Distance To The Pin

Welcome to Distance to the Pin, a performance‑driven podcast built for junior golfers and parents who care about development as much as scores. In this episode, host John Svogun sits down with his dad, to uncover one of the most overlooked reasons a young golfer’s swing suddenly feels “off” and it’s not mechanics. Before you rebuild a swing that isn’t broken, make sure your equipment isn’t the real culprit.
 
Too many juniors start chasing drills and sequencing fixes when what’s really changed is their body, strength, or speed. John and his dad share their personal story of discovering that a lie‑angle issue, not a swing flaw, was sabotaging John’s ball flight.
 
From growth spurts to strength gains to swing‑speed spikes, they break down the subtle warning signs that your golfer’s clubs may no longer fit their evolving body.
 
3 Reasons Equipment Checks Matter
1. Swing Speed Evolves Faster Than Equipment: Growth, strength training, and better sequencing all add speed quickly outpacing shafts, lie angles, and weights designed for last season.
 
2. Small Misfits Create Big Misses: Even a few degrees of lie‑angle error can change ball direction, impact pattern, and timing making a solid swing look like a bad one.
 
3. Confidence Comes From Consistency: When clubs and golf balls truly match the golfer’s body and speed, patterns stabilize, contact improves, and focus returns to competition, not troubleshooting.
 
Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to Distance to the Pin
00:31 The #1 rule for junior equipment
01:43 Why adult clubs too early causes problems
04:28 The turning point
08:30 The overlooked variable (wedges + golf ball)
19:16 The 6–12 month fitting rule (height + club head speed)
31:22 Final takeaway for parents + juniors
 
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
1️⃣ Club Fitting with Kyle Nolin at Chris Cote’s Golf https://www.chriscotegolf.com/pages/b... The fitting fee is 50% OFF with purchase on the same day, now through March 14, when you tell him John Svogun sent you!
 
2️⃣ LAB Golf Remote Fitting https://labgolf.com/pages/remote-fitting Refine your putting performance from anywhere with LAB’s remote precision fitting service.
 
3️⃣ Ballnamic Ball Fitting https://ballfitting.com A data‑based golf‑ball fitting platform powered by Ping engineers—find the right ball for your unique swing speed and spin profile.
 
Let’s Connect
Follow John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jtsvogun 

Welcome to Distance to the Pin, a performance-driven podcast built for junior golfers and parents who care about more than just scores. In this episode, elite junior golfer John Svogun and his mom break down the real reason your swing falls apart late in the round and it’s probably not what you think.
Most junior golfers assume they need more swing work, but when timing feels off on holes 14, 15, and 16… it’s usually not a mechanics issue. It’s a capacity issue.
Your body can’t support the swing anymore. In this conversation, John unpacks why strength training is the missing link for so many junior golfers, how modern swing speed is outpacing physical development, and why building the body behind the swing might be the biggest competitive edge a young athlete can create.
Timestamps
00:00 – Why Junior Golf Swings Break Down
03:25 – Golf Fitness Explained
04:05 – Strength Training for Junior Golfers
05:41 – Tiger Woods & The Rise of Golf Strength and Conditioning
07:15 – How to Increase Swing Speed
12:52 – Best Gym Exercises for Junior Golfers
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Let's Connect!
Follow John on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/jtsvogun
#YouthGolf #JuniorGolf #GolfPerformance #GolfStrength #GolfPodcast #juniorgolfpodcast #DistanceToThePin #golfexercises

Welcome to Distance to the Pin, a performance-driven podcast built for junior golfers and parents who care about more than just scores.
In this episode, elite junior golfer John Svogun and his dad break down the one thing most junior golfers aren’t doing when it comes to lowering their scores and it has nothing to do with swinging a golf club.
Instead, this conversation focuses on goal setting, why most athletes never learn how to do it properly, and how writing clear goals can change confidence, focus, and performance on the course.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why 92% of people fail to reach their goals without structure
How writing goals down increases follow-through
The difference between outcome goals vs process goals
How John’s 2025 vision board led to real results
How he’s setting smarter, clearer goals for 2026
How parents can support goals without adding pressure
Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to Distance to the Pin
00:29 – Why most people fail at goals
01:31 – What “goals” really mean + introducing vision boards
02:38 – Outcome goals vs. process goals
08:39 – Why Discipline beats motivation
10:26 – Advice for parents: ask better questions, not more pressure
11:34 – How goals help handle bad rounds
12:53 – Final takeaway
Listen & Subscribe
If this episode helped you think differently about junior golf development, follow JT on Instagram www.instagram.com/jtsvogun and subscribe to Distance to the Pin so you don’t miss what’s coming next.
New episodes drop every Wednesday!

Welcome to the very first full episode of Distance to the Pin, a show built for youth golfers and parents who care about more than just scores.
Hosted by elite junior golfer John Svogun, this debut episode shares John’s origin story from how he got into golf, what keeps him motivated, and the mindset shifts shaping him as a young athlete.
In this powerful mom-son conversation, John unpacks what really drives progress in junior golf. You’ll hear how John first fell in love with the game, the challenges he’s faced, and why simply “swinging more” isn’t the answer. Instead, they explore focused reps, strong routines, and a growth mindset, the foundations every young athlete needs.
Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome To The Show
00:36 – Meet John
01:33 – First Golf Memory
07:40 – First Tournament Reality
10:21 – Discipline & Daily Choices
15:07 – Favorite Pro Golfer & Mom's Embarrassing Power Move
25:09 – Surviving Swing Changes
26:48 – Handling Bad Rounds
30:18 – Under Armour Champion Win
35:11 – Advice to Youth Golfers
Let's Connect!   / jtsvogun  
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#YouthGolf #JuniorGolf #GolfPodcast #YouthAthletes #GolfMindset #ParentingAthletes #JuniorGolfer #MentalToughness #GrowthMindset #DistanceToThePin

Welcome to DTP, the first golf podcast hosted by a junior golfer. Follow John as he shares his journey to better golf, from building discipline and confidence to learning how to handle pressure and setbacks. Created for junior golfers and parents who care about long-term development and increased love of the game.