446: Eric Duffett - Use Shot Pattern To Pick Smart Targets & Make Better Decisions

November 20, 2025·45 min·4 clips

Eric Duffett, a 1-handicap golfer, admits his driver dispersion is 120 yards wide—far beyond PGA Tour standards.

This episode of Wicked Smart Golf features host Michael Leonard interviewing Eric Duffett, the creator of the Shot Pattern app. Duffett is a low-handicap golfer and developer who built the app to help golfers make smarter strategic decisions. The conversation focuses on using data and shot dispersion to improve course management without swing changes. Duffett explains that his initial inspiration came from hearing Scott Fawcett discuss using shot dispersion for target selection on a podcast. He built the first version of the Shot Pattern app in three weeks as a personal tool. The app integrates purchased golf course data to provide interactive, 3D course previews and on-course mapping. Duffett shares that his own driver dispersion, even as a one-handicap, is about 95 yards wide for his tightest 90% of shots, not the standard 70-yard benchmark. The app allows users to map their shot data onto courses to compare expected outcomes between clubs, like driver versus a long iron. A key insight is that for well-designed holes, the expected average score using driver or a more conservative club can be very similar, but the risk profiles differ. Duffett personally prefers the option with less variability to avoid big numbers. He describes the app as an "interactive yardage book" and a "safety blanket" for tournament play, as it is USGA-conforming for distance measuring. The app also includes stat-tracking features to measure strokes gained and dispersion patterns post-round. Duffett reveals that focusing on face control with his coach, Jason Nickel, helped him lower his handicap significantly by improving accuracy. He advises golfers to measure their actual dispersion, particularly with driver, to understand their true strategic needs. The episode includes a discussion on when to change a pre-round decision mid-round, with Leonard suggesting it depends on a player's analytical or emotional personality type. Duffett notes that the app's "Play Golf" feature includes modes for casual, qualifier, and tournament rounds to accommodate different stat-tracking needs. The tone is conversational and educational, blending technical app details with practical golf strategy advice. It is styled as an interview between two data-focused golfers sharing personal experiences and actionable tips. Golfers obsessed with analytics, course management, and using technology to lower their scores will find this episode highly valuable. Listeners who prefer content focused solely on swing technique or who are not interested in stat-tracking may find it less engaging.

As heard by us

Shot patterns turn guesswork into a steadier course plan.

The episode treats golf as a question of pattern recognition, not bravado. Michael Leonard keeps the focus on statistics and course management, and the talk stays grounded in actual decisions on actual holes, especially when the choice is between a longer club and a safer one.

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Why you'd press play

Pick the tee club that fits your scatter.

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