it when I hear it. Alex: See, I'm looking this up here. Burkedale, Liverpool, Lithum and St. Anne's actually. Yes, that is they played there. Port Rush, St. George's, which is where Morakawa won and Troon. They're all Royals. And Liverpool is Hoy Lake, so sometimes you hear hear it that way. Jason: Royal Troon. Okay, Royal Troon. Royal It's Hoyle Lake, but is it but it's not Royal Hoyle Lake, it's just Hoyle Lake. Alex: I think they just call it Hoy Lake. But yeah, that's Royal Liverpool. So there's six that are carrying the the Royal prefix right now. Jason: Okay. See, this was done in fifty one. I wonder how long ago those others were and if there's any a chance that any of these others would get it. Alex: yeah, I don't know. I I I Jason: I don't know if s I mean, you would think Saint Andrews would based on the history of it, or is that gonna be left alone because it's already Saint Andrews? Alex: Look, I don't wanna walk into that mess of Scotland and England and the monarchy. Like, I don't know if Scotland like if it's the monarchy that says you can like in the monarchy just over England, not the UK. So like Scotland might not really care if the monarchy gives them royal or not. So I I don't know. maybe we need to find a British a British native to come talk to us about this a little more specifically. But yeah, I I heard that and I thought it was interesting. Jason: 'Cause all those all the Yeah, 'cause all of these royals, they're in England, right? Alex: I I mean Saint George, Troon, Liverpool I know are, Burkdale, isn't that that's where they are this week. I don't know where that is, isn't that near London? I could be totally wrong. My geography on Jason: Assuming Where these courses are like sure. Alex: Yeah, it's like I've never really as much as England's not that big. no, it's not near London at all. It is it's in Southport, England on the north okay, this makes no sense. Southport, England on the northwest coast near Liverpool. So Southport is actually not South, it's northwest coast. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: This is why I don't know my English geography. It's very confusing. Jason: Okay, so I just found the full official list and St. Andrews is actually Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews by King William the Fourth. Alex: No, forget that. Jason: Royal status was eighteen thirty four. Alex: They just don't call it Royal St Andrews. Jason: Uh-uh. I there's almost every club over there is deemed royal. They just don't call it. We just know as St. Andrews or these other shortened names. Alex: Interesting. Interesting. Well, fun fact for the listeners. There you go. You got your lesson from us today. We did our job. Jason: Mm-hmm. Alex: okay. Well we'll see. I'm interested to see how how Scotty does. I always l love the open because I can listen to it on my drive to work. It's it's one of the few that like because the open, the US Open PGA Masters, it's always tough. Like Thursday, Friday. Like I don't really hear or follow anything until I get home. And by that time, like all of the rounds are done. the Open Championship is a little bit different. Jason: Yeah. Alex: Because it's always in the morning and I get to just put it on in the background while I'm answering emails or this or that and get to watch the the end instead of the beginning of people. cool. what else you got? Do you have anything? Jason: No, I think we're good. Alex: Yeah, that was all I had. so like we said, early on we I'm I'm working on getting us a little two v2 shambles to get the get the competitive juices going. We'll see where that goes. I know I got an email. I gotta meet link up with the club's media team because we have to sign the waivers for it. so I gotta I gotta handle all that stuff. mainly just 'cause We're gonna be talking about it and I'm sure we're gonna try to do some video on it. So if we can do it, it'll be a fun one because we will be playing from the major championship tease. Jason: What'd you sign me up for? Alex: Yeah. Yeah, we're we're gonna we're gonna play it from from the back and it's could it be interesting. so anyways, we're working on it and and this is you know, hopefully it all it all comes together, but it's with another two dads, one of which is a golf bro. and then the other's just a random guy like like us, right? He works in construction, likes to play golf, so it'll be fun. We'll get that ironed out hopefully, hopefully next week. otherwise, you know, happy, happy birthday to Marcus's wife. you know, it's like we said, happy birthday, happy birthday to us last week, but we talked about that and reflected on it today. So looking forward to seeing where this goes. we'll we'll try to make some changes here on bringing in some other people. Jason: my gosh. Alex: Gotta get back to IGP, so we'll we'll get back into the flow of things now that I think we we all got our feet under us. A little bit. Jason: Yeah, a little bit. Then I go back to work officially. Alex: Yeah, exactly. All right, sir. Well, as always, everyone, find us on YouTube, Amazon, Spotify, and what's the one I'm missing? I'm missing one. Apple, there we go. seven AM every Wednesday morning. Jason, we'll talk next week. See ya. Jason: Amazon, Apple, Spotify, YouTube. Yep. All right. Talk to you later.