He Won the State Am by 21 Shots ft Christian Brand

He Won the State Am by 21 Shots ft Christian Brand

Author: Isaak Ramsey & Hayden Zimmerer | Smarter Golf Practice in Less Time March 12, 2026 Duration: 35:28

He won the West Virginia Amateur by 21 shots at 22-under par. He's also a State Farm insurance agent, a husband, and a dad who practices 30 minutes a day in his garage simulator. Christian Brand is proof that you don't need 8 hours on the range to play elite golf. In this episode, Christian breaks down exactly how he structures practice around a full-time job. Why 10 minutes of putting drills six days in a row beats one long session. How to build a repeatable process you can fall back on when nothing is working. What he means when he says playing free is just "don't care where the ball goes." And the story behind holing a pitching wedge at the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine while a boom mic was in his face. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro 0:23 How does a State Farm agent win by 21 shots? 1:14 What daily life looked like on the Korn Ferry Tour 3:41 How he carves out practice time now (family, business, golf) 6:01 "You don't practice what's fun. You practice what you need." 7:49 Has his practice gotten smarter with less time? 9:08 Why 10 min/day for 6 days beats one 60-min session 10:28 The one putting drill every golfer should do daily 12:10 What amateurs almost certainly get wrong about practice 14:20 His exact process preparing for a big tournament 17:17 How to handle playing better than you're used to 20:37 Listener Q: The Azalea story (driving 100 miles back) 22:28 How to get the most out of a bad round 26:05 The analytical on/off switch in his process 26:42 The U.S. Amateur boom mic story (pitching wedge, hole 9, Hazeltine) 28:03 What "playing free" actually means (7 words) 30:17 His one piece of advice for the next 15 years 31:14 Gasparilla: "like fighting the strongest little person in the world" Christian is a two-time WV Amateur champion, four-time WV Open winner, former Korn Ferry Tour player (67 starts), and has competed in the Round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur and quarterfinals of the U.S. Mid-Amateur. Follow Christian: @seebrand on Instagram Need Insurance in WV? https://www.statefarm.com/agent/us/wv/hurricane/christian-brand-92xc39nydge Play Ready Golf launches March 29, 2026 during Masters week. Lock in founding member pricing (for life) at https://playready.golf/the-app


There's a common frustration that settles in when you love golf but feel stuck, watching your scores plateau despite your effort. Play Ready Golf is built on a simple, powerful idea: real improvement doesn't require endless hours or expensive gear you might not have. Instead, this podcast digs into practical, actionable strategies that fit into a regular life. You'll hear straightforward conversations about smarter practice, mental approaches that actually work on the course, and how to make the most of your existing game. The focus is always on tangible takeaways-the kind you can try during your next range session or round. It’s for anyone tired of generic advice and ready for a clearer path to lower scores. Each episode feels like a focused chat with a knowledgeable friend who cuts through the noise, all dedicated to helping you play better with what you've already got. Tune in and start transforming the time and resources you already invest into noticeable, satisfying progress on the fairway.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 24

Play Ready Golf | Strokes Gained for the 9 to 5 Golfer
Podcast Episodes
You Are Almost As Straight As Scheffler [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:42
Use code PRGPOD for $20 off your first year. Link below for a free 7-day trial.https://onelink.to/93ggkvYour driver pattern is almost the same width as Scottie Scheffler's. About 5 yards apart.You don't have a swing prob…
More Practice Won't Lower Your Scores. Less Will. - Jon Weiss Jr. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:42
House of Hope of The Pee Dee: https://hofh.org/Play Ready Golf 7-Day Trial (use code "PRGPOD): ⁠https://onelink.to/93ggkv⁠Most golfers grind for hours and never drop a shot. Jon Weiss does the opposite. He runs a 50-empl…
Amateurs Aren't Bad Putters. They're Bad From 150. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:49
Try the Play Ready Golf app free for 7 days. Use code PRGPOD at checkout for $20 off your annual plan for life: https://onelink.to/93ggkvGrab the free stat tracker and proximity benchmarks PDF mentioned in the episode: h…
He Just Made a PGA Tour Cut. ft. Connor Doyal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:55
Connor Doyal is a 26 year old caddy at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. He almost never goes to the range. 3 weeks ago he won the Terra Cotta Invitational against a stacked junior field. Last week he Monday qualified i…
The Approach Shot Lie Costing Amateurs 3 Strokes A Round [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:22
App: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6752723937 Most amateurs think they know how far they hit their irons. The Arccos data says they don't. The average 20 handicap thinks their 5 iron flies 187 yards. The actual median car…
74 Million Shots Prove You're Not a Bad Putter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:25
You watched four days of the Masters and decided your putting is broken. It's not.74 million shots say amateur golfers miss more than 60% of putts from 8 feet. Tour pros miss 3 out of 4 from 15 feet. A scratch golfer mis…
He Made the USGA Semis With Two Toddlers at Home ft. Mike Smith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:22
Mike Smith is the founder of ForeCollegeGolf, a recruiting consultancy that has helped over 200 families in 40+ countries place junior golfers at college programs. He's a two-time Florida Foursomes champion, a 2024 U.S.…
The Range Hasn't Changed Since 1913. That's the Problem. (BONUS) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:36
The driving range business model hasn't meaningfully changed since the first one opened in Pinehurst in 1913. Lights, mats, and automatic ball dispensers. That's it.But the science of how people learn motor skills has ch…
He Practices Less Than You and Plays Better ft. Will Davenport [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:41
He works 60+ hours a week at Boston Consulting Group. He's ranked #16 among mid-amateur golfers in the entire country. Will Davenport is proof that structured, intentional practice beats volume every time. In this episod…