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

Have you ever told yourself you needed to make a couple birdies on the last few holes? Or maybe you categorize holes as "birdie holes" and up your expectations on short par fours or fives. Chances are it did NOT turn out the way you planned. You may have even made a bogey or two instead. So the question is “How do you make a birdie?” The quick answer is hit is close and make as short a p...

Scoring can be mental. How you think about par, birdie, bogey can affect how you show up over the ball.  You can put unnecessary pressure on yourself to make a putt for par or give yourself a "3-putt pass" on a par 5 if you hit the green in two. In this episode, I share a different way to think about scoring so that you can stand over as many shots as possible from a calm, certain or con...

"Just play golf one shot at a time." It is common advice but most golfers don't know how to exactly get that done. In this episode, I first break down what it means to NOT play golf one shot at a time. By understanding what happens when you get ahead of yourself on the course, ruminate over a previous hole or shot,  or argue with the reality of the situation in front of you,  you ca...

Being a golf parent can be challenging. It can be hard to watch your child struggle with all of the ups and downs that golf brings, especially as we learn this game.  As parents, we can sometimes be lost at what to say to our kids. How to help them and support them along the journey so that they can have some success. It's challenging at times to watch them feel bad, be upset, fail, beat them...

All golfers deal with anxiety and fear at some point on the golf course. Some golfers struggle with these emotional states more than others.  Golf, however, does not produce anxiety or fear, it exposes it.  It exposes a state of our nervous system that we deal with in our day to day lives.  In this episode, Jill Howell, an emotional health coach, explains what is actually happening when you experi...

If you play enough golf you are going to run into slow play or slow golfers.  And, you may actually be a slow golfer. In fact, many golfers fear being labeled as slow  to the point that it affects their performance and enjoyment of the game. In this episode, I cover it all:  waiting on slow golfers playing slowly fear of being a slow golfer I describe 3 types of slow golfer scenarios that you like...

If you play enough golf you are going to get some bad breaks. You are going to get a bad bounce, a lip out, a crappy lie, an untimely gust of wind, etc. Some days it may feel like you get more than your fair share. If you struggle with those days or have a sense you are just a bit unluckier than most, this episode is for you. I show you how to use two of mental concepts, lenses and 50/50, to help...

Superstitions are everywhere but definitely prevalent in the world of golf. Whether it is the lucky ball mark, colored shirt, number on the cart, color of the tee, number on the ball, superstitions in golf are very common. In this episode, I shed light on the impact of the superstitions that may affect your performance. I share with you how to decipher if your "thing" is a preference or...

If you want to start lowering your handicap or knock a shot of your score, there are 3 main areas to look:  physical mental course management/skills In this episode, I give you a fresh perspective on how to sharpen your game one shot at a time. Connect with Kathy at KathyHartWood.com Want help managing your golf brain on and off the course? Learn more here: the Master Your Golf Brain System powere...

As the summer unfolds, we dive into a vital topic for every golfer – avoiding mental complacency while playing our home course daily. In this episode, we explore how repeatedly playing the same course can lead to a 'home course disadvantage' for our game. We uncover five effective strategies to elevate both our mental and golfing skills. By changing tee boxes, hitting different shots off...

In this episode, we delve into the often overlooked aspect of being a good golf partner and navigating the mental challenges of playing in tournaments with a partner. Discover four key strategies that will help you establish a strong partner relationship before stepping onto the course. We explore the power of open communication with your partner, setting boundaries, and being mindful of the words...

If you don't like it when people ask you what you shot, or what you made on a hole or what place you finished, this episode is for you. Most golfers don't have a problem sharing the score of a good round. But, when you have a lousy day and someone asks you what you shot, the dialogue in your head about the question and questioner, expose 4 mental hurdles. These are mental obstacles to yo...

Sometimes it is challenging to shake a bad golf memory. Maybe you hit a ball in the water, made a triple bogey, missed a couple short putts, bladed it out of bunker and that memory pops in your head the next time you stand over the shot or play the hole. If that happens, your mind is not present and your swing is not smooth. As a result, you likely repeat the same mistake.  In this episode, learn...

 Explore the crucial role of mental preparation in golf practice.  Debunking misconceptions, this episode reveals the impact of mindset on performance. Discover how setting goals, making purposeful decisions, and cultivating confidence can optimize your practice sessions. Whether you love, hate, or overdo practice, gain actionable strategies to develop a positive mindset and unlock your potential...

In this episode, Kathy addresses a common concern among golfers: the feeling of not being good enough. Explore the detrimental effects of shame and unrealistic expectations, both from comparing oneself to others and from external standards. Kathy provides practical advice on shifting your mindset, cultivating self-acceptance, and separating your worth from your performance on the golf course. Disc...

This is a portion of a live call from Unleash Your Game, a  complete program for mastering your golf brain so you can consistently play to your potential with more calm, certainty and confidence. In the program, I offer live calls to support members on the mental golf journey. I start the call talking about hope. How we use the word versus how we create hope for us on the golf course. At the end o...

Discover the keys to unwavering commitment on the golf course in this episode. Kathy discusses the three essential steps for achieving a state of complete dedication over every golf shot. Learn how being committed can transform your game, enhance your decision-making, and yield remarkable results. Explore the power of self-awareness, making confident choices, and the crucial art of keeping your wo...

Setting a golf intention is about giving your brain direction on the golf course. it is a valuable tool to shifting your results. In this episode, I focus on 4 different ways to set intentions along with a few examples of how you can use them the next time you play.  Start creating the habit of setting an intention before you play and give your brain direction on what to look for on the course. Le...

Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficult conditions. This is really what mental golf is…bouncing back quickly.  In this episode, I share with you the top 5 areas for you to focus on building up your resiliency.  You may find that you are more resilient in one area and do not recover as quickly in other areas. This episode puts a little different spin on looking at mental golf an...

If you have a one day qualifier on your schedule this season whether it is a USGA or club championship qualifier, I have three tips to help you get through these rounds easier and with more success. One of the keys is to not make the event too big of a deal for the sake of your brain.  The bigger of a deal you make the tournament the more your brain is going to freak you out. I share three mental...

Positive thinking isn't always useful and negative emotions are always harmful. In this podcast, Kathy discusses how our emotions affect our golf game and how we can use negative emotions to our advantage.  Kathy suggests 5 negative emotions that you are likely to experience in golf and how they can be useful when playing the game. It is not about avoiding negative emotions or feeling like th...

Do you think competition is fun? Or would you rather play "fun" golf. Many people sign up for tournaments or competitions and then don't enjoy the event - regardless of how they score. In this episode, I explore what your golf brain is doing when it comes to tournaments and three reasons you might not enjoy competition. Then, I simply reverse engineer it all and show you how to crea...

We tend to ask ourselves bad questions about ourselves and our golf game.  They are questions that make us feel crappy.  They lead to a bit of hopelessness, doubt, fear, pressure. They sound like:  What is wrong with me? What if I score bad? Why can't I ever play well? What If I get off to a bad start? Why do I suck? Why is everyone better than me? The thing is that our brains will just ask t...

To play to your potential means to take what you own at this given moment in time out onto the golf course.  Most golfers get in their own way with negative thoughts and emotions that leash their game.  It is stuck behind  a mismanaged mind and thoughts and beliefs most of which we don't even notice. In this episode, I talk about the 4 stages of unleashing your golf game. First is to unleash...

This an interview of me on the Switching Teams podcast with Sarah Held and Amy Arnold.  We cover alot of topics in this podcast including: the golf challenges of an athlete who competed in other sports bad emotions (emotions are the enemy) warming up preshot routines tools to help your brain on the course important tournaments being in a funk and so much more We also discuss some Masters, Kathy&ap...