283: Matt Young - Why Your Golf Game Spirals (and How to Regain Control)

Matt Young is an Emotional Change Specialist. His expertise is in helping people move past their limiting beliefs and protective/automatic emotions in order to access their best as often as possible. Matt's an avid golfer himself, and in this episode we we dive in to some real-world case studies of PGA Tour players, as well as Matt's (and my own) golf game to discuss the deeper psychology of how and why we tend to do what we do on the course, and how to overcome it. Timestamps & Topics: 00:00 - The Anatomy of a Spiraling Golf Game: Beliefs > Emotions > Needs 14:44 - 🎯 Shot Pattern: shotpattern.app - Discount code MENTALGOLFSHOW for 20% Off 16:43 - Should We Try to Care Less About Golf? 26:05 - The Big 3 of the Mental Game: Body, Focus, and Self-Talk 34:06 - 🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine digital course: joshnicholsgolf.com/courses 37:06 - Can We Fake Our Body to Trick Our Mind? 44:25 - Why Does Our Tempo Get Off Under Pressure? 53:04 - 🏌️‍♂️ The Divot Board: divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow - Discount code MENTALGOLF10 for 10% Off 54:41 - Limiting Beliefs: Why They Keep Us Stuck 1:01:31 - Matt Young: mattyounglc.com ----- Matt Young's links: Website: mattyounglc.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattyounglc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattyounglc/ Email: [email protected] ----- Mentioned in this episode: 🎯 Shot Pattern - The Golf GPS App Designed to Help You Play Smarter Golf - Start a free trial and get 20% off by using the discount code 'MENTALGOLFSHOW' or click this link to go straight there. 🎓 The Perfect Pre-Shot Routine digital course - Dial in your pre-shot routine, play your best golf. 🏌️‍♂️ The Divot Board: Get 10% off at divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow using code 'MentalGolf10'. 👨🏻‍🏫 1-on-1 Mental Coaching with Josh: Visit joshnicholsgolf.com/coaching to see plans and pricing to work with Josh on your mental game. Or send an email to [email protected]. ----- Josh's stuff: 📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement. 📧 The Mental Re-Grip Newsletter: Sign up for weekly mental game tips atjoshnicholsgolf.com/newsletter. ----- Other podcast partners: ⛳️ PutterCup: Get 15% off your PutterCup order by going to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and signing up for the PutterCup newsletter. 🏋️‍♂️ FREE Nerd Fitness Golf Workout - Get the Free MVP Golf Workout from Nerd Fitness here! 🍀 Fairways & Fundays - Ireland Golf Tours - Named World’s Best Golf Tour Operator at the World Golf Awards in 2024 and 2025! If you’re interested in going on a golf trip to Ireland, send me an email and I’ll get you set up with them - [email protected] ----- 🔥 🧈 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

Rye Stinson is perhaps the only person in the world who is all of these things: Occupational Therapist, Certified Hand Therapist, TPI M3 Certified, AND has qualified for a U.S. Mid-Amateur, which he did in 2024. So I took that as an opportunity to dive right into how on earth he is so successful in his work while also being such a high level player. He plays humble, but he shared some great wisdom for how he does it. We also get into the nuances of injuries, navigating the healthcare system when it comes to diagnoses, dealing with apathetic orthopedic surgeons, and what to do if you are in fact injured. I really enjoyed this conversation (hence why we went so long!) so I think you will too. Timestamps & Topics: 00:00 - How to Be Great at Golf AND Successful Professionally 12:00 - How to Learn and Become An Expert 13:27 - Shot Pattern: shotpattern.app - Discount code MENTALGOLFSHOW for 20% Off 15:25 - How to Systematically Improve at Golf 25:19 - Keeping Golf in the Proper Perspective 32:19 - The Divot Board: divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow - Discount code MENTALGOLF10 for 10% Off 33:56 - How to Avoid Golf Injuries 53:52 - The Perfect Pre-shot Routine digital course: joshnicholsgolf.com/courses 55:42 - Is Your Injury a Problem or a Superpower? 1:07:06 - How Golfers Can Navigate Injuries 1:21:56 - Johns Hopkins Golf Rehabilitation Clinic 1:30:34 - Rye Stinson ----- Rye Stinson's links: Johns Hopkins Golf Rehabilitation Clinic OutPerform Golf LLC Consulting/Sports Performance: [email protected] ----- Mentioned in this episode: 🎯 Shot Pattern - The Golf GPS App Designed to Help You Play Smarter Golf - Start a free trial and get 20% off by using the discount code 'MENTALGOLFSHOW' or click this link to go straight there. 🏌️‍♂️ The Divot Board: Get 10% off at divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow using code 'MentalGolf10'. 🎓 The Perfect Pre-Shot Routine digital course - Dial in your pre-shot routine, play your best golf. 👨🏻‍🏫 1-on-1 Mental Coaching with Josh: Visit joshnicholsgolf.com/coaching to see plans and pricing to work with Josh on your mental game. Or send an email to [email protected]. ----- Josh's stuff: 📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement. 📧 The Mental Re-Grip Newsletter: Sign up for weekly mental game tips atjoshnicholsgolf.com/newsletter. ----- Other podcast partners: ⛳️ PutterCup: Get 15% off your PutterCup order by going to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and signing up for the PutterCup newsletter. 🏋️‍♂️ FREE Nerd Fitness Golf Workout - Get the Free MVP Golf Workout from Nerd Fitness here! 🍀 Fairways & Fundays - Ireland Golf Tours - Named World’s Best Golf Tour Operator at the World Golf Awards in 2024 and 2025! If you’re interested in going on a golf trip to Ireland, send me an email and I’ll get you set up with them - [email protected] ----- 🔥 🧈 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

It's that time of year. You've been working hard on your game all offseason, grinding on your swing, getting things dialed, and now it's almost time (or is already time) to get outside and play. But what typically happens when you do that? If you're like me, everything you worked on all winter can seem to go right out the window when you touch real grass. That terrible feeling of all that practice not even doing any good. Well I propose a better way. This episode is all about how to ready your game for getting outdoors and playing golf, not golf swing. ----- Mentioned in this episode: 👨🏻‍🏫 1-on-1 Mental Coaching with Josh: Visit joshnicholsgolf.com/coaching to see plans and pricing to work with Josh on your mental game. Or send an email to [email protected]. ----- Josh's stuff: 📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement. 📧 The Mental Re-Grip Newsletter: Sign up for weekly mental game tips atjoshnicholsgolf.com/newsletter. 🎓 The Perfect Pre-Shot Routine digital course - Dial in your pre-shot routine, play your best golf. ----- Other podcast partners: 🎯 Shot Pattern - The Golf GPS App Designed to Help You Play Smarter Golf - Start a free trial and get 20% off by using the discount code 'MENTALGOLFSHOW' or click this link to go straight there. ⛳️ PutterCup: Get 15% off your PutterCup order by going to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and signing up for the PutterCup newsletter. 🏋️‍♂️ FREE Nerd Fitness Golf Workout - Get the Free MVP Golf Workout from Nerd Fitness here! 🍀 Fairways & Fundays - Ireland Golf Tours - Named World’s Best Golf Tour Operator at the World Golf Awards in 2024 and 2025! If you’re interested in going on a golf trip to Ireland, send me an email and I’ll get you set up with them - [email protected] 🏌️‍♂️ The Divot Board: Get 10% off at divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow using code 'MentalGolf10'. ----- 🔥 🧈 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.  

John Dunigan is the cofounder of the Practice Golf Coach app. I haven't used the app personally yet, but one of my mental coaching clients uses it and he swears by it. He's sent me screenshots and it looks awesome. It uses AI combined with John and cofounder Dr. Will Wu's expertise and experience to build you custom workouts that change with you as you enter in more data. I'll have to check it out. But this was an awesome conversation with John. He's extremely passionate about golfers practicing better and having a more well-rounded view of their game and improvement. Which is a soapbox I've been standing on for a long time, before and since starting this podcast. Timestamps and Topics: 00:00 - Thinking Too Much About the Golf Swing 08:42 - Embrace Golf Like a Roller Coaster 16:58 - Fairways & Fundays ad 20:24 - Bigger Picture Perspective Enhances Acceptance of Outcomes 25:39 - Does the Golf Swing Matter? 32:13 - Shot Pattern ad 34:41 - Should We Strive for Consistency in the Golf Swing? 40:00 - Golf is Hard. Make Your Practice Just as Hard. 56:09 - Do Most Golf Instructors Teach the Wrong Things? 59:10 - Using a Golf Club as a Tool 1:01:51 - Errors are a Good Thing 1:05:40 - John Dunigan - Practice Coach app ----- John Dunigan's stuff: The Practice Golf Coach app John Dunigan on Instagram Website - johndunigangolf.com ----- Mentioned in this episode: 🍀 Fairways & Fundays - Ireland Golf Tours - Named World’s Best Golf Tour Operator at the World Golf Awards in 2024 and 2025! If you’re interested in going on a golf trip to Ireland, send me an email and I’ll get you set up with them - [email protected] 🏌️‍♂️ The Divot Board: Get 10% off at divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow using code 'MentalGolf10'. ----- Josh's stuff: 📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement. 📧 The Mental Re-Grip Newsletter: Sign up for weekly mental game tips atjoshnicholsgolf.com/newsletter. 🎓 The Perfect Pre-Shot Routine digital course - Dial in your pre-shot routine, play your best golf. 👨🏻‍🏫 Josh Nichols Golf (1-on-1 Mental Coaching): Email [email protected] or visit joshnicholsgolf.com to work with Josh on your mental game. ----- Other podcast partners: 🎯 Shot Pattern - The Golf GPS App Designed to Help You Play Smarter Golf - Start a free trial and get 20% off by using the discount code 'MENTALGOLFSHOW' or click this link to go straight there. ⛳️ PutterCup: Get 15% off your PutterCup order by going to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and signing up for the PutterCup newsletter. 🏋️‍♂️ FREE Nerd Fitness Golf Workout - Get the Free MVP Golf Workout from Nerd Fitness here! ----- 🔥 🧈 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

Andy Gorman is ThePASS (The Putting And Shortgame Specialist). And this episode is truly all about putting. If you wonder why you don't putt better, whether you have the right putter for you, why you don't putt well under pressure, why you under-read so many putts, and then exactly how to address all of these things... then you're going to love this episode. Andy is both extremely knowledgable about the ins and outs of every detail of the putting stroke, but he's also able to consolidate that info into very simple practices, fundamentals, and feelings that will instantly help you putt better. I've already been trying some of the things he told me about and I feel much more comfortable and confident over putts. Pretty cool stuff. Here's a sample of the many topics we cover on this episode: How life pressure is tied to golf pressure The dangers of comparison to other players or the leaderboard The one fundamental key to improving putting What to think standing over a putt Should you change your putting technique? Is it better to be correct or consistent? Why was (is? 👀) Tiger so good at putting? How to stop under-reading greens The biomechanics of the putting stroke The 10-10 Drill to calibrate green speed and stroke length The psychology of putting pressure Putting yips ----- Andy Gorman’s stuff: Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +447966235706 YouTube: Andy Gorman ThePASS Website: Andy Gorman Golf ----- Mentioned in the episode: 🎯 Shot Pattern - The Golf GPS App Designed to Help You Play Smarter Golf - Start a free trial and get 20% off by using the discount code 'MENTALGOLFSHOW' or click this link to go straight there. ⛳️ PutterCup: Get 15% off your PutterCup order by going to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and signing up for the PutterCup newsletter. 📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement. ----- Josh's stuff: 📧 The Mental Re-Grip Newsletter: Sign up for weekly mental game tips atjoshnicholsgolf.com/newsletter. 🎓 The Perfect Pre-Shot Routine digital course - Dial in your pre-shot routine, play your best golf. 👨🏻‍🏫 Josh Nichols Golf (1-on-1 Mental Coaching): Email [email protected] or visit joshnicholsgolf.com to work with Josh on your mental game. ----- Other podcast partners: 🏌️‍♂️ The Divot Board: Get 10% off at divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow using code 'MentalGolf10'. 🏋️‍♂️ FREE Nerd Fitness Golf Workout - Get the Free MVP Golf Workout from Nerd Fitness here! ----- 🔥 🧈 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

📕 Click this link to get Cameron Strachan's book UNF*CK YOUR GOLF BRAIN, plus bonus videos, a pre-round cheat sheet, and more: https://bit.ly/ufygb-josh ----- Cameron Strachan was not a name I had heard before this. But when he reached out to me expressing interest in being on the show and shared his book UNF*CK YOUR GOLF BRAIN with me, I gave it a read and I was immediately hooked. I read over half of it in about 30 minutes. It's unlike any golf book I've ever read before. The best way I can describe it is a wakeup call to the golfer who is obsessed with mechanics and swinging "correctly" and looking good on camera. And despite what I've learned over the years I would put myself in that class of golfers. It's a refreshing read, and I encourage you to pick it up. This conversation with Cameron was equally refreshing. It's crazy to think that someone saying "just be yourself, let it rip, and go play" is controversial, yet it is. And it kind of broke my brain at times. I think you'll like this one. Here are some of the topics we cover: Balancing Golf and Family Life Freedom in Golf: Letting Go of Control Instruction vs. Coaching: What Actually Helps? Trusting Your Swing Mastery vs. Expertise in Golf Why Simplicity Wins in Golf Performance, Psychology, and Enjoyment What Makes Golf Legends’ Swings Unique Golf as a Journey of Self-Discovery Playing Freely: An Art Form Letting Go Is Harder Than You Think Giving Yourself Permission to Play Your Game Learning Without Losing the Joy The “Lazy and Stupid” Approach to Golf From Expert to Mastery: The Real Shift Trust and Self-Acceptance on the Course The Radical Idea of Playing Freely Simplifying Your Game, Elevating Your Results ----- Mentioned in the episode: 🏋️‍♂️ FREE Nerd Fitness Golf Workout - Get the Free MVP Golf Workout from Nerd Fitness here! 🎓 The Perfect Pre-Shot Routine digital course - Dial in your pre-shot routine, play your best golf. ----- Josh's stuff: 📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement. 📧 The Mental Re-Grip Newsletter: Sign up for weekly mental game tips atjoshnicholsgolf.com/newsletter. 👨🏻‍🏫 Josh Nichols Golf (1-on-1 Mental Coaching): Email [email protected] or visit joshnicholsgolf.com to work with Josh on your mental game. ----- Podcast partners: 🎯 Shot Pattern - The Golf GPS App Designed to Help You Play Smarter Golf - Start a free trial and get 20% off by using the discount code 'MENTALGOLFSHOW' or click this link to go straight there. 🏌️‍♂️ Divot Board: Get 10% off at divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow using code 'MentalGolf10'. ⛳️ PutterCup: Get 15% off your PutterCup order by going to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and signing up for the PutterCup newsletter. ----- 🔥 🧈 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.   

I had the pleasure of hosting Alex Fortey on the podcast. Alex is a content creator with over 300,000 subscribers on YouTube (The Art of Simple Golf). He's a pro golfer with some very strong opinions on the golf industry and golf instruction, and has some very honest takes on how to make golf simpler. Some of the topics we cover: The Complexity of Golf Instruction Understanding the Disconnect in Golf Performance The Importance of Setup in Golf Simplifying Golf: The Art of Simple Golf The Psychological Aspects of Golf Overcoming Fear and Embracing Authenticity The Journey of Improvement in Golf The Pursuit of Perfection in Golf The Role of Expectations in Performance Finding Joy in the Game of Golf The Impact of External Perceptions The Power of a Simple Checklist Reducing Variables for Better Performance The Balance of Enjoyment and Competition Future Goals and the Fear of Failure Alex Fortey's YouTube channel: The Art of Simple Golf ----- Mentioned in the episode: ⛳️ PutterCup: Get 15% off your PutterCup order by going to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and signing up for the PutterCup newsletter. 🎯 Shot Pattern - The Golf GPS App Designed to Help You Play Smarter Golf - Start a free trial and get 20% off by using the discount code 'MENTALGOLFSHOW' or click this link to go straight there 🎓 The Perfect Pre-Shot Routine digital course - Dial in your pre-shot routine, play your best golf. 📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement. ----- 📧 The Mental Re-Grip Newsletter: Sign up for weekly mental game tips at joshnicholsgolf.com/newsletter. 👨🏻‍🏫 Josh Nichols Golf (1-on-1 Mental Coaching): Email [email protected] or visit joshnicholsgolf.com for sessions. 🏌️‍♂️ Divot Board: Get 10% off at divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow using code 'MentalGolf10'. ----- 🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here. 

Is chasing consistency actually hurting your golf game? In this episode, I’m joined by Brendon Post — a longtime competitive player, coach, and caddie with decades of experience at the college and professional levels. Brendon brings a rare perspective from living on both sides of the rope: competing under pressure and watching the game with total clarity as a coach and caddie. Topics covered: Why your ability doesn’t disappear under pressure — your ability to access it does How “tournament mode” creates mental clutter and breaks down trust Why easy shots often produce more fear than hard ones The danger of chasing repeatability and “perfect” ball striking How acceptance has to be credible to actually work Why messy golf can still produce low scores The caddie/coach perspective vs. the player perspective Swing thoughts vs. feels (and why it’s completely individual) Course management as a true separator at higher levels What to prioritize when time is limited: body, mind, and putting — not panic practice This one genuinely changed how I think about practice and performance under pressure. ----- 🎓 The Perfect Pre-Shot Routine digital course - Dial in your pre-shot routine, play your best golf. 🎯 Shot Pattern - The Golf GPS App Designed to Help You Play Smarter Golf - Start a free trial and get 20% off by using the discount code 'MENTALGOLFSHOW' or click this link to go straight there 🏋️‍♂️ FREE Nerd Fitness Golf Workout - Get the Free MVP Golf Workout from Nerd Fitness here! ----- 📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement. 📧 The Mental Re-Grip Newsletter: Sign up for weekly mental game tips at joshnicholsgolf.com/newsletter. 👨🏻‍🏫 Josh Nichols Golf (1-on-1 Mental Coaching): Email [email protected] or visit joshnicholsgolf.com for sessions. 🏌️‍♂️ Divot Board: Get 10% off at divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow using code 'MentalGolf10'. ⛳️ PutterCup: Get 15% off your PutterCup order by going to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and signing up for the PutterCup newsletter. ----- 🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.   

I had the honor of hosting Steven Yellin on the podcast. Steven is an author of the book Simplicity. He holds some very strong positions on how good golf must be played. But he claims they aren't his ideas, they are just the way the brain and the body work. I truly can't spell it all out here, you'll have to listen to know what I'm talking about.  If you like this podcast in general, you're going to love this conversation with Steven Yellin. ----- Steven Yellin's links: Website: stevenyellin.com Book: Simplicity: The Fluid Motion Factor Golf Program ----- 🎓 The Perfect Pre-Shot Routine digital course - Dial in your pre-shot routine, play your best golf. 🎯 Shot Pattern - The Golf GPS App Designed to Help You Play Smarter Golf - Start a free trial and get 20% off by using the discount code 'MENTALGOLFSHOW' or click this link to go straight there ----- 📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement. 🏋️‍♂️ Get the Free MVP Golf Workout from Nerd Fitness here! 📧 The Mental Re-Grip Newsletter: Sign up for weekly mental game tips at joshnicholsgolf.com/newsletter. 👨🏻‍🏫 Josh Nichols Golf (1-on-1 Mental Coaching): Email [email protected] or visit joshnicholsgolf.com for sessions. 🏌️‍♂️ Divot Board: Get 10% off at divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow using code 'MentalGolf10'. ⛳️ PutterCup: Get 15% off your PutterCup order by going to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and signing up for the PutterCup newsletter. ----- 🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.   

🎓 The Perfect Pre-Shot Routine digital course - Dial in your pre-shot routine, play your best golf. ----- I used to always play golf with a ton of fear. And frankly, I still play golf with fear. But not as much as I once did, thanks to an understanding of some of the core reasons we as humans encounter fear. In this episode, you will learn what the core sources of human fear are, why we fear those things, how that relates to golf, and a solution for dealing with and extinguishing each of the core sources of human fear. I'm confident you will leave this episode with a better understanding of yourself, your tendencies, and having new tools to play better golf. ----- 📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement. 🏋️‍♂️ Get the Free MVP Golf Workout from Nerd Fitness here! 📧 The Mental Re-Grip Newsletter: Sign up for weekly mental game tips at joshnicholsgolf.com/newsletter. 👨🏻‍🏫 Josh Nichols Golf (1-on-1 Mental Coaching): Email [email protected] or visit joshnicholsgolf.com for sessions. 🏌️‍♂️ Divot Board: Get 10% off at divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow using code 'MentalGolf10'. ⛳️ PutterCup: Get 15% off your PutterCup order by going to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and signing up for the PutterCup newsletter. ----- 🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.