Hello everybody welcome back to the rickshaws golf show podcast i'm your host rick shields episode 129 i'm here with co-host guy how are you doing parley good yeah i'm great [Laughter] um we obviously had the little friday special with lee westwood was it little friday special that was a huge friday special just one of the biggest tour stars in the world ever yeah it was nice very very sound on. And off camera that's the trick everybody watching and listening can tell leeway sort of sound. But we saw the really westward and the cameras were off. And it was equally if not even more sound well we literally had his company his services from nine o'clock in the morning until probably about five p.m yeah like he did a full stint with us full nine to five with us god bless him um. So we also for a lot of people asking you might have heard in the podcast we're talking about doing a video with him around close house that has been filmed filmed straight after the podcast and it has been edited frantically as we speak literally as we speak and fingers crossed it'll be out tomorrow which is obviously wednesday um. And it's a it's a cracker it was. So good it was the the simple format you played against tommy fleetwood at jcb a couple months ago. And that video by the way has killed it killed it it was like 8 million views. Or something ridiculous i think when we came up with that idea it was like you're going to play against tommy fleetwood like he's obviously going to win if you play stroke play course he's one of the best players in the world. So you got a 10 shot handicap and i and i wouldn't want one once won a putting tournament you did. And i was running up in junior club championship runner-up is twice first loser. And so i think 10 shots was definitely needed. But also we went this even simpler for format was like well if you're taking off ten shots. And all the way through the round you're gonna go well i'm too overpowered i don't forget i've had two shots to wear so it's like oh so it was simple tommy fleetwood starts level par young rick shields starts minus 10.. So because why change anything that's broken absolutely so we didn't we had a different tour pro lee westwood we have a different venue close house but the challenge is no such simpler um. So yeah epic match video will be out tomorrow fingers crossed it's gonna be a long here as well a nice full length put it on the tv. And chill vibe what impressed you most about his golf game driving he was really really good at driving two things um i knew he was a great driver of the goal well obviously he goes out saying every part of his game is great he's a torpor he's been on tour. For 29 years something like that yeah. And you expect us to be wowed but what was incredible was when he was stood over the golf ball hitting driver every driver just going straight. But he was also long. And again that kind of should go without saying but he's kind of 48 49 as you know just turn 40 so he's not a young pup anymore still in good shape still a strong bloke but he was comfortably 15 yards longer than you on a good hit. And you're genuinely for you're a long golfer like you you joke about it you you do hit the golf ball along with the tee. But it was just absolutely it it's flushing it with the dress class never looked like it was going to go offline no he had multiples of different ball flights. But his standard one was this like a rocket phase it was. But when i say fade it's not like a fade that you and me would define as a fade this golf ball started two yards left of target and finished on time like the movement on the golf ball was. So tiny you could almost miss it well it was almost like if you fade the golf ball you clearly think of it moving from like left to right. And almost like if you could draw a shot just a line it'll have a shape to it his was almost like a straight line that just kind of got moved a little bit to the target it was. So good i think a lot of these players. And i've heard a few of these really good players taught now they almost talk about how the ball falls at the top of its flight so it almost starts rocket straight and as it gets to the peak it either just falls left for a draw or just tails right for a fade yeah. And he was just doing that um what did when we walked up that path five you asked him what his ball speed was what did he i think he said 172 which. For like you tall standard doesn't blow you away but considering that when we hit it we're like 160 on a normal hit if we're doing a long drive comp we might get 170 and we're literally jumping at the golf ball that was his normal speed he's doing that every every single drive with three. Or four different three or four layers on because it was quite cold i thought yeah i thought his driving was fantastic. And i must admit i thought his wedge game was really strong as well like there was lots of times where he just played this little simple pitch shot that was just epic i mean you'll see in the video there's quite a contrast in short game ability between me. And lee yes i would say that's certainly one of the separators um. But he just wasn't phased he was super chilled um he seemed to have a really good time he did. And without giving anything about the result he towards the end because the thing is with this with this format the beauty of it is it has to use the last holds last screen. For stroke play exactly and if one of you wins by a big margin that margin could increase or decrease towards the end so both both two players you and whoever you play against originally grind until the end he was grinding to the end. And i asked him off camera i said are you actually bothered about this match. And he said yes like i genuinely said i don't want to lose anything i play i want to win everything i do. And and from what he told me as soon as we'd finished he would he was talking about how he's going to see tommy the next.
Time yeah not going to give anything. But experience right it was that's fantastic yeah i'm not going to give too much of a spoiler. But remind me sorry for everybody listening to podcasts i don't like this remind me i spoke to another tour player this weekend oh wow he's potentially lined up for episode number three the only difficult thing we've got now with this series one thing i love with the podcast is we have we've had been. So fortunate having some amazing names on you bryson julie west would you nick faldos memory lee yeah we've also had on some smaller scale pros. Or totals that people might not know about us as much or they may have finished playing golf like james robinson and moving to other worlds and i love that as well but with this particular youtube series we've set ourselves two amazing well one legend of the game in lee and i think tommy fleet was destined to be a legend of the game he's one foot through the legend [Music] with a cigar. So the next.
One potentially again i'm not going to give too much bracket they have to be done yeah right up there. So that's going to be really exciting nothing nothing locked in. Yet but something very you know it was crazy though again i'm. So fortunate to be in this position but like like you said we we met him in the morning he was great we did the podcast then.
We went to the range hit a few balls. And he was. So nice to me with the other lads he was talking loads he didn't have to he's really good guy. But then.
What was weird was playing golf again i was walking around off camera chatting to him. But then.
We went for drinking the clubhouse and i sat like kind of tuning his ear off and listening to him and stuff they literally sat there with one of the best golfers ever so lucky but so many of these guys are. So down to earth and in in a weird way you kind of sit there and you almost forget for a while who they actually are which i suppose it's a good thing yeah. But equally if i then.
Saw him at the british masters or whatever event he's at next.
I'd be like oh my god that's lee westwood yeah it's a strange feeling. But what a good guy i must admit you've worked with him before and said how nice he was. But i still kind of thought this guy has been around the block for literally 30 years now he's done so many media things is he going to be bothered doing this. But he was i think i think you know what. And again hopefully it's testament to what we do it's not a normal media dave is it true like it is a bit different you know we we're not gonna try i'm we're not there to try. And trip him up we're not that we we want to talk about his life we want to talk about what he's achieved we want to get a few facts wrong yeah. Or i do anyway just to humble him we want to go out. And have a fun match like it is it's quite relaxed. And also i think they understand the value of it you know it's going to be seen by quite a few people well i was at the driving range yesterday which is now monday. And the guy got a chance to listen to the podcast who was raving about your videos said thank you they're all my ideas um no it was lovely bloke. And he said um what's the price interview it changed my mind on bryson. And the amount of people that stopped me and i'm sure and say that about bryce and not that again bryce needs our support but it's nice seeing these people in a more relaxed environment for longer form content definitely this podcast we've got some massive news huge news it's probably the title of this video in this podcast we're going to come onto that shortly um it genuinely is big news this ain't no clickbait baby this is big news big just before we come on to that yeah let's talk about a few there's other thing i just want to say how bloody nice is close house unreal like it's absolutely it genuinely i've been to some amazing places here in the uk some open venues some fantastic venues like a wentworth. Or a jcb places that have hosted huge golf tournaments close house is right up there yeah like it is as a facility. And i joked when i was there genuinely if i lived within half an hour maybe even an hour from there i would join 100 i would want to be a member there yeah it kind of it had that really nice vibe. And again this is not sponsored post you're not going to see close house tattooed on my cap where are you um you know i i just thought that the venue jonathan was phenomenal yeah the the managing director jonathan graham the owner oh man literally legend he bill he bought this land with this huge house on he's done quite well in business very well a lot of people would say. And he he had a passioning kind of golf and he bought this this massive patch of land and bought even more since it built the the the cult golf course where we i played against lee westwood to an incredible standard it's a tour event is that good it's not the british masters it's brilliant. And i can definitely see it having tour events again in the future i mean i think it's an incredible ryder cup venue potentially yeah i really do. And then.
On the flip side we didn't we didn't play the golf course but we walked across it the philly class the little short game area the driving range we started tracer range we stayed in the like the stables that what used to be the horses stables but they're a bit nice not now they've kind of done a little unbelievable incredible yeah. So i just wanted to put that out because i honestly thought it was one of the nicest. And i tell you what that the the every member that we bumped into all the guests there from from now on shira was there alice i bumped into alan shearer had a little natter um everybody that we spoke to. And i know it's a bit of a cliche that people from the northeast a friendly bunch so bloody lovely lovely so nice i think it's there's different types of golf course out there. And different types of golf clubs as well so you've got some very old school and very established you've got so much more modern you've got municipals you've got all different types you've got obviously parkland courses links courses etc etc and there's something different for everyone isn't there but what i loved about closed house and the other place like archfield have been to which i've held close to my heart from my old job was there all the time i love a golf course. And a golf club where obviously the golf course is good that's a big tick greens t's fairways that's what you want don't you practice facilities somewhere where you can hit actually at full shot somewhere you can practice short games you can put again closed house has that in abundance it's got an actual proper driving range a top tracer driving range you've got outdoor maps it's got grass it's people there's a buzz about it you had short game areas putting greens all sorts of mad stuff that's again a huge tick. So if i'm going somewhere to play that's what i'm looking. For if i'm going somewhere with the intention of joining you also want that club feel as well. And what they had though i was. So impressed with and it ticks my boxes the clubhouse was unbelievably nice really good food one of my favorite drinks on draft inches cider not a huge stream as you might know. But that cider was just hit the spot well 10 glasses of that. And you were rocking lee westwood what right give me give me a game i'll do you. But it was the fact that it was smart in a sense. But so chill there was a couple of newcastly night footballers are in there like dead sound killing themselves i had to kind of hit on backwards. And maybe not golf apparel but it kind of worked there he didn't look at them and go that's not right that shouldn't be done some of the members again stopped us who listened to the podcast watch your videos we're dead nice and that is what golf in my opinion should be like like we're in the day. And age that being on your phone in the class bring your laptop if you want to be uh yeah it's unreal. And also with all that said. And done the membership was we found out about the membership cost compared to your average golf course yes it's expensive. But it wasn't ludicrous it wasn't if you're into your golf that place is not out the realms of possibility. So big shout out so we'll definitely be going back there. And again reiterate this isn't a sponsored post it was just i think sometimes props to amazing venues that have done amazing things. And they deserve a shout out basically um speaking of amazing venues and we're just said than archie field last week we had the first episode of break 75 come out there was. So much hype around there so much anticipation well first off thank you to everybody who was. So excited. For it you know last year we obviously did rate 75 we did i did 12 different golf courses you joined me on a few of your man a few other guests around. And we played some amazing golf courses such as the old course that sent andrews jcb twice and it battered me twice things like kings barnes um we bert dale there was loads of amazing golf courses some also some locals marriott stockport. So there was there was some really really good tracks. And that you saw i've said it on the video i think me playing golf. And showing you the highs and the lows is what attracts people to the to the series yes because golf is bloody hard yeah. And don't let anybody anybody in the world tell you it's not and i'm sure everybody listening and watching who's tried golf knows it's bloody hard so for me i want to kind of put myself out there and show you that you know as much i'm a golf pro on paper anything under 75 for me i'm over the moon with i'm also going to have terrible rounds i'm also going to hit terrible shots yes. And hopefully things crossed i've seen a few negative comments saying new crap rook and all this but i've seen an awful lot of comments that say it's it's refreshing to see yes bad shots happen well the way i look at it right you turn pro off three. Or four whatever it was three yeah. So therefore. if you were playing to your old handicap you'd be shooting roughly 75. yeah therefore. breaking it is a good score you you play a lot in some capacity. But also you don't play as much golf as people probably think you don't have a scorecard in the hand very often exactly. And also what i thought about a while ago and this is. For everybody to take note of no matter what level you're at your handicap is what you should shoot when you're playing very well aren't you on a good day. And a way of looking at that as well is look at someone as as huge like rory rory mcelroy he might go out in a major. And shoot 75 the next.
Day is 65. there's a 10 shot swinging. And he's probably one of the guys that does that the most. So there's no reason why bob who's 18 handicapper from norwich should go out. And shoot handicap every time you might shoot 18 over you might shoot 29 over the next.
Day i'd so love if there was a bob listening from norwich. And going how'd you know how do you know what i'm doing exactly. But that's the thing so you're gonna shoot some break 75 episodes and shoot whatever you're gonna shoot yeah the next.
Week might be 10 better. Or 10 worse and that's what's exciting for people um but the golf course we've actually this is a weird thing. For us we've already shot a few in advance this year which is really good. For the editing process yeah normally. And hope and by the way huge shout out to the team harry who edits all the the breaks has absolutely nailed it he's working he's working on episode three already um and obviously we've done episode one we've got four films so far which we wanted last year we literally we'd film it on the monday or tuesday and harry somehow would have it edited for 4 p.m friday yeah it was crazy. But the the the challenge with that one it's very taxing and challenging and also we don't feel like we can fully marinate it marinate the the edit. And let it and let it breathe and let it settle well this time hopefully you've seen this in episode one because harry's had a little bit more time he's managed to box it off so huge shout out to harriet matt tim ed who's helped help shoot the content as well you for playing with me so far three episodes yeah giving it give me moral support um. But yeah no archfield was phenomenal the score didn't quite go to plan a lot of rust um. And but each week friday 4 p.m on youtube you'll see a new episode and you know what we might do a few more episodes this year boom. So we were going to do 12 we did 12 last year who knows how many we do. But we're gonna let it run all year but we're gonna have a start and a middle and an end um a couple of good stories whether we let you know about it who knows we've got some amazing golf courses lined up um some ones that you might know about some that you've never heard of but it's going to be an exciting series. And i had to come clean a little bit on this because i've loved being in the episodes obviously because it's great to play these golf courses first off and it's great to uh you're in the best position in the world 100 that's what i want to say in this one so it was really nice actually because words have got destroyed on the week when matt friday the podcast. And then.
They nearly quit the podcast it was very different on this breakup you found there's a lot of nice comments from people that listen to the podcast saying it's great to see guy playing golf that was very nice um i want to come clean though. And i don't have necessarily massive control of the edit but they keep some of my shots in just to kind of make it fresh and some of the things added to camera about how rick's getting on guy gets harried by the school for the national my good shots in only show good shots that's kind of true if you show any bad shots that's it yes exactly that is it um. But i look like i played better than i did i didn't play fantastic. But i did some nice shots. But the one thing a lot of people have asked by the way just a quick one you were using literature a few hours before we played yeah. And you had higher clubs yeah that's true. So yeah you thanks rick you're literally happy you had a set of clubs you've never used ever before you were kind of pinching a few mines when you needed to. So you weren't you weren't exactly in full preparation no. But i hit that on the 17th if you watched it it's amazing you know what i liked about it you called it as well i did call it well i'd call all my shots you don't see as well that's the problem harry harry harry get this one get this one i'm gonna chip that right what i'm gonna do i'm gonna chip this one in right he'll chip. And go oh we won't use that one no one ever sees that that's the beauty. So um i don't i honestly don't know why our shots lost a lot of balls didn't count and the second episode of counted which is a better score. But anyway what a lot of people are say a lot of people a number of people have asked did i make the birdie um no i didn't make the bird we're going to show the if you're watching this podcast now we're going to be rolling the clip over as i'm speaking if you're listening. And jump over the video version of the podcast you'll see the port it was a pathetic point i really want to hold this pot give them the sauce i've shot 25 of a par that's all at [Music] myers now terrible it's amazing how much you can miss the middle of the face the potter. And actually annoyingly this is hand on heart i thought i'd hit the shot closer when i thought yeah someone asked me online how far was it 740 wasn't it about 13 40. i actually think your memory of the shot now has maybe been tarnished because you've seen it again i know it wasn't actually as close as i thought it was. And i missed the pot so i didn't get the birdie but hey ho this isn't guys break 75 this is me going on hitting the odd good shot all the shots come down to you the facts. And stuff the fats the things the chunks the shanks but no it's good um. So that was break 75. And he said there's more episodes coming soon. And it is gonna be good yeah i hope i know it it is. And like say it's nice to get out and actually play proper golf like actually having a scorecard in your hand it really really really does make me think like it reminds me it's it's bloody hard to get around the golf like you know to play well. For 18 holes it's challenging like trying to get up and down on certain situations having that having that competitiveness in it is really challenging i've got one more thing to talk about before we go onto the big news we've had a question on facebook asked today.
For some questions on facebook um we've not pushed the facebook page for a while but if you use facebook and you want to become part of the rickshaws golf show podcast facebook group join it and you can chat to other like-minded followers fans rick occasionally um sorry just a quick i'm just getting a tiny bit of interference can you hear something a little bit i don't know if it's no it's just gonna be our headphones hopefully um anyway if you want to join that facebook group please do am i carrying on rick why do that fix his hands. And knees that's got worse actually the noise that's better i think yep that's good. For me um yeah sorry about that richard was fixing the stuff technical support yeah he's welch with himself now you actually put a picture of the day as well didn't you with the drill you got a drill. And put a picture up oh i thought you meant a picture of yourself now you've got a picture of yourself up in the office i think you might have put a picture on instagram of me with a drill no i did i hung a picture yeah a very nice picture yeah it was one of you. And a youtube nice little youtube a present from youtube when i was on that billboard that was quite cool. So there's now probably probably in the office maybe 27 pictures of me up yeah there is. And every computer i turn to is a picture of me every picture is. For everything well it needs to be uh what's that famous um is it a cathedral that oh yeah i think it needs to be that yeah that was gonna do all that anyway the question i'm getting to in a roundabout way um is from a guy called stephen walker. And he says stephen does rick still have lessons to improve his golf game if. So uh what area of his golf game is he having lessons on. And if he um isn't having lessons why not and what's his handicap at the moment so we don't have a handicap but what would it be i think genuinely at the moment. And it's not me sugarcoating it at all i honestly think i'll probably be above off about eight right now yeah just because i've not posted any great scores just. Yet yeah um. But the new handicap system as you saw last year like you don't have to have one good round a little bit less what what do you think what would you say no because sometimes with a scorecard in your hand like we saw in the first episode of break75 that is the kind of scores you can be shooting. But your ability is. So much better than that like maybe all right then.
Maybe four or five i think because again with the handicap those good scores that you will have would stay in. But one thing that actually is kind of just coming off topic briefly i think the other day when we were playing. Or something you did. And you said i'm not scoring very well. And a lot of golfers when you get to certain ability feel like that don't we when you say i'm not scoring very well and i did it before loads of times. And i've actually thought why that is i think i've worked it out when you first start playing golf we all hit uh shots we take seven. Or eight to get a bunker we might seven portal that's an example but extreme example you know what i mean. And we hit horrendous shots like literally terrible shots and those terrible shots compound into terrible scores as you get better at golf even maybe let's say 18 handicap or better you hit much much fewer of those terrible terrible shots don't you so for example i am a golfer who plays a lot and feels like i don't score well that's what i'll say i'll bring my brother up how'd you play oh yeah i couldn't score actually look at what you've done i might run a path forward i mean decent drive a little bit of a fade to the light roof. But it's fine okay. So i'm happy with that ish not lost my ball gets the ball hit like an a tan out the light rule and i just put it on like maybe the side of the green again a good strike but just kind of under club or whatever and then.
Hit a chip with my 54 degree and catch it quite nicely but it's like six foot and then.
Missed the pot by looking out that's a bogey i've not really hit one bad bad shot but again compounded together there's my bogey now was it supposed. For handicapper i only have four of those bogeys yeah if i have seven. Or eight of them in the round and then.
Say oh i shot 78 today.
But i just couldn't score well actually no you've just not hit the right shot. So you get what i mean yeah. So i think as we get better those hopefully those real horrendous shots get fewer. And fewer you're hitting more normal strikes and good strikes but the scores always follow suit does that make sense i i yeah i would almost put it down to more you can have a round. And you'd have experienced it where you can strike the ball well yes like you feel like you're hitting it out the middle you feel confident over the ball you feel like the shots that you you're trying to hit you you're almost executing them. But there might be times where you don't quite know how far your yardages are going at the moment. So you might under club a few times or you might over club you've not you're not quite got the pace of the greens or you're not quite understanding how the chip's going to react when it lands. And hits the green and it's it's almost those little things that that more games of golf you get better at yeah you know do you get what i mean. Or even like that things where in fact it was westwood. And i was playing down this whole i was like where's the wind coming off because we're in this kind of sheltered area where's the wind coming off. And i felt that was no wind at all. And he said well don't worry about this bit because the wind's not going to touch your ball here we're going to look down to where your ball is going to be in peak height. And see what everyone's doing there and because we're in a bit of a shelter once you go past the trees the wind's off the right if you remember on the last hole it was off the left i'm thinking oh my god i didn't i wasn't even thinking that. And and again with more game experience you start thinking like that don't you you start thinking more logically and start thinking right i know i'm hitting it well but how am i gonna get the golf ball in the hole in less shots i know that i'm hitting if i if i hit a three quarter seven iron which i don't know how far three quarter seven angles at the moment yeah it lands like 162. For example if you're playing a lot of golf you see what i mean. So i do think yeah it's a compound of very tiny errors that can easily rack up your score if you're a good player. But it's also just those little being out of practice being out a kilter with actually grinding on the flip side you can get that there's a guy. And i'll name his name he won't be if there's a guy called mike morrell who i used to play with as a junior he was a good goal. For scratch golfer and i was like 14 15. And it was a decent level i used to love playing with him she was a good player. And i played him like two years in a row in the club championship and he won both years and his lovely bloke what used to borderline for straight me is i would say. And i still would stand by this i was a better ball striker than he was he would hit quite a low thin drive didn't go particularly far he'd hit it kind of on the green then.
To put. And you'd do that 18 times exactly. And i was quite a young you know quite a strong ish golfer hitting it quite far quite a good speed. And stuff and he beat me hands down and it he was almost the opposite of that he wasn't the best if you're watching the range you wouldn't think he was off scratch. But around a golf course he was a scratch golfer genuine scratch player i think the other thing just going back up you know let's say let's say you're playing a lot of golf right. And you're playing a lot of competit competition golfer you've got a score card you hand a lot or you like these tour players when they're doing it week in week out there'll be times in that process where you'd have bogeyed the first three holes yep or or had a bad start but through experience and grind you may have got it back you may have finished the round level part after having a terrible start so next.
Time that happens to you you're not scared you're not as worried because you think well actually two weeks ago i did something similar to this. And i can get it back i know i can. But again when you're out of practice and you're not you've not got that kind of real game face on at the moment if i have a bad start i don't have any recent history of bringing those bad scores back do you get what i mean it's that i think it's a car it's a kind of combination of a lot of things it's almost like you can strike the ball away you can go to range. And strike it pure and hit every shot like a middle in it but it's like say translating that onto the golf course and having that sharpness to your game and that's what gets lost one that you did wrong in last season's break 75. And i think you might do it in the first episode this year as well. And you correct me if i'm wrong but because you're playing to obviously break 75 once you get two over or three over you naturally feel like you've got to hunt for birdies yeah. And by doing that it can work. But equally yeah you can make much more mistakes whereas if you were playing. For like if they don't know what the series would be called if you're just playing for the best score you couldn't i think you might almost sometimes think about i'm seven over let's just avoid more disaster. And get some nice pals and then.
A weird bird he might just fall in yeah well you i think that's a great example like king's barnes yeah kind of quite nervous playing a lot of good players. And there's like with minwoo lee being one of them i started nicely i made some really good well i made a lot of string of paths if you remember but i got through the first six holes making six parts and at that point i'm like well i'm definitely gonna shoot yeah let's go to there's no need to go first literally almost can't shoot a bad score today.
Weirdly yeah well if i just made a couple of silly bogeys in those first six she's suddenly thinking there's a lot of tough holes to come. And how am i gonna still make as many bird you know what you saw in that video i made 16 pass a birdie and a bogey yeah. So it's like i think that's right that is right yeah yeah the level power um we're not down to the question of having lessons that we have. So yeah. So i i have over the last few years i've been seeing dan whittaker who we've had on the podcast before um certainly when i was doing kind of quest. For the opening and really trying to practice a lot he dan reached out to me is really nice message actually after my first ever open qualifying event. And said listen i think i can help you with your game crap um i said oh please please help because i think as a pro sometimes um what's the right word not vanity. But set almost self pride stops you from going getting a lesson something it's like if you were a personal trainer. And you're in good shape because another personal trainer you might feel a bit like weird about it yeah. So but it's strange because everybody because as much as i can see errors. Or faults in my own golf swing i think you're very biased to your own golf swing as well negatively. Or positive things that you might think you're doing wrong because of history you might not be doing too bad at the moment. But you still know that there were exactly. So yeah over the last probably two weeks i've seen dan once um a good session i've worked on strengthening my grip after fouled. Or telling my my grips crap but yeah no there's my balance now is having instruction. Or you know advice but actually putting in the time and we've mentioned it before having lessons is one thing. But it's not magic dust that's gonna suddenly make you better might give you a little confidence boost for next.
Time you go out and play but you know it's changing something you know it's working you know it's getting better and then.
Putting the hard yards in finding success in the dirt yeah i wonder if we could actually make a brand of rick shields magic dust comes little packets that you get like american goldfish. And we just say so i'm only friends yeah [Music] i felt the weight place you can get away with this stuff um yeah. So and then.
I had a putting lesson with phil kenyon back in last year we actually did make a video. But it wasn't our best video so we actually never posted it no it wasn't the best video that. And no defense to phil because he is. So knowledgeable and you were. So inquisitive because you were the world's best putting coach naturally the dialogue you two had. And the conversation was. So long and in-depth that you gained a lot from it he was an absolute expert. But it wouldn't work as a video it almost worked as a like a two-hour podcast and does the odd person out there who kind of feel sorry. For because they would love to watch that and they would sit there for two hours and enjoy every minute of it the vast majority would find it just too much so again that video will be on available on my only fans yes. So um yeah. So phil yeah i think 7.99 a month. For one picture every two weeks of my of my left toe and my left big toe the right everyone wants to see i'm saving that one um so yeah no there's there's definitely little bits of of trying to improve um just physically i'm trying to get better in myself as well i feel like i play better when i've got more energy. And i feel better and i've lost a little bit of weight and i feel a little bit stronger um so those things it's it's so annoying because i almost want to leave myself a video in that i do now. But i watch in october and say rick for the next.
Six months you're doing hardly anything it's cold it's wet it's horrible get in the freaking gym work hard now on your game because it's inevitable as soon as i get to may or april i'm like oh crap why did i do enough through the winter well i've got something i wanna you know about this. But i wanted to share it i've not told you to share it to the audience but i think it's quite good. So our audience is uh massively male we know that. For a statistic fact because we can see the data we'd have some females as well which we must appreciate i always actually just don't know i always think it's great when like a a woman messages us on the facebook group. Or something it's nice to have those females 100 but typically it's mostly male and you know typically again it's people between like 20 and 45 again there's people outside those brackets obviously people that live busy lives people have children whatever and golf's the hobby so i have much time for the things and we all know that a lot of people like you've said aren't happy with how fit the however.. So i set a challenge this month and you're in on this where i'm going to run 100 kilometers in may right. So i've got 60 miles for anyone that still works in miles or whatever and you're gonna do it with me i believe you've already done 10 in a ridiculous time of 48 minutes by the way if that's my hat on all right okay that i am rick shields at the audio everyone you know what honestly i'm not worried of a lie it was absolutely dripping wetland no. But what i was thinking was right a lot of people love again the facebook group. And the communities just set up on twitter and stuff outings invite people to participate but i've thought of a different way of doing it because everyone wants to run so like a bit like golf we're gonna have red teas or forward teeth i want to call them red teas yellow teas and white teas so the white tea challenge for the month of may so admittedly this is a couple of days in now you know only three days is to run run. Or walk you want to walk 100 kilometers this month 60 miles yellow tees is the same. But 75 kilometers which is about uh miles no it's uh it would be three i've got yeah about seven no whoa whoa whoa whoa right seven five kilometers yeah in miles i can't think of that is it not right four. And a half yeah no four. And a half yeah. So 45 miles that's a bit long-winded and then.
The red one the forward tease would be 50 kilometers or about 30 miles again you can run. Or you can walk it if anyone listening wants a little bit of motivation you might want to walk. Or run now join us uh tweet us if you want that send us dms we'll try and cheer you on we're going to try. And do it. And just want to put this out there so we don't slack should we put it update people in the facebook clubhouse yeah facebook group twitter community. Or dm was on whatever on instagram. Or whatever just but if you wanted something to get you let's have weekly updates okay. So so far i've done 10 questions and i've done 10. i've done two fives so but again you can walk. And you can do the reds which is 50 kilometer walk throughout the month which is doable yeah um i like i like it good luck everyone okay perfect anyway now the moment you have been waiting. For ladies gentlemen and people of all ages some big big big big big big big news the guy to my left rick shields you've got a new sponsor whoa whoa whoa so yeah this is this is really exciting news. And it's more because we i love sharing these ideas and these um reasons why i choose to spawn get selected with certain spots brands so you might have noticed certainly over the last few months i've been wearing a new footwear the company is echo yes okay. And echo i have been testing these shoes for a long time that is a big big keyword. So i reckon pre-christmas we started talking about echo they'd seen the opportunity of maybe looking to sponsor me and i would you know with any sponsorship because obviously i've got an audience i'm always quite protective about what we pushed to the audience that was a huge under exaggeration from your part you aren't just a bit protective you are very rightly. So very protective about you have to genuinely like the product and you've been very fortunate that lots and lots of brands you won't mention have sent us product for you to test to try not for reviewing clubs and balls or such but for clothing and shoes and you are the most fussy person i've ever met which is great over the last nearly 18 months i couldn't even imagine how many footwear brands have sent me shoes i mean my garage is literally full of boxes however. none of them have passed the test. For me nope up until i started wearing echo shoes um i started wearing them pre-christmas and they just sent me loads of different sizes sorry those different styles shall say genuinely hands down the comfiest shoes i've ever worn ever like not even not even a question to the point where i am literally wearing every single style of shoe even some of the golf shoe styles like i went to center parts at the start of the year yeah i wore them every single day on your instagram people i looked closely. And i called you a gcw which if you know you know i literally wore echo shoes for every day of the holiday like almost like semi-golf shoes yeah there's loads of amazing styles. And i think what i love about echo is they are a shoe brand like they specialize in shoes massive of course offering as well they're not just a golf shoe company. So we're a danish company family owned making shoes since like 1960s 1963 and for me what i've loved about them so far is the fact that. And i've never seen this in different shoes before the toe box the area like where your toes are this is spacious like. So they're kind of snug in the back of the heel they're nice and kind of fitted in the middle section of the foot but then.
The toes have room to breathe um so that's what i found really comfortable so for me when i'm looking for a new pair of shoes or anything that i'm going to wear comfort is obviously key fashion is key performance is key now they don't make a lot of spiked shoes. And i was worried about that first remember when we have the chat because i've often used certainly when i'm playing serious i prefer. Or i used to prefer a spiked shoe a lot of the echo ones don't have spikes they have like kind of the the really it's like an integrated traction yeah where there are some spikes. For options as well i was worried in in different conditions wet conditions where it's a bit slippery that the the non spikes wouldn't work yeah i've not seen any evidence of that whatsoever no well when if you think about it probably 10 years ago when spikeless golf shoe emerged from from several brands including echo as well it was very much like a super trainer. And they were very comfortable to be what if you were assistant pro. Or i was in american golf on my feet. For 10 hours a day they were quite cool to work to do a golf shoe. But like a trainer but yeah you wouldn't get any traction when you're playing a slightly wet t-box. But the echo ones have a bit more don't they yeah you know what. For me as well fascinating because when i used to work at a pro shop when i used to work at mia we used to have loads of different shoe companies and loads of different styles and customers would come in and say i want the most comfortable shoes and at the time i was like i had no real alliance to anybody. But over time there was a definite trend like over time when you show people different shoes you get to try them on. And then.
You get them to try on the echoes there was always a response these are the comfiest these are the ones. And people of very very eagle-eyed viewers have spotted that i've been wearing it echo really since the start of the year to be honest and i've seen loads of comments saying i'm a loyal echo fan i would wear nothing else than echo um they've done me great you know service over many many years and already i'm seeing that already i'm seeing why people are such loyal echo fans 100. And i think what the great thing is. For the listener for the viewer of obviously the main channel as well and social media followers this isn't going to be something where you're getting pushed footwork down your throats every week you know that rick left his previous clothing. And footwear brand and if you've watched that video you'll understand the reasons why rick and we kind of chose to to move away from that we've spoke very close to the guys echo and you know like you said the biggest thing. For you is that the shoes fit you well you're on your feet a lot yeah. And that you know they suit the audience as well and and that you're not going to be starting pushing down people's throat we're going a little bit heavy to talk about it of course the announcement. But this is going to be a regular thing this is literally just to give you a bit of a heads up of why i've decided because it's a big partner ask a lot like some of the potter video reviews recently where you can see your footwork. And all that was before this actual sponsorship the deal was signed that was because you genuinely like them. So much and i've worn them as well and i think they're really good um. But yeah i just want to get out don't worry it's not going to be a big thing you know. And also an obvious reason if you think about it echo don't make golf clubs they don't make golf balls. And they never will. So this has no you know if rick's now reviewing a titleist driver. Or callaway driver it's not it doesn't have any influence yeah at all whereas if you were wearing humor footwork. For example well people might then.
Question when you're testing a cobra club or whatever it might be a footjob a titleist or whatever it is um. So there's no kind of issues there at all always guys you know this if you're a loyal fan i've always been super cautious about this relationship between what i wear why what i kind of endorse. And how close that is linked with manufacturers like i just think it's a really not not a clean transaction if there is any kind of integration there. So for me i always try and keep it separate whatever i wear or whatever i get involved in will not be involved with manufacturing. And you know what as well this is a kind of not that people need this note. But for people watching and this is why it's. So important for you when going with echo is that. For a golfer your footwear is invaluable. And i think sometimes we underestimate that as golfers because again you're walking between four. And five miles per round which is a long way if you're playing twice three times a week which a lot of people are it's a hell of a lot of stray on your feet you need something that's comfortable you want that performance now i know a lot of people think well you know driver's got this this technology. And iron's got this what's a piece of footwear well footwear has a lot of technology into it to keep you comfortable to keep your traction etcetera yeah. And the big thing with the vast majority of the echo shoes they're actually gore-tex as well so they're fully waterproof and all that kind of stuff so a lot goes into them it took you a long time to try different shoes and find the one that fits you best literally and that's what you've landed yeah. So guys like i said nothing changes. For you but we just want to give you a heads up you know it's been a little bit of like say people have been commenting what you're wearing what you're wearing it's just opportunity to sit down and explain the reasons why um i'm a massive fan i am i really am and it's great to be able to partner with echo hopefully for many many years to come and uh thanks for everybody's support and i know you understand the situation i'm in and why you support it so much so um you'll see many more echoes and that's the positive you can you can tell these stories longer than it's a social media post. But one thing though echo i think you've made a mistake by signing rick because look how good of a model i would look whether ready. For this just if you're listening you have to watch the video [Music] they'll look good that's what i'm gonna be wearing by the way that's almost as white as your teeth really that is the echo biome is that the c4 that's the c4 i think yeah i've got a mini gray yeah i'm literally wearing golf shoes in the studio. And that's not just for this that's what you do every day i literally wear these all they're just like they are just like trainers really aren't they. So great thanks everyone thank you so much for watching that was really good. So we have got a little dear rick for you okay go. For it so this is the part of the show it's one of my favorites i love how much attention you pay how much thought goes into it if you want to email me annoyingly i think i said this to you a while ago we're having. So many spam emails it's outrageous um we want your genuine email so email us podcasts dodgy sites you've been signing up to my only family it's a podcast rickshaws.com um and to be honest with you i hate to admit it the clickbait titles work so if you click bait and say like guy is a massive loser i'll probably read your email um. So you just massively ask for it now i like it let me find the dear rick though um so what i could do with doing is actually getting my emails a bit neater. So i can find them here we go. So you've given rick lots of advice before and to be fair i think it's good advice on how to get your youngsters into goal this is a different question this is couples golf. So it's from um i think i'll see i'll leave anonymous i never know what's the best thing to do. But hi dear guy and rick so again it's an old-school thing but a great way of getting your email read out put guy first and it's a huge massive tick i'm a long time youtube subscriber and newer to the podcast great to have him converted over i find myself blasting through the episodes on the daily and i've made it for about half of them um i suspect that i'll feel a bit of emptiness once i catch up but hope to fill that void of the open podcast you recommended on episode 45. so what i love about that is that he's heard the open recommendation he's took it on board. But he's committing with us for the time being so good guy my question is about trying to keep your spouse. Or significant other engaged in golf if they're new to the sport i've been golfing for about 10 years but only started take it seriously about a year ago when i took my first lessons i've upgraded my clubs and i've invested a lot of time and money into improving my fiance has seen how enthusiastic i am about golf and how i look forward to the arrival of new equipment and each lesson i attend she herself has purchased a half set of clubs and has bought some items of clothing and equipment to use at the golf course so this is the sound what advice would you give to someone like me who hopes to make golf a big part of my recreational activity. But would like to keep my fiance interested into the sport would you suggest uh changing up the way i play when i'm playing with her to put less pressure on myself and keep my emotion in check for a play if you were in a situation if you're in my situation. Or have previously been in my situation how would you guys go about keeping a good thing uh along with making activity that we can both enjoy together. But still use it as a way to improve my game from anonymous first things first i absolutely love how he wants to bring his fiance into the game of golf that's each individual's prerogative some people want awake time away from the house which is fine on their own some people want to take their wife. Or husband on board i love how it's this horrible attitude of like you should be at home while i'm playing golf so big shout out to sky um i feel like i'm in zero position to give advice wow um i've been with my wife 15 years yep and multiple times i've tried yep to you know maybe tempting to giving it a go um multiple times it's not worked at all um so yeah i i must admit though i i'm not i. For me i'm in a slightly different position in my life because it's kind of my work yeah. So actually not that i would have ever ever ever discouraged her to play golf but sometimes it is really nice that she actually knows really nothing about it yeah that's true sometimes. For me personally on a personal note but i totally understand what this guy's talking about because i do also quite like i kind of envy it when i see it. And sometimes maybe maybe in the future maybe when i retire to barbados and decide to bring my wife into playing golf whatever it might be the time and for me there's a couple of things it sounds like he's doing a lot of the really good things and she's she's into it she seems like she's really keen um i think what's really great about golf is that. And we've we spoke about loads you can if you want to be competitive with other people of different abilities different sects of different ages if they wanted to become competitive there is a handicap system that would allow that. And everything else i think that's a really good way you might have some arguments after. But there's a really good way of doing it the other way that i would i would like to see a little bit more of is where it's still fun he can still get his enjoyment. And still play and she can feel encouraged it's almost if you play like alternate shots like just a little nine-hole alternate shot you'll absolutely fly around probably do it in an hour. And a half if it's quiet and and you're you're kind of playing together so you're always walking together yeah cause you walk into the same ball just play with one ball. And there's that little bit of advice and if there's a bit of a tricky shot that maybe one of you struggles with and the other one's really good at you could swap turns and almost play as a team and try and play as like a collective way you're trying to you know you're not maybe battling against each other but you're trying to support each other and give each other advice because i think that way you can you certainly come stronger he gets his fix because he feels like he's still improving. And she whichever way around it is they might find themselves in very different positions on the golf course because of it you know his tee shot might normally end x position where if he's if his signa if his fiance teed off it might end up somewhere else he'll go this is somewhere different this will be a different test. For me a different shot or whatever it may be so i would like to see that a bit more um and apart from that like so i think not really that's great advice. Or the last last last thing is maybe if there's another couple that may be like you can almost do something similar to that where you get on with the fella. And she gets on with the wife and you can all kind of mix together a normal this is still golf advice by the way you can you can all go. And play like together and and again it can be a fun relaxed alternate shot whatever it may be just a fun environment no i think that's good advice. But the other thing i would say it's great that he wants to get his wife into the game that's great but in some ways i'll treat it no different to if you're getting a friend to the game just because his wife like i mean like i think golf is difficult to get into because it is. So hard so it's about like you said enjoying the full aspects like maybe doing more putting. Or going the top trick to driving range hitting like long drive i took my wife to driving range once. And she's kind of semi into in the shot but she literally i got i've got a woman's nike drive that i had from my old job really nice like light graphite shaft big load of loft and she was hitting some. And once you started seeing the long drive that her shot's going up. And up and up and over 100 yards she was well into it now she wouldn't want to go every week with me. Or whatever but as a one-up she really enjoyed that so maybe a bit more fun like you said um maybe nine holes rather than 18. like you said with the kids kind of playing less than more yeah that's an approach six holes. Or something yeah. But equally if you didn't switch it into it like there's loads of women at my golf club absolutely love it and the husbands don't play like so yeah like say it's different. For every every scenario every couple um like i said i've not got loads of great experience in it. But just just make it fun like make it enjoyable matt's been behind his hands on his head so we should switch the camera angles quick so we have to stop doing that he's just like he's chilling i think he meant in like shock no just like he's chilling. So he's meant to be switching the cameras he's just got this daydreaming um i've got a quick question for you from simon's yeah well hopefully um as you said before the facebook group is the one place to go to have your questions answered. And this is the kind of caliber of questions we've got simon david what crisps are you putting on your crisp butty oh crisp butter oh god i deal with a crisp pudding do you have sour cream on a crisp butter i don't know i don't know hundred percent grab any sauce at all on the crisp butter yeah it's a bit means a bit more yeah. So what i do i have peanut butter on it. And then.
The crisp oh i've asked this question for a reason you'll find out in a moment if i'm having a crisp button i've got every possible crisps the issue is you kind of need flat crisps as well well no you don't you say because you can't go pringles though. And twice well that's not gonna literally i'll tell you what i'll tell you what this actually is a proper throwback when i was at college i used to get like a packet of crisp open it a bit crunch them all up in the bag they're all like tiny little bits two pieces of bread butter shed loads of sour cream sprinkle the crisp from the from the packet. So it's all ordered and like the salad cream acts as like glue you're a monster and then.
And then.
The other piece of bread a little bit more solid cream bang chopping half bang you know look at the podcast when i'm planning it before we do it i think god always to an hour single question like that. And we've gone for three minutes already um i i think flavor though it's got to be a toss-up between salt. And vinegar yeah just yeah justin bloody good on a butter yeah. Or or maybe even worcester sauce okay yeah the reason i asked that was because first it was a good question secondly yesterday which was monday at the driving range bank called him one day. And pringle's man was there shout out to pringles man you know he is one he's pringles man the guy that's always the driving range in the cafe a lot of time shouts over yeah he works at the pringles factory shut up yes well i'm on my third free pack you're joking me no. So he caught yesterday how are you getting honest yeah good thanks listen to the podcast. So pringles man shout out um he gave me when i'll get you some pringles went to the van came back with some salt and vinegar pringles big tube standard great then.
He said you like spicy stuff i went yeah i'm partial went back to his van got his other pack of cheese. And chili spicy pringles so i went home and had pringles wow so i didn't catch his name but i know it was pringles ma'am i probably shouldn't have ignored him that time he came up to it drawn some crisps drawn some good stuff they call some tubes oh chewed some tubes i'm like uh i'm sorry sir i don't participate well what was weird is he said to me i was in the the reason i first got some is i was in the cafe. And he comes and went i've got a 13 inch tube of your name on it if you come to the camera and i followed him stupidly and i got some pringles so that's how i first got mine wow so all right there you go it was a 13 inch jeep harry's got told not to take snacks off strangers. So maybe i'll be a bit more cautious don't go to the back of the van of these uh strangers yeah that was good a good experience anyway. And last one i've got a quick question from gary myers again i've got experience with this have either of you ever been hit by stray golf ball well we had the talking point two weeks ago when i got hit by a golf club club um i don't think i have no yeah i know i've not i've hit someone quite badly as well. So my home golf club you played it with me the first time ever the other day and you beat me in a match play why have we not talked about this we'll rewind the podcast let's go back to the start breaking news everybody i went round i forgot about golf club i went golf club and uh kicked your ass you did because i played really bad. So it's not like oh my god i forgot about this oh it's all right your medal's on its way that's in the post it's bloody hilly it's hilly it's ridiculous in ways it's getting better it's it has a lot of unique characteristics yeah in like home of gaichanic home of guy charlotte. But lots of holes where you so there's a new golfer i honestly think i'd play i didn't play great when i first played with you. But i think i'd play a lot worse now i know the course hundred percent it's one of those courses scary out of bounds everywhere because you don't know it i can stand up there. And you go i just hit it just left that mark and you're like okay. And kind of almost do it. And you'd be like that's safe you'd hit it five yards right at the mark and go that might be out of bounds and i'm like what do you mean it's nearly out of bounds he's like yeah that might be out of bounds i'm like you're joking that's what i wish i could do. And it sounds bizarre this normally a golf course gets easier the more you play it i honestly think when you've had scar tissue like you said before on a golf course i would love to go. And have those things from men in black work you met your memory just goes for a minute and start standing the first t and just play it to the markers i think i'd do a lot better because i know where the trouble is it really scares me have we not spoken about this first do we need to say something else yeah because i wanted to talk it was just about have i ever hit anybody on the go oh yeah go on there's six teams at my course the downhill path i was just about to come to that hole yeah it was foggy yeah playing in the winter league. And there's group in front of us it was. So foggy couldn't see the green we waited for what felt like 10 minutes and then.
We heard this shout and it sounded to me like they said the green's clear which little thanks i said ringing the bell really thanks let's know the green's clear now hit this three iron stinger as everyone's seen you watch this brake 75 my free iron sting is a fire. And um next.
Thing we heard some screaming you've hit him you've hit him you've hit him oh my god what they were actually saying that since found out was don't hit. Yet which sounds nothing like green's clear but that's what i interrupted as i literally ping this guy on the head he had to get taken in a buggy a golf cart in america to the clubhouse he was literally bleeding i was absolutely mortified i didn't know on purpose obviously i couldn't even see. And in the end he was okay when i was working at nike i had a van full of golf balls. So a game load of golf balls the peace offering but it was a horrible experience it's kind of funny-ish now. But at the time i was really worried. And upset wow there you go so yeah you beat me great anyway matt this is going to go in the start of the podcast like almost like before i even introduce the podcast. So yeah after i beat you at your home course um the 16th the part three down the hill yeah i made one of the best birds i've ever made in my life oh god yes because it's really really really downhill. And i didn't know the club and i think i hit seven iron from like 180. Or something stuck it to about six foot and knocked it in great birdie but then.
The birdie on the next.
Hole the par five yeah is that not the greatest up. And down you've ever seen me do ever literally was the greatest up now i've ever seen you do this one was outrageous it was dead you were gone. So i hit a good tee shot around the corner it's a severe dog leg to the left and and like once you go around the corner it's lit like a ski slope down to the green a fantastic hole i think i think my favorite on the golf course at all yeah um. So i stood on top of the hill i had about six iron left into the green on this par five but it was really downhill pulled it left down after god said what the hell is that doing it kicks down the bank runs way down um bad lie was that i had a beat i'd beat you this yeah i know i beat on the 15th oh yeah yeah okay um. So absolutely dead pin was like unlike that back left player all around it the bunker's short. And going around out of bounds on the back out of bounds i mean because there was no pressure i just said all right i'll just flip it back flick a 60 degree on this flicked it off literally landed it. Or near perfect it still just ran through the green and then.
Boxed it off the green it was great. And then.
I buried the last oh you nearly hold it on the last yeah i don't want to talk about that you know it's frustrating as well because people in the clubhouse would have been watching. And watching you me come up you hit we're both not actually great tee shots on the last i went left i had a really bad tee shot left but luckily hit three and bounced out you hit one kind of a little bit weak right but it was safe. And pathetic i hit a pitching wedge and pulled it left pin high but pulled it left you had probably like 90 yards yeah put it to it was. So close it was like the length of a box of three balls away on it. So we're walking up there the clubhouse is right behind the clubhouse is really magnificent on the hill loads of windows. And everything but the windows are slightly blacked out they've been watching well i didn't know at the time i'm walking up there going bloody hell everyone everyone watching the club outside is going to think the guy's playing brilliant because you literally had a kick in. For a birdie i pulled it left pulled it left think up. And down made a terrible hash of it made bogey walking off thinking and anyway we went in the clubhouse and had a j2o topped up with lemonade nobody wants to hear about you beating me at golf it's not it doesn't matter it's fine that absolutely find that one oh my god um well i purposely left it um well done yeah okay guys thanks. For watching the podcast hopefully enjoyed it episode 129 and we'll [Laughter] peace.
