What if one of the most common pieces of golf advice you’ve been following for years is actually costing you shots?

Should you really try to eliminate one side of the golf course? Is your natural shot shape actually your best? And could a shorter driver help you hit the ball further?

This week on How Low Can You Go?, we’re joined by Lou Stagner — Arccos Golf’s data insights expert, golf statistics guru and co-host of the Hack It Out Golf podcast — to challenge some of golf’s biggest assumptions.

Armed with data from billions of golf shots, Lou reveals what the numbers actually tell us about driving accuracy, distance, dispersion, course management and the keys to lowering your handicap.

And some of the findings might completely change how you approach your next round.

⛳ IN THIS EPISODE

• The one-way miss myth: Why trying to eliminate one side of the golf course might not be the best strategy — and what better drivers actually do.
• Draw versus fade: Lou reveals the surprising results of a study involving 204 golfers, including why 38% performed better with their non-stock shot shape.
• Driver versus 3-wood: Should you sacrifice distance for accuracy? What does the data really say?
• Could a shorter driver make you longer? Why better strike quality and centre-face contact might be the key to more consistent driving.
• How far should a scratch golfer hit driver? The real driving distance statistics across different age groups.
• The relationship between distance and handicap: Just how important is hitting the ball further if you want to become a better golfer?
• The most important golf statistic: Why Lou would choose greens in regulation if he could track just one traditional stat.
• Practice smarter, not harder: How to identify the shots that matter most to your scores — and stop wasting valuable practice time.

📊 WHAT THE DATA REALLY TELLS US

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that there’s no single blueprint for playing better golf.

The right strategy for one golfer might be completely wrong for another.

Whether you’re struggling with a two-way miss off the tee, wondering if you should hit driver more often, trying to improve your iron play or simply desperate to lower your scores, Lou explains why understanding your own game is far more valuable than blindly following conventional wisdom.

Less guesswork. Better decisions. Lower scores.

And don’t miss next week’s conversation, when Lou reveals what the statistics say about something every golfer experiences: just how bad is a really bad round of golf?

Could a single-figure handicapper genuinely shoot in the triple digits? The numbers might surprise you.

🎙️ ABOUT THE SHOW

How Low Can You Go is a golf improvement podcast exploring how amateur golfers can improve their game, lower their handicap, shoot lower scores and understand what actually moves the needle — without wasting time on the wrong things.

At the heart of the podcast are two very different golf improvement journeys: Dave is trying to go from a mid-handicap golfer to single figures, while Chris is chasing scratch.

Chris Donaldson and Dave Alexander speak to leading golf coaches, performance experts, sports psychologists and some of the smartest minds in golf to discover practical golf tips and strategies that everyday golfers can use to play better golf.

Whether you’re trying to break 100, break 90, break 80, reach a single-figure handicap or get closer to scratch, How Low Can You Go is about finding out what really helps golfers improve.

🎧 Listen now and start turning bad rounds into better golf.

📲 CONNECT WITH US

📸 Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/howlowcanyougopodcast/

📺 YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HowLowCanYouGoPodcast

💌 Contact
howlowcanyougopodcast@gmail.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and share it with a golfing friend. It genuinely helps us reach more golfers who are on exactly the same journey.

HLCYG LIVE — TAKE ACTION

World-class coaches. Small groups. Real golf improvement. With Dave and Chris… in Scotland.

Join us for our launch in 2027.

No commitment — just register your interest.

👉 JOIN THE HLCYG LIVE PRIORITY LIST

What if trying TOO HARD to get better at golf is actually stopping you from shooting lower scores?

You're practising, chasing a lower handicap, working on your golf swing... but are you actually getting better?

Scott Fawcett, creator of DECADE Golf and one of golf's leading course strategy experts, is back on How Low Can You Go? — and he's challenging the way we think about golf improvement.

In Part 2 of our conversation, Scott gets brutally honest with Dave and Chris about their pursuit of single figures and scratch golf, why golfers constantly move the goalposts, and how obsessing over lower scores can actually hold us back.

And there's plenty of practical advice on how to practise smarter, improve your driving and putting, and take your range game onto the golf course.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why chasing your golf handicap can become a trap — and why process beats outcome.
• How to practise putting more effectively and develop better distance control.
• Draw vs fade: why your driver fitting could be costing you accuracy and consistency.
• Why your best golf rounds never seem good enough.
• How to build a pre-shot routine that actually works under pressure.
• Why the mental game matters — but can't replace sound golf technique.
• How to stop overthinking your golf swing and play more freely.
• What Scott really thinks Dave and Chris should do to reach their golfing goals.

Plus, Scott shares why even his own golf can feel frustrating, despite regularly shooting under par!

And could Scott Fawcett be coming to Scotland in 2027?

Stick around until the end for some exciting behind-the-scenes news about a potential HLCYG LIVE x Scott Fawcett DECADE Golf School — and how you could be part of it. Click the HLCYG Live link below to register your interest.

Whether you're trying to break 90, break 80, reach single figures or get to scratch, this conversation might just change how you approach getting better at golf.

🎧 Listen now — and start working smarter, not just harder, on your golf game.

🎯 SCOTT FAWCETT — DECADE GOLF

Find out more about Scott, DECADE Golf and the Breaking 90 programme:

🌐 DECADE Golf
https://decade.golf/

📸 Scott Fawcett / DECADE Golf on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/decade_golf/

🎙️ ABOUT THE SHOW

How Low Can You Go is a golf improvement podcast exploring how amateur golfers can improve their game, lower their handicap, shoot lower scores and understand what actually moves the needle — without wasting time on the wrong things.

At the heart of the podcast are two very different golf improvement journeys: Dave is trying to go from a mid-handicap golfer to single figures, while Chris is chasing scratch.

Chris Donaldson and Dave Alexander speak to leading golf coaches, performance experts, sports psychologists and some of the smartest minds in golf to discover practical golf tips and strategies that everyday golfers can use to play better golf.

Whether you're trying to break 100, break 90, break 80, reach a single-figure handicap or get closer to scratch, How Low Can You Go is about finding out what really helps golfers improve.

🎧 Listen now and start turning bad rounds into better golf.

📸 Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/howlowcanyougopodcast/

📺 YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HowLowCanYouGoPodcast

💌 Contact
howlowcanyougopodcast@gmail.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and share it with a golfing friend. It genuinely helps us reach more golfers who are on exactly the same journey.

HLCYG LIVE — TAKE ACTION

World-class coaches. Small groups. Real golf improvement. With Dave and Chris… in Scotland.

Join us for our launch in 2027.

No commitment — just register your interest.

👉 JOIN THE HLCYG LIVE PRIORITY LIST