The Skillest Podcast

Clappy's back from Coaching at the Open!

Skillest

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0:00 | 37:18

Clappy is back from his first major as a coach, and it was a good one. He breaks down how Royal Birkdale played at The Open — pins tucked on the edge of every green, morning waves getting the calm before the afternoon storm, and how firm-and-fast conditions rewarded players like Ryan Fox and Lucas Herbert who grew up on similar ground back home.

He also shares what it was like coaching Tom Sloman through his first Open, practice rounds with Harris English, Keith Mitchell, Ryan Gerard and Laurie Canter, and a great conversation with Claude Harmon about the tweaks he's making to Cameron Young's swing.

That leads into the real meat of the episode: why almost none of the best players in the world have a "textbook" swing, why "swing your swing" is terrible advice for amateurs but makes total sense for tour pros, and how the best coaches nudge players in tiny increments rather than overloading them with fixes. Plus, why remote coaching often works better than the real thing, and why less really is more once you've earned the trust to say less.