Anyone who reads this website frequently knows that I am committed to helping golfers find ways to increase their performance on the golf course without using swing advice. The golf world has focused almost exclusively on technique. I always felt that the rest of the game was being ignored. That's why I concentrate on topics like expectation management, strategy, practice habits, and the mental side of the game.

A fellow coach in this crusade is a guy by the name of Scott Fawcett. His DECADE system has taken the golf world by storm over the last several years in the college and professional ranks. Recently, you may have seen him appear on Chris Como's show on the Golf Channel.

I think Scott is one of the great communicators in all of golf coaching, and I've learned quite a few things from him. Recently, he announced a new portion of his app called DECADE Foundations - which offers content and statistical analysis geared towards recreational players. I asked Scott if he would be willing to share one of the videos from his app (it is behind a paywall), and he agreed. I think a lot of you will get a ton of useful info from watching, and I've also got an exclusive discount for Practical Golf readers who are interested in signing up.

(the video is embedded towards the bottom half of this article)

What is DECADE?

Several years ago, I wrote this article about my experience with DECADE. In short, it's a strategic system that gives a framework on how to make decisions on the golf course. On top of that, there is a lot of psychology and practice philosophy baked into it. In the beginning, Scott mostly gave the information out through a four-hour seminar to college teams. After the extraordinary results, the NCAA banned him from giving the seminar directly to players because it was deemed an unfair competitive advantage.

Because Scott couldn't give the seminar to everyone, he decided to build an app. Over the past few years, he's created many videos explaining how to make strategic decisions in various parts of the game along with mental and practice advice. Additionally, the app features a robust shot-tracking feature that allows golfers to track all of their shots and get personalized recommendations on where they need to improve. The system is used at all levels of professional golf, and amongst elite amateurs.

I've used a lot of fundamentals from DECADE in my own game (particularly on tee shots). This article on tee-shot dispersion gives a glimpse into the decision making process.

However, I've been hesitant to recommend the app to readers of Practical Golf because much of the information is a bit advanced, and geared towards "elite" golfers.

Recently, Scott decided to create content that is intended for recreational golfers, called DECADE Foundations. The goal of the simplified version of the app is to provide users with drips of content for six months to help establish foundational philosophies on strategy, the mental game, and practice techniques. Additionally, he's added a stats portal that tracks five parameters he believes are core areas of the game holding players back from improving their scores.

The Video

I've had access to the Foundations app for several weeks now, and the beginning collection of videos is excellent. Scott isn't hitting golfers with 100 videos at once, but instead carefully revealing fundamentals on different parts of golf as time goes on. The goal is that after six months you will be well versed in a framework that can help you make smarter decisions in your game (and, of course, lower your scores). Additionally, the stats entry is far less complicated for Foundations than it is for the Elite version of the app.

Scott has agreed to share the first video free of charge. I think you'll learn a ton in the 25 minutes, and I encourage all of you to watch the entire thing. You'll hear about:

• Understanding shot dispersion
• Why birdies are overrated
• Learning the strokes gained statistic
• Why avoiding bogeys (or worse) is the key to successful golf
• The real secret of putting
• How luck plays such a significant role in golf (and winning)

Here is the video:

Signing Up (and a discount for readers)

If you're interested in purchasing DECADE Foundations, I've arranged for a $25 discount for Practical Golf readers using this link (no coupon code necessary). Instead of $99.99 for six months, you can get it for $75.

Here is a visual representation of how the content will be given to you over six months: