Joe Saia

Helping golfers transition into the player they strive to be. Nominated Golf Digest Best Young Teachers in America
#MaketheTransition

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

If you’re a golfer who focuses way too much on outcomes and expectations, I have a great exercise for you to try during your next round. It can completely change how you evaluate your performance and help strengthen your mental game.

Instead of judging your round strictly by your score, start scoring your round based on how well you execute your standards on each shot. This helps shift your focus toward the things you can actually control.

Before the round starts take a few minutes to decide on a couple of standards you want to commit to for every shot. These standards should be things that are completely within your control.

For example, one standard could be going through your full pre-shot routine before every shot. Another could be fully accepting the result of each shot instead of reacting emotionally. Your standards can also be more personal to your game.

After the round is over go back and review each shot. Give yourself +1 point if you successfully executed your standard on that shot. Give yourself –1 point if you didn’t.

This exercise can be very eye opening.
Sometimes a golfer will realize that even though their score wasn’t great, they actually did a really good job sticking to their standards and giving their best effort. Other times it can reveal that a player’s mental game needs some work.

The best golfers understand that they can’t control every result but they can control their preparation, their mindset, and their response to each shot.
Start tracking that instead of just your score.

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#TransitionGolf

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@ForePlayPod @BobHarig This is clearly special treatment. All players have the freedom to skip events to prepare for majors. But not all players have the freedom to not meet the required minimum and not be penalized

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

Most amateur golfers would benefit more from studying swings on the LPGA Tour than the PGA Tour.

The average driver clubhead speed on the PGA Tour is about 117 mph, compared to roughly 95 mph on the LPGA Tour. Those differences in speed require different impact conditions to produce optimal launch and ball flight.

For example, many PGA Tour players can generate ideal launch conditions with a steeper angle of attack because of their higher clubhead speeds. Most amateurs, with slower swing speeds, will typically benefit from a shallower angle of attack throughout the bag to maximize launch, carry distance, and consistency.

#TransitionGolf #MaketheTransition #Golf #PGATour #LPGATour #GolfSwing

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@JosephLaMagna Bunker cams are not as cool as producers think they are

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

IMO when amateurs overuse the bump and run with a lower lofted club, they are limiting their skill development.

Learning how to hit solid chip shots with a high lofted club requires good technique. Learning that technique then allows you to hit a variety of shots around the green.

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@LouStagner They should instead be trying to make courses shorter and tighter using trees, water, and bunkers. Putting an emphasis on accuracy and ball striking. Which would actually take the importance of distance away

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

Negative thoughts are one of the biggest performance killers in golf. The problem is that most golfers don’t even realize how often they’re happening.

After a bad shot it’s easy to get frustrated, criticize yourself, and carry that negativity to the next shot. That’s where rounds start to unravel.

A simple way to combat this is to create a list of positive golf memories. Write down moments that remind you why you love the game.

It could be your first birdie, your first time breaking 90, or a memorable round with someone special. Anything that brings back positive emotions.

Keep that list in your golf bag. When you catch yourself getting negative, turn to the list. Inject something positive in your mind.

The goal is to replace negative thoughts before they take over your round. The golfers who can do that consistently have a huge mental advantage over the competition.

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[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@flushingitgolf That partnership really only benefits the pga tour. It ensures that the best players are fed there. While the DP world tour is struggling to maintain purses and sponsors due to weak fields

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@jamierkennedy Just keep the mics rolling and hold off on the commentary right after a shot. I think brooks mentioned this once

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@Fit_For_Golf High value post per usual 💪

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@jamierkennedy I think for some players it promotes their charity foundations

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@MattVincenziPGA Jack always talked about how amateur golf was easier because you had more time off between events to work on your game.

I can see what he’s saying in regards to top players trying to prepare for multiple big events in a short time span

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@jamierkennedy Good mindset. One came in 2nd at the pga and the other missed the cut

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@Top100Rick I was at the pga championship on Sunday and I was shocked at the pace of play. There were multiple times when a hole would have no players on it

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@Mike_kim714 In regards to design/setup what are some things that colonial does well that you think other tour courses should be doing?

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@flushingitgolf Who is the best character in pro golf right now?

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@JonathanYarwood More often than not I see players that are too shallow with a closed face. Yet most of the info online is about getting more shallow and more closed

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@Top100Rick You could argue his drive was going away even before he made the move to LIV. Which ultimately played a role in his decision to go

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@BrendanPorath Everyone obsessing over challenging tour pros as much as possible. Just enjoy the show and the talent these players possess

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

@JoshACarpenter @TheDomino Now that the Saudis are no longer in the picture and LIV isn’t a threat to the pga tour. Is there a chance LIV players could be allowed to play both LIV and pga tour events?

[Joe Saia @_transitiongolf]

One thing I think a lot of golfers overlook is how much their thoughts affect their physical performance on the course.

A lot of players spend all their time trying to improve mechanics, while ignoring the way they think and talk to themselves during a round.

I see golfers all the time filling their minds with negative thoughts after bad shots. That kind of self talk has a real impact on performance.

Your mind and body are connected. When your thoughts become negative and tense, your swing usually does too. Confidence drops, commitment disappears, and it becomes harder to play freely.

One of the best things you can do for your golf game is practice positive self talk on the course.

It’s about learning how to speak to yourself in a way that helps your performance instead of hurting it.

A positive mindset doesn’t guarantee positive results. But negative thinking will almost always make it harder to perform at your best.

The key is learning to catch negative thoughts as they happen. When you notice them, interrupt them quickly and replace them with something productive.

The players who learn how to manage their thoughts give themselves a huge advantage mentally and physically.

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