Long putts are where Bob Labbe wants golfers to stop guessing. In this Connecticut Golf Podcast episode, he joins Golf Podcasts USA to discuss Putting by the Numbers, a quantitative method to lag putting built around measured force, surface resistance and repeatable distance control.

The system began as Bob’s answer to a scoring problem after he sold his second air pollution control company in 1996. He and his business partner committed to 18 holes three days a week and practice three days a week, and most of the bag improved quickly. The exception was distance putting: long attempts were turning into three- and four-putts. His response was to approach the problem like an engineer.

A central piece of Putting by the Numbers is what Bob calls an individual power factor. He does not try to change how a golfer grips the putter or manages the stroke. Instead, he focuses on a common motion: every golfer rocks the shoulders while putting. From there, the method connects each inch of putter retraction to a measured amount of ball travel.

Bob explained that this factor is personal. In his summer example, his own green factor was 20 feet of travel for one inch of retraction, while his wife’s was 11 feet for that same one inch. The point is not that every golfer should copy his number. The point is that each golfer can identify a personal number and use it as a practical guide instead of relying only on touch.

He also described how the method changes when a putt crosses different surfaces. A ball moving through green, fringe, fairway and first-cut rough does not respond the same way on each surface, so Bob assigns different travel values to each one. In his example, a putt starting in the first cut, crossing fringe and then rolling across the green could be broken into separate measured portions, adding up to a specific backswing length rather than one guessed stroke.

Bob said he spent roughly 25 years proving the method before writing the book. That long testing period mattered to him because he wanted the system to be accurate, repeatable and dependable before putting it in print. For golfers who already believe putting is mostly feel, his answer is not to throw feel away, but to add a quantitative tool that can hold up when distance control matters.

​Learn more about Bob Labbe and his approach to better lag putting at BobLabbe.com (https://boblabbe.com/), and find his book Putting by the Numbers on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Putting-Numbers-Quantitative-Method-Lag/dp/B0DSGPVNP9/).

Keeping more tee shots in play is the center of this gear spotlight on the Cobra OPTM Max-K Driver. The driver is described as built for maximum stability and forgiveness, with a design aimed at reducing sidespin and helping more drives stay in play.

For the Connecticut golf audience, the emphasis is on what happens when contact is not perfect. The Max-K is presented as forgiving on off-center hits, so the product focus stays on stability and forgiveness when the ball is not struck from the center of the face.

The tour-proven piece comes through Rickie Fowler and Gary Woodland. Rickie Fowler has put the Max-K in play, and Gary Woodland used it in a professional-tour win this season, giving the driver examples from players who have used it in competition.

Listeners are also reminded that supporting the local golf show is part of the message around the Cobra OPTM Max-K Driver.

Heard on Connecticut Golf Podcast, part of the Golf Podcasts USA network.
​More Connecticut golf coverage at golfpodcasts.org.

The biggest update in this episode is not a single interview or topic shift; it is the network’s relaunch plan. Brett Smith of Golf Podcasts USA explains that the company is deploying a publishing tool built to make distribution far easier, allowing one upload process to push content across the platforms where the network is active.

That matters for the Connecticut Golf Podcast because this show is part of a larger all-state rollout. Brett says Golf Podcasts USA has content for all 50 states, with local shows meant to be discoverable by searching a state name alongside “golf podcast.”

The timing behind the relaunch is also part of the story. Golf Podcasts USA started in November 2025, and this August 2026 update arrives as search interest in golf podcasts has reached an all-time peak. Brett points to Google Trends, noting that the five-year pattern had been mostly flat before a recent spike.

He also says more people are investing in golf content, which makes the network’s distribution approach more important. With publishing planned across YouTube, Spotify, Instagram and TikTok, the relaunch is framed as a way for Golf Podcasts USA to talk, upload and distribute more efficiently as interest in the category grows.

Heard on Connecticut Golf Podcast, part of the Golf Podcasts USA network.
​More Connecticut golf coverage at golfpodcasts.org.

​Lake of Isles is one of the standout public golf destinations in Connecticut, and this Connecticut Golf Podcast course spotlight takes a closer look at a course known for both its golf and its food. Set in North Stonington next to Foxwoods, Lake of Isles brings destination-golf appeal, strong architectural credibility, and a public golf experience built around rolling terrain, lake views, and Rees Jones design. The experience is strengthened by Matches Tavern, giving golfers a real post-round food-and-drink stop with views tied directly to the course and lake. For traveling golfers looking for public golf in Connecticut with scenery, credibility, and a built-in dining experience, Lake of Isles is a course worth knowing.

​Michael Ambriz, VP of Operations for World Long Drive, joins Golf Podcasts USA to discuss how World Long Drive local qualifiers work, how golfers can move through the three-step qualifying process, and why long drive continues to grow through golf expos, PGA TOUR Superstores, and live fan events. This episode is a great fit for Connecticut golf fans who follow competitive golf, golf technology, indoor golf, swing speed training, and equipment innovation. We also talk about the athleticism of long drive, specialized driver setups, and the excitement surrounding local qualifiers and the road to the World Long Drive Championships. If you follow Connecticut golf, golf podcasts, long drive golf, or the future of competitive golf entertainment, this episode is for you.

Jack Dillon joins Golf Podcasts USA for our “In My Opinion” segment — a short-form golf business and golf industry commentary series featuring smart voices from across the game.

Jack is a two-time author, Golf Inc. Magazine contributor, and longtime golf business expert. In this episode, we talk about golf growth, course hospitality, player development, off-course golf, and how the industry can do a better job keeping new golfers engaged for the long term.

We also discuss why courses need to stay connected to golfers after the round, how group instruction and better hospitality can help retention, and what operators, brands, and media companies should be thinking about over the next 90 days.

Learn more about Jack at www.youdontknowjackd.com

Read his Golf Inc. commentary here: https://golfincmagazine.com/commentary/

​Golf Podcasts USA is America’s only local golf podcast network, with golf podcast coverage in all 50 states and beyond. Explore the full catalog at golfpodcasts.org.

Everyone has a bad hole — the triple-bogey avalanche. In this Golf Podcasts USA coaching series (Mental Game), PGA Master Professional Coach Claude Brousseau (Director of Player Development, Wailea Golf Academy) teaches a step-by-step 30-second reset to stop one blow-up hole from turning into two or three more. 
 
You’ll learn: 
The exact 30-second reset (what to do first, second, third) 
What you’re resetting: emotion, attention, breathing, and decision-making 
The difference between a between-holes reset (walking off the green) and a next-tee reset (before the next shot) 
The #1 mistake that creates the blow-up-hole spiral 
A 10-second emergency reset when you’re still mad 
 
More from Coach Claude: 
claude4bestgolf.com 
waileagolf.com/Academy/Meet-The-Director 
 
Planning a Maui trip? Support the show: 
✈️ golfpodcasts.org/expedia 
 
Follow Golf Podcasts USA and find your local show: search “[Your State] golf” on Spotify. 
 
Full catalog: golfpodcasts.org 
Instagram: @GolfPodcasts ​

Golf Podcasts USA is America’s local golf podcast network — covering golf stories, course spotlights, and golf culture across all 50 states (plus destination feeds).

In this special episode, Brett Smith interviews author Rich Poggi about his golf novel Fairways & Greens — a story where golf becomes a metaphor for life decisions: second chances, legacy, and the shot you never planned to hit.

About the book: Doug Parker is the protagonist — once destined for PGA Tour stardom until injury and self-destruction changed everything. Decades later, he’s rebuilt his life teaching the game with discipline and purpose at the club where he grew up… while fighting to keep that golf-only club alive in a changing world — until a phone call from his past forces him to confront what he thought he left behind.

If you love golf stories that feel real — this one’s for you.

​Buy the book: https://www.richpoggi.com/

✅ Full show catalog: golfpodcasts.org
📸 Instagram: @GolfPodcasts
🏌️ Cobra gear: golfpodcasts.org/cobra
✈️ Travel planning: golfpodcasts.org/expedia
🎲 Ledgenz: golfpodcasts.org/ledgenz (availability varies by state; play responsibly)

I’m Brett Smith. Thanks for listening—and always remember to tip your cart staff.

​This episode is packed with PGA Show 2026 energy and real takeaways you can use. We recap the show in Orlando (tech, practice trends, and what stood out on the floor), then jump into the PGA TOUR: Scottie Scheffler wins The American Express at -27, plus the breakout story of 18-year-old Blades Brown firing a course-record 60 at PGA West (Nicklaus Tournament Course).

Next up: Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines — what to expect, winning-score vibe, and our picks (including the headline: Brooks Koepka is back). We also spotlight Torrey Pines (public) and PGA West Nicklaus with simple “how to play it” and “how to build a trip around it” trip guidance.

Plus: golf tech + gear you’ll actually care about — PuttView AR green reading (practice gold), Toptracer Go + making practice more social, and drivers we hit at Demo Day including the Cobra OPTM X (straight + long) and the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond. Quick hit on Takomo irons and show-floor apparel trends too.

Support the show (and our sponsors):
🏌️ Cobra: golfpodcasts.org/cobra
✈️ Expedia travel: golfpodcasts.org/expedia
🎲 Ledgenz: golfpodcasts.org/ledgenz (availability varies by state; play responsibly)
✅ Full show catalog: golfpodcasts.org

I’m Brett Smith. Thanks for listening—and always remember to tip your cart staff.

We went live from the PGA Show studios in Orlando (Thursday, January 22, 2026) with Daniel Guest (PGA Top 100 teacher, Imagen Golf) and Matthew Gannon (ShipItNation DFS/odds expert) for a fast, fun golf podcast episode covering what’s happening right now in the game.

We break down The American Express (PGA West / La Quinta), talk tournament storylines and desert golf, and zoom out to the big picture: the PGA Show, the future of golf, and whether PGA + LIV + everything else is too much golf—including Brett’s comparison to the UFC model and what it means for fans.

We also get into equipment and golf tech from the show floor: the rise of simulators, the PuttView app/putting tech, and what’s catching attention in clubs—PXG Lightning and the new Cobra OPTM. Daniel shares practical club fitting tips (what really matters, what golfers overthink, and how to get fit smarter), plus insight from his teaching business and YouTube channel Imagen Golf. Matthew explains how sharp minds look at odds, DFS strategy, course fit, and volatility in golf.

If you love golf, golf podcasts, tournament talk, gear, tech, and where the sport is headed—this one’s for you.

Support the show:
✅ Full show catalog: golfpodcasts.org
📸 Instagram: @GolfPodcasts
🏌️ Cobra gear: golfpodcasts.org/cobra
✈️ Travel planning: golfpodcasts.org/expedia
🎲 Ledgenz: golfpodcasts.org/ledgenz (availability varies by state; play responsibly)