The Meaning of Golf

Dasa and Andy begin by talking about the upcoming "Meaning of Golf School." Then Dasa recaps her first round using fewer than 14 clubs. She made a lot of birdies, and a lot of bogeys. They discuss her club choices, make adjustments. Andy shares about his time with the loft/lie machine, gifted clubs, and an old putter. They end by discussing the 14 Club Corporate Conspiracy, and suggest that maybe the pros are playing too many clubs.

Andy gives Dasa an update on the state of his lost clubs. They discuss putting together a new set of golf clubs, and explore how a person's clubs could help bring more freedom, simplicity and fun to there game, therefore lowering their score.

Pete Leinenweber joins Dasa and Andy to discuss a theory from French philosopher Jacques Lacan: the imaginary, symbolic, and the real. This theory gives a lens for which to see the world in all its depth and complexity. In comparing it to golf they question if its the bad shots, not the good ones, that keep people playing golf and give golf its flavor.

Andy shares a recap from his trip to New Club Golf Society's Spring Meeting at Sweetens Cove. He and Dasa discuss the golf course, competition, community, and what makes Sweetens Cove such a special place.

Dasa and Andy discuss "The Work" -- a process of examining your thoughts and reality developed by Byron Katie. They broadly discuss the theory and then apply it to various thoughts golfers have that cause them suffering.

Dasa and Andy discuss their early outdoor golf matches. They discuss their rounds and how they're feeling about their golf. They end by discussing the need for patience and commitment for best performance.

Andy and Dasa discuss lessons from the 2026 Masters- goal setting, perspective, expectations, and more!

Dasa and Andy discuss a listener question asking what to do when their round actually matters, like in a tournament or qualifier. They discuss "Golf Without Why," other philosophies, the Bible, and more!

Daniel Warren Johnson joins the podcast and gives the show's first ever cold open about a memorable caddy at Whistling Straits. Then he talks with Dasa and Andy about shooting his personal best score, and how to manage goals and expectations going forward.

Dasa and Andy begin by recapping the final of the TGP Staff Championship. They then discuss mindsets, and how certain approaches can help or hurt performance. Andy suggests that it's a good idea not to associate your identity with your score. The pair end by recapping Andy's first outdoor round this year, and contrast it with his infamous failure in Mexico in 2024.

Dasa and Andy begin by discussing the TGP Staff Championship tournament before getting into a conversation about swing thoughts. Andy shares his experience finding new swing thoughts, and an experiment doing the opposite on purpose. Are swing thoughts needed? If so, how can we hit good shots with no thoughts at all? How do we find the balance?

Andy and Dasa look forward to the outdoor golf season and discuss how to bring some of their philosophies out to the course. They discuss keeping score, golf without why, suffering, fun, joy, and more!

Dasa and Andy discuss Shane Lowry, Viktor Frankl, and finding meaning in the bad shots.

In this episode, Andy and Dasa are joined by the show's Harvey Pekar - Daniel Warren Johnson - to hear the story of Andy's journey of golf and his search for meaning in golf and life. Andy shares personal stories, transformative experiences, and the deeper meanings he has found over the last 15 years.

Peter Donahue joins Andy and Dasa for a wide ranging conversation looking back on the history of the podcast, Peter's latest swing discoveries, song lyrics on losing, and much more! 

In this episode Andy and Dasa begin by challenging the way golfers typically talk about their golf - more like a medical autopsy than coming from a place of joy and curiosity. Since golfers are typically taught to fix themselves, Andy offers 10 questions to help people recognize what makes their game unique, and give them a different perspective to play from.

In a special episode - Daniel takes the reigns of podcast host, and asks Andy and Dasa some questions. They share stories of worst rounds, crying in the parking lot, and the suffering that comes when playing with people who are better than you.

Dasa and Andy discuss the joy and magic inherent in the game of golf. From a beginner overcoming the shanks, to Jenny hitting a 200 yard drive, the game is full of magic if we pay attention. They explore why golf analysis treats rounds of golf the same way the doctors in "The Pitt" treat a dead body, and talk about why this common approach may be causing more harm than good. They end by suggesting that not trying to fix things could be the first step to improvement for every golfer.

Dasa and Andy welcome special guest Daniel Warren Johnson. Daniel is a comic book artist and has found a new obsession with golf. This wide ranging conversation covers Daniel's history with the game as well as a life changing round at Torrey Pines. Daniel even helps Dasa in her search for meaning with the game.

The Golf Practice Podcast is back with a new name! In this episode, Andy and Dasa discuss drawings from golf aficionado and comic book artist Daniel Warren Johnson that bring back a view of the golf swing that has been lost. Andy shares how these drawings have changed his life! He has a new perspective on the golf swing, making changes, and is generally a more self accepting person.

Dasa joins Andy as he shares some theories and philosophies about finding non-religious meaning in Christmas. They then have a wide ranging discussion about finding meaning and. purpose in the ordinary.

Dasa joins Andy as he shares about joining Facebook and spending time in the comments section of Michael Hebron's page. Then the two discuss how they have been applying Hebron's principles of self-guided learning to their own lessons and programs at The Golf Practice.

Andy Hayes is joined by Dasa Urbankova and Peter Donahue for a deep conversation about finding meaning in golf and in life. Dasa shares her first post-college season, Q-School, the US Mid-Am, and the unsettling feeling of not knowing what golf means without tournaments. From Czech hip hop dance battles to Victor Frankl and the idea of “doing it without applause,” the three explore competition, curiosity, creativity, and whether we can learn to play golf, and live life, more for its own sake than for outcomes.

Pete L. and Dasa join Andy to interrogate him over his recent blurry golf swing videos he has posted online. Andy shares his motivations, and they have a larger conversation about social media in general, and what gets attention.

Peter Donahue joins Andy as they continue their recap of their 2025 golf season. Andy shares how he finally figured out his driver, but it didn't lead to the better scores he was expecting.

Peter Donahue joins Andy to recap his year of golf. They discuss dealing with change, learning from experience, and much more!

Andy and Dasa talk about a quote from Ben Hogan and how they are trying to apply it to business, life, and golf.

In the final episode of their search for a unifying theory of golf's mental game, Dasa joins Andy to share her experience playing at the US Women's Mid Am golf tournament, and how she was able to practice playing "Without Why." They give examples and suggestions of how others could play golf "Without Why" and discuss the benefits of experience and performance that can come along with it.

Dasa joins Andy as they discuss some lingering question surrounding the details and practice of playing golf without why.

Dasa and Andy sit down for part three of their search for a unifying theory of golf's mental game. In this episode Andy shares a poem about a rose, and a story about musicians aboard the Titanic as he presents his theory of Playing Golf Without Why.

Dasa joins Andy for the second part of their search for a unifying theory of golf's mental game. In this episode they discuss "The Hum" and "The Lack," two competing philosophies that provide a lens to view golf and all of its mental game theories through. Is there ultimate goodness or suffering in the deepest parts of the game?

Andy is joined by Dasa on the podcast as they search for a unifying theory of golf's mental game.They have studied and tried out many theories, but they all seem to fall short in one way or another. In this episode they cover some popular ideas, and share about past successes and failures with various mental game philosophies. They end by discussing the Hum of golf, and hides from Irish philosopher Peter Rollins - searching for a lens that all other ideas could be viewed through.

In this episode, Pete L, Dasa, and Andy dive deep into Scottie Scheffler’s recent comments about success not fulfilling the deepest desires of his heart. They explore the difference between chasing results and finding joy in the process, both in golf and in life. The conversation ranges from Tiger vs. Scottie’s mental approach to the idea that nothing external can truly satisfy us. Along the way, they share personal updates, struggles, and reflections from their own summer golf journeys.

Andy is joined by Dasa as they dive into the mental journey of golf, exploring the tension between searching for swing perfection and finding freedom in simply “swinging your swing.” They discuss concepts like tuning into “the hum,” gratitude on the course, and how life’s everyday moments—like kids eating waffles on the bed—mirror the challenges of staying present in golf. Through candid stories, swing experiments, and philosophical reflections, they remind listeners that golf is as much about self-discovery as it is about scores.

Andy, Pete L, and Dasa are back on the pod talking about how working at The Golf Practice has impacted their own games. Dasa opens up about a rare rough round, experimenting with new putting mechanics from Stan Utley, and the tension between coaching and playing. They get into swing changes, chasing speed, when (or if) to make adjustments, and how AI might fit into the coaching mix.

Andy is joined by Peter Donahue as they discuss their latest ideas, insights, developments, and practices from their coaching and own golf games. 

Peter Donahue joins Andy as Andy shares about his time at Lookout Mountain and Sweetens Cove with New Club Golf Society. They discuss New Club, the golf courses, and Andy gives a breakdown of the journey of his golf game over three full days of golf.

Peter Donahue joins Andy to discuss Rory Mcilroy and Bryson Dechambeau at the 2025 Masters. They talk about the many ways this week taught us what golf is. They cover the parts of golf we seemingly can control and the parts that are still confounding and mysterious.

Peter Donahue joins Andy to discuss the upcoming Masters Tournament. They spend most of the time hearing about Peter's experience playing  the back 9 of Augusta National, and then discuss why watching these tournaments on tv can be so valuable and enjoyable.

Peter Donahue joins Andy to discuss his new theory on the low hum at the core of the game of golf. They also talk about how this metaphor can help provide a structure for understanding why certain mental routines work, while painting a bigger picture of what we are going for.

Andy is joined by Dasa Urbankova to discuss a phenomenon of Andy chipping the ball in the hole only when he's not trying to. They explore different headspaces to be in while playing golf, and talk about how important it is to be in a good space when playing. They end with some big picture ideas of how people's understanding of what golf is can impact their mental space and approach to the game.

Jantzen joins Andy to discuss their golf goals for the 2025 season. They cover their goals in three categories: Perfomance, Approach to the Game, and Philosophical.

This is a clip from a 2021 episode titled Hot Cup, Cold Cup. In it, Andy, Pete L and Jantzen discuss a Yale study that causes them to question free will, ownership of their golf games, and more!

Peter Donahue joins Andy as he shares an update from a friend of the podcast who has undergone a coaching experiment, and found great success, using artificial intelligence as his golf coach.

Peter Donahue joins Andy live from Lisle. They check in on recent coaching experiences, and Andy shares changes to his approach as his coaching has ramped back up.

This is a clip from a 2020 episode. Peter Donahue shares his story of playing Pine Valley in the middle of the night with only a hickory 2 wood!!

Pete L and Dasa join Andy to check in on how things are going at the two The Golf Practice locations. They discuss a speed training challenge going on and Andy offers a new perspective.

In this episode Andy Hayes is joined by Steve Schreck as they delve into the intricacies of golf coaching, discussing their experiences, insights, and evolving techniques. They explore the importance of building awareness in players, addressing misconceptions about learning the golf swing, and the significance of creating a supportive learning environment. The conversation highlights the balance between technical adjustments and individual swing styles, emphasizing the mental aspects of golf, including fears that can increase tension and impact performance.

Jantzen joins Andy for a wide ranging discussion on coaching, learning, and the new strategies they are using to help people get better at golf.

Andy is joined by Peter and Pete L. following the Vikings latest loss. He asks them the question, what should you do if you never reach your goals?