In this episode of On The Mark, host Mark Immelman is joined by South African golf instructor Rick Currin, who teaches in Malaysia and specializes in making golf simpler, more playable, and easier to improve.
Rick brings a biomechanics and sports science background to his coaching, but his message is refreshingly practical: stop overcomplicating the game, manage the course smarter, and build a swing and short game that help you avoid big numbers.
Mark and Rick walk through a “mini boot camp” for your whole game—course management, driver setup, iron play, pitching, bunker shots, lag putting, and short putts—with one clear goal: help golfers score better by making better decisions and executing simpler shots.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
✅ Why avoiding double bogeys is one of the fastest ways to lower scores
✅ How to manage a golf course by playing to your strengths—not your ego
✅ Why “boring golf” can be the smartest path to better scores
✅ How better posture and setup can help you drive the ball more consistently
✅ Why irons should be treated like precision clubs, not power clubs
✅ A simple pitching key: narrow stance, toe down, rhythm, and less tension
✅ The bunker-shot mindset: speed and trust
✅ Why lag putting is an overlooked scoring skill—and how to practice it better, and
✅ How to improve short putts with a simple, repeatable routine.
Key Themes:
- Golf Made Simple - Rick’s coaching philosophy is built around cutting through overload. Instead of chasing every tip, golfers need simple, repeatable ideas they can actually use on the course.
- Course Management Saves Shots - You do not always need driver off the tee. Sometimes a 6-iron in play, followed by another smart shot, creates a better scoring opportunity than forcing driver into trouble.
- Discipline Starts Before the Swing - Rick emphasizes discipline in the pre-shot routine and decision-making. Poor choices often begin before the club ever moves.
- Athletic Setup Matters - Better driving starts with posture, balance, and body readiness. Rick explains how rounded posture and tension can limit rotation and make it harder to square the face.
- Precision Over Power With irons and wedges - Rick encourages golfers to take an extra club, make a controlled swing, and focus on solid contact and dispersion—not maximum distance.
- Short Game Variety Wins - You do not always have to fly the ball to the hole. Rick prefers using the contours of the course, bump-and-run options, and different clubs around the green when the shot allows it.
This podcast is also available as a vodcast on YouTube - search and subscribe to Mark Immelman to watch it.
