Got cut from JV. Earned a Minnesota Twins tryout. A pickup-game collision tore my ACL, but I still made the college team. How you respond to failure can make a difference.
In Episode 010 of The Long and Short of It, Jaacob and Jennifer pull a card that reads: “Tearing my ACL after senior year + NBA dreams,” and trace how a knee injury at 17 shifted Jaacob’s trajectory—and his mindset. He describes making a college basketball team while braced and tentative, the long tail of that fear in later competition (from long drive to Speedgolf), and even recurring dreams about performance at moments of truth. Together they examine how early trauma can create protective patterns that mute our power, how to spot those “blind spots,” and how the point of some setbacks may be to redirect us toward a new path.
Would you believe there are golfers far more talented than Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods? In this clip from The Long and Short of It podcast (Episode 009), Jaacob reflects on how the system weeds out potential greats, while Jennifer shares the story of a village kid with a beautiful swing.
When I turned pro in golf at 27—after starting as an average golfer only six months earlier—I wasn’t sure where the journey would lead. By the time I neared 30, I didn’t know how I was going to keep going. But even if my golf career didn’t work out, I already felt like I’d won—because it brought me to Jen.
In Episode 009 of The Long and Short of It, Jaacob and Jennifer open with the “rainbows” in the room (spoiler: window crystals) before diving into what they’d tell their 20-something selves—now that Jennifer is 46 and Jaacob is 49 (50 soon). Starting, as usual, from a moment in Jaacob’s golf career, they revisit his mid-20s leap from a stable corporate job to professional golf—despite being an average golfer at the time.
Perseverance is one of the 11 wealth-building habits Jaacob uncovered. In this clip, he shares how obstacles were coming from every direction, forcing a choice: give up or keep going. Neither path is inherently right or wrong, but those who ultimately succeed often credit their perseverance through the inevitable storms.
Continual learning is one of the 11 wealth-building habits Jaacob uncovered. In this clip, Jennifer discusses how different generations are embracing—or ignoring—AI in their work and lives.
In Episode 008 of The Long and Short of It, Jaacob and Jennifer break down 11 wealth-building habits and how to apply them—through the lens of a working pro golfer and two entrepreneurs. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with millionaires and billionaires, Jaacob shares the patterns he reverse-engineered as they unpack each habit into practical actions.
The gated knowledge of using responsible debt to grow...a clip from "The Long and Short of It" podcast Episode 7, breaking down 11 wealth-building habits and how to apply them.
In Episode 007 of The Long and Short of It, Jaacob and Jennifer break down 11 wealth-building habits and how to apply them—through the lens of a working pro golfer and two entrepreneurs. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with millionaires and billionaires, Jaacob shares the patterns he reverse-engineered as they unpack each habit into practical actions.
Dedicated to Mr. Moses, their 18-year-old cat, who passed peacefully two days after filming (he appears in Ep. 6).
Data revealed a hidden edge—I was lag-putting better than PGA TOUR player and former world number one Jordan Spieth, widely hailed that year as the best—and it rewired my on-course strategy.
In Episode 006 of The Long and Short of It, Jaacob and Jennifer explore Jaacob’s high tolerance for risk, how data analysis and self-study (including astrology and personality assessments) have shaped his golf strategy—particularly his approach shots and putting—and the balance between external validation through metrics and internal confidence. The conversation evolves to touch on comparisons, competition, joy, and reframing success beyond purely competitive measures.
In Episode 005 of The Long and Short of It, Jen and I shift from our usual format and dive into a deeper conversation sparked by a difficult round of golf I played the previous day.
Jen references an article I recently wrote for GolfWRX.com about how world ranked #1 golfer in the world Scottie Scheffer doesn't find winning to be a fulfilling life.
In Episode 005 of The Long and Short of It, Jen and I shift from our usual format and dive into a deeper conversation sparked by a difficult round of golf I played the previous day, his day at the office made worse by my attachment of extra perceived importance to the round.
In Episode 005 of The Long and Short of It, Jaacob and Jennifer shift from their usual format and dive into a deeper conversation sparked by a difficult round of golf Jaacob played the previous day.
Jen observes how Jaacob came home feeling off—wearing bright orange (his subtle signal for "caution")—and they use this moment to explore the emotional layers beneath a bad day at the office.
In Episode 4 of The Long and Short of It, Jen's back from Europe and we return to our usual format — pulling a conversation starter card from my professional golf career.
This one sparked a deeply personal conversation about something that happened long before golf ever entered the picture.
We pulled our first conversation starter card — and it took us back to 2003.
That was shortly after I took a leap of faith and left the stability of a corporate job to see if I could make it on the PGA TOUR… starting as an average golfer.
Episode 2 of The Long and Short of It is now live on YouTube.
Who would start a golf podcast that’s not really a golf podcast...with their spouse?
Apparently, we would.
Episode 1 of "The Long and Short of It" is now live on my YouTube channel.
We use stories and prompts from a 20+ year career as a professional golfer as jumping-off points to have deeper conversations — about ourselves, society, the world, and life itself.
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Thanks to host Fred Greene of the Golf Smarter podcast for having me on as a guest for the 5th time!
Description:
"Episode 888: Jaacob Bowden of swingmangolf.com and jaacobbowden.com was convinced that someday he would be a competitive Tour level golfer. He’s now been around the game for 20 years and his quest has brought him to the Speed Golf World Championships, World Long Drive Championships, and becoming an excellent golf instructor. In this episode we discuss his journey and how golfers at any age or skill level can increase their swing speeds which results in greater distance."
Chapter Markers:
0:00 Intro 1:31 First time we met 2:41 Making the PGA TOUR 6:27 Being a starving artist 12:50 Mindset in long drive 17:18 Losing the ego 18:47 Swing speed training 20:16 Benefit of swing speed training 25:04 How to increase swing speed 28:56 Speedgolf 31:26 What clubs do you carry in Speedgolf 34:19 Running on a golf course 38:38 Tour experience 40:47 PGA TOUR experience 43:52 Plans for 20th anniversary 47:55 Swing Man Golf