The Mental Golf Show
The Mental Golf Show is all about helping serious golfers translate their game when it matters.
Host Josh Nichols — a U.S. Mid-Amateur finalist and Golf Mental Coach — has spent years investigating one question: why do good players struggle to access their best game under real conditions? Through in-depth conversations with players, coaches, and performance experts — plus solo topical episodes breaking down what he’s learned — Josh investigates the gap between a golfer’s potential and what actually shows up on the course.
Episodes
Aug 29, 2023
Aug 29, 2023
43 min
We’re going to do something a little different this time. I actually don’t think I’ve ever done this in the 4 and a half year history of The Mental Golf Show.
I’m bringing back my all-time favorite episode the podcast. It’s the original Golf Beneath the Surface episode with Raymond Prior from back in February 2022. This episode had a huuuuge effect on me. It set me on a path toward a much more research- and scientifically-based approach to the mental game, or as I’ve come to start rightfully terming it, golf psychology. It had a direct impact on the way I read and research, coach my players, how I run this podcast, and even tweet.
Underneath all of the symptomatic things that we try to address is our inner experience. Our psychology. If you’re only addressing the end results, you’ll constantly be spinning your wheels.
So Raymond Prior’s approach to how he works with his players in a bottom up way has changed me in profound ways. And I hope I do him justice in the way that I talk about the psychological side of the game.
You’ll hear us talking about his upcoming book Golf Beneath the Surface which he released a year after this conversation. It’s by far the best golf book I’ve ever read. So if you haven’t read that yet then you need to right now.
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Raymond Prior, PhD:
Raymond Prior's website: btsmindset.com
Amazon book- Golf Beneath the Surface: The New Science of Golf Psychology
Raymond Prior, PhD on Twitter: @bts_mindset
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Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Golf Psychology Coach? Email Josh directly at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com or head to joshnicholsgolf.com.
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Take the Mental Game Assessment and learn your top mental game traits and your areas in most need of improvement.
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Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com
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Click here to sign up for The Mental Re-Grip ⛳️ Newsletter to receive mental game tips in your email inbox every-ish Tuesday.
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Have a suggestion for a topic or guest? Drop your suggestions here.
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Follow Josh on social:
Twitter: @joshlukenichols
Instagram: @joshlukenichols
TikTok: @joshlukenichols
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Follow The Mental Golf Show on social:
Twitter: @mentalgolfshow
Instagram: mentalgolfshow
TikTok: mentalgolfshow
Aug 24, 2023
Aug 24, 2023
15 min
On this episode we’re going to be talking about how to play a golf course for the first time.
You’re going to learn why playing a course blind is difficult from a strategic and psychological perspective, and how to still show up and play your best.
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Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Golf Psychology Coach? Email Josh directly at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com or head to joshnicholsgolf.com.
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Take the Mental Game Assessment and learn your top mental game traits and your areas in most need of improvement.
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Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com
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Click here to sign up for The Mental Re-Grip ⛳️ Newsletter to receive mental game tips in your email inbox every-ish Tuesday.
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Have a suggestion for a topic or guest? Drop your suggestions here.
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Follow Josh on social:
Twitter: @joshlukenichols
Instagram: @joshlukenichols
TikTok: @joshlukenichols
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Follow The Mental Golf Show on social:
Twitter: @mentalgolfshow
Instagram: mentalgolfshow
TikTok: mentalgolfshow
Aug 22, 2023
Aug 22, 2023
38 min
On this episode we’ve got Jon Sherman back for Part 2 of 2.
You’re going to learn about what causes you to play scared, how to have a basic system for course strategy, when to be aggressive and conservative, how to simplify the game, getting over blow up holes, and more.
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Jon Sherman on Twitter (X) - @practicalgolf
Jon Sherman's website - practical-golf.com
Jon Sherman's book on Amazon - The Four Foundations of Golf
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Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Golf Psychology Coach? Email Josh directly at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com or head to joshnicholsgolf.com.
-----
Take the Mental Game Assessment and learn your top mental game traits and your areas in most need of improvement.
-----
Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com
-----
Click here to sign up for The Mental Re-Grip ⛳️ Newsletter to receive mental game tips in your email inbox every-ish Tuesday.
-----
Have a suggestion for a topic or guest? Drop your suggestions here.
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Follow Josh on social:
Twitter: @joshlukenichols
Instagram: @joshlukenichols
TikTok: @joshlukenichols
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Follow The Mental Golf Show on social:
Twitter: @mentalgolfshow
Instagram: mentalgolfshow
TikTok: mentalgolfshow
Aug 15, 2023
Aug 15, 2023
42 min
On today’s episode we have Jon Sherman who you most likely know as @practicalgolf on twitter (X) and the writer of The Four Foundations of Golf.
I had Jon on the podcast back in October of 2020. It was a great conversation but he’s done some great things since then that I’ll let him tell you about. He’s always been one of the best voices in the industry for how he helps the regular golfer play better and enjoy the game more in a very, um, practical way.
We recorded this back in June so we start off with some talk about the US Open, then we talk about our feelings for Rory and how his strategy might need to change in order to win a major, the loneliness of playing pro golf, Jon Sherman’s book Four Foundations of Golf and how he’s trying to overdeliver on value for the reader, his philosophy on golf, how to manage expectations, acceptance of any outcome and more.
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Jon Sherman on Twitter (X) - @practicalgolf
Jon Sherman's website - practical-golf.com
Jon Sherman's book on Amazon - The Four Foundations of Golf
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Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Golf Psychology Coach? Email Josh directly at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com or head to joshnicholsgolf.com.
-----
Take the Mental Game Assessment and learn your top mental game traits and your areas in most need of improvement.
-----
Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com
-----
Click here to sign up for The Mental Re-Grip ⛳️ Newsletter to receive mental game tips in your email inbox every-ish Tuesday.
-----
Have a suggestion for a topic or guest? Drop your suggestions here.
-----
Follow Josh on social:
Twitter: @joshlukenichols
Instagram: @joshlukenichols
TikTok: @joshlukenichols
-----
Follow The Mental Golf Show on social:
Twitter: @mentalgolfshow
Instagram: mentalgolfshow
TikTok: mentalgolfshow
Aug 10, 2023
Aug 10, 2023
18 min
On today’s episode we’re going to be talking about BEATING YOURSELF UP.
You’re going to learn WHY you beat yourself up, where it probably started to become a habit, why it makes you play worse, and how to break the cycle of constantly berating yourself.
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Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Golf Psychology Coach? Email Josh directly at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com or head to joshnicholsgolf.com.
-----
Take the Mental Game Assessment and learn your top mental game traits and your areas in most need of improvement.
-----
Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com
-----
Click here to sign up for The Mental Re-Grip ⛳️ Newsletter to receive mental game tips in your email inbox every-ish Tuesday.
-----
Have a suggestion for a topic or guest? Drop your suggestions here.
-----
Follow Josh on social:
Twitter: @joshlukenichols
Instagram: @joshlukenichols
TikTok: @joshlukenichols
-----
Follow The Mental Golf Show on social:
Twitter: @mentalgolfshow
Instagram: mentalgolfshow
TikTok: mentalgolfshow
Aug 8, 2023
Aug 8, 2023
42 min
On today’s episode we have part 3, our final installment, with Will Knauth. If you need an intro to Will I encourage you to go back and listen to part 1.
In this episode we dive deep into Will’s pre-tournament routine for the Byron Nelson PGA Tour event, why he putts with a line but doesn’t use a line when he’s practicing, what he did to accidentally work himself into the yips, his pre-round playlist called 45 minute golf warmup #1, why chunking your first few shots on the range can actually help, the actual purpose of a pre-round warmup, and then we get super deep and existential.
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Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Golf Psychology Coach? Email Josh directly at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com or head to joshnicholsgolf.com.
-----
Take the Mental Game Assessment and learn your top mental game traits and your areas in most need of improvement.
-----
Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com
-----
Click here to sign up for The Mental Re-Grip ⛳️ Newsletter to receive mental game tips in your email inbox every-ish Tuesday.
-----
Have a suggestion for a topic or guest? Drop your suggestions here.
-----
Follow Josh on social:
Twitter: @joshlukenichols
Instagram: @joshlukenichols
TikTok: @joshlukenichols
-----
Follow The Mental Golf Show on social:
Twitter: @mentalgolfshow
Instagram: mentalgolfshow
TikTok: mentalgolfshow
Aug 3, 2023
Aug 3, 2023
13 min
On today’s episode we are talking about slumps. Players like Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth come to mind. Heck even Tiger comes to mind.
And maybe since you're listening to this you come to this episode trying to get out of your own slump. I know I’ve gone through half-decade long slumps.
So how do I believe Justin Thomas could get out of his slump. How about you? How did I? How slumps start gives us a hint as to getting out of them.
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Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Golf Psychology Coach? Email Josh directly at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com or head to joshnicholsgolf.com.
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Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com
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Take the Mental Game Assessment and learn your top mental game traits and your areas in most need of improvement (If you've already completed yours, I'm working on pumping them out. Patience 😁)
-----
Click here to sign up for The Mental Re-Grip ⛳️ Newsletter to receive mental game tips in your email inbox every-ish Tuesday.
-----
Have a suggestion for a topic or guest? Drop your suggestions here.
-----
Follow Josh on social:
Twitter: @joshlukenichols
Instagram: @joshlukenichols
TikTok: @joshlukenichols
-----
Follow The Mental Golf Show on social:
Twitter: @mentalgolfshow
Instagram: mentalgolfshow
TikTok: mentalgolfshow
Aug 1, 2023
Aug 1, 2023
35 min
On today’s episode we have Part 2 with Will Knauth. If you need an intro to Will I encourage you to go back and listen to part 1.
In this episode we dive into the details of when he played in the Byron Nelson PGA Tour event earlier this summer. I think it’s fascinating to hear from a really good amateur player and what the experience was like for him to play in a PGA Tour event, how difficult they set up the course, and fine of a line it is between great golf and pretty bad golf.
We also talk about how he used his limited practice time, how he calibrates his swing and putting setup to always have a good idea what they’re going to do, and how he thinks about pressure and how much pressure affects his game.
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Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Golf Psychology Coach? Email Josh directly at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com or head to joshnicholsgolf.com.
-----
Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com
-----
Take the Mental Game Assessment and learn your top mental game traits and your areas in most need of improvement (If you've already completed yours, I'm working on pumping them out. Patience 😁)
-----
Click here to sign up for The Mental Re-Grip ⛳️ Newsletter to receive mental game tips in your email inbox every-ish Tuesday.
-----
Have a suggestion for a topic or guest? Drop your suggestions here.
-----
Follow Josh on social:
Twitter: @joshlukenichols
Instagram: @joshlukenichols
TikTok: @joshlukenichols
-----
Follow The Mental Golf Show on social:
Twitter: @mentalgolfshow
Instagram: mentalgolfshow
TikTok: mentalgolfshow
Jul 27, 2023
Jul 27, 2023
11 min
On today’s episode we are talking about tension and pre-shot waggles and staying loose. You remember all the talk about Brian Harman at The Open and his waggles? Yeah we’re going to get into that.
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Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Golf Psychology Coach? Email Josh directly at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com or head to joshnicholsgolf.com.
-----
Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com
-----
Take the Mental Game Assessment and learn your top mental game traits and your areas in most need of improvement (If you've already completed yours, I'm working on pumping them out. Patience 😁)
-----
Click here to sign up for The Mental Re-Grip ⛳️ Newsletter to receive mental game tips in your email inbox every-ish Tuesday.
-----
Have a suggestion for a topic or guest? Drop your suggestions here.
-----
Follow Josh on social:
Twitter: @joshlukenichols
Instagram: @joshlukenichols
TikTok: @joshlukenichols
-----
Follow The Mental Golf Show on social:
Twitter: @mentalgolfshow
Instagram: mentalgolfshow
TikTok: mentalgolfshow
Jul 25, 2023
Jul 25, 2023
36 min
On today’s episode we have part 1 of my conversation with Will Knauth.
If you hang out on golf twitter like I do way too much, you’ll know him as @freewilllyyyy.
He’s a PhD student who is specializing in statistics. What got him on my radar was that he played in the Byron Nelson PGA Tour event and knows a lot about golf and his curiosity about the game and how he thinks about improvement and building skill.
He’s a great player who’s played in a PGA Tour Event and is very thoughtful about golf so that’s basically the trifecta of someone I want to talk to for this podcast.
And I believe the way he thinks and discusses things in these conversations can directly help you play better golf through improving your mind.
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Will Knauth on twitter: @freewilllyyyy
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Are you a competitive golfer? Interested in working 1-on-1 with Josh as your Golf Psychology Coach? Head to joshnicholsgolf.com or email Josh directly at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com.
-----
Want to be a SPONSOR on The Mental Golf Show? Email us with inquiries at mentalgolfshow@gmail.com
-----
Take the Mental Game Assessment and learn your top mental game traits and your areas in most need of improvement (If you've already completed yours, I'm working on pumping them out. Patience 😁)
-----
Click here to sign up for The Mental Re-Grip ⛳️ Newsletter to receive mental game tips in your email inbox every-ish Tuesday.
-----
Have a suggestion for a topic or guest? Drop your suggestions here.
-----
Follow Josh on social:
Twitter: @joshlukenichols
Instagram: @joshlukenichols
TikTok: @joshlukenichols
-----
Follow The Mental Golf Show on social:
Twitter: @mentalgolfshow
Instagram: mentalgolfshow
TikTok: mentalgolfshow