The Mental Golf Show

Latest Episodes:

274: How to Play Fearless Golf Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

🎓 The Perfect Pre-Shot Routine digital course - Dial in your pre-shot routine, play your best golf.

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I used to always play golf with a ton of fear. And frankly, I stillplay 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.

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📊 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 josh@joshnicholsgolf.com 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.

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🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

273: Dr. Gio Valiante - Fear, Flow, and Mastery vs. Ego Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

I had the great honor of hosting Dr. Gio Valiante for a conversation that had me thinking from the moment he started talking. Something about the way Dr. Gio explains things makes me feel like golf is on the one hand deep and rich and complex, but on the other hand incredibly simple and fundamental to who we are as humans. His grasp of human psychology is aspirational, so it's no wonder he's been a pillar of the golf psychology arena for decades.

I know you'll enjoy this episode, and I'm confident you will leave this episode with a deeper understanding of your golf game as well as yourself and why you do what you do on and off the course.

Topics:

Is Fear the Root of Most Mental Game Problems in Golf?
Fear, Flow, and the Full Spectrum of Golf Psychology
What Fear Does to Skill, Decision-Making, and Performance
Why Golf Creates Fear: Social Judgment and the Human Brain
Mastery Orientation vs. Ego Orientation in Golf
How Golf Shifts from Love of the Game to Results and Approval
Embarrassment, Shame, and the Conditioning of Fearful Golf
Why Ego-Driven Golf Makes Flow States Unlikely
What It Means to Compete in Golf—and Who You’re Really Competing Against
Playing the Golf Course: Targets, Process, and Task Focus

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Dr. Gio Valiante's books on Amazon:

Fearless Golf: Conquering the Mental Game

Golf Flow: Master your mind, Master the course

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📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement.

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🏋️‍♂️ 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 josh@joshnicholsgolf.com 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.

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🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

272: Matt Myers - How to Make Golf Fitness Stupid Easy (Q1 2026) Jan 06, 2026

Show notes

🏋️‍♂️ Get the Free MVP Golf Workout from Nerd Fitness here!

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I worked with Matt Myers at Nerd Fitness for the entirety of 2025 as my personal trainer. But far beyond building workout plans and keeping me accountable to nutrition goals, he was a partner on a journey. I know for a fact I would be so far off course from where I started 2025 had I been trying to go it alone. I can say without exaggeration that Nerd Fitness has changed my life.

Matt and I want to do quarterly updates through 2026, so this is Q1 2026 Update.

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📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement.

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📧 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 josh@joshnicholsgolf.com 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.

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🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

271: 10 Lessons 2025 Taught Me (and What I’m Carrying Into 2026) Dec 30, 2025

Show notes

I've done a goal-setting episode at the end of every year for the past 6 years, but I don't think I've ever done a review of the year that just ended. This episode will show you a simple, proven way to review your year (or your day or your round of golf) that you can and should use. And I of course set some golf and podcast goals for 2026, which I think can help you do the same.

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📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement.

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🏋️‍♂️ Nerd Fitness: Head to nerdfitness.com, and when (not if) you go through onboarding just mention Josh at The Mental Golf Show sent you.

📧 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 josh@joshnicholsgolf.com 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.

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🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

270: Steve Wheatcroft - The Unseen Struggles of Being a PGA Tour Player Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

Steve Wheatcroft played professional golf for 19 years, almost all of those on the Korn Ferry and PGA Tour. In this episode we get into the experiences he had, the fallout of retiring, and the journey since.

Topics discussed:

The Silence After Professional Sports
Identity Beyond the Game
The Balance of Passion and Profession
Learning to Practice Effectively
The Journey of Becoming a Golfer
Self-Perception and Mental Challenges
Lessons Learned and Advice for Others
The Humor in Golf: A Lighthearted Approach
The Feeling of Not Belonging: A Personal Journey
Aspirations and Realities: The Golfing Dream
The Pressure of Early Success: A Cautionary Tale
The Long-Term View: Sustainability in Golf Careers
Identity Beyond Golf: Finding Self-Worth
Reflections on the Book: Cocktails and Range Balls
The Identity Crisis After Golf
Struggles with Alcoholism and Depression
The Journey to Recovery
Finding Purpose Through Storytelling
Transitioning from Professional Golf
The Mulligan Foundation: A New Hope
Writing for Change: The Power of a Story

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Steve Wheatcroft's links:

Book: Cocktails and Range Balls: One's Too Many, Ten's Not Enough

The Mulligan Foundation

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📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement.

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🏋️‍♂️ Nerd Fitness: Head to nerdfitness.com, and when (not if) you go through onboarding just mention Josh at The Mental Golf Show sent you.

📧 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 josh@joshnicholsgolf.com 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.

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🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

269: Best of The Mental Golf Show (2025) Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine digital course: Dial in your pre-shot routine here.

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This year has been a monumental one for The Mental Golf Show. It's the most interviews I've ever done (33 up to this point) and I feel like my skill as an interviewer has drastically improved across this year, and certainly over the life of the podcast.

So with guest episodes in mind, I wanted to pull out some of my favorite nuggets from interviews in 2025. I wanted to include so many more than this, but I also wanted the episode to be about an hour long so I landed on 9 guest nuggets (I said 8 in the pod intro, pardon my bad counting skills).

Below are all the guests and their episode number so you can go back and listen to their full episode:

Webb Simpson: What confidence is made of, how to grow it, and what hurts Webb's confidence (Episode 242)
Dan Abrahams: How to get the most out of your ABCD Game (Episode 239)
Jayson Nickol: Getting comfortable going low and eliminating “Anyway Shots” (Episode 238)
Ross MacLeod: Is putting the most important part of the game? (Episode 244)
Mike Booker: The difference between a “Tournament Golfer” and a “Golfer Who Plays Tournaments” (Episode 241)
Gary Waters: The benefit of detaching yourself from your results (Episode 254)
Lou Stagner: Where should players set their stat benchmarks? (Episode 236)
Jim Waldron: What and how much should we be thinking about during the golf swing? (Episode 245)
Dawn Grant: How do you maximize joy on the golf course? (Episode 250)

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🗓️ Basic and Custom Practice Plans: Get more organized with your practice at joshnicholsgolf.com/practice

🏋️‍♂️ Nerd Fitness: Head to nerdfitness.com, and when (not if) you go through onboarding just mention Josh at The Mental Golf Show sent you.

📊 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 josh@joshnicholsgolf.com 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.

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🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

268: Will Knauth - Why You Need Swing Thoughts to Play Good Golf Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine digital course: Dial in your pre-shot routine here.

🗓️ Basic and Custom Practice Plans: Get more organized with your practice at joshnicholsgolf.com/practice

🏋️‍♂️ Nerd Fitness: Head to nerdfitness.com, and when (not if) you go through onboarding just mention Josh at The Mental Golf Show sent you.

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Will Knauth is a +5 handicap U.S. Mid-Amateur competitor, a PhD student in Theoretical Statistics and Time Series Analysis, and he has opinions on how to play better golf. In this episode, you'll hear those opinions.

I'm confident you'll leave here knowing more about the game with real things to try and having changed your thinking on different parts of golf.

Will is one of my favorite guests because he has no skin in the game--he's not pushing or selling anything, he's not trying to build a personal brand... he's just a good golfer who's incredibly smart. I think you'll enjoy it.

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Topics discussed:

Two and a Half Years of Fighting the Hooks

The Physics of Pushing vs. Pulling: Finding a New Swing Feel

Swing Thoughts on the Course: Why Mental Chatter Isn't the Enemy

Block Practice vs. Random Practice: The Internal Dialogue

The Music Analogy: Distraction and the Sequence of Thoughts

Bridging the Gap: Taking Your Range Game to the Course

The Bottom of the Pendulum: Knowing When to Change Swing Thoughts

Peaking for the US Mid-Am: Timing Your Game

The Tale of the 13: A US Mid-Am Disaster

Making Golf Work with a Demanding Life: Commitment and Sacrifice

Time vs. Efficiency: There's No Substitute for Hours

The Choice to Stay Competitive: What Are You Willing to Give Up?

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📊 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 josh@joshnicholsgolf.com 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.

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🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

267: David Buck - Transform Your Game with Truth and Joy Dec 02, 2025

Show notes

🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine digital course: Dial in your pre-shot routine here.

🗓️ Basic and Custom Practice Plans: Get more organized with your practice at joshnicholsgolf.com/practice

🏋️‍♂️ Nerd Fitness: Head to nerdfitness.com, and when (not if) you go through onboarding just mention Josh at The Mental Golf Show sent you.

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David Buck is a former professional playing pro who’s competed on the Canadian Tour, mini tours, and traveled extensively across North America and internationally chasing the game. He now operates an engaged community through his brand Big Swing Kings, where he blends humor and real coaching, swing roasts, and totally unique ways of thinking about the game. And he says he does this all with the intent to help players play better and enjoy the game more.

You can find David at these places:

Youtube: Big Swing Kings

TikTok: bigswingkings

Instagram: bigswingkings

Website: bigswingkings.com

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📊 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 josh@joshnicholsgolf.com 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.

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🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

266: FundaMENTALS - Expectations: The Psychology That Makes Good Golf Harder Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement.

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In this FundaMENTALS episode, we look at how expectations add tension and narrow your options, and why shifting to clear standards helps you swing with freedom. I cover the basic brain mechanics, a simple process to use before each shot, and a few practical course examples. The goal is steadier decision-making and more durable confidence.

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🗓️ Basic and Custom Practice Plans: Get more organized with your practice at joshnicholsgolf.com/practice

🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine digital course: Dial in your pre-shot routine 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 josh@joshnicholsgolf.com 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.

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🔥 Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

265: Carly Hunt - How Your Brain Shapes Golf, Pain, and Performance Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

📊 FREE Mental Game Assessment: joshnicholsgolf.com/assessment - identify your mental strengths and areas for mental game improvement

🗓️ Basic and Custom Practice Plans: Get more organized with your practice at joshnicholsgolf.com/practice

🎓 The Perfect Pre-shot Routine digital course: Dial in your pre-shot routine here.

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What if your pain wasn’t just a body problem, but a brain and golf problem? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Carly Hunt—Mid-Am Golfer/Pain Psychologist and author of Train Your Brain to Beat Chronic Pain—to talk about how golf can both ease and amplify pain, why “it’s all in your head” is a terrible (and wrong) message, and how the brain’s alarm system actually works. We get into practical tools for playing with ongoing pain, navigating fear of re-injury, dealing with the identity grief of not being the golfer you used to be, and how to shift from fighting your body to working with it so you can keep playing the game you love.

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Carly Hunt's links:

Carly Hunt's Book: Train Your Brain to Beat Chronic Pain: How to Harness the Power of the Mind-Body Connection - https://www.amazon.com/Train-Your-Brain-Beat-Chronic/dp/1462558526

Pain Reprocessing Therapy - https://www.painreprocessingtherapy.com

The Pain Psychology Center - https://painpsychologycenter.com/therapy-techniques

Carly on LinkedIn

Carly on Instagram

Email Carly

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📧 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 josh@joshnicholsgolf.com 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.

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Special thanks to Titleist for their support of The Mental Golf Show. Join Team Titleist here.

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