On the Mark Golf Podcast

Impact is golf’s moment of truth—but improving it does not require a perfect-looking swing. Mark Immelman is joined by longtime PGA professional Todd Brenkman for a practical conversation about solid contact, realistic expectations and learning to control where the golf club meets the ground.
Drawing on lessons from Johnny Miller and Bobby Clampett, Todd explains why golfers should learn to brush the grass on the forward side of the ball, how the presence of the ball can change the bottom of the swing and why many players would improve faster by practicing without a ball.
Mark and Todd also discuss ball position, uneven lies, wrist action, clubface control, functional misses and the dangers of immediately changing your swing after every poor shot. The episode includes simple drills that can help golfers of any ability develop better impact without becoming overwhelmed by technical swing thoughts.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Johnny Miller’s simple key to solid iron contact - Why the club should brush the ground on the forward side of the ball How to practice impact without hitting golf balls.
What it means to become “ball bound” - Why the presence of a golf ball can move your swing bottom backward.
How solid-contact expectations should change based on your handicap - Why functional misses matter more than perfect shots.
How to swing freely without steering the golf ball - Why grip and setup remain essential fundamentals.
How chipping and punch shots can improve the full swing.
Todd’s tic-tac-toe bunker drill for controlling the bottom of the swing.
How ball position should change with the club and the lie.
Why practicing on uneven lies helps transfer your range game to the course.
How one productive practice swing can improve contact and pace of play.
Why wrist and forearm awareness can help square the clubface.
The danger of blaming every poor strike on your swing.
Why the clubhead should arrive at the right time—not necessarily be delayed.
How to release the club without becoming afraid of “flipping,” and
What to focus on when facing a pressure iron shot.
Key Takeaways:
Brush the Grass Forward of the Ball - Todd shares the foundational lesson he learned from Johnny Miller: draw a line representing the center of the golf ball and learn to brush the grass on the target side of that line. The goal is not to dig a massive divot. It is to develop awareness of where the club first contacts the ground and where the bottom of the swing occurs.
Practice Without a Golf Ball - Golfers often become so focused on striking the ball that their natural movement and coordination disappear. Todd will sometimes conduct an entire first lesson without hitting a golf ball. Removing the ball reduces the urge to “hit” and allows the golfer to focus on landing the club correctly.
Understand the Ball-Bound Effect - Bobby Clampett taught Todd that the presence of the golf ball can cause the bottom of a player’s swing to move backward. A golfer may brush the ground several inches forward of a practice line without a ball, but move much closer to—or behind—the line when a ball is introduced. Learning to maintain the forward swing bottom with the ball present is a major component of consistent iron play.
Set Realistic Expectations - Even great players do not strike every golf shot perfectly. Todd offers the following general expectations for solid strikes out of 10 shots: Bogey golfer: approximately one or two Mid-handicap golfer: approximately three or four Single-digit golfer: approximately five or six Elite amateur: approximately six or seven The remaining shots should become functional misses that stay in play and allow the golfer to continue scoring.
Do Not Steer the Golf Ball - Trying too hard to manufacture perfect contact can cause the golfer to slow down, guide the club and lose athletic movement. Prepare carefully, then release the club as though you have no worries. A freely swinging club often produces better contact than a motion controlled by fear.
Begin With Smaller Swings - Todd does not immediately move golfers into full swings. He begins with chips, punch shots and half swings so the golfer can learn how the club, wrists and arms should behave through impact. If a golfer cannot control impact at a slower speed with a short club, adding length and speed usually makes the problem worse.
Use the Tic-Tac-Toe Bunker Drill Draw a tic-tac-toe grid in firm bunker sand and set the club over one of the intersections. Make swings without a golf ball and examine: Where the club entered the sand. Which direction the divot traveled. Whether the center of the club struck the intended intersection. Whether contact would have occurred on the toe or heel. The sand provides immediate feedback that is often more visible than turf.
Calibrate Yourself to the Ground - Before playing a shot, make one small brush swing to determine where the ground is. This becomes particularly important on slopes and uneven lies, where a stock ball position may no longer match the bottom of the swing. One meaningful rehearsal is more useful—and faster—than several full-speed practice swings.
Check the Simple Fix First - A poor shot does not always require a swing change. The golfer may simply have struck the toe or heel. Todd recalls moving one student only half an inch farther from the ball, immediately improving the player’s strike and direction. Before rebuilding the swing, check setup, ball position and strike location.
Focus Past the Golf Ball - When facing a pressure shot, Todd gathers the necessary information, uses a brush swing to calibrate the club to the ground and then focuses on sticking the finish. That finish-oriented intention encourages the golfer to send energy through and beyond the ball rather than stopping or steering at impact.
Memorable Quotes:
 “Learning how to brush the grass, to me, is fundamental number one in golf.”
“More shots in the air than not. That’s the goal.”
“He or she who misses it the best wins.”
“Release it like you’ve got no worries. At least you have no regret.”
“Sometimes people are too quick to change what they’re working on in search of something else.”
“You’ve got to figure out where the ground is.”
This podcasts is also available as a vodcast on YouTube.  Search for and subscribe to Mark Immelman.

What if the secret to better golf is not another swing theory, launch-monitor number or technical rabbit hole—but learning how to truly play the game?
Mark Immelman sits down with 3x PGA TOUR winner, NCAA National Champion, Texas State Golf Hall of Famer and respected golf broadcaster Billy Ray Brown for an honest conversation about the lessons Billy Ray wishes he had understood earlier in his career. His biggest realization? You do not have to be perfect to play great golf.
Billy Ray explains why golf is a game of recovery, how an uncomfortable Christmas Day practice session transformed his short game and why players must learn to solve problems without immediately turning to a coach or a collection of data. Mark and Billy Ray also explore the importance of grip, setup, ball position, clubface awareness and active hands.
They discuss Scottie Scheffler, Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson, Jackson Suber, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer and the Harmon family while examining how great players build swings that perform under pressure.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why chasing perfection can keep golfers from playing their best.
How Billy Ray transformed his short game in only a few months.
Why golf should be viewed as a game of recovery.
The difference between productive practice and simply filling time.
Why golfers should practice the shots that make them uncomfortable How feel and technique work together.
Why self-discovery builds adaptable, resilient players How technology and data can help—and when they become distractions.
Why grip, stance, alignment and ball position still matter.
How clubface awareness allows great golfers to save imperfect swings.
Why different grips require different body motions and matchups.
How course conditions should influence the swing and shot, and
Why the ultimate goal is to play golf rather than chase a perfect-looking motion.
Key Takeaways:
You Do Not Have to Be Perfect - Great golf is not produced by hitting every shot perfectly. Every player will miss greens, struggle with portions of the game and face situations that require creativity. The best players accept that reality and become skilled at recovering.
Build a Short Game That Travels - Billy Ray recalls entering college as an excellent tee-to-green player who was not good enough around the greens. After his coach contacted his father, Billy Ray spent a cold Christmas Day working alone on his chipping. That experience began a transformation that helped him earn a place in the University of Houston lineup and win an NCAA championship later that spring.
Practice What Makes You Uncomfortable - Golfers naturally gravitate toward clubs and shots they already hit well. Productive practice requires the opposite approach. Work on the awkward lies, partial wedges, flighted irons, recovery shots and uncomfortable situations that will eventually appear on the course.
Learn to Figure It Out - Players who always turn to someone else after a poor shot can become dependent on external feedback. Billy Ray believes golfers must spend time experimenting, observing the ball and learning what their own motions feel like. That self-awareness gives players the ability to make adjustments during competition.  Fundamentals Provide the Foundation Modern technology offers valuable information, but Billy Ray continually returns to the same fundamentals: Grip Stance Alignment Ball position, Distance from the ball, Clubface control, A consistent setup gives the swing a better opportunity to organize itself naturally.
The Ball Does Not Lie - Launch monitors can provide useful measurements, but the flight of the golf ball remains the clearest form of feedback. Golfers should learn to recognize why the ball curved, launched too high, spun too much or started offline.
Play the Shot the Course Requires - Firm ground, wind, changing green speeds and difficult lies require adaptation. A golfer’s motion should respond to the shot and environment—not remain locked into one predetermined swing model.
Play Golf, Not Golf Swing - The objective is simple: get the ball into the hole in the fewest possible strokes. Technique matters, but only when it helps the golfer accomplish that goal.
Memorable Quotes:
“You do not have to be perfect in this game.”
“The most complex thing about learning to play the game is keeping it simple.”
“The ball doesn’t lie.”
“You have to go to the most uncomfortable situations and put yourself in there.”
“Play the game, not swing the golf club.”
This podcast is also available as a vodcast on YouTube - search and subscribe to Mark Immelman and leave a comment.

In this episode of On The Mark, Mark Immelman is joined by newly professional golfer Dax Isbell for a thoughtful and inspiring conversation about competitive golf, pressure, faith, failure, process, and what it really takes to access your skills when the stakes are high.
Dax recently earned his first professional victory on the GPro Tour in just his fourth start. He shares what he has already learned from making cuts, missing cuts, playing for money, handling pressure, and trying to stay aggressive when the natural temptation is to protect.
Mark and Dax discuss why the pressure of making a cut can sometimes feel heavier than the pressure of trying to win, and Dax explains how golfers can get trapped in “prevent defense” instead of continuing to play with freedom and intent. The conversation also goes deeper than swing mechanics. Dax shares how his faith shapes his approach to golf, why he believes identity cannot be tied to scores or results, and how his daily system of belief, consistency, preparation, and execution is helping him grow as both a player and a person.
This episode is packed with wisdom for competitive golfers, junior golfers, parents, coaches, and any player who wants to better understand how to practice, compete, fail, reset, and keep pursuing the game with purpose.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
🎙️ What Dax learned from making his first professional cut.
🎙️ Why missed cuts can become distracting if golfers attach too much identity to them.
🎙️ How playing for money changes the pressure of professional golf.
🎙️ Why the Friday cut line can create more tension than Sunday contention.
🎙️ The danger of playing “prevent defense” on the golf course.
🎙️ Why aggressive intent matters under pressure.
🎙️ How to play in alignment with the way you are designed as a golfer.
🎙️ Why golf is what you do, not who you are.
🎙️ How faith helps Dax process success, failure, frustration, and expectation.
🎙️ Why skill development and skill access are two different things.
🎙️ What Dax believes are the key skills in golf: driving, wedges, approach play, chipping, and putting.
🎙️ Why wedges are one of the most important money-making skills.
🎙️ Why players should practice in ways that force them to compete.
🎙️ The four layers of Dax’s system: belief, consistency, preparation, and execution.
🎙️ How language and belief shape competitive performance.
🎙️ Why “sucky practice” is not necessarily bad practice.
🎙️ Why every shot needs to matter, but not destroy you if it goes wrong.
🎙️ How nutrition and hydration can save shots during a round.
🎙️ Why junior golfers should understand how their behavior affects opportunity, and
🎙️ What Dax would tell his future self if his golf career ended tomorrow.
Key Takeaways:
Golfers lose more than they win, so identity cannot be tied to scores, cuts, or trophies.
The pressure to make a cut can cause players to steer the ball instead of swinging with commitment. Playing smart does not mean playing scared.
Golfers must learn how they personally perform best under pressure.
Developing skill is only part of the equation; accessing skill when the lights come on is another skill entirely.
Wedges, putting, chipping, driving, and approach play all require specific attention.
Competitive practice should include winning and losing, not just hitting pretty shots.
Belief is built through the stories you tell yourself about who God is, what He has done, and how He made you.
Every shot should matter enough to earn your full attention, but not so much that it wrecks you emotionally.
Fuel matters. Eating and drinking consistently during a round can help players think clearly and compete better.
Golf exposes character, which is why it can be such a powerful teacher.
The goal is not just to play better golf, but to pursue the game faithfully and authentically.

In this episode of On The Mark, Mark Immelman is joined by golf coach and content creator Brandon Bauman, known online as @coach_bauman, for a practical and entertaining conversation about simplifying the golf swing and playing better golf with clearer intention.
Brandon shares his approach to mental resets, swing balance, tempo, timing, leg action, speed, wind management, and playing smarter golf. His coaching style is simple, direct, and easy to apply, making complex golf concepts easier to understand for players of all levels.
The conversation begins with one of the most important parts of scoring: how to reset mentally after mistakes. Brandon explains how he breaks a round into three-hole matches, uses physical restart cues, and “reintroduces” himself on the tee to create a fresh start during competitive rounds.
From there, Mark and Brandon dive into the four pillars of the golf swing: timing, tempo, rhythm, and balance. Brandon explains why tempo does not mean slow, why a balanced finish still matters, how relaxed arms can create more speed, and why golfers should stop forcing speed with tension and handle drag. They also cover practical drills for better sequencing, improved leg action, more efficient speed, and better wind strategy.
If you want to simplify your golf swing, reset your mind, and play with more conviction, this episode is packed with takeaways you can bring straight to the range or course.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
How to reset mentally after a bad shot, hole, or stretch of holes
Why Brandon plays six three-hole matches during a round
How physical reset cues can help you start fresh mid-round
Why golfers need to learn how to “plug in” and “plug out” mentally
Why balance remains one of the key pillars of the golf swing
What a good finish position can tell you about your swing
Why tempo does not mean swinging slowly
How your personality can influence your ideal swing tempo
Why handle-dragging can actually slow the clubhead down
How timing and sequence can improve with a simple pause drill
Why relaxed arms can help you swing faster
How to use leg action correctly for power
Why "sitting down" in the backswing can hurt your downswing sequence
How one-handed swings can improve speed and release
Why throwing the club can help golfers understand the “slot”
How to adjust properly for wind, and
Why golfers should play to carry numbers, not total distance.
Key Takeaways:
Mental resets are a skill, and they can be trained.
Breaking a round into three-hole matches can help golfers stay present.
Physical cues like changing gloves, changing tees, or marking the scorecard can signal a fresh start.
You cannot stay fully “plugged in” for four or five hours, so learn when to focus and when to relax.
The four pillars of the golf swing are timing, tempo, rhythm, and balance.
Tempo does not mean slow; it means the club and body are working together efficiently.
Your swing tempo should fit your personality and natural pace.
A balanced finish is still one of the best indicators of an efficient swing.
Speed comes from sequence, leverage, release, and relaxation — not brute force.
Pause drills and one-handed swings can help golfers find better timing.
The legs should work in the correct order: load, move down, then extend through impact.
Into the wind, the ball loses more distance than many golfers expect, and Downwind does not help as much as the wind hurts into you.
Playing to carry numbers instead of finish numbers can improve decision-making and scoring.
This episode of the OntheMark Podcast is loaded with simple, beneficial and easy to learn and apply golf-improvement insights.  Share it with your friends and watch it on YouTube to see some of the demonstrations.  Search for and subscribe to Mark Immelman.

In this episode of On The Mark, Mark Immelman is joined by New York Times bestselling author Steve Eubanks to discuss his latest book, Godball — a powerful look at the growing movement of athletes speaking openly and boldly about their Christian faith.
Steve shares how the idea for Godball came from noticing a major shift in sports culture. What was once often limited to quick post-game “thank you” moments has become something much deeper: athletes using interviews, press conferences, social platforms, and public moments to share their faith stories with clarity, conviction, and courage.
Mark and Steve explore why this movement is happening now, how athletes are helping lead a renewed interest in faith, and why performance, trophies, wins, and careers can never fully define a person. From Scottie Scheffler and Bernhard Langer to Rose Zhang, Kirk Cousins, Dusty Baker, Dottie Pepper, and Betsy King, the conversation highlights athletes who understand that what they do is not who they are. This episode is a thoughtful conversation about faith, identity, peace, pressure, grace, revival, and the unique platform sports provides for sharing something eternal.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
What inspired Steve Eubanks to write Godball
Why athletes are becoming more outspoken about their faith
How sports have become a platform for revival and spiritual conversation
Why modern athletes are moving beyond surface-level faith comments
How Scottie Scheffler models identity beyond performance
Why trophies and wins cannot fill the deeper spiritual need
How Gen Z and Gen Alpha are responding to authentic faith
Why young men are helping drive a renewed interest in church and Scripture
How COVID changed many athletes’ view of time, calling, and platform
Why peace is essential for athletes performing under pressure
How faith helps competitors handle failure, transition, and identity loss
Why grace, redemption, and spiritual grounding matter in sports and life.
Key Takeaways: 
Athletes are using their platforms more intentionally to share their faith.
Performance may define what an athlete does, but it should never define who they are.
Sports reveal merit, pressure, failure, discipline, and resilience in a very public way.
Many athletes are discovering that trophies do not provide lasting peace.
True peace does not come from positive thinking alone, but from a deeper spiritual foundation.
Younger generations are drawn to authenticity, and they can quickly recognize what is real.
Faith gives athletes a way to process success, failure, pressure, and life after competition.
The current faith movement in sports is not isolated — it is visible across golf, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, and more.
This podcast is also available on YouTube - search and subscribe to Mark Immelman.