Think Above Par | Your Mental Caddy for Golf Mindset & Performance

What if the number of swing thoughts you had was directly correlated to your level of competency? We can often think about or swing too much on certain shots but less on others.  It is true that the more swing thoughts you have the more challenging it is to have a fluid effortless swing. But maybe there is a reason behind all of that. We can appreciate the challenge of simplifying our swing though...

The Masters rarely disappoints for golf watching fans. This year was no exception. It was a tournament full of emotions and great mental lessons. In this episode, I highlight 4 players, Tiger, Cameron, Rory and Scottie. I share with you some valuable lessons that you can relate to and use to help you play and feel better on the course. Interested in learning to level up your mental challenges, lea...

It's Masters Week and I invited my brother Dudley Hart back on the podcast to share his perspective with playing in 5 Masters. He shares his experience showing up for his first Masters with our Dad. What it was like to hit the first tee shot. We talk about his nemesis holes at Augusta, the galleries, the par three as well as his picks for this years tournament. Enjoy the podcast and enjoy Mas...

Your best golf depends on the  quality of 4 relationships around the game. Relationships are just thoughts that you have in your mind about a person or a thing. The words that you say create your feelings which affects how you swing or show up on the course. It is worth taking a few minutes and checking in on each of these relationships. See if the thoughts you have are useful for your performance...

Not all courses are beautifully designed, immaculately manicured, or perfectly maintained. The weather is not always your ideal temperature and wind. The more you play courses outside of your own, you eventually come to realize this.  It is easy, however, to play a course you do not like and turn it into a bad round and unenjoyable day. In this podcast, I share with you how to make the most of a &...

This episode is to offer my perspective, as a former college athlete, on women's sport today. I am not making a stand against anything. I am making a stand FOR over 200,000 women who play college sports. I talk about whether we are encouraging or discouraging women from playing sport. I share with you how challenging it is to manage your brain in college and that I want to facilitate women in...

This is the second part of my interview with my brother Dudley Hart. In this episode we talk about:   what I learned caddying for him at the Greensboro Open,  how important Dudley thinks a pre-shot routine is how to create belief in yourself versus cockiness what Dudley says to himself over the golf ball the power of focus and how to tap into it why a plan is critical for improvement how he sets u...

In this episode,  I talk with my brother, Dudley Hart, PGA Tour Player, Champions Tour Player and assistant coach for University of Florida about the mental game of golf. You will learn how to keep expectations in check and how long a typical swing change takes. Dudley shares the simple mental advice he used when he first got on tour to help him keep his card and the hardest change he ever made wh...

3 obstacles stand in your way of playing better golf, playing at a different level or even having a more enjoyable golf experience. I share with you in this episode what they are, how you can pin point your personal obstacles and how you go about overcoming them. Most golfers work to play better so they can feel better.  I help people feel better on the golf course and then they play better.  If y...

Whether you are going to play after the winter break or didn't have an opportunity to practice before you play,  we often feel unprepared for the round. I want to share that how to prepare for a tournament or a round after a break is individual. Each of us prepares differently. It is determined by what we want to practice, how much we want to practice, and how frequently we practice.  And I w...

I love the phrase "You can't read the label from inside the bottle." Basically it means it is hard to see what is holding you back when you are wrapped up in your own BS. We believe our crappy thoughts and we keep repeating the same results over and over again. In this episode, I talk about who really benefits from  mental coaching.   I share what criteria need to be met as well as...

Sometimes we play golf with people who are very negative on the golf course. We know this not only by the words they say but by their actions and their body language. It can be challenging to stay  focused on our own game or maybe we spend our time and energy trying to lift up the spirits of our partner. In this episode, I offer a few different ways to deal with a negative partner so that you can...

Are you stuck at a score or struggling to break through a score barrier - 100, 90, 80, 70? It is so easy to hang out shooting the same scores over and over again. Or maybe you sabotage a good round and end up back at your typical score. 2022 is your year to bust through to that  next level of golf. In this episode, I share with you 3 areas to focus on as you strive to shoot consistent lower score....

It is so easy to worry about our golf game. We can worry about our score before we even tee off. We can worry about our first tee shot, getting ut of a bunker, or what our final score will add up to. Worrying seems to serve a purpose. It protects us against our fears but masquerades as being useful or necessary. In this episode, I discuss how to identify worrying on the course and prevent it from...

There are 4 components of a complete game.  Most players only focus on swing and mechanics.  We blame our swing when things go bad on the course. In this episode, I want to shine light on the other 32 areas that greatly affect your score. And, if you want to play better it is worth working on ALL four areas to create a complete golf game. Learn about current workshops at KathyHartWood.com Want hel...

If you want to lower your handicap or break a score barrier, you don't want to rely just on improving your swing or short game. If you change your swing but take your old "hacker" golf brain with you, you won't have lasting results. In this episode I share, 3 steps you want to take to change your hacker thinking and level up your game this year. The Mental Groove Workshop Serie...

No resolutions. You might decide it is time to lose weight, get in shape or win the club championship this year, but no more underperforming. You underperform when you know you can do better but you just get in your own way. And it is frustrating and disappointing...and becomes a habit. In this episode, I share with you the steps to take to stop underperforming.  It begins with you being curious a...

Is there a genetic component to golf? Perhaps an aptitude or a personality trait that is attracted to the game... In this episode, I share with you a personal story about how golf connected us to a "new" family member. It is a fun story full of coincidences, connection and the small world of golf. KathyHartWood.com Want help managing your golf brain on and off the course? Learn more here...

Adam Krawsczyn went from driver yips and 3 putting from 20 feet to a golfer who thinks he can make anything inside 6 feet and hit every fairway. He gained 6 strokes on his game in three months with zero mechanical changes. He chose to believe in what was possible without much evidence. In this episode, he shares what shifted for him, how he realized it was not his swing, and what changes he made t...

While you may want to work on your mental game to improve the results you are creating in your life,  it is helpful to know that you have a style right now that may or may not be working for you. You have a method or style in how you deal with circumstances that you  encounter. The key is to notice if it is working for you or not. Ask yourself: are you creating the results you want? do you have a...

Your best work is done in the off season. Just because it is not tournament season or golf season does not mean you wait until spring. In this episode, I share with you 4 steps to take to level up your mental game so that you are ready to go when the season hits. You have one brain and it goes with you every where. Learning how to think, managing emotions and developing a process is something that...

Comparing golf with every day life experiences helps put the game in a new perspective. How you experience Thanksgiving and how you experience golf have a lot in common. Changing the way you look at each creates less angst and more peace around each. In this podcast I share with you the similarities between golf and the holidays and how you can you enjoy each a bit more. Join Master Your Golf Brai...

In this episode, I introduce you to the concept of "rules books". Not the USGA version that you  might reference for a ruling when you play.  This is more like a manual that you unknowingly, at times,  carry with you when you play. This rules book affects how you show up during a round. It impacts your emotions, focus, score and overall enjoyment. Listen in to discover where to find what...

Working on your mental game, how you think on the course and how to calm your emotions, is not reserved for low handicappers. Learning this skill is actually not a golf skill it is a life skill...because you have one brain. All golfers or any level have similar experiences on the course. They all have negative thoughts and emotions that interfere with making their best swings and enjoying golf ful...

I have a guest! In this episode, I talk with Karen Rainey, an accomplished golfer, about how she turned a rough 2020 season into one of the best golf years ever in 2021. We dive into how she realized the problem wasn't her mechanics...which is where we tend to look first. She shares how she dealt with and overcame, perfectionism, high expectations, and fear of failure. Also, you may be surpri...