Off TRAQ Podcast — Golf's Real Conversations
Oct 13, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min · 21 segments
Does playing in golf tournaments actually make you a better golfer, or does it just expose the weaknesses you already have? This week on Off TRAQ, Charles and Roy debate whether amateur golfers…
So, okay.
I'm gonna, I'm gonna make the argument then that you're learning a lot from tournament preparation, but almost the wrong thing.
[laughs] You're, like, learning what not to do-
Yeah
... versus, you know, and, and, you know, kind of the, the thesis that we're starting with is, you know, the tournament, the pressure, the environment, um, and, and not that, like, your weekend foursome, not that there's no pressure to score, but, like, you know, obviously there's something more, uh, at stake in, in a tournament.
I've, the, I...
It sounds like you're saying that for you, anyway, like, entering the tournament is actually exposing all of the wrong things because you tend to go the wrong way in terms of your preparation versus, um, you know, like you said, you play your flaw, right? And you just, you're okay with, with that.
D- if, if you, knowing this, if I said, "Hey, we're entering a tournament in a month," would you still overprepare?
I don't think so.
I don't think I would anymore.
Um, and, and the, the last, you know, um, mini tournament that we played in was actually a big moment for me that I should not be doing it, because I've done this on, I think, the last, like, three or four tournament.
And, and, and the spacing is so wide that I forget.
But I think it comes from, like, my desire to perform well, that I just Over prepare.
And I feel like when it comes to golf and the way that I practice, over-preparing ends up hurting me.
Uh, like, like for example, when I went and played, um, at Monterey Park and filmed that, you know, last week, I hadn't touched my clubs in like two, three weeks.
And so I think my game plan was a lot simpler, even with my swing.
I had just one swing thought, and I shot two over that day, which, you know, even though it's a much shorter course, like, like seven out of the holes are par threes, that's usually where I am, you know, losing a lot of my s- strokes, is-
Right
... that approach shot anyways.
And so I was actually kind of pleasantly surprised, um, being able to go there just with a very simple swing thought and approach and scoring so well.
So I've actually-- If you were to tell me that we were playing in a tournament next month, I was actually considering should I experiment with something more similar to the Monterey Park one, where maybe I will hit up a range like once the week prior.
No, no, no.
But for the most part, I would go there with like one swing thought.
[chuckles]
No, no, no.
So, okay.
I'm gonna, I'm gonna make the argument then that you're learning a lot from tournament preparation, but almost the wrong thing.
[laughs] You're, like, learning what not to do-
Yeah
... versus, you know, and, and, you know, kind of the, the thesis that we're starting with is, you know, the tournament, the pressure, the environment, um, and, and not that, like, your weekend foursome, not that there's no pressure to score, but, like, you know, obviously there's something more, uh, at stake in, in a tournament.
I've, the, I...
It sounds like you're saying that for you, anyway, like, entering the tournament is actually exposing all of the wrong things because you tend to go the wrong way in terms of your preparation versus, um, you know, like you said, you play your flaw, right? And you just, you're okay with, with that.
D- if, if you, knowing this, if I said, "Hey, we're entering a tournament in a month," would you still overprepare?
I don't think so.
I don't think I would anymore.
Um, and, and the, the last, you know, um, mini tournament that we played in was actually a big moment for me that I should not be doing it, because I've done this on, I think, the last, like, three or four tournament.
And, and, and the spacing is so wide that I forget.
But I think it comes from, like, my desire to perform well, that I just Over prepare.
And I feel like when it comes to golf and the way that I practice, over-preparing ends up hurting me.
Uh, like, like for example, when I went and played, um, at Monterey Park and filmed that, you know, last week, I hadn't touched my clubs in like two, three weeks.
And so I think my game plan was a lot simpler, even with my swing.
I had just one swing thought, and I shot two over that day, which, you know, even though it's a much shorter course, like, like seven out of the holes are par threes, that's usually where I am, you know, losing a lot of my s- strokes, is-
Right
... that approach shot anyways.
And so I was actually kind of pleasantly surprised, um, being able to go there just with a very simple swing thought and approach and scoring so well.
So I've actually-- If you were to tell me that we were playing in a tournament next month, I was actually considering should I experiment with something more similar to the Monterey Park one, where maybe I will hit up a range like once the week prior.
No, no, no.
But for the most part, I would go there with like one swing thought.
[chuckles]
No, no, no.
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