Beyond The Grid: Creating Legacy Through Long Drive - Phillis Meti, World Long Drive Champion

The ModGolf Podcast

But her story, her journey is such an impactful one, a circuitous one. Haven't used that word in a while. And yeah, we're just going to dig into that, and I want to pull back the curtain on World Long Drive. I did cover World Long Drive way back in 2017, the first year ever of doing the ModGolf podcast. I actually went to the World Long Drive championship and didn't have a chance to speak to Phillis there. She was competing. but we'll do it We'll do a quiz. Let's see if she remembers how she placed that particular year. That was a while ago.

But yes, I do have a connection to World Long Drive, and it's been eight long years since I've had a World Long Driver on the podcast. So I'm excited about this. So with that, Phillis, welcome to the ModGolf Podcast!

Phillis 01:25

how are you Colin?

The ModGolf Podcast 01:28

I'm doing great. Thanks for asking. And I'm wondering how jet lagged you are. I did see pictures of you on social media of you in Japan last week. So now you're back in Florida. So how are you feeling?

Phillis 01:42

Yeah, I was in Japan trying a new type of format in long drive. with the JPDA tour and I managed to sleep most of the way on the airplane. So I'm pretty good with jet lag. I don't have any.

The ModGolf Podcast 02:00

I'm very jealous of that. I could not sleep on a plane, even if it's a 16-hour flight to Hong Kong or wherever. I don't I don't sleep a wink. So I'm jealous. Okay, well, I'm going to get into that event in Japan because I think the innovation there, that sounds really cool. But we're going go way back here. The icebreaker question I always love to ask is your first golf experience ever, that connection to golf. And who was that person, that power of invitation that put a golf club in your hand that very first time?

Phillis 02:30

It was my dad. And how my dad got introduced to the game was through my uncles. And, the easiest sell for my dad was, hey, it's not rugby. You don't get hurt. They don't tackle you or anything. You just got to hit this ball from here to there and then on to the next one. And, that was a quick sell for my dad. And so he got addicted. He loved not being sore in the weekends after rugby. And, with this love of the game, he ended up pulling me into the game to go pick up his skew golf balls. So that wasn't that fun.

The ModGolf Podcast 03:04

Uh-huh.

Phillis 03:04

But, I swung my first golf club at the age of seven years old and you know, the rest is history. We've done some pretty cool things since.

The ModGolf Podcast 03:15

So between that first golf swing and now, because you've been at the World Long Drive as a long drive athlete for many, many years now. So a lot has transpired between now and then. So I want to hear a bit about your the early days. So your background in New Zealand. So a lot of people here, and myself included, I haven't had the pleasure of traveling to New Zealand yet. It's absolutely stunning. And lots of golf there. So so tell us about the early days of golf and then...

how you got into long drive, that first long drive competition or or yeah. Tell us about that or how that, yeah, your early days in golf and then that transition, that inflection point or that aha moment for you is like, you know, I can drive it real far here there's and there's a place for me.

Phillis 04:00

So ah because I live in a small country, you can try anything and everything and you could throw it all at the wall and see what stuck.

The ModGolf Podcast 04:09

Mm-hmm.

Phillis 04:09

And because my dad really enjoyed playing golf, it was a game that I got to play. So it was a privilege to get to play. And, I played lots of other different sport. We have a sport called netball in New Zealand, predominantly played by women. And it's kind of like basketball, but we have no back hoop and you don't dribble the ball, you pass and go.

The ModGolf Podcast 04:34

Right.

Phillis 04:34

So I had lots netball throughout my childhood. um Most of my older cousins are all girls, so I got to follow in their footsteps and I had all of their hand-me-downs of uniforms and track suits and all that. And, I got to put my hand in a lot of different types of sports to see what they were like. And I had my parents put me in schools that fostered a lot of these options for me. And so by the time I was in high school, I was playing off single figures as ah as a golfer. I was playing academy and rep netball. And i was also doing shot put and discus.

So, you have Valerie Adams, who's like three or four years older than me. She's a world class shot putter. And then you have all of my friends that are playing for the Silver Ferns, which is our New Zealand netball team.

The ModGolf Podcast 05:21

Yes.

Phillis 05:26

And I was playing in amongst them. And then, golf was kind of on the edge. And it was something that we did in the summer, but it was always nice to have like different sports to play every season. You play netball in the winter and you'll have academy in the mid seasons and then you'll have athletics, paddling and golf in the summer months. So there was always something to do. and being a lot taller than a lot of my other friends that played golf, I was able to hit the golf ball. Very, very athletic, very good with hand-eye coordination at the age, I think I might've been 12 or 13 at this one time, my dad had a friend that was competing in the long drive competition in New Zealand. And at that time it was run by Remax and Greg Howard.

The ModGolf Podcast 06:17

right okay

Phillis 06:17

Um, When I had finished school, my mom had found a flyer. i was 18 at the time. She found a flyer for RE-MAX, World Long Drive, like regional qualifiers, I think it was.

The ModGolf Podcast 06:30

okay

Phillis 06:31

She was like, "look, let's go see. You hit the ball further than your friends. Let's go see how much further you can hit". And so she entered me into regional qualifiers, and I did really well there. I won that, qualified for the national qualifier, and then went into nationals. And that year I broke a New Zealand record. It was like 287 meters. And Greg, who was running long drive at that time in New Zealand, he was like, "look, this would be a really good opportunity for Phillis to go and see, it's a world-class event".

It's extremely well run. She might finish top 10, top 15 if she's lucky, but you know, it'll be a great experience nonetheless.

The ModGolf Podcast 07:11

Right.

Phillis 07:12

And so we thought we'd like go there, fly in under the radar, try it out, see what was like. And I ended up winning my first year in 2006. I think this was like October 30th and i get home maybe around the 4th or 5th of November and we've got like franchise netball trials. And netball coach at the time, she was awesome. She was from Australia, but she was like, "look, netball is going to be good for you, but I think golf will have a longer career".

And so I didn't trial. I decided that I wanted to play golf, but my decision wasn't about like, just cause I had won world championships. I looked at all the different types of opportunities that golf had and you know, you could be a competitor, you could be a coach, you could be a journalist, you could do all of these different types of things. And that's when and how I decided that some way, shape or form, i was going to be in the golf industry growing up.

The ModGolf Podcast 08:15

Nice, nice. So that first year you won, so you said your qualifying distance was 287 meters, of course, for all of our American friends here that convert. That's about 10% more in yards. That was like roughly about 315 yards, maybe 320?

Phillis 08:33

About 300, Yep. In that range there.

The ModGolf Podcast 08:33

There we go. So let's step back a second here before we kind of dig into your journey a little bit more. For people that aren't familiar with World Long Drive, because of course it's been around for some time now, why don't you give us a short and sharp format when you're playing in in a round to get to the next round? How does it how does it work?

Phillis 08:54

Okay, I've been in three different areas of long drive, but mostly how it works is you have X number of golf balls, say six or eight. You have a time limit between two minutes and 30 seconds to three minutes, depending on what the format is. And you've got to hit ah these six golf balls down a grid. And a grid is like the width of a fairway. And it can be anything between 36 yards wide to like 65 yards wide, depending on where you're at and how much space they have.

The ModGolf Podcast 09:19

Right. Uh-huh. aha

Phillis 09:22

And you go through different qualifying rounds, your longest ball for that particular one round is counted and it goes towards like a points system. And as you go through these different qualifying rounds or round robin is what we call it, you accumulate points along the way and then your top eight ranked players go into your your match play, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.

The ModGolf Podcast 09:47

There we go. And to clarify again that you hit six balls. If you hit the spray, the first five of them wide and not in play, but the sixth one, you absolutely stripe and it's the longest one that qualifies. So it only takes one. I think that's we named the podcast.

Phillis 10:02

It only takes one.

The ModGolf Podcast 10:03

think that's we called the podcast episode eight years ago there. It only takes one.

Phillis 10:07

It only takes one. But funny you say that. When you introduced me about ah during the 2017 World Championships in the semifinal against Heather LeMaster, I missed the grid and in the first five shots, but I also ran out of time.

The ModGolf Podcast 10:24

Right.

Phillis 10:26

And I lost because I ran out of time, but my final golf ball was about 30 or 40 yards longer than Heather's. So huge learning curve.

The ModGolf Podcast 10:36

Sorry, I brought that up.

Phillis 10:37

No, that's okay.

The ModGolf Podcast 10:38

All right.

Phillis 10:38

Huge learning curve, never forgotten it, never run out of time again since.

The ModGolf Podcast 10:42

There we go. Well, you're welcome that I reminded you of that lesson that you learned. And I'm just going through here that episode to see.

Phillis 10:57

I'm fairly certain you interviewed me.

The ModGolf Podcast 11:02

I think so, too. I didn't have a chance to go back and listen to the whole one. I'm positive I did. So you learn that lesson the hard way to make sure you get those six balls off in time. and I guess in the finals, I'm just looking back at our episode from 2017, that Sandra Kohlberg was the one that won. So does she still compete? Is she still in world long drive she moved on?

Phillis 12:05

She does compete. I know that she's still keeping herself fit for the return, but she has a family now. So traveling back and forth to the States is quite a fair trip for her and her family.

The ModGolf Podcast 12:12

Yes.

Phillis 12:18

So she didn't travel with us this year to World Long Drive events, but I'm fairly certain in the near future she'll be back.

The ModGolf Podcast 12:26

There we go. So want to make it all about you here, of course. And you had mentioned fitness there with Sandra and yourself. So I want to get into that as far as your fitness regimen. I'm sure for long drive, it's different than if you were just competing as a regular 36, I'm sorry, 72 whole tournament over four days We're just playing 18 holes like we did in Las Vegas there together when we had a chance to meet and play on the same team for three days. So tell us a bit about that as far as your fitness rate regime and how it's evolved and changed over the years.

Phillis 13:02

When I played out on tour, I had a lot of my training was cardio based so that I was able to, you know, maintain not just the four rounds of golf, but also the two practice rounds that we have earlier in the week.

The ModGolf Podcast 13:15

Yes.

Phillis 13:16

And so I had a lot of cardio stuff in the off season would bust out a lot of strength training, but it was more around endurance and sustainability. Nowadays, it's more so around recovery and being able to feel like you can walk the next day after a competition now that we're getting a lot older.

The ModGolf Podcast 13:35

Right.

Phillis 13:37

but it is a lot of strength based stuff so that more so we don't get hurt and with the training of speed, hitting golf balls and making sure that the hand-eye coordination is still there is for me most important.

The ModGolf Podcast 13:53

Now you mentioned the word speed because that's what we hear a lot in training now rather than strength is for speed. And I know even for myself, I'm way older than you. 16 handicap, but for me, I'm working on speed now too. For speed for me is completely different meaning than you because we both hit golf balls together and you all drove me by 100, 150 yards every single time. And that's okay. That's all right. I'm fine with that. Whereas I know my driver's speed is roughly around 97, 98 miles an hour. And I'm now working. If I can get 10% on top of that, And that's what I'm working on. So I'd like to dig down a little bit deeper there. Like what are some of the, the, the exercises in the training that you do to work particularly on speed and then talk about what your club head speed and your ball speed is.

Phillis 14:39

So a lot of people kind of forget the fact that it's the hands that hold the golf club.

The ModGolf Podcast 14:46

Yes.

Phillis 14:46

Therefore, your hands have to move through the ball quickly. And if you think about it's kind of like walking, right?

The ModGolf Podcast 14:49

Mm-hmm.

Phillis 14:52

And you want to walk a little bit quicker, you start pumping those arms a little bit more, the feet will follow. And it's the same thing with the golf swing. And so what, what I think a lot of people kind of forget too, is that like the hips do a lot of work, but the hips also do, um, they play a huge role in your sequencing to ensure that your hands follow through a lot quicker than if you were to just say, you know I'm going to swing the hips a little bit more. A lot of things go out of play. Um, and so sequencing has become like a huge thing with biomechanics and it's something that I've been working on quite a lot lately with my coach in terms of

applying another power source into my swing so that it feels effortless again. um With being a little bit older than when I first started, so it's been 19 years since my first world championship, which is a long time.

The ModGolf Podcast 15:42

Wow. Wow. Mm-hmm.

Phillis 15:44

I'm still able to put out some pretty cool speeds. This year's world championships, I think my fastest club head speed was 125 miles per hour. um that That was about three miles faster than the next the next girl. and my ball speeds were around the low one eighties, which is okay. It's okay. But it was fast enough to compete. And so we have to also keep in mind too, you know, um, whilst we work on a lot of speed work, hand drills, pushing, pulling, hitting a lot of golf balls,

we need to make sure that we're still heading towards something. So if you're in a race, you're going towards a certain time. Now, I don't know about running because I don't run fast, but in a canoe, if we can hit like 500 meters in less than two minutes, you know, you've got a good chance of winning either nationals or world championships. So if you think about like,

The ModGolf Podcast 16:43

Right.

Phillis 16:45

world long drive championships, if you can swing in the 120s, like high teens to low 20s, you'll still have a very good chance of competing. And so that's a really good benchmark for you as a new hitter or someone that's wanting to hit in our competitions is to say, look, I'll have a good chance to win if I'm swinging it, you know, in the high teens or low twentys

The ModGolf Podcast 17:09

Now, 19 years ago, they didn't have the analytics and the digital data gathering that we have now, but what do what do you think your improvement is over the years? Well, let me frame it this way. Do you think that first world championship you won 19 years ago, do you think your club head speed and your ball speed was faster than it is today? Or have you just worked between conditioning and technique that you're hitting it even farther now than you did 19 years ago?

Phillis 17:40

I think over 19 years, technology has changed also. So our equipment's become a lot lighter. to a certain point, lighter is a lot easier to swing faster. I don't think I was swinging it faster back then, but I was also, I was definitely a lot more fearless. So there was a lot less fear on behind the person that was hitting the golf ball.

The ModGolf Podcast 18:04

Right. Okay.

Phillis 18:11

So, with fear comes like knowledge and knowledge doesn't always turn into wisdom. And so, winning my first championship in 06 and coming second twice after, i completely lost focus on like what I was supposed to be doing. and I got caught up in the hype. And so between then and now, I think I am better game player.

The ModGolf Podcast 18:27

Right.

Phillis 18:34

I'm definitely a far better golfer game player than I was when I was playing on tour or striving to play on tour, on the golfing tour.

The ModGolf Podcast 18:40

Uh-huh.

Phillis 18:42

Just with a bit more wisdom, I play the game a little bit differently. And I know that after winning 2024 World Championships, that was the first time that um I won because I had better technique than the girls on the ah in the competition than I did with speed because I wasn't the fastest club head speed in the 2024 World Champs. I was injured at that time.

The ModGolf Podcast 19:09

Got you. Got you. Speaking of injuries, I was going to ask you this because your career, your longevity, 19 years, that's it that's incredible. Obviously, there's been some injuries along the way because the amount of force and torque that you put on your bodies and especially on your knees and your joints. I know with a lot of men that they get so injured that it kind of ends their long drive career, I'm sure, with women also. What do you attest your longevity to?

Phillis 19:38

Genetics, I think. Also, I think meeting the right people at the right time too.

The ModGolf Podcast 19:39

Okay. All right.

Phillis 19:43

So there is a there was a competitor who hit who hit. I met her in my first year 2006. That's Lee Brandon. And she's a strength coach. She was a part of Team Meti as well for a long while. But so when I first met Lee, every time I met her, she was like, you know, you could do with a little bit of strength work. and strengthen the core. And I was a little wirier. I was a lot leaner than I am right now. Um, I was strong, but I really didn't have a very good posture. Being a tall girl from such a young age, everyone wants to be the same height as you, or you want to be the same height as everybody else.

The ModGolf Podcast 20:24

Yes.

Phillis 20:25

So you don't stand out.

The ModGolf Podcast 20:27

Uh-huh.

Phillis 20:27

So, every time I saw Lee, I was always like, Oh, I've got to make sure that I have my posture like sorted. And I met Lee 06, 07 and 08 and then I didn't see her for a long time and I was competing in 2017. It was my first year back on the world long drive tour. And I met up with Lee again. And at that time she was going through her documentary. She was filming her documentary. And so I reached out to her at the end of 2017. was like, look, I know I swing the club faster than everybody else. And I know that I could have a good chance of winning these tournaments. If I just built a team around me here in the United States. I have a team in New Zealand, but during the season, who was my team here?

And so Lee took me on in 2018 and um you know, you meet people for a reason, right? And getting to meet Lee and understand how she operates and how she works, she really did save my career from 2018 the way up to today. I've only ever, ever, ever been injured once touch wood that, this happens only once again.

The ModGolf Podcast 21:38

Uh-huh.

Phillis 21:42

So, Lee's all about spinal hygiene and making sure that, you know, things are supposed,, where they're supposed to be. And with that knowledge that I've had and learned along the way it's kept me injury free and I've been so lucky, so, so lucky to have Lee like in there with me. I probably would have been far worse off nowadays if I hadn't met her again in 2017 to carry me through this part of my career.

The ModGolf Podcast 22:13

Spinal hygiene. I like that one. Every time I do a hot yoga class, that's what I got to think about spinal hygiene now.

Phillis 22:19

Oh yeah. Making sure everything's lubricated, making sure that, you know, all of your processes are spaced out sufficiently so that you have the ability to move in, in comfort.

The ModGolf Podcast 22:32

I want to bounce back to the World Long Drive competition because it has morphed and changed and different ownerships and Golf Channel owned it for a while. And then, of course, that and went sideways and it was... had to be resurrected again. So it has been a tumultuous career for you sometimes, probably even thinking, is this even going to be a thing next year? But it seems to be more stable now. Could you run through what 2025 looked like for you as far as the arc of the season? Like, I don't know, are there like three events? Are there 30 events? And are they all over the world? So so tell us about the journey of your 2025 World Long Drive career.

Phillis 23:11

This year there were five events for the women on the World Long Drive Tour. And um I hit in three of those five. And they span mostly around the United States, but they take us to Canada sometimes.

The ModGolf Podcast 23:25

Mm-hmm.

Phillis 23:26

And mostly around North America on the World Long Drive Tour. But, you know, there are lots of different tours around the world that host events they get that get they get their athletes ready for ultimately the you know World Long Drive Championships at the end of our season. And so thankfully with partnerships and friendships and relationships all over the world, i was able to one compete in three events here in the United States. So our first event in Mesquite earlier this year in March.

And then i did some work at home on the range in Atlanta throughout the most of the season. And then I went back in Colorado, then I was in Japan for a short moment competing over there. And then back into Colorado World Long Drive Championships. And I've just been in Japan competing in a different format. But so The sport takes us to different places. And the one thing that I love, being a Kiwi in the United States is that I get to see different parts of the United States that I haven't seen.

The ModGolf Podcast 24:25

Yes.

Phillis 24:34

And like our trip in Vegas, that was the first time I'd actually played golf in Vegas, but I've been through Las Vegas over the last 20 years, probably like at least 20 times. And we go through Vegas to get to Mesquite to compete. Right. We don't see Vegas and Mesquite, how many times I've been to Mesquite. So, so many times, different types of events, different courses. I saw a grid in 2008, we moved the, we went from the palms, the Oasis palms to the sports complex center in 2008.

And that was a completely different grid. And as many times as I've been on that grid, I've only been able to win it once.

The ModGolf Podcast 25:24

Really? Right.

Phillis 25:25

Yeah. So, the requirements of grids, and this is why I say, I've become a better player, is because the requirements of grids don't always suit the type of ball flight that you always have. So you have to be a savvier player to be like, okay, so...

The ModGolf Podcast 25:38

right

Phillis 25:42

This is not my norm, but I'm going to give it everything I've got. But this is the kind of wall flight that is required to hit here.

The ModGolf Podcast 25:49

Now, when we were playing, I can see that you've got a well-rounded game. You've got around the green, you've got some nice touch. You have some soft hands, some soft mitts there, which I'm sure a lot of long drivers, especially men, do not have. I'm sure they have hands of stone. So, yes, they have to stick to ah to what they're doing best, and that is swinging it hard and and trying to hit it as far as they they possibly can.

Phillis 26:11

Yeah, I love it. love it. I love being able to move the ball. The more I can move the ball with the wedge, the more I can move the ball with a driver. And I know it's funny and iconic, well, I guess uncanny to hear, but with the wedge being the heaviest club in the bag, if you can swing the wedge quick, ultimately you can swing the driver quick.

The ModGolf Podcast 26:31

Yes. Maybe I got to swing my wedge a little bit more so I can get that driver's speed up. Okay. There's Phillis's tip first tip of the day.

Phillis 26:37

There you go.

The ModGolf Podcast 26:38

Got it. Got it. Now, you're also very entrepreneurial. It's not just world long drive. It's not all you do. So I'd love to hear more about the other entrepreneurial, innovative things that you do and maybe in the future. But let's start with what took you to Japan. At the top of the show, you had teased us with that and the format they had there. So tell us about your time in Japan and what that competition was all about.

Phillis 27:04

So, Japan's a tiny country with a huge population and land mass is not something that they have in abundance like the United States. So what these guys have done is they've created a new format, kind of like professional darts,

The ModGolf Podcast 27:23

Okay.

Phillis 27:24

Right. So they have like you're in an indoor simulator. It's still with the grid. So you still have to hit the grid and it's as far as you can. But being that it's indoor simulated and under lights, it can be played anywhere. And so this one here is a second event of this concept. And we had a crowd behind us. We had commentators on the corner. We had an emcee. We had cameras all over the place. And this is being streamed on the app called You Next. which is a live streaming app that a lot of Japanese use to watch sport around the world.

The ModGolf Podcast 27:59

Okay. All right.

Phillis 28:01

And so being that this was televised, there is an opportunity to get a following. And I bet later on down the track, these guys could, you know, add in lots of different types of income streams when it comes to like sports betting, if that's what they want to do. You can have a party behind it. You can have invitationals. It can be done in huge cities that have small space. So thinking like in the United States, it could be like New York City. It could be Chicago, somewhere where having to catch a train in

and catch a train out or have access to by, not by vehicle, but by public access to be able to host this, have it and, um you know, and go home in a few hours.

The ModGolf Podcast 28:49

bringing golf to the people rather than one of the typical pain points is golf courses and championships and events.

Phillis 28:52

Yes.

The ModGolf Podcast 28:56

And even for World Long Drive, I know the one at Windstar there, that's that resort is kind of in the middle of nowhere. Like you yeah it is a destination you have to you have to go to.

Phillis 29:04

Right.

The ModGolf Podcast 29:05

So yes, great.

Phillis 29:06

And that's what's hard too, right, is having to bring it come to ah having to bring a crowd in with you. And I think this is why I think this event or this type of format would work anywhere is because anyone can come to watch it. It's not just like family and friends of the hitters that are coming in from afar to get to these events like we have been with World Long Drive lately.

The ModGolf Podcast 29:28

So this event in Japan, was there also a live audience there for you also?

Phillis 29:33

Yes.

The ModGolf Podcast 29:33

And how big was that? So tell us a little bit about the venue or the arena that you actually had there.

Phillis 29:39

So this arena wasn't huge.

The ModGolf Podcast 29:39

Yeah.

Phillis 29:40

We would have had maybe about 150, maybe 200 people in the crowd, but it was like a small space. And I think it was more so to get the the hype up and get the noise going in a smaller space um with particular hitters. So you were invited to go to this event. You couldn't just enter into it as a member of the tour. You were actually invited. And what they do is you earn your way throughout the year to do that. but Thankfully and luckily, the people that sponsor my shafts, Rev Golf Shafts, they are one of the major sponsors of the JPDA Tour.

And so I was more a sponsor's invite than anything.

The ModGolf Podcast 30:23

Right.

Phillis 30:23

But again, like if I saw who was competing, they were the top of the top hitters on this particular tour that were competing in this event.

The ModGolf Podcast 30:35

And how did you do in the event?

Phillis 30:38

Well, I missed the grid in the last set. And the so the format of this here is three golf balls, right? But three sets of golf balls. And you're just trying to clock in a number each round. It's got nothing to do with distance. and after the second round, I was like 80 yards ahead of my friend and I missed the grid in the last set and she had like a two 70 something, which had her win, but whatever. It was a great opportunity. It was a great time. And I did hit the ball pretty well, most of it. It just missed the grid on the last set.

Those things happen.

The ModGolf Podcast 31:16

Gee, I keep asking these questions to dredge up these bad memories of missed grid hits. Sorry about that.

Phillis 31:22

Oh, it happens.

The ModGolf Podcast 31:22

Sorry.

Phillis 31:23

It's a part of the game. But you know what?

The ModGolf Podcast 31:24

It is part of the game.

Phillis 31:26

It's my second time with this format. I think it's a great format. I think it brings and keeps the skill at the forefront of the game.

The ModGolf Podcast 31:35

Now, you talked about the shafts that you used and your sponsor with the with that. So tell us a little bit more about the equipment. So talk about how a long drive driver from head to shaft to grip differs from what a regular recreational player or even a tour player has in their bag.

Phillis 31:55

Okay. So with the guys, the guys have extremely low lofts, uh, on their drivers. So for example, a simple makeup would be like two degree head with a dependent on who the header is. a lot of the guys have gone for like really soft shafts right now. That's CPM at like 170, 180, which is equivalent to a lady's flex shaft.

The ModGolf Podcast 32:18

Okay.

Phillis 32:19

And then they might have a grip of some sort. So, um, For example, Colton Casto uses an extra small Jumbamax grip. Justin James, on the other hand, uses a really thick Jumbamax grip. And then some of the other guys, I know a lot of the One Stop Power Shop guys have their Golf Pride sticky wraps. So the tour wrap grips on their clubs. But generally speaking, low loft, really soft shaft, a decent grip.

The ModGolf Podcast 32:42

okay

Phillis 32:50

And the weight of the shaft would be anything from 40 grams to about 55 grams, depending on who the head is.

The ModGolf Podcast 32:58

That's really light. That's really light.

Phillis 32:59

It's extremely light. It's like ladies weight.

The ModGolf Podcast 33:05

Right.

Phillis 33:06

Now the length of the club, 48 inches is the longest, um, from head to end of grip. and so a lot of the guys will be sitting between 47 and 48 inches.

The ModGolf Podcast 33:17

For that long. And what again, for USGA and RNA regulations, what's the maximum length for

Phillis 33:25

48 inches for USGA and RNA on the golf course. sorry, no, that's in long drive on the golf course.

The ModGolf Podcast 33:34

Yes.

Phillis 33:35

You're looking at 46 inches on the tour.

The ModGolf Podcast 33:38

That's what I thought. Okay. All right.

Phillis 33:39

Okay. So yeah.

The ModGolf Podcast 33:41

And as far as the driver head size, of course, limited to 460 cc's, is that also the same for you in long drive could be a bigger?

Phillis 33:48

Correct. Correct. No more. It cannot exceed 460 cc's. And usually we sit like a little below the radar anyway, and we're hitting anything between 430 and 455.

The ModGolf Podcast 33:55

All right.

Phillis 34:01

And there are some that do want to take that to the limit.

The ModGolf Podcast 34:02

Okay.

Phillis 34:05

So, use a nine degree head.

The ModGolf Podcast 34:05

Yeah. And I know that I have a nine and a half degree loft in my bag. So when you're with long drive, what's the, uh, what's the loft on your driver? Oh, you do.

Phillis 34:17

So I do.

The ModGolf Podcast 34:17

Okay.

Phillis 34:18

Yep. So the one thing about the woman is that we don't swing it fast enough to afford using lofts, anything lower than a seven degree head. Now, what's interesting, and it's not that I win every tournament, so kind of bear that in mind. But what's interesting is that like I have one of the fastest club head speeds, but I use one of the highest lofts on the tour.

The ModGolf Podcast 34:39

Okay.

Phillis 34:40

There are a lot of other women that are using five degrees, six degree heads that I think they would get far better results and consistency if they had a little bit more loft, but I'm not going to tell them that. I also think that a lot of the women use shafts that probably could afford to be a little bit softer than what they currently use. And that comes down to control, which is why the guys who are strong enough to control their swing are able to use such light and whippy shafts is because they have the strength to control that.

The ModGolf Podcast 35:11

Got it.

Phillis 35:16

you don't have to hit up on the golf ball if you've got a loft of nine degrees, you don't have to, you know, swing the club that hard, or try to feel like you're to loft it up, if you've got a shaft that's light enough for you to work well with, and I've always had lighter shafts and softer shafts always throughout my whole career, and I thank my team back in New Zealand for understanding and knowing this really early on and being able to put me in some clubs that we can rely on to, one, hit the grid, and then, two, be able to hit bombs more often.

The ModGolf Podcast 35:59

There you go. There we go. So I'm assuming that there is a player ranking, a world ranking or world long drive for both men and women.

Phillis 36:11

Oh, yes.

The ModGolf Podcast 36:11

So where do you stand right now in the world ranking?

Phillis 36:20

All right. Now, said a number three.

The ModGolf Podcast 36:22

There we go.

Phillis 36:22

oh um Kelly Rudney, kelly Canadian and Kelly Rudney, had an awesome year this year. I think she had two wins on the books, including World Championships. And she creamed the competition at World Championships this year. She hit it beyond 400, like four times. She had the best ball flight for the for the event.

The ModGolf Podcast 36:39

Wow.

Phillis 36:43

And she's been knocking on the door for a long while. And i just yeah I'm just super proud of my friend. So she's bumped me off the second spot.

The ModGolf Podcast 36:49

There we go.

Phillis 36:52

Monica Livings still well ahead of everybody else. And that's great. um But you know we're rooting for the older girls now because I'm one of them.

The ModGolf Podcast 37:02

Or 400 yards. So what was your about the all the competitions you had this year? What was your longest drive of the year in 2025?

Phillis 37:08

381 was my longest ball this year.

The ModGolf Podcast 37:11

381. Wow.

Phillis 37:12

Yeah.

The ModGolf Podcast 37:12

Wow.

Phillis 37:12

Third longest at World Championships, which, you know, the young lady who had the second longest, which was a 395, she beat me in the quarterfinals. Yeah, I mean.

The ModGolf Podcast 37:24

Bad timing. Bad timing.

Phillis 37:27

No, it wasn't. You know what? She hit the ball so well. And she hit the ball really well in Japan. Young Japanese lady. She's just retired from long drive. She's going to put his foot forward for the Japanese LPGA.

The ModGolf Podcast 37:41

All right.

Phillis 37:42

But yeah, great hitter.

The ModGolf Podcast 37:44

Amazing. It sounds like you're very gracious and complimentary for everyone that are your rivals and your friends. So with that, I want to hear about what type of a community around World Long Drive, especially with the women. Tell us a little bit about that. I'm sure it's a fairly tight-knit and small community that you have there.

Phillis 38:04

It used to be.

The ModGolf Podcast 38:05

Used to be.

Phillis 38:06

So, it's competitive now because the resources are so are so low and it's not dog eat dog, but it's just because resources aren't as good as they were when the tour was owned by a golf channel. opportunities are so low for the women's division. It gets competitive and it gets hard and I completely understand where it is. I've seen it on golfing tours. I've seen it on in places in other sports where when resources are really low or tight, just have your back up against the wall a little bit more. I'm in a place where i think once upon a time, long drive was everything. Now long drive's kind of like,

something that I love doing, something that I'm still good at. um And I have requirements being in the United States to fulfill. So, you know, with that being said, it's not as if I got to break my back to to play in the game so I don't take it as seriously as I once upon a time did. However, in that time, our resources were almost abundant. And so um we were able to at least share and enjoy the good time of being at the event at the same time.

The ModGolf Podcast 39:18

Right, right.

Phillis 39:27

compete and be happy for one another because we all knew that we were getting paid if we made the top four or top eight. This one here is a little bit tighter.

The ModGolf Podcast 39:34

right right

Phillis 39:36

It gets a little bit harder. And it shows in the it shows them the focus of the athletes that are ah competing in terms of like, well, I don't really care because I've got other opportunities coming up. Or this is really hard and I really want to win so that I can get on TV or I can get some kind of something to prove that I'm actually good enough. When all of these girls are good enough, they don't really need to feel like they've got to prove anything besides just get up on the tee box, have some fun and hit the golf ball.

The ModGolf Podcast 40:08

Mm-hmm. Nice, nice. So yes, my understanding is the prize money in World Long Drive, I don't know if it's equal for men and women, but I figure it is not, but it is not life-changing money. So you have to have multiple streams of income and being very entrepreneurial that you are. So tell us about that. You said right at the top of the show that when you first got into golf, you looked at this, that there were multiple ways that you can have a career in golf

Not just by swinging a golf club or the LPGA tour is not the only path forward. There's multiple directions you can go that you can combine. So tell us about that as far as your other entrepreneurial endeavors or what you do to make a living in golf.

Phillis 41:02

So when I was playing on tour, during the off season, I worked at a golf course, in the pro shop, helped out in the clubhouse, and really enjoyed the operational side of things. When my dad fell ill at the end of 2014, I decided that I wanted to stay home and work a little bit more. At the same time, my boss at that time was, who was our director of golf, was retiring.

The ModGolf Podcast 41:29

Okay.

Phillis 41:36

And so I put my hand up for that. And I was put in the position by the board on the interim basis until they found somebody else. What I ended up doing was I ended up going back to school to get my qualification. I went and did my bachelor's degree, finished it. I had like a whole full year left of it.

The ModGolf Podcast 41:54

okay

Phillis 41:54

Finished my bachelor's degree. And along the way, i met a lot of people. And so I went away to compete, went away to compete um and came back. And during COVID, I met up with a lot of my friends who are my age that I grew up playing golf with, same coach, all had same aspirations, but now they have kids. I'm falling into the teacher's role, just because I was in that space. I did my traineeship during COVID and we found that there are very little pathways for kids from New Zealand to get to America, to play college sport.

The ModGolf Podcast 42:44

okay

Phillis 42:44

And it would only make like perfect sense if we had our kids go from high school in New Zealand to college in America to pursue a career, go get some life skills. go have or create some stories so that you can come home and tell other people about it. And so what I found too was my message to my people is about what's possible, right? Because our countries are so small. Even the Polynesian islands are so small. All of the islands are in small places. Going to New Zealand is one thing, right? But then coming to the United States is another thing.

And so what we did during COVID was we created an idea for an indigenous school to be built. And in this indigenous school, we teach kids how to prepare themselves for a student athlete lifestyle. And that student athlete lifestyle prepares them for a world after high school. Well, the school opens the doors in 2027. We are a connection. So I'll be here in the United States on this side here. But what I wanted to do is be a part of the recruiting process so that when parents drop their kids to school, I can tell them and look them in the eye I can look after your child, right?

When they come over, there's going to be an auntie here that will look after them, boot them up the backside if they need it, but also have that family type of environment so that they're able to still thrive. Because a lot of the things a lot of the things that we noticed um back in the day was that a lot of our kids from New Zealand will go to America, but they won't be they wouldn't be prepared mentally for being away from home for so long.

the strict regimen when it comes to training and school and you can't afford to mess up things and then they also also remind them that they represent people back home and it's not like don't embarrass me don't let me down but it's more so like don't let yourself down and don't embarrass yourself otherwise what are you going to tell the people when you come home did you finish it did you not finish it and why didn't you finish it

The ModGolf Podcast 44:46

Yes. Yes.

Phillis 45:00

And a lot of the sports that we'll focus on are the ones that New Zealand competes in the Olympics. And if there are kids that like play tennis or play volleyball, even though we don't have a vol New Zealand volleyball team, at least they can go through the experience of college volleyball. And whatever they choose to do after that, that's completely up to them.

The ModGolf Podcast 45:26

Love this. Love this. Well, it sounds like 2026 and beyond, it's going to be for you more than just being on the grid a couple of times a year. Sounds like you've got lots and lots of other opportunities, things that get you excited, things that you're passionate about and giving back, giving back to, you know, based on your experience, your journey and the lessons learned and making it easier for people back home that you want to have a ah similar experience, if not even even better one.

Phillis 46:01

There are a lot of pathways that um that that I've walked and a lot of my other friends have walked and other you know other athletes that have walked that haven't been stepped on since. So you want to make sure that, okay, the path this is the pathway that I took and this is where I am. If you want to hit this way, can come along my pathway or there are other pathways that are available to you now that we know better.

And when you know better, you want to do better. But I think the one thing that kind of like stands out for me is that my parents used to help with sport. And this one thing that my dad said to my mom years and years ago, he was like, "if we can help one of these kids, we'll be better off in society". And so that's always kind of stuck. And they actually, I found out about that after my dad had passed away, but he led it in his example. And another thing that stands out for me too is like, you know, when you're on your way up, always try to look back and pull others up with you so that you can create a wider base here and you can keep going. And then you know if people want to keep going further than you at least they have your shoulders to stand on to help push them up too so um again like the whole i i think the whole the whole purpose behind this is like to show my people that things are possible if you put your mind to it and if you do need help you know this is why we're here to you know ahead of you is to help bring you forward so that you can come up with this

The ModGolf Podcast 47:33

Nice. Well, I had Sandy Cross on the podcast many years ago. She's just moved on from working with the PGA of America. i just saw that she is now with the women's professional hockey league doing great work there. That just happened last week, but she admits that she didn't make this quote up, but she lives by it.

Phillis 47:46

Oh, no way.

The ModGolf Podcast 47:53

And I've embraced it too. And that is in order to be one, you have to see one. So the example that you're setting for everyone back home, then to see, Phyllis can do it. Maybe I can do it too.

Phillis 48:06

Yep, absolutely. And it pains me when you have to see. People have to cook kick their foot through the door. That happens all the time. And you expect it. But, the more I get to kick the door down, the easier it is for those to walk in behind me. And, someone has to do it, Colin. So why not be me? I've got a big foot.

The ModGolf Podcast 48:34

Love this. Why not be me? Love that. Hey, but why as we finish up here, my entrepreneurial brain has been working away here after you talked about the format of the event in Japan and other things that are going on. And I was at TGL in Jupiter, Florida last year. And I'm going to be part of the media for one of the ah matches this year after the PGA show. I'm thinking that purpose-built venue that holds... I don't know, 2,000 people as a 60-foot high screen there. It's only being used about 10% of the time all year. Why the heck don't they have a World Long Drive competition in there? That would be perfect on that 60-foot screen.

Phillis 49:15

I'm with you on that. And if we can make that happen, make that concept happen, wouldn't that be awesome? Because here's the thing, like I get it, everyone has space for a grid, but not inside where everyone can come in and they can watch. And it's just like watching ah a soccer game or a hockey where you're inside, you're a part of it, and you're actually, you can actually hear the sound of impact right there and then.

The ModGolf Podcast 49:37

Yes. Okay.

Phillis 49:38

It's so much nicer.

The ModGolf Podcast 49:41

okay We're going advocate for this. Not that I have much pull in the golf industry, but I'll talk to some people that I know here.

Phillis 49:46

Me either, but we'll try.

The ModGolf Podcast 49:48

We've all we said it out loud. Let me do that again. So there, we said it out loud. We're going manifest this. The world has heard it now. World long drive needs to have ah have an event at TGL. Like, come on. That would be amazing. And you could have people, maybe like World Poker Tour, people that think they're real good long drivers. They can come and they can qualify and play against the professionals like you. I think that would make for amazing content. That would be so much fun.

Phillis 50:12

can't agree more and I'd love to be a part of it.

The ModGolf Podcast 50:15

Boom. Done. Okay. Our venture. It started. It's happening. We're making it happen.

Phillis 50:19

Here we go.

The ModGolf Podcast 50:20

Good stuff.

Phillis 50:20

All right.

The ModGolf Podcast 50:21

Well, why don't we drop the mic on that note there? Because now we're excited. We've got work to do. We've got to get world long drive at the TGL venue. Okay.

Phillis 50:29

It wouldn't surprise me if they're already in that conversation, but Colin, like, it's not that we need it.

The ModGolf Podcast 50:29

That's happening.

Phillis 50:37

No, it's not that we don't need it because we've got space in America. We need it because it has to be exciting and fun and we have to fill the seats. That's not what, that's what we're not doing in America right now is we're not filling the seats because we go to all these like what the heck places. And they're so far out of like in the middle of nowhere, at least Windstar was nice.

The ModGolf Podcast 50:57

Yes, that's true.

Phillis 50:59

And I know that we're recording and I mean, the guys who host us in all these different places, they're awesome. But I'm telling you, like, we need to be in a place where everyone can get to really easily close to the airport that doesn't have to, warrant you having to spend thousands of dollars on accommodation and vehicles just to get to your tournament.

The ModGolf Podcast 51:19

Yeah, you got to meet the people where they're at. In Jupiter, Florida, there's a lot of people within a half an hour drive there. So it's absolutely perfect. so And I'm sure you're right that I like to think when I come up with ideas that I'm the only person of the 8 billion people on the planet that's ever come up with that idea.

Phillis 51:26

Right.

The ModGolf Podcast 51:33

But I'm also ah realistic enough to realize I'm sure someone else has thought of this. So I'm sure that's something they've workshopped also.

Phillis 51:37

hey

The ModGolf Podcast 51:40

We're just going to reinforce that. So it's going to happen. It's going to happen.

Phillis 51:43

Absolutely.

The ModGolf Podcast 51:48

So why don't we finish up there, Phillis? So thank you so much for joining me today. i just love that the golf universe brought us together again after eight years and we got to spend four wonderful days in Las Vegas together. Who knows? It sounds like there's going to be another event there with the same group with Vegas Baby, the Invitational in April and also next year. Who knows? Maybe it'll be an annual thing.

You never know.

Phillis 52:12

Hey, absolutely. They're celebrating their 25th year next year in the Vegas Baby event. And I hope that we are a part of it again because we had such a great time.

The ModGolf Podcast 52:23

We did. And the it is absolutely my pleasure.

Phillis 52:24

But thank you for having me.

The ModGolf Podcast 52:27

So with that, Phillis Meti, world long drive champion, ranked number three in the world, and does so much more in golf and in life and building community. Thank you for your time. And it's been a pleasure, my friend, to have you on the ModGolf podcast. Boom. Well, that's the first time an episode's ended with someone blowing me a kiss. I love that.