Ben Polland PGA: The Mindset, Coaching & Competition Formula for Better Golf

In this episode of The Golf Sit Down, Ryan and Seth sit down with Ben Polland, PGA, Director of Golf at Shooting Star (WY) and reigning 2024 PGA Professional Champion. Ben shares his incredible journey from late-blooming high school golfer to competing on the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR events, and representing the PGA of America internationally.

We dig into:

• Why competing often is the fastest way to grow
• The mental game shift that changed Ben’s career
• How to pick a great coach (and when to move on)
• Why junior golfers MUST play more tournaments
• What Ben learned playing with Scottie Scheffler
• How to practice with purpose — even while working full-time

If you're a junior golfer, parent, coach, or competitive golf nerd, this episode is packed with insights you can use TODAY.

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Hosts: Ryan Dailey, PGA & Seth Thompson, PGA
Executive Producer: A.J. Reimann
Find The Golf Sit Down: https://linktr.ee/TheGolfSitDown

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro: Welcome Ben Pollin, PGA
00:09 – Ben’s background & growing up in Minnesota
02:00 – Choosing golf over baseball
03:00 – Why Ben chose Campbell University
04:10 – Early struggles & learning modern instruction
06:00 – Internships at Sebonack & Deepdale
07:30 – First major success & qualifying for nationals
09:40 – Turning pro & chasing the tour dream
11:00 – Competing to get better
14:00 – Playing with Scottie Scheffler
17:00 – Learning from elite players
19:00 – When self-belief finally clicked
21:00 – Pressure on tour vs. freedom now
23:00 – Managing a team while competing
24:30 – The importance of good coaching
27:20 – How to know if coaching is working
30:20 – Grip changes & experimentation
32:38 – Junior golf challenges & building programs
33:49 – How tournaments shape young players
35:49 – The Catherine Andino story
37:30 – How many tournaments juniors should play
38:52 – Mental freedom & pressure
39:50 – Why nerves are GOOD
41:38 – Big takeaways for parents & juniors
42:47 – Growth & comfort don’t coexist
43:26 – Closing thoughts & gratitude

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