End Golf Frustration: Set Realistic Expectations for a Stronger Mental Game

Join Your Mental Caddy and start playing to your potential today:👉 https://YourMentalCaddy.comIn this episode, you’ll learn how to master your golf mindset with a simple expectations exercise that transforms your mental game. This clip comes from a LIVE Master Your Golf Brain workshop I taught recently at a private club. This is just one small section where we explored why chasing “your best” only leads to frustration—and how gathering real data about your game helps you set realistic expectations, play better, and actually enjoy golf more.🎁 New here? Start with my free resources:✅ Curated podcast episodes to kickstart your mental game:👉  https://kathyhartwood.com/podcast-curated-list/✅ Get 50 Power Phrases 💪🏻 to take to the course and stay confident under pressure:👉 https://kathyhartwood.com/50-pp/🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos and mindset lessons:👉  https://www.youtube.com/@YourMentalCaddy?sub_confirmation=1

Join Your Mental Caddy and start playing to your potential today: https://YourMentalCaddy.comEver call yourself a dumb ass after a bad shot and shrug it off like it’s no big deal? Hate to break it to you, but your brain doesn’t think it’s funny. In this episode, I’m sharing a story about my client who decided to drop her self-trash talk for just one round—and everything changed. She didn’t magically shoot a career low, but she actually enjoyed herself, felt proud, and even stuck around to socialize (instead of bolting to her car in shame).We’ll talk about why every word you say to yourself matters, how negative self-talk is just a habit you can break, and why your golf game doesn’t define who you are. Ready to play 18 proud without the self-inflicted bruises? Let’s go.🎯 Ready to master your golf brain?Join Your Mental Caddy and start playing to your potential today:👉 https://YourMentalCaddy.com🎁 New here? Start with my free resources: ✅ Curated podcast episodes to kickstart your mental game:👉  https://kathyhartwood.com/podcast-curated-list/✅ Get 50 Power Phrases 💪🏻 to take to the course and stay confident under pressure:👉 50 Power Phrases1.Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching2.Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook3.Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your BrainAre all available at KathyHartWood.com/bookPrivate coaching starts with a Free Discovery Call here: Email Kathy at [email protected]: KathyHartWood.com

Ever wonder why you feel calm on the range but like you’re fighting for survival on the course? In this episode, we break down how golf hijacks your brain—from fight-or-flight reactions and perfectionism to obsessing over what everyone thinks.Learn why golf feels so personal, why your nervous system goes haywire, and how to stop letting it mess with your head.If you’re tired of finishing 18 holes feeling exhausted and frustrated, this one’s for you.Tired of Underperforming? I'll walk you through the skills. Join me in YourMentalCaddy.comMastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-CoachingMastering Your Golf Brain - The WorkbookMental Golf Journal - A Range for Your BrainAre all available at KathyHartWood.com/bookPrivate coaching starts with a Free Discovery Call here: Email Kathy at [email protected]: KathyHartWood.com

Ever hit one bad shot and watched it hijack the next three holes? You're not alone—and you're not broken.In this episode, I break down why it's not the bad shot that kills your round... it's what your brain does with it. We’ll talk emotional residue (yes, that’s a thing), your personal “green light” golf state, and how to stop swinging from frustration, shame, or pressure.Plus, I’ll give you a 60-second shot clock tool that'll help you move on, regroup, and get back to playing like the golfer you know you are. No more three-hole tantrums. Let’s go.Your Mental Caddy - In your pocket every week, every round OPENS June 26Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-CoachingMastering Your Golf Brain - The WorkbookMental Golf Journal - A Range for Your BrainAre all available at KathyHartWood.com/bookPrivate coaching starts with a Free Discovery Call here: Email Kathy at [email protected]: KathyHartWood.com

You don’t have to be calm to play good golf—you just have to stop spiraling. In this episode, we’re talking about the emotional detour most golfers need but rarely take: neutral.Forget forcing positivity or faking chill. That doesn’t work (and your brain knows it). Instead, I’ll show you how to recognize when you're in a mental spin, and how to shift into neutral—a place that’s steady, honest, and totally playable.This is the mindset move that keeps your round (and your head) from going off the rails.New to the podcast? Grab a curated list of the 7 episodes that will instantly improve your mental game: ➡ HereMastering Your Golf Brain - The WorkbookMental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain 👇🏻Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/bookPrivate coaching starts with a Free Discovery Call here: Email Kathy at [email protected]: KathyHartWood.com

What’s your brain up to between shots?If your answer is “uhhh… spiraling?”—you’re not alone.In this episode of Think Above Par, Coach Kathy walks you through the 5 most common (and completely normal) things golfers do mentally after a less-than-stellar shot—and why most of them aren’t helping you hit the next one any better.From chasing swing squirrels 🐿️ to mentally roasting yourself like it’s open mic night, you’ll learn how to interrupt the noise and give your brain a better job between shots.🎧 Listen now—and find out what your brain’s really doing while you’re walking to your ball.👉 Don’t have time to binge the full podcast library? No worries—I’ve pulled together 7 quick-hit episodes to help you clean up your golf brain and start seeing results. Download the list here: Unleash Your Golf self-paced program is available at:  https://www.unleashyourgolf.comMastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-CoachingMastering Your Golf Brain - The WorkbookMental Golf Journal - A Range for Your BrainAre all available at KathyHartWood.com/bookPrivate coaching starts with a Free Discovery Call here: Email Kathy at [email protected]: KathyHartWood.com

Are you working your tail off and still not seeing it on the scorecard? Welcome to the club—and also, let’s fix that perspective. In this episode, we break down the difference between progress and growth in your golf game (and yes, it matters).Kathy dives into why your brain’s obsession with numbers might be blinding you to all the ways you’re actually leveling up—mentally, emotionally, physically, and on-course. From handling Betty and Bob with more grace to catching your own brain spirals mid-swing, this is the kind of progress that doesn’t always show up in a lower handicap—but changes everything.If you’ve ever felt discouraged, burnt out, or like “what’s the point?”—this one’s for you.Connect with Kathy...Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-CoachingMastering Your Golf Brain - The WorkbookMental Golf Journal - A Range for Your BrainAre all available at KathyHartWood.com/bookPrivate coaching starts with a Free Discovery Call here: Email Kathy at [email protected]: KathyHartWood.com

Ever feel that pit in your stomach when you get paired with golfers who have a lower handicap than you? Yep—welcome to the comparison trap. In this episode, we dive into what really happens when you measure your worth against someone else’s number on paper. Spoiler: It’s not helping your game.I’m sharing a relatable client story, a size-six-at-a-party analogy (you’ll get it), and the mindset shift you need to stop letting other people’s handicaps hijack your confidence. Whether you're playing with a scratch golfer or someone still figuring out which end of the tee goes in the ground, this episode will help you stay present, show up proud, and play YOUR best golf—no matter who’s in your group.Connect with Kathy...Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-CoachingMastering Your Golf Brain - The WorkbookMental Golf Journal - A Range for Your BrainAre all available at KathyHartWood.com/bookPrivate coaching starts with a Free Discovery Call here: Email Kathy at [email protected]: KathyHartWood.com

You know the feeling—you’re standing over a “hard” shot and your brain goes, “Ugh, I hate this.” Suddenly, you’re gripping the club like it wronged you and praying for a miracle flop.In this episode, we’re calling out the real troublemaker: that little word hard.I’ll show you how labeling shots as “hard” instantly triggers your brain into tension and doubt—and what to say instead to stay calm, clear, and in control. We’ll talk about why “hard” is usually code for “I don’t know how to get it close,” and how to shift your focus from looking good to playing smart.Plus, I’ll walk you through a few short-game mindset tools (and club choices!) that’ll help you stop trying to be fancy and start saving strokes.Inside:The hidden power of how you talk to yourselfWhen your brain freaks out—and how to stop itWhy simpler shots lead to lower scoresThis one’s for anyone who’s ever chunked it, bladed it, or second-guessed their whole short game.Let’s stop calling it hard. Let’s start calling it manageable.Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-CoachingMastering Your Golf Brain - The WorkbookMental Golf Journal - A Range for Your BrainAre all available at KathyHartWood.com/bookPrivate coaching starts with a Free Discovery Call here: Email Kathy at [email protected]: KathyHartWood.com

Real talk time. Your phone might be the biggest threat to your golf game. Not your swing. Not your putting. That little dopamine machine in your pocket.In this episode, I break down why picking up your phone during a round—especially in a tournament—is silently wrecking your focus, raising your stress, and pulling you out of your zone. I share a wild story about a client who got a “congrats” text before he even finished his round... and what happened next.We’ll talk about the psychology behind your scroll urges, the science of distractions (yep, it takes 23 minutes to refocus), and how to break the habit without judgment. Plus, what to do instead when you're tempted to check.Let’s protect your mental game like it's part of your equipment.Leave the phone in your bag. Unleash Your Golf self-paced program is available at:  https://www.unleashyourgolf.comMastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-CoachingMastering Your Golf Brain - The WorkbookMental Golf Journal - A Range for Your BrainAre all available at KathyHartWood.com/bookPrivate coaching starts with a Free Discovery Call here: Email Kathy at [email protected]: KathyHartWood.com