253: FundaMENTALS - Acceptance: Stop Playing Scared Golf

Welcome to the first episode in the FundaMENTALS series, where Josh Nichols will be walking through what he believes are the core components of a good mental game. First up: Acceptance ----- Dial in your Pre-Shot Routine! 🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine Digital Course ----- 📧 Sign up for The Mental Re-Grip free weekly newsletter ----- Get 10% off a Divot Board! Go to divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow and use the code MentalGolf10 to get 10% off your entire purchase. Get a great deal AND support The Mental Golf Show. Thank you! 🙏 ----- Thanks to these partners for supporting The Mental Golf Show: Titleist - Join Team Titleist Nerd Fitness Fit For Golf Shot Pattern - golf GPS app PutterCup training aids (15% off when you sign up for their newsletter) ----- Perform better with these Josh Nichols Golf products: 🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine Digital Course 🏌️‍♂️ Basic and Custom Practice Plans ----- 1-on-1 Mental Coaching Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Mental Coach? Email Josh directly at ⁠⁠[email protected] or head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joshnicholsgolf.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ----- 📚 2025 Book Club! Click here to join the exclusive group chat where we discuss the books we're reading, questions and struggles about the mental game, and first access to Q&A's and meetups. ----- Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at [email protected] ----- Follow Josh on social: X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh Nichols Golf

Dallas Webster, creator of the Tangent Golf app, joins to discuss his journey from competitive high school golfer to tech entrepreneur, focusing on using data to improve golf performance while keeping technology unobtrusive. Topics & Timestamps: Introduction to Tangent Golf App (05:03) Mental Game and Tracking (06:25) The Tangent Four (14:44) AI Caddy and Course Management (10:43) Battling Mental Demons (19:34) Balancing Technology and Focus (24:52) AI Caddy’s Impact (26:54) Mental Game and Dispersion Patterns (29:35) Avoiding Negative Visualization (32:28) Subconscious and Target Selection (33:53) Pressure and Mental Shifts (35:17) Handling External Distractions (42:23) Mental Breakthroughs in Tournaments (43:44) Public Golf Journey and Mental Struggles (46:34) Rating Good Shots with Poor Mental Game (51:50) Mental Game’s Impact Across Skill Levels (55:02) Hands-Free Technology Use (01:02:18) Dallas’s Golf Journey (01:07:13) Where to Find Dallas: Website: tangent.golf App: Tangent Golf on the Apple App Store (Android coming soon) YouTube/Instagram: The Good Miss Golf ----- 15% off PutterCup! Improve your putting! 🔗 Go to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow 👉 Then sign up for the PutterCup newsletter for 15% off ----- 📧 Sign up for The Mental Re-Grip free weekly newsletter ----- Get 10% off a Divot Board! Go to divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow and use the code MentalGolf10 to get 10% off your entire purchase. Get a great deal AND support The Mental Golf Show. Thank you! 🙏 ----- Thanks to these partners for supporting The Mental Golf Show: Titleist - Join Team Titleist Nerd Fitness Fit For Golf Shot Pattern - golf GPS app PutterCup training aids (15% off when you sign up for their newsletter) ----- Perform better with these Josh Nichols Golf products: 🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine Digital Course 🏌️‍♂️ Basic and Custom Practice Plans ----- 1-on-1 Mental Coaching Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Mental Coach? Email Josh directly at ⁠⁠[email protected] or head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joshnicholsgolf.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ----- 📚 2025 Book Club! Click here to join the exclusive group chat where we discuss the books we're reading, questions and struggles about the mental game, and first access to Q&A's and meetups. ----- Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at [email protected] ----- Follow Josh on social: X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh Nichols Golf

In order to play well, you have to let go of playing well. In order to lower your handicap, you have to let go of lowering your handicap. These paradoxes make for tough, disciplined behavior. But if you can dial this in then you'll be getting out of the way of your own golf improvement. ----- 📧 Sign up for The Mental Re-Grip free weekly newsletter ----- Get 10% off a Divot Board! Go to divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow and use the code MentalGolf10 to get 10% off your entire purchase. Get a great deal AND support The Mental Golf Show. Thank you! 🙏 ----- Thanks to these partners for supporting The Mental Golf Show: Titleist - Join Team Titleist Nerd Fitness Fit For Golf Shot Pattern - golf GPS app PutterCup training aids (15% off when you sign up for their newsletter) ----- Perform better with these Josh Nichols Golf products: 🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine Digital Course 🏌️‍♂️ Basic and Custom Practice Plans ----- 1-on-1 Mental Coaching Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Mental Coach? Email Josh directly at ⁠⁠[email protected] or head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joshnicholsgolf.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ----- 📚 2025 Book Club! Click here to join the exclusive group chat where we discuss the books we're reading, questions and struggles about the mental game, and first access to Q&A's and meetups. ----- Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at [email protected] ----- Follow Josh on social: X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh Nichols Golf

In this episode, we sit down with performance coach and hypnotherapist Dawn Grant to unpack the true nature of "the zone." While many think of it as a purely mental state, Dawn reveals it as a spiritual and mental experience that goes far beyond traditional sports psychology. She shares how her work with hypnosis led her to discover that the peak performance state athletes describe is the same euphoric, calm, and focused state her clients enter during hypnosis. Dawn explains that the zone is a natural state of mind, characterized by reduced critical thinking and the absence of worry, doubt, and fear. By learning to quiet the ego and its negative thought patterns, we can deliberately tap into our true potential—not just on the golf course, but in every aspect of our lives. We discuss the value of failure as a roadmap for growth, the importance of a healthy mindset, and why the "post-segment routine" is key to building lasting confidence and joy. Topics & Timestamps: The Zone as a Peak Performance State (00:00 - 02:58) The Post-Segment Routine (10:13 - 14:00) Building Confidence Deliberately (14:50 - 17:13) Applying Mental Training to Life (17:19 - 21:09) Effective Visualization in the Post-Shot Routine (22:26 - 25:21) Taming the Ego and Realistic Affirmations (25:21 - 28:12) Striving for Joy and Presence (28:12 - 32:24) Mental Training as Human Psychology (32:24 - 39:18) Conscious vs. Subconscious Mind in Performance (39:18 - 53:49) The Role of Faith and Letting Go (53:49 - 59:02) Dawn Grant's Resources and Free Content (59:53 - 01:00:48) ----- Dawn Grant: 🌐 DawnGrant.com 📱 MindMastered.com 📘 7 Strokes In 7 Days ----- 📧 Sign up for The Mental Re-Grip free weekly newsletter ----- Get 10% off a Divot Board! Go to divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow and use the code MentalGolf10 to get 10% off your entire purchase. Get a great deal AND support The Mental Golf Show. Thank you! 🙏 ----- Thanks to these partners for supporting The Mental Golf Show: Titleist - Join Team Titleist Nerd Fitness Fit For Golf Shot Pattern - golf GPS app PutterCup training aids (15% off when you sign up for their newsletter) ----- Perform better with these Josh Nichols Golf products: 🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine Digital Course 🏌️‍♂️ Basic and Custom Practice Plans ----- 1-on-1 Mental Coaching Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Mental Coach? Email Josh directly at ⁠⁠[email protected] or head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joshnicholsgolf.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ----- 📚 2025 Book Club! Click here to join the exclusive group chat where we discuss the books we're reading, questions and struggles about the mental game, and first access to Q&A's and meetups. ----- Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at [email protected] ----- Follow Josh on social: X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh Nichols Golf

Scottie Scheffler has been on a ridiculous run. And at the risk of recency bias, I want to try to glean something from the way Scottie goes about playing the game. Specifically his mentality and his relationship with golf. He's a fascinating case study that we're getting to watch in real time. ----- 📧 Sign up for The Mental Re-Grip free weekly newsletter ----- Get 10% off a Divot Board! Go to divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow and use the code MentalGolf10 to get 10% off your entire purchase. Get a great deal AND support The Mental Golf Show. Thank you! 🙏 ----- Thanks to these partners for supporting The Mental Golf Show: Titleist - join Team Titleist Nerd Fitness Fit For Golf Shot Pattern - golf GPS app PutterCup training aids (15% off when you sign up for their newsletter) ----- Perform better with these Josh Nichols Golf products: 🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine Digital Course 🏌️‍♂️ Basic and Custom Practice Plans ----- 1-on-1 Mental Coaching Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Mental Coach? Email Josh directly at ⁠⁠[email protected] or head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joshnicholsgolf.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ----- 📚 2025 Book Club! Click here to join the exclusive group chat where we discuss the books we're reading, questions and struggles about the mental game, and first access to Q&A's and meetups. ----- Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at [email protected] ----- Follow Josh on social: X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh Nichols Golf

Josh goes on-course with special guest Matt Davis. Matt is the founder of PutterCup, a dead-simple and truly effective set of putting training aids. The three different PutterCups tackle three distinctly different components of putting: The Center Cup helps with narrowing in your focus, The Speed Bump helps with dialing in holing speed, and The To Go Cup allows you to have a regulation-sized hole wherever you go. ----- You can get 15% off your PutterCup order by going to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and signing up for the PutterCup newsletter. Thanks to Matt and the PutterCup team for supporting The Mental Golf Show. ----- Get 10% off a Divot Board! Go to divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow and use the code MentalGolf10 to get 10% off your entire purchase. Get a great deal AND support The Mental Golf Show. Thank you! 🙏 ----- Links mentioned: Feedback survey 📧 The Mental Re-Grip free weekly newsletter 📊 Mental Game Assessment ----- Thanks to these partners for supporting The Mental Golf Show: Titleist - join Team Titleist Nerd Fitness Fit For Golf Shot Pattern - golf GPS app ----- 1-on-1 Mental Coaching Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Mental Coach? Email Josh directly at ⁠⁠[email protected] or head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joshnicholsgolf.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ----- 📚 2025 Book Club! Click here to join the exclusive group chat where we discuss the books we're reading, questions and struggles about the mental game, and first access to Q&A's and meetups. ----- Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at [email protected] ----- Follow Josh on social: X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh Nichols Golf

On today’s episode we’re going to be doing something totally different than any other previous episode of The Mental Golf Show. I’m going to take you inside the ropes of my fitting for the brand new, just released Titleist T-Series irons. I got to try these out for a pre-release fitting which of course made me feel super special. And I’ve had them in the bag for about two weeks now and holy cow are they good. And we break down how having the right equipment can help your mental game. ----- Links mentioned:  🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine Digital Course 🏌️‍♂️ Basic and Custom Practice Plans 📧 The Mental Re-Grip free weekly newsletter 📊 Mental Game Assessment ----- Thanks to these partners for supporting The Mental Golf Show: Titleist - join Team Titleist Nerd Fitness Fit For Golf Shot Pattern - golf GPS app PutterCup ----- 1-on-1 Mental Coaching Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Mental Coach? Email Josh directly at ⁠⁠[email protected] or head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joshnicholsgolf.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ----- 📚 2025 Book Club! Click here to join the exclusive group chat where we discuss the books we're reading, questions and struggles about the mental game, and first access to Q&A's and meetups. ----- Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at [email protected] ----- Follow Josh on social: X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh Nichols Golf

In this episode, I detail what we can do to counteract the effects that the pressure and stress of golf can cause. ----- Links mentioned:  🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine Digital Course 📧 The Mental Re-Grip free weekly newsletter 📊 Mental Game Assessment ----- Timestamps & Topics 00:00 - Breathing for Golf 01:20 - What’s happening internally when pressure ramps up? 04:05 - What mental state is best for golf? 04:31 - The Breath’s Role In Our Mental State 07:03 - NEW Online Course: The Perfect Pre-shot Routine - joshnicholsgolf.com/course 09:07 - Three Breathing Techniques for On-Course 14:32 - Summary 15:41 - Resources & Links ----- Research cited in this episode: Spiegel, D., Malhotra, P. A., Li, R., et al. (2023). Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal. Cell Reports Medicine, 4(2), 100895. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36630953/ ----- Thanks to these partners for supporting The Mental Golf Show: Titleist - join Team Titleist Nerd Fitness Fit For Golf Shot Pattern - golf GPS app PutterCup ----- 1-on-1 Mental Coaching Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Mental Coach? Email Josh directly at ⁠⁠[email protected] or head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joshnicholsgolf.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ----- 📚 2025 Book Club! Click here to join the exclusive group chat where we discuss the books we're reading, questions and struggles about the mental game, and first access to Q&A's and meetups. ----- Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at [email protected] ----- Follow Josh on social: X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh Nichols Golf

On this episode of The Mental Golf Show my guest is Jim Waldron, a nationally acclaimed golf teaching professional, mental game coach, author, and lecturer. Jim touts a 94% success rate of eliminating the yips, so naturally I was curious about and we dig into it right away. This was one of my favorite conversations on The Mental Golf Show yet, so hopefully you enjoy listening as much as I did. Topics are below. ----- Links mentioned:  🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine Digital Course 🏌️‍♂️ Practice Plans ⛳️ The Divot Board 10% Off - Use code MentalGolf10 at checkout 📧 The Mental Re-Grip free weekly newsletter 📊 Mental Game Assessment ----- Timestamps & Topics (00:00) Understanding the Yips: What Exactly Are They? (04:13) Why does our brain make us yip? (The Two Minds Theory) (11:06) What’s the opposite of the yips? (14:17) Should we have emotions before and during the golf shot? (16:14) NEW Online Course: The Perfect Pre-shot Routine - joshnicholsgolf.com/course (17:59) How did Ben Hogan exemplify true acceptance? (19:38) How to Work On Acceptance (25:37) Basic and Custom Practice Plans - joshnicholsgolf.com/practice (27:44) Digging Into Identity to Truly Change Your Golf Game (33:37) Sponsor: The Divot Board - Get 10% Off - divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow with code MENTALGOLF10 (35:41) Shedding the “Adolescent Ego” (39:27) Seeking Discomfort and Rites of Passage (47:36) The Pros and Cons of “Playing Like a Kid” (49:46) Radical Acceptance and The Mastery Mentality (53:08) Swing Thoughts: What should we be thinking about over the ball? (58:24) Two-Way Miss: What can you do? (1:05:25) Jim Waldron: balancepoint.com (1:06:54) Bonus topic- The Missing Link: Mindfulness and Consciousness ----- Links mentioned:  🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine Digital Course 🏌️‍♂️Practice Plans ⛳️ The Divot Board 10% Off - Use code MentalGolf10 at checkout 📧 The Mental Re-Grip free weekly newsletter 📊 Mental Game Assessment ----- Thanks to these partners for supporting The Mental Golf Show: Titleist - join Team Titleist Nerd Fitness Fit For Golf Shot Pattern - golf GPS app PutterCup ----- 1-on-1 Mental Coaching Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Mental Coach? Email Josh directly at ⁠⁠[email protected] or head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joshnicholsgolf.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ----- 📚 2025 Book Club! Click here to join the exclusive group chat where we discuss the books we're reading, questions and struggles about the mental game, and first access to Q&A's and meetups. ----- Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at [email protected] ----- Follow Josh on social: X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh Nichols Golf

Ross MacLeod joins The Mental Golf Show. Ross is a putting coach to players of all skill levels. Click here to find him on X. And click here to check out his Putting Coaching offerings. Timestamps & Topics: (00:00) Putting Under Pressure and Tendencies It Causes (06:06) Does mental game cause bad putting? Or does bad putting cause mental issues? (14:25) Can a bad golfer be as good of a putter as the best players in the world? (18:34) Basic and Custom Practice Plans - joshnicholsgolf.com/practice (20:41) Why do golfers focus on their swing when putting is a simpler fix? (24:46) Is putting the most important part of golf? (29:27) Why did Ross choose to teach JUST putting? (36:48) NEW Online Course: The Perfect Pre-shot Routine - joshnicholsgolf.com/course (38:32) What makes Phil Kenyon (Scottie Scheffler’s putting coach) such a good putting coach? (42:03) Why is it important to measure putting stats? (45:34) What is a good putting pre-shot routine? (50:44) 10% off The Divot Board - divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow with code MENTALGOLF10 (52:48) Where should our “mind’s eye” be while we’re putting? (55:29) Putting Speed Control (1:03:57) Does the putter matter? (1:10:14) Are you born a good/bad putter? (1:12:14) Putting Yips (1:17:00) Ross MacLeod ----- 🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine Digital Course Six modules plus downloadable practical exercises to help you be consistently present and freed up on every shot. Check out the Pre-Shot Routine course here ----- 🏌️‍♂️🗓️ Plan Your Practice Better A Basic Practice Plan to organize your busy life while staying flexible to a changing schedule. And a Custom Practice Plan built for you to structure your entire week of golf down to the minute. Check out the Practice Plans here ----- Get 10% off a Divot Board! Go to divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow and use the code MentalGolf10 to get 10% off your entire purchase. Get a great deal AND support The Mental Golf Show. Thank you! 🙏 ----- 🏋️ Nerd Fitness Get stronger, feel better, change your habits, and improve your life. Start working with a personal coach by going to nerdfitness.com and mention Josh at The Mental Golf Show sent you. ----- FREE Weekly Mental Game Newsletter Click here to sign up for The Mental Re-Grip ⛳️ Newsletter to receive mental game tips in your inbox every week. ----- Assess Your Mental Game Take the FREE Mental Game Assessment⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and learn your top mental game traits and your areas in most need of improvement. ----- 1-on-1 Mental Coaching Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Mental Coach? Email Josh directly at ⁠⁠[email protected] or head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joshnicholsgolf.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ----- 📚 2025 Book Club! Click here to join the exclusive group chat where we discuss the books we're reading, questions and struggles about the mental game, and first access to Q&A's and event info. ----- Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at [email protected] ----- Follow Josh on social: X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@joshlukenichols⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh Nichols Golf