The High Performance Podcast The Man Who Changed Golf Without Winning a Single Tournament | Rick Shiels
Feb 2, 2026
Rick Shiels, a former teaching pro turned influential golf creator, who built a huge YouTube audience with authentic, curiosity-driven videos. He talks about ditching overproduction for first takes, the breakthrough ‘illegal clubs’ tests, protecting mental health from comment toxicity, negotiating controversial partnerships, and scaling a real-feeling media business.
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Humble Start Sparked Real Business Growth
- Rick started YouTube to promote his coaching and was embarrassed to call himself a YouTuber at first.
- Early videos brought remote students to his driving range and proved the approach worked fast.
Use The First Take To Build Trust
- Use first takes and keep videos raw to build authenticity and connection.
- Speak as you would to a client behind the camera rather than performing for TV.
Testing Wild Golf Gadgets Went Viral
- Rick bought and tested dozens of “illegal” golf clubs and gadgets to expose whether they worked.
- His video testing everything went viral and became one of his biggest hits.