The Par Train | A Mental Golf Show

Trying to catch up? New to the Train? Want a refresher of the month prior? Monthly recaps is for you! The Par Train editor extraordinaire, Brett, hops aboard the mic and picks his favorite 8-10 minute clip of every episode from October. Here are the episodes from October: #424 - Why Goal Setting is Getting In Your Way (According to a +5 Handicap) #426 - The Untold Theory Why Golfers Aren't Getting...

In honor of the 2025 World Series ending in dramatic fashion last night, Ev wanted to bring back his favorite interview of all time. Hometown hero, 2011 World Series MVP, and now golfer... David Freese . David hops aboard the Train to talk about the parallels between being down in the count with 2 strikes and the series on the line and staring down a narrow fairway, the importance of having comfor...

Welcome aboard the LFG Series. A popular short-form series compiling short form insights to lift you up and challenge your thinking on the way to your next round. Hope this helps you enjoy the ride! If you like the podcast, you'll love our YouTube. Hop aboard the channel here today ! Join our weekly Train of Thought newsletter to keep your game on track and get first access to merch drops! As alwa...

Gary Wheeler, long-time passenger on the Train, sent Ev a message about how nervous he was for the chance to win his 3rd straight club championship. He had no idea where the ball was going, and didn't know what to do. Ev sent him a podcast to listen to about "wanting it too much" and to use his "lack of form" as permission to remove expectations. Gary ended up WINNING his 3rd straight senior club...

Welcome to another episode of the Replay Rate mini series where we take our most popular episodes from years ago and bump them to the top of the podcast feed because who doesn't need a good refresher? Dr. Joe Parent (@drjoeparent | www.zengolf.com), best-selling author of Zen Golf hops aboard the Train for his second time by popular demand. But this time, doc is here to help you with your putting....

Ev recently played a round with a better takeaway (less inside), the positions were hitting the marks, and the ball striking was worse than ever. And then Ev had an epiphany—a new theory as to why, when golfers make positive changes in their swing, it never sticks. To unpack and pressure test this theory, Ev asked Keith Bennett , top 100 golf coach and +2 handicap, to hop aboard the podcast for a...

Trying to catch up? New to the Train? Want a refresher of the month prior? Monthly recaps is for you! The Par Train editor extraordinaire, Brett, hops aboard the mic and picks his favorite 8-10 minute clip of every episode from September. Here are the episodes from September: #418 - The Dentist Who Made The U.S. Open:  Turning Regret into Rocket Fuel #420 - The Myth of Mastery - Why Scratch Golfer...

Jack Courington, +5 handicap, and former college teammate at Missouri State with co-host Cerm, hops aboard the Train to unpack how he's playing the best golf of his life today without practicing vs. college when he practiced every day. Jack digs into why goal-setting is getting in your way, and so much more. Want to learn from a +5 how to lower your own handicap? This episode is for you. New Gear...

Welcome aboard the LFG Series. A popular short-form series compiling the best soundbites from our most popular podcasts designed to get you in the right mindset on the way to your next big round.  Like what you hear in this LFG episode? Soundbites are pulled from the following episodes: #271 - The Weight of Tournament Pressure and How to Overcome It with Jon Sherman #286 - Tour Pro James Nicholas...

Ev and Cerm hop aboard a Ryder Cup recap to unpack the differences between the Americans on Fri/Sat vs. Sun and what the Europeans do that the Americans don't. How to deal with pressure, what to do when everything is going wrong, and so much more. If you want to play better golf under pressure, this episode is for you. New Gear Alert! Want to surprise your favorite lady in your life (which include...

Chadd Slutzky and John Ramsey, one of the best amateur fourball teams in the United States (with 15+ wins across the country among the two of them), hop aboard the Train for an unconventional and endlessly entertaining conversation. Ev and Cerm dig into how they get the best out of their game when it "matters" most, why they raise their expectations, why they play aggressive no matter what, how th...

Ev (An 8 index) always assumed that someone like Cerm (A scratch and D1 college player) never fully understood his level of frustration. Cerm never "lost" his swing and ability to hit the ball from one day to the next. This episode unpacks this idea, stories, and latest rounds that break this myth of mastery and frustration. If you assume no one experiences your level of frustration, this episode...

Trying to catch up? New to the Train? Want a refresher of the month prior? Monthly recaps is for you! The Par Train editor extraordinaire, Brett, hops aboard the mic and picks his favorite 8-10 minute clip of every episode from the month of August. Here are the episodes from August: Ep. #411 - Making Every Round Feel Like It's Your Last (Cerm's First Bandon Experience) Ep. #413 - Over Trying - Gol...

One of the best interviews on the Par Train in 9 years... Matt Vogt  hops aboard the Train to talk about his crazy journey from quitting D1 golf, to his own dental practice, to getting back into the game, winning 5+ tournaments in 2025, and qualifying for the U.S. Open at Oakmont. If you've ever thought about quitting, wanted to get more comfortable in high-pressure situations, and just up your pe...

Welcome aboard the LFG Series. A popular short-form series compiling the best soundbites from our most popular podcasts designed to get you in the right mindset on the way to your next big round.  Like what you hear in this LFG episode? Soundbites are pulled from the following episodes: #274 - Becoming Passionate Over the Mundane with Sean Foley #299 - Is It My Swing or Is It Mental With PGA Tour...

This is the second installment of the "coaching calls" mini series where Ev brings on the players he coaches on the mental game, and they unpack what helped them break through so you can do the same. Lisa Thomasco hops aboard the Train for the first time to detail her crazy journey. Only working with Ev for four months, her handicap plummeted from a 15 to a 10, she won a four ball match at her clu...

Jon Sherman , best-selling author of the 4 Foundations of Golf, hopped aboard the Train back in 2022, and Ev and Cerm thought we all needed a refresher. One of our most popular episodes, the simple breakdown of expectation management, strategy, practice (avoiding zombie range sessions) and a sharp mental game is the surefire way to eliminate double bogeys forever --> the #1 one way to lower you...

Jon Reese , longtime childhood coach of all 4 Cermak brothers (that all played D1 golf) as well as hundreds other D1 players, hops aboard the Train for a full circle and mind-blowing discussion. Jon unpacks the system he's used for decades that helps golfers become practitioners, not technicians --> in other words, Jon's about teaching golfers how to PLAY golf, not find a perfect swing. If you'...

Ever try too hard on the golf course? Feel like you're playing well, expecting to ride the good feels and shoot a low score but the opposite happens? Ev felt the same way going into his Ryder Cup trip as a first-time captain at Sand Valley Golf Resort, but it didn't exactly go to plan on singles match play day. If this sounds familiar, this episode is for you.  The most common thing I saw at Sand...

Trying to catch up? New to the Train? Want a refresher of the month prior? Monthly recaps is for you! The Par Train editor extraordinaire, Brett, hops aboard the mic and picks his favorite 8-10 minute clip of every episode from the month of July. Here are the episodes from July: Episode 405 - Mental Game Roundtable - Doing the IMPOSSIBLE After Making a 10 Episode 407 - From the Archives - The Icon...

What would you do differently if the next round of golf was your last? Would you walk differently? Would you swing differently? Would you react differently? Cerm had his first Bandon experience, and Ev and Cerm unpack it all in a way that will make you fall in love with the game all over again. So it begs the question -- are you enjoying the walk enough? Finally realizing that staying hydrated is...

Welcome aboard the LFG Series. A popular short-form series compiling the best soundbites from our most popular podcasts designed to get you in the right mindset on the way to your next big round.  Like what you hear in this LFG episode? Soundbites are pulled from the following episodes: Ep. 275 - Playing Golf in Scotland for a Month Ep. 276 - When the Worst Round of Your Life Happens at Golf Mecca...

Stanford psychiatrist Dr. David Spiegel , one of the most published and respected experts in the field of hypnotherapy, hops aboard the Train to unpack the practical applications of hypnosis for golfers. Is it as crazy as it seems? What is hypnosis? How's it different than mindfulness or meditation? Rory and Tiger have been known to use hypnosis to achieve peak performance. Dr. Spiegel explains ho...

What truly is the difference between Scottie Scheffler and everyone else? Is Scottie like Tiger or Jack? How can the average golfer be more like Scottie without the elite ball striking? This and so much more. Ev and Cerm hop aboard another major recap to help you enjoy the ride again. Ev had been lying to himself for 25 years thinking he needing to spend over $25,000 on a home simulator. Instead,...

Ever wonder how the Open Championship got started in the 1800s? Curious what golf was like then? Did you know the "Champion Golfer of the Year" (the winner of the Open) took home a BELT instead of the claret jug? What are the courses in the Open Rota? When did Royal Portrush get added back in? What does the open teach us about our own games? Is the Open better than the Masters? All of this and so...