Spencer Lanoue

Spencer has been playing golf since he was a kid and has spent a lifetime chasing improvement. With over a decade of experience building successful tech products, he combined his love for golf and startups to create Caddie AI - the world's best AI golf app. Giving everyone an expert level coach in your pocket, available 24/7. Caddie's mission is simple: make world-class golf advice accessible to everyone, anytime.

Latest articles

What Is the Hardest Shot in Golf?

Debating the hardest shot in golf is a classic 19th-hole conversation, and for good reason - there’s no single right answer. While one player sweats over a three-foot putt, another fears the long bunker shot more than anything. The true difficulty of a shot isn't just about the club in your hand, it's a mix of technical skill, mental pressure, and the consequences of getting it wrong. This guide breaks down the top contenders for golf's hardest shot, explaining why they vex us and providing clear, actionable steps to turn these course nightmares into manageable situations.

What Is Grounding in Golf?

In golf, grounding has two distinct but equally important meanings that can transform your game once you understand them. One is a physical concept - the feeling of stability and power you generate from the ground in your swing. The other is a formal rule about when you can and can't let your club touch the ground before you hit the ball. This guide will walk you through both, helping you build a more powerful and repeatable swing while knowing exactly how to avoid unnecessary penalty strokes.

What Is the Overlap Grip in Golf?

The single most popular grip in golf, used by a majority of pros from Ben Hogan to Arnold Palmer to Justin Thomas, involves connecting your hands by simply resting your right pinky finger on top of your left hand. Known as the Vardon Grip or, more commonly, the Overlap Grip, this technique is praised for its ability to unify the hands into a single, cohesive unit, promoting better clubface control and a smoother release through impact. This guide will walk you through exactly what the Overlap Grip is, how to use it correctly, and whether it’s the right fit for your game.

What Is a 3 Club in Golf?

A 3-club isn't a single, specific club but a family of clubs designed for distance, each with a unique purpose and personality. Understanding the difference between a 3-wood, a 3-hybrid, and a 3-iron is an important step in building the right set of tools for your game. This article will break down what each 3-club does, when you should use them, and how to choose the right one for your bag so you can start hitting longer, more confident shots.

In Golf, How Do You Know What Iron Club to Use?

Standing over an approach shot with your trusty laser rangefinder telling you there are 150 yards to the pin, you face golf's most common and critical decision: choosing the right iron. This isn’t just about picking one club based on a single number, it's about making a smart, confident choice that gives you the best chance for success. This guide will walk you through a simple, repeatable process for selecting the right iron, moving from understanding your stock distances to accurately reading the real-world conditions on the course.

What Causes a Push Fade in Golf?

That familiar, frustrating ball flight - starting to the right of your target and then weakly curving even further right - can leave any golfer feeling defeated. This shot, the push fade, signals a disconnect between your swing's path and the club's face angle at impact. This article will break down exactly what causes the push fade in clear, simple terms and provide practical, on-the-range drills to help you straighten out your shots for good.

What Is a Finesse Shot in Golf?

A finesse shot is the bridge between a delicate chip and a full-power swing - a shot of touch and control, played primarily from those tricky in-between distances of 30 to 100 yards. They are the shots that separate good scorers from average ones because they give you control over distance, trajectory, and spin when brute force isn't an option. This guide will walk you through exactly what these shots are, why they're so important for a lower score, and provide a clear, actionable system to help you master them.

What Is a 10-Finger Grip in Golf?

The ten-finger grip, often called the baseball grip, is the simplest way to hold a golf club, yet many players incorrectly dismiss it as only for first-timers. This guide will show you exactly what this grip is, who benefits most from it, and provide a step-by-step tutorial to get it right. By the end, you’ll be able to decide if this comfortable and powerful grip is the right choice for your game.

What Does Preferred Lie Mean in Golf?

Ever heard a playing partner say winter rules are on today or we're playing lift, clean, and place? These phrases refer to one of the most common - and commonly misunderstood - local rules in golf: the preferred lie. Far from a cheater's pass, this rule exists for very specific reasons and comes with a strict procedure. This complete guide will walk you through exactly what a preferred lie is, when you can take one, the step-by-step process for doing it right, and the mistakes to avoid, so you can play with confidence no matter the conditions.

What Is the Highest Loft Allowed in Golf?

A lot of golfers wonder just how ‘vertical’ a golf club can get, so let's get right to it. There is no official rule in golf that puts a hard number on the maximum loft a club can have. However, clubs must conform to traditional shapes and designs, which shuts the door on extreme or unusual gadgets and effectively caps the practical limit around 90 degrees. This article will break down what the rules actually say, introduce you to the highest-lofted wedges you can actually buy, and help you figure out if these specialty clubs are a potential secret weapon or just a recipe for disaster in your bag.

What Is Slope in a Golf Handicap?

The Slope Rating on a scorecard is one of the most important, yet widely misunderstood, numbers in golf. It’s what makes the handicap system fair and allows a 25-handicapper to have a competitive match against a 5-handicapper on any course. This guide will simply explain what Slope Rating is, how it differs from Course Rating, and how it directly affects the number of strokes you get during your round.

What Does 7-PW Mean in Golf?

Seeing a set of golf clubs listed for sale as 7-PW and having no idea what that means is a common experience for new and even intermediate players. This simple shorthand represents the core scoring clubs in your bag, the ones you’ll rely on for most of your approach shots into the green. Understanding these irons isn’t just about knowing their names, it's about knowing their specific jobs so you can pull the right tool for the shot at hand. This guide will walk you through exactly what 7-PW means, what each club is designed to do, and how to use them to play smarter, more confident golf.

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