MID-SEASON PODCAST: Ian Poulter

Ian Poulter joins our GM James Dunkley to talk about recent golf news, how our season has been so far, a look ahead to LIV UK at JCB and Ian answers some of the fans questions that they sent in via social media. #Golf #LIVGolf #IanPoulter #SeveBallesteros #BrysonDeChambeau

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this feels uh this feels very official to the other podcast them before got headphones and microphones and morning Jimbo lights and all sorts of stuff going on was stepping our game up you just you just broken it before we got started this uh this this two pound this two pound light very good very professional it’s been a while since we’ve done one of these and know Westy and Ole did one in when would that have been which tournament did I not come to Miami yeah Miami um but it’s it’s been a while since we’ve we’ve done one um there’s a lot happened since then to be honest we’ve had we’ve we’ve had we’ve had three weeks off we’ve had um the world of golf’s been tragically turned upside down last week we’ve had hadad’s leaving we’ve had oh it’s I mean it’s all going on where how are we going to fit it all in well I think this is this is one of the unique things about like our team environment is that most other professional sports teams are in each other’s pockets for constantly for at least half the year and probably more in most instances you know as much as anything it’s actually good to have formalized time to sit and catch up because you know we are not together all the time right we do we do 14 weeks a year and then we we one off and then we don’t see each other for two weeks we’re in the middle of a three- week offseason at the moment it’s actually going to be nice to to chat through a bunch of stuff well yeah there’s a lot to get through um in a short period of time and like anything we can always do 2.0 3.0 and still probably not not cover all the topics but um yeah let’s uh let’s dive in and see uh see how much we get done exactly all right let’s let’s crack on so I will apologize in advance for any foul language Ian unfortunately does like to swear every now and then but the idea of this conversation is that it’s as honest and as candid as it would be if we were just sitting having a chat so apologies in advance for any swearing or if we offend anybody that’s not the idea we’re truly just trying to give everybody a you know a real behind the scenes look at what it is we talk about what the Hot Topics um at this moment in time across across the business probably moving on to something that’s going to be a little bit more more somber of a topic which leads on from one to talk about what’s going on in the The Wider World of Golf right now I think unfortunately it kind of leads into a bit of a conversation around well-being player welfare things like that is unfortunately we’ve seen the the really tragic horrible news um in the last week about Grayson Murray unfortunately passing away and ultimately taking his own life as per the statement from his um from his parents which I’m sure we’ll get on to but I thought it was an unbelievable statement their gesture to carry on the tournament during the week was yeah probably yeah really really special they were able to do that and you know Scotty Sheffer and what happened to him obviously not directly comparable in any way but a big mental issue to deal with and handle I think it just raises this larger question around and something we arguably haven’t thought about enough as a as a team in any formal way is just the mental well-being of of our players when you think about these things that are going on I think you posted something this week about some comments that you were getting on social social media so I’m just just interested to talk about you know you’ve you’ve been doing this a long time and we have gone through some great times and some some difficult times how have you kind of managed to to deal with all of that stuff and the Advent of social media and bits and pieces like that yeah I you know first and foremost this last week has been extremely sad I think for um for the sport to lose you know Grace and Murray at such a young age to um you know to to obviously some some pretty bad mental health issues which you know we know he’s had a few struggles um you know through you know through the last 10 years and alcoholism um clearly um was not easy for him um you know he was he was fighting those demons for a while and seemed to have been you know and come through the worst of it um being successful winning winning this year um really seemed to have kind of really turned the corner and you know we all I guess would have imagined he would be in a in a in a great frame of mind um and I think this highlights everything that’s kind of wrong in certain Sports and and in the public eye because as much as we look in from outside and think everything’s okay and he looks happy and he’s winning tournaments and he’s saying the right things and explaining about his struggles and being open and honest I guess um I guess there was some underlying issue there which unfortunately has has you know reared its head and and unfortunately taken someone too quick so um it’s it’s a it’s a very sad time and I think it it always gives us and asks us that question why why did it happen how did it happen what could we have done any different um have we done a a good enough job as a sport to to try and stop anything like this happening um so I you know that there are always these questions that are going to get asked um and you know I I know Grayson I was um so you know I was texting him on social media um on Instagram after he won because it was I knew what he’d been through and I knew what that would have meant to him uh to be able to to win uh and and and be successful um but clearly to him having that level of success and what seems to everybody on the outside that that he was okay he wasn’t so um you know I feel I feel sad I feel sorry for the family I feel sorry that you know he’s left people behind um and it’s it’s truly tragic so I think I mean look well well said mate I think there’s a few interesting this is one of those topics that we could speak about for hours and hours I think there’s there’s a few interesting Conor things that enter my head or or questions is what always amazes me is that you know this this young man I think I can I can call him that was obviously dealing with some really really really difficult stuff um and what staggers me is that on one hand you’d kind of say like there’s some mental struggles and there some mental things kind of going on for him very very clearly but to have the mental fortitude strength to win a golf tournament when that is going on in your life is like that’s what staggers me but you know if I try and play golf and I got something I’m I’m absolutely toast so I think sometimes kind of realizing that even though it’s mentally stressful sometimes it can actually be an escape for for people right is that being on the golf course is I think you’ve said to me before actually when I get on the golf course even though that could argue be the most stressful thing that’s actually the least stressful thing because I I’m inside the robes no one’s bothering me I’m doing my thing yeah I I I’ve never really opened up personally I’ve always found it difficult to talk to some people so I I I get it you know I I I truly get why people don’t talk to people because I don’t want to make my problem their problem um which at times has got too much um and at times you know you feel everything’s everything’s against and you know it gets to certain certain points that I’ve had in my career where I just I just can’t play um everything’s a bit too much I need to hit a reset button but I get it it it’s it’s about not I think generally people don’t want to have their problems put on somebody else right and I think that’s that’s a that’s a bad situation to be in so I think I think you really have to have a a good group of group of people around you no matter what problems you have or I have or anyone has I just think sometimes it’s good to try and like pull like open the curtains and say right yeah what’s going on and as as tough and bulletproof as you as people think you are um and I’m going to put myself in a bracket of I I I put out a pretty confident Persona and that I’m quite tough but I handle I handle all the the same way everyone else handles the um I do take it personally I don’t like it you know I I I struggle yeah you you mentioned it earlier there was somebody this week that was not very nice um on a Facebook comment which really pissed me off it it just blows my mind how we how we have come to accept that um it’s okay to abuse or put poor comments or say certain stuff to certain people that that you wouldn’t say to their face and you know leaving that level of comment on social media I don’t think people understand um what dam that potentially can do or what advice would you give to other people what sort of coping mechanisms have you used over time that you would encourage people to use and then what do you think as a sport we could do more of or do differently to say it doesn’t bother me it does bother me otherwise I wouldn’t react the way I react to it I think and it’s as simple as this in and around you you you’ll only really have 10 friends right that you can really trust um those 10 friends are probably the best people you could talk to about it because they’re the ones you’re going to go out to dinner with they’re the ones you’re going to go out on holiday with they’re the ones that you’re really going to respect what they have to say to you their opinion they’re the only they’re the only ones that matter and your family right so you’ve got a small core network of people they are the only opinions you need to listen to and quite frankly whatever anyone else says like they don’t matter to you they they literally don’t matter it’s it’s a comment it’s irrelevant um yes it’s going to piss you off yes it’s going to upset you yes you’ll be offended I think all too often again it comes back to the phone piece right like speaking to someone right picking up the phone don’t leave the don’t leave the voice note yeah don’t send the text message yeah pick up the phone or even go meet for a beer I think you can’t be a good oldfashioned conversation to get some things off your chest I mean it sounds simple but in the world that we live in it’s so easy for people to kind of do it through a piece of technology you you just can’t you can’t replace a kind of well I today um and you know actually asking if someone’s okay you know are you okay is every you know is everything all right like how can you know how can I help or or um you know let’s let’s go and catch up and have a beer or let’s you know let’s go out for din like physically seeing someone talking to someone and actually seeing how they are I I don’t think happens enough I think we just get too used to close questions short texes um and we never really really really know how how people are I think it’s really interesting to have the chat appreciate your honesty I think that the advice you’ve given around seems overly simple sometimes right but speak to the people you trust be open get it off your chest learn your coping mechanisms but I think that’s that’s really good advice I mean just to close it up I think huge sympathies to Grayson Murray and his his family and um and in their kind of really difficult time and hope hope they kind of manage to cope with that as best they can and you know he’s his leg is that enables less people to have to suffer suffer some of those things so um Switching gears in from that sort of you know very serious challenging conversation um and thanks for all your honesty there I did want to talk about your golf game the season so far we’ve got a natural break in the season at the moment we’ve played Seven regular season events um we’ve had a three or four week kind of mini offseason that gives us a chance to you know take a step back back have a look see what’s happened which is always difficult to do during a season or in a week off or when when we’re specifically at tournament so with that being said I’m just interested to hear how you would assess your season so far how you’ve used this time over the last two or three weeks to to look at what’s been going on it’s been a bit of a roller coaster to be honest um you know we I think got off to a reasonable start started to Drive the ball very well that was one of the key key things we spoke about the back end of last year was um to work on certain aspects of the game to to give us more opportunities um you know if we could hit two more Fairways around uh that would be a very good position to be in um you know ball strike in Iron play um was another aspect we we did a very good job in Las Vegas um T to green statistics wise was was very very good uh my driving went off the boil uh the last two or three two or three events which is really disappointing because that’s one of the aspects of my game that I’ve that I’ve prided myself on has always given myself you know decent opportunity albeit it’s not 330 yards down the Fairway it’s 295 um you know so the I think the break has been a good a good break time for me um it’s given me a bit of opportunity to dive into my swing a little bit more um this week has been you know really in preparation for Houston um working on my swing lines to to really be a little a little more solid um it doesn’t feel great I got to be honest with you it looks great on camera um but it it doesn’t feel great so I think that’s because I’ve made a couple changes those changes I feel will improve all aspects of ir play consistency with the driver um so it’s it’s now a position for me to just add the Reps add the add the Reps feel comfortable um be even more diligent every single day I’m hitting balls um videoing more uh video video technology today is is right there at your fingertips and um to be honest sometimes you don’t use it enough so I think for me it’s um it’s been a little bit more diligent with that to stay on track sometimes you can be playing great you don’t feel you need to video it um but things can move from one week to the next um just because you feel you’re playing well yeah and I think I think what’s encouraging for me here is that that we’ve invested in trying to make sure as a team we’re providing our players that the information that hopefully is helpful to improve I think the first thing is that you know what you’ve picked up on is exactly what the num the numbers show um you know kind of taking it in order we’re got to get the ball in play right before we can do anything from there and that was one of the things that probably hurt last year and definitely coming out into this season you know I’ve got this kind of stats in front of me here and you know you’ve hit 297 drives so far this year averaging 60% of the fairways through Singapore which is 5% better than the field average um but you can really see in the last couple of tournaments that’s that’s dropped off the last two tournaments in Adelaide Singapore you know you you were below the field average so like a really strong start to the year off off the T definitely supported things I think like get getting kind of back on track it was obviously good and I think this is what interesed as well and this is what’s always interesting around the stats is that look our our team and individ ual results haven’t been great but you know we’re dealing with quite fine margins here that can that can make a big difference so I think getting that back on track is is obviously a big part of going out to the the second half of the season I think as you touch on there you kind of then go from right okay that that’s off the tea let’s let’s hit some more Fairways you know the weeks where you have put it in play and we can see this from the data and some people well some people may be surprised to hear this is that you know in Las Vegas and and Hong Kong in particular you were third in the field and fourth in the field in overall ball striking so you know on the face of it you can take quick look and say it’s way off and in some ways it is but the margins are so fine you know in some very very very very strong fields that we now have a live golf you know you’ve really you’ve really hit the ball great in in at at times through through this year so far yeah I I I definitely have because the stats say it right I know that we you know we weekly monthly you know take that dive into the stats to have a look at those areas to see how we’re doing um you know it’s a it’s a kind of red red Amber green traffic light system uh which instantly highlights areas of gains and areas of um areas of concern so um we we’re able to to now dive into the actual physical yardages as in increments uh which is also good it tells us the number of attempts that we have from those distances as well so rather than just you may only have one number where you’ve hit a shot from 220 to 2 240 for instance um you might have only hit one attempt and you know you hit a poor one so that that number is going to be pretty red so um I think the thing that I love as well mate sorry to to cut you off but you know I think that we we’ve had this conversation a number of times times you know hitting it 320 yards definitely doesn’t hurt right I I could completely completely get that but yeah ultimately what we’ve seen is playing your game I think this goes out to like everybody out there that plays goal because that hitting it further always helps but you know ultimately hitting that number of Fairways still the most shots you’ve had this year have been from the distance increment 125 to 150 yards you know you’ve had 86 attempts from that distance which is more attempts from distance than any other even though you know you you are not one of the longest players on that tour you know you are you’re slightly below average on on on distance so I still think it’s kind of you know getting comfortable and it’s it’s difficult when you out there week in week out is there’s a lot of boys hitting it a long way which is clearly an advantage especially if you’re hitting it relatively straight but there still is a way to to to get it done because yeah but that’s always been the case it’s always been the case since I’ve started playing golf um you know I I’ve you I’ve never I’ve never been the longest I’ve always been average or just above average uh my Bulls speed today is quicker today than it used to be in 2010 um and I’m 14 years older so um the only issue today is there are guys that have incrementally made larger gains than the gains that I’ve made in that in that 14-year period I’ve made a gain of about three three mph Club speed but the average or top end of the game of golf as a rule have have incrementally going gained more than what I’ve gained so um you know I’ve always been on the deficit side of that but I’ve still won I’ve still won tournaments against the longest players that in the world absolutely so I think I hope you don’t mind me kind of going here but I think one of the things you mentioned to me the other day like when you look at those results and look at h and Las Vegas is two really good examples you know they are they are shorter golf courses you know and I think you mentioned to me there you know what what’s quite funny is that you almost mentioned to me it’s easier because I’m swinging Within Myself I’m knocking it down the Fairway like I think this is interesting for like people to know at home as well like would you say you’ve ever got sucked into around certain golf courses trying to play a game that’s not your game yeah always always I mean look look what it did to Rory um when when when Bryson beefed up um and it it it sent Rory in the gym to attempt to try and hit it harder and harder and harder right and you know he’s completely backed off of that um Bryson’s backed off of it he realizes that that wasn’t a game that he that he needed he already hits the ball long enough um but what he needs to do is actually put the ball in the Fairway and I play with him um the back end of last year and I have to say it’s it’s one of the most clinical most impressive driv of the golf ball I’ve ever seen um you know I I can’t remember the average but I think he average 330 yards um off the tea that day um and I think he’d he’d hit something like 12 or 14 Fairways um like it was it was really impressive and um you know accuracy will always be the number one factor yes hitting it long is is defin definitely a plus but look if if if you hit it pretty straight and the rest of your game is pretty tight um and you’re holding puts you will be a factor in every golf tournament you play how much does it come into your mind where you’re like when you’re in a warm-up right kind of because I would say some of the best rounds I’ve seen you play is probably when I’ve seen you struggle most from a warm-up perspective hit it like on the Range because like how much is it kind of in your mind that like listen actually I’m on the Range I’m feeling good so when I go out actually when there’s those longer holes I I feel like I can have a go at them and then today do you know what I just haven’t got it so I’m just going to have to play this slightly differently like how much does that factor into kind of what you’re doing on a on a day in day out week in week out basis playing with what scenario I’d love to flush it on the Range all the time before the round after the round in warm ups in practice routines but for me for me that 45 minutes of hit and balls before my R of golf are pretty irrelevant um I’ve learn I’ve learned to treat them as irrelevant because I’ve had as you’ve seen I’ve had times where I’ve warmed up and I am like I am I could be a 12 handicap warm-up guy right it’s bit har but like I know what you’re saying eight eight eight handicap right I I’m on the Range I mean it’s it’s it’s not even close so you know for me that is something that I’ve learned to switch off from because all I’m really doing is warming my body up and there’s always a there’s always a a time to flick the button to turn around and go it’s game time game time is so very different to warm up time um it’s hard to recreate the intensity that you have when you te off as what that is from a warmup so that’s the reason why it’s called the driving range and that’s the reason why it’s a warm up you are literally just warming up your muscles to go so yes I would I would rather hit the ball absolutely perfectly yeah um but sometimes that’s worked against me so if I was to kind of because ultimately look look at the numbers listen to what you said just said you know my categorization of it would be the start of the Season off the two is really really strong it’s toed off a little bit you’re focusing on that I think from an overall different areas of the game perspective there’s been some really strong weeks and unfortunately haven’t like in Vegas top three ball strike in and uncharacteristically your your short game was off so I’m sure we’ll get some naysayers and critics here that are saying oh it’s it’s way off but actually there’s been a lot of stuff that’s been good throughout the years or sorry good throughout the weeks so far this year um a big part for me is like M marrying them all up at the same time each week which I guess is always the trick right is that they’ve been different areas of the game have been in good shape at different weeks during this year and marry them up so if I was to push you for with bearing that in mind and what we just talked about what would be the kind of one or two things that you’ll be trying to focus on as we enter Houston the next few weeks to to try and marry those parts and pieces together yeah look driving the golf for um I have to get back to um at least at least my normal stats off the T if not better we were better at the start of the year um you know my short game was pretty tidy at the start start of the Year too um that’s another aspect that we need to we you know we need to have at all times and my short game normally is pretty pretty good it’s one of the strongest parts of my game um conversions of parts from 15 ft and in is it is is the other aspect so you know for me it’s just it’s about having the dedicated practice time to work on all aspects of the game and the other thing is like I’m 48 years old and you know the body doesn’t quite Rec recover quite as quick as a 24 year old so um again my time when I’m on the Range has got to be fully focused in what it is I need to achieve um and I think that that for me for the second half the season is is probably the most important thing that I that I have to do um you know really Precision practice really dedicated focused practice um understanding the stat areas of the game that we need to we need to look at um to be able to bring ourselves back to the the level that we need and also as you say marrying them all up together yeah you know and I and I and I and I haven’t married them together and that’s what’s been you know for me for me that’s that’s just disappointing that I haven’t really fully matched all of that together which I used to do a lot more often um we know me and you know because we see we see all the numbers week in week out that there are still gains being made and we are still able to produce a lot of really good golf um the magic answer is that let’s marry it all together so um you know I need to do whatever I need to do to be able to pull that off because team performances need to improve my performances need to improve but I think I think the nice thing is to know from the numbers um because it’s easy to be hard on yourself and get down on yourself that you haven’t and aren’t doing what you should be doing that it’s all there in black and white so I think the other cool thing for me with golf and the format that we play in is that you know if you’re a football team for example and you’ve lost eight out of 10 games it’s it’s very difficult to make a game right you know it’s very difficult to move your position in the league I think the way that we play or the sport that say we the sport that you play that you know we’re involved in you know every week’s a new week and to go win a golf tournament suddenly the world can change very very very quickly yeah right so I think that’s the the really cool thing that’s always always to look forward to and then we’ve got to look forward to for the for the remainder of the the remainder of the Season I’m really to talk about live UK going to talk about a few of the things we’re going to be doing during that week of live UK because it is effectively our home event right which is one of the really cool things for me that’s manifested with Liv that we may not have known at the beginning is that you know with three British and four European players um this is one of the two events hosted in Europe it’s a really cool chance for us to kind of you know do something a bit extra special during what has kind of become our home event um which I assume you’re looking forward to mate yeah look it’s the first time I’ve um I’ve ever been to JCB I’m not sure exactly when the golf course was built I know it’s pretty pretty pretty new um I learned this morning it opened in 2017 so it’s pretty okay yeah very new uh seven years old I think you know just from a quick glance of what it is they’ve been able to create um you know a very small type membership I think it’s 80 members um this this place was developed obviously for you know jcb’s biggest clients uh and guests to come and play golf so it’s a pretty it’s a pretty special um unique facility here the cabins on site uh as you drive up the driveway on the right hand side look phenomenal uh practice facilities look pretty good and as you say like it’s it’s kind of got everything so I’m excited to go out on the course have a look round and I’m excited to you know play another UK event um just like we did the first couple years obviously playing down at Centurian having home support from you know a great set of a great set of fans that love watching golf um you know I’m I’m I’m pretty proud to be able to be part of you not not just team Majestics but but live golf and and the overall bigger picture of what that means with the amount of quality golfers that we have coming to this part of the world um to Showcase you know team Golf and in and individual Golf and as you say it’s it is pretty much a home event for us um and you know the cool stuff that we can do personally from from a team Majestics side of things um with having an area to entertain our guests our sponsors and kind of you know roll out the red carpet as as we will say to those those people that support us properly um and you know I think we did a great job last time I think we’ve learned um from all of that last time and hopefully we can give an even better experience this time round with our you know our tea party uh experience that that we did uh before yeah I think yeah as you say look I’m English love golf grew up here and there’s been some great tournaments in in in the UK particularly you know the BMW PGA at Wentworth has always been an amazing event I always remembered going to growing up it’s a fantastic event um but I think arguably as a kind of person that grew up and still lives in England is that that there probably isn’t enough of that and I think to bring another amazing event to the UK with the field that we have now and also in an area where you know you tox to we’re very much in the Midlands I think within a 45 minute drive time we’ve got Nottingham Manchester Le Birmingham so hopefully from a catchment point of view there’s a really good opportunity to serve a group of fans that that may may not be served that much I think it’s as you say it’s cool to develop on the ideas that we that we delivered last year whether it’s what we’re doing from a Hospitality perspective and our building is literally going to be just out here to the to the right hand side we’re GNA have some cool stuff going on with giving people access to the range and range experiences and some meet and greets with you guys which is going to be cool for our our sponsor and partners and also we’re going to be running some competitions for our Majestics GC members um who are going to get the chance to come and experience that as well as well as what we’re working really hard to do is you know we have got we’re really fortunate to already have you know upwards of 10,000 members of our golf club which is actually when you say out loud is is a pretty cool thing um yeah and we’re working really hard to make sure that we deliver some stuff to to reward those members and make sure that you know we we appreciate those members that have supported us so far so we’re also working on some cool stuff during the week in in the fan Village you know whether it be Express Q when you’re entering um so you get kind of the fast pass if you if you will through and some some incentives for for members some some unique areas and viewing areas for them to have access to so really excited about delivering those things and hopefully seeing lots of lots of people out here you we’ve got a great partnership with with destination Sport and the destination sport group that’ve got some some kind of cool packages available so you can obviously buy tickets from live but we’ve created some unique packages with um destination Sport for sale to the general public with that includes some merchandise some sign stuff some some potential opportunities for further access so and that’s what’s cool for me as someone that’s you know worked in this industry and been fortunate to represent you know yourself and Lee and Henrik and Sam before Liv came along is you know previously it would have been very difficult to have an influence over what the tournament did right and you could never do it um and that’s the differential thing between live as a product um and the wonderful thing that that we have with um being a co- captain and and and a part owner in a in a franchise um you know if if you know the previous great events that have happened in the UK with it being BMW Wentworth and the British Masters what we are able to give from a product perspective and what we’re able to create from a fan perspective and the cool stuff that we can do for for the fans is something which just couldn’t be done before and and isn’t being done until now so you know to own your own fan base from a from from a franchise perspective to be able to give them opportunity to win certain meet and greets q&as um prizes um it’s just different right so but we we’ve been in this game long enough we’ve been in this game 25 years we’ve um seen what the opportunities are within the game of golf we’ve done corporate event on corporate event on corporate event at hundreds of events around the world um this is different like it gives you know it gives us the ability to get a little bit more creative uh which is exciting it gives us the ability to actually entertain our sponsors at a venue like we’ve never been able to to in the past yeah and I think like you hit the the key word for me like you hit the nail on the head I mean I think the attractive thing about the proposition as well that it was different and I think now the cool thing is we’ve got enough evidence to show and enough data points to show that we are serving a a different audience and exposing a different audience to the game and I think that’s what’s really cool about this event is that look I I the BMW PJ Championship as an example it went with I think is an unbelievable event I went to it for many many years with you it’s amazing I love it I’m not saying that I don’t have any criticism of that tournament at all this again brings a great feel but hopefully you know SL a slightly different vibe and you know you see more families seen more General sports fans and and hopefully that’s overall added to the game so look I’m really looking forward to the to the tournament and you know seeing what JCB Golf and Country Club kind of delivers for us as a as a venue and what we can deliver to help support a great event it’s going to be uh it’s going to be pretty cool all we’re got to worry about now is is the weather because as I look outside it’s just started raining and i’ hearing all these news reports around for the forecast was amazing for June um good the wetest J in a 100 years so um I’m glad the events in July yeah yeah every if there’s anybody that’s listening or watching or sees this wants to learn a bit more about what what we’re doing um send us a question on Instagram at Majestics GC or log on to Majestics gc.com sign up to be a member um because ultimately we want to hear from people we we’ve got some cool ideas of what we think members want based on some reachs that’s done but always wanted to be able to hear from people of what we can we can do differently do better so um we’re adaptive we can we can we can give the fans whatever they want well I don’t know about that but we we can at least we can at least can at least listen to the questions we can try so I think to to round things off I think the last thing I wanted to touch on and talk about on that very note of kind of you know fans and interaction and all that kind of cool stuff which is again what this kind of content is designed to do is that we went to the fans and we got a few questions so wanted to fire a few questions at you from some some fans that have been kind enough to to send a few into us so the the first one is when you first stting playing golf did you ever believe that you were good enough um I didn’t ever I didn’t ever know I wasn’t good enough is more to the point um so I think naivity in a way of just turning around saying I’m I’m going to be I’m going to be a great player I’m going to go and win golf tournaments um and and I’m going to find a way to do it I think that’s probably been been one of the good things that’s allowed me to believe in myself like I am in control of my golf ball at all times that Ball’s not moving the only fact is that we are we are challenged with a weather conditions on the golf course and the rest of it’s down to me so providing I I put in enough practice providing I believe in my own swing and providing I continue to work hard I will always be able to be good enough um love that answer that is I think a a lesson for all kids um don’t ever listen to somebody that tells you you can’t do something because they don’t know what they’re talking about love that answer and thanks AMC show for services for that for that question um next question this is from Chile Lee 36 is uh what would you say is the best drill for a six-year-old beginner struggles with take away um and top of Swing being very shut it’s quite a specific question that’s very specific and that is very swing uh orientated so first and foremost if you’re a beginner the best thing you can do is go to your local Club Pro um and the best thing you can do is work with your pro to highlight and you’ve already highlighted a couple of issues in in in your swing that you know of so it’s finding the best way and somebody that you relate to so rather than me give you the perfect way to fix that problem um me just giving you one way might not be the right way so I would say consult find somebody that you understand um and work with them from a takeaway perspective there’s a million Clips on you YouTube and there’s there’s lessons that you can have a look on YouTube as well um of things that you can do to help you know from a takeaway perspective and from a from a rist and a rist position at the top of the back swing so it may be your grip um it might not be just a position that you’re in that makes that club shut so I don’t want to give you a drill that’s going to send you down the wrong path but um try try and try and get some time with your local Club Pro um who could definitely help that and I’m sure not many people are interested in my opinion on this but the other thing I would say having got you know young kids that I’m trying to get into the game of golf at the moment I’ve actually got a six-year-old as well is that there’s some great products out there now try and get some golf clubs that are light enough I think that’s one of the big things that junior golf clubs historically been really really heavy and that’s really difficult but um my my youngest Mila she’s six as well and we’ve just got some some golf clubs and they were wer ridiculously expensive and and actually having something that’s got the white the kind of right weight ratio has been really helpful too so um I’d look at that as well what um I’m going to ask this question because I also know the answer to it and it goes quite a funny story so from Theo Harris golf have you ever played with sevy and if you have what was it like yes I have played with seie several times excuse me um and it was it was mind-blowing to be honest um sevie was someone that was an Idol of mine somebody I looked up to somebody I took inspiration from I played with sevie in his last Open championship and if I put myself in the positions that sevie put himself in I would have shot 95 um but he didn’t because he is an absolute genius uh he is a uh and was one of the most incredible workers of a golf ball and imagine if um people I’ve ever seen with a golf club in his hand so for me it was an honor um it was pretty special and um you know something that I can obviously tell my kids and their kids when they grow up that you know I I had I had the lucky opportunity to play with him several times very cool um couple more here so this is from Don piger um what is the one go-to shot you find easiest to control when needing to hit a fairway for me it’s just a 10 yard cut um it’s it’s very easy I think for me as a right-handed golfer to to aim down the left hand side and um you know make a pass at the ball um that is generally very slightly just across the line uh my swing type allows me to to get that club working in front so therefore I can obviously hold the face open slightly so for me you know a 10 yard 10 yard cut to peel it into in in into play is always something that I will lean towards if I’m in that position where I have to hit this Fairway um so 10 yard cut aim down the left hand side hold the club face um you know from from shutting down all the way down and just hit that peely cut cool and then this is a really interesting one because there are some things going on with the rules in golf at the moment as particularly around the golf ball and there’s a question here from P fuille I hope I haven’t um butchered that name um if there is one thing you could change in the golf rules what would it be um I’m not sure if it’s just one thing but like look common sense um that rule book is way too deep um I think I think they have made some good changes you know I mean we’ve gone from dropping a ball over the back of your shoulder in time all the way to now you know being down at at knee height right so um I think the game is trying to to become s more simple that rule book is is trying to to help us out um so I look I I I I don’t think I don’t think it’s one rule I think there’s a number of rules that even I still today after playing go for 25 years professionally um that I know that rule book inside out that’s why you know we we at tournaments have to have so many officials to help us out um you know I not that we should play off two sets of rules but um you know I think I think for recreational golf I think there should be a away when someone hits it out of bounds or there’s a lost ball where you know go going back to the tea um seems quite punishing for just recreational Golf and I think there should be there should be some some some common sense in there to keep keep flow going and keep pace of pace of play um friendly enough where everyone enjoys a game of golf and doesn’t have to put up with six hour on a golf course and I think that the one thing I would say that the powers that being golf I would say in the last kind of few years they have made some good positive changes to to make the game bit faster bit more accessible you know you think about dropping it from knee high or being able to leave the pin in at your will if you want to knock a putt in and not mess around with that and three minutes to look for your ball all of that stuff’s been really like really additive you know things change right things evolve we we we we try and make things better generally um and I think we’re always trying to evolve to make to make this great game a bit better and then we might have to do a separate podcast on this one but I’m going to ask you anyway is this one is from I’m going to say baz lammer 79 um what are your plans after golf we don’t have enough time to talk about that because as you keep telling me slow down will you you’ve got too much on the go as it is rather than doing the 150 things you’d like to do so look I mean there there’s there’s a lot for me after golf I I’m really enjoying being um you know a franchise owner um that for me is really exciting I don’t think I don’t think we ever emphasize enough at the minute what what that really means to the people in the outside world about having a having a part ownership um in a franchise when you know you look at when you look at um celebrities um or influential people in business today um they’re all getting involved with team sports um look at the amount people LeBron James having a having a part ownership in in Liverpool look at the people that are now investing into Formula 1 teams look at the people that have invested into rexam and and and these other clubs so you know this is this is a business interest that we have with inside live golf that you know I’m I’m not just playing golf on live um I’m trying to grow a franchise so that in itself is is going to take up some time when I’m playing a little bit less golf hopefully we can make it a very successful one so it keeps me really busy but there are other plans I mean um opening a card store um a card store probably in America is is definitely on the cards um talking more on probably a microphone is probably on the cards um a card store a card store on the cards that is there you go we’re going to open a card store uh he definitely on the cards um there’s lots I I I I don’t really know I’d like to I’d like to help Luke in his Endeavors to be a great great golf pro so being a father figure to him to give him to give him hopefully a Leap Forward um as soon as possible and you know be that support system for the rest of my kids and see if Joshy wants to play golf and that there’s a lot for me to do um but there’s not a lot of time so um we’re going to have to be as you keep telling me focused focused yeah listen one thing I do know is you’re not going to be short of things to do when when that time comes after golf but you got a lot of uh lot of golf ahead the next couple of years for sure at the very least so listen mate thanks for that I think I’m sure we’ve already way run over time so um good to chat good to update on those few things and discuss a few questions um thanks to everybody that’s that’s that will listen along I didn’t just dive into that little chocolate bar that Gussy left for me was that your chocolate bar or mine these pro athletes just before they were about to go and hit balls they always have a dairy milk dairy milk car that’s right listen I know the edit team they’re going to cut that out so I didn’t just have a little Nu of chocolate but um I’m going get on the Range come on let’s go see mate