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Think Above Par

Sometimes you just need someone to explain why your golf brain does what it does.

Think Above Par is where Kathy talks about the thoughts, emotions and patterns that show up on the golf course—and what you can do with them.

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All episodes (305)

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Episode 273

The 3 Biggest Mental Game Lies in Golf

You’ve probably heard this advice before: “Just stay positive.” “Don’t think so much.” “Confidence comes from playing well.” Sounds right… but it’s not. In this episode, I’m breaking down the three biggest lies golf taught you about the mental game—and why they might actually be making your game worse. We’re talking about why forced positivity feels fake, why you can’t stop thinking (and shouldn’t try), and why tying your confidence to your score is a losing strategy. This isn’t about thinking happier thoughts. It’s about thinking better ones. If you’re tired of doing all the “right” mental game things and still feeling stuck, this episode will show you what actually works—so you can play with more clarity, confidence, and a lot less mental chaos. Let’s clean this up and get your brain working for you again. Receive free weekly mental golf tips HERE How many shots is your mental golf costing you? Take the quiz here: quiz.mymentalcaddy.com Continue your mental journey at Your Mental Caddy HERE Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/book Email Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com Website: KathyHartWood.com

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Episode 272

How to Transfer Your Range Game to the Golf Course

Ever stripe it on the range… and then completely lose it on the first tee? Yeah. We’re talking about that golfer today. In this episode, I’m breaking down why your golf swing isn’t the problem—even when it really feels like it is. The truth? The range and the golf course are two totally different mental environments, and your brain responds to each one whether you like it or not. We’re diving into why your brain shifts into “protect mode” on the course, how that creates tension, overthinking, and those “where did my swing go?” moments—and why trying to “stay positive” isn’t the fix. I’ll also walk you through what actually does help: building a simple, repeatable mental process so you can bring your range game to the course without chasing swing thoughts or spiraling after bad shots. If you’ve ever felt like a completely different golfer once the scorecard comes out, this episode is for you. Let’s close that gap. Receive free weekly mental golf tips HERE How many shots is your mental golf costing you? Take the quiz here: quiz.mymentalcaddy.com Continue your mental journey at Your Mental Caddy HERE Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/book Email Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com Website: KathyHartWood.com

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Episode 271

How to Play Better Golf When Your Competition Is Stronger

Ever feel like you’ve already lost before you even tee off? You see who’s in the field… you watch their swings on the range… and suddenly your brain goes straight to: “I’ve got no shot.” In this episode, we’re breaking down what actually happens when you feel outmatched on the golf course—and why that thinking is what’s really hurting your game. You’ll learn how to: Stop comparing yourself to better players Handle tournaments where winning feels unlikely Shift out of that “defeated” mindset before it wrecks your round Play your game with confidence—even when the competition is strong Because here’s the truth: most golfers don’t lose because of who they’re playing against… they lose because of how they’re thinking about it. If you’ve ever skipped a tournament, tightened up on the first tee, or tried to “keep up” instead of playing your own game—this one’s for you. Let’s get you showing up calm, confident, and proud… no matter who’s in your group. Receive free weekly mental golf tips HERE How many shots is your mental golf costing you? Take the quiz here: quiz.mymentalcaddy.com Continue your mental journey at Your Mental Caddy HERE Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/book Email Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com Website: KathyHartWood.com

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Episode 270

Why Fear of Disappointment Is Killing Your Golf Game (Rory McIlroy’s Lesson)

Let’s talk about the real reason you might be holding back on the golf course—and it’s probably not what you think. After watching Rory McIlroy at the Masters, I had to break this down because what he shared about heartbreak? That’s not just about elite golf. That’s about every golfer. In this episode, we’re getting into the truth about the mental game of golf—and why your fear of disappointment might be the exact thing keeping you from playing your best. We’ll talk about: Why golfers avoid certain emotions (without even realizing it) How fear of disappointment leads to playing small What’s actually happening when you hold back on the course Why you have to be willing to feel it all to play freely And how to start showing up with more courage and confidence Here’s the deal: if you’re trying to protect yourself from feeling bad, you’re also holding yourself back from playing great. You don’t get the high without risking the low. 🎯 Ready to stop playing small and start playing to your potential? Come join me inside Unleash Your Golf. Go to paperbell.me/golf to book a discovery call or get started. Receive free weekly mental golf tips HERE How many shots is your mental golf costing you? Take the quiz here: quiz.mymentalcaddy.com Continue your mental journey at Your Mental Caddy HERE Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/book Email Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com Website: KathyHartWood.com

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Episode 269

What Winning Golf Really Looks Like (Lessons from the ANWA Champion)

What does winning golf really look like? In this episode, I’m breaking down the mindset of Maria Jose Marin after her win at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur—and giving you real, on-course examples of how she handled pressure, nerves, and her own thoughts. Because here’s the truth: she didn’t win by playing perfect golf. She won by managing this: Feeling nervous—and not making it mean anything Riding emotional highs and lows without spiraling Resetting with simple “caddy phrases” like breathe, calm down, you’re okay Trusting her momentum and adjusting her game plan mid-round Looking at the leaderboard…and immediately feeling the pressure spike Choosing patience instead of trying to force birdies This is what winning golf actually looks like. Not perfect swings. Not forcing results. Just a player who knows how to guide her mind back to calm, confident, and clear—over and over again. If you want to play more consistent, confident golf and stop letting your emotions run the show, this episode will show you how to think differently on the course. Let’s go. 💛 Receive free weekly mental golf tips HERE How many shots is your mental golf costing you? Take the quiz here: quiz.mymentalcaddy.com Continue your mental journey at Your Mental Caddy HERE Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/book Email Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com Website: KathyHartWood.com

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Episode 268

What to Do Mentally on the Golf Course After a Lesson

Ever feel like you’re actually getting worse after working on your golf game? You take a lesson, spend time on the range, really try to improve… and then your scores go up—and your brain goes straight to, “What is wrong with me?” Yeah. We’re fixing that today. In this episode, I’m breaking down what I call the Aerated Green Effect—and why expecting great results while you’re changing your swing is one of the fastest ways to tank your confidence. You’ll learn: Why your golf game feels worse after a lesson (even when you’re improving) The mental mistake that keeps golfers stuck and frustrated How to stop judging your game mid-improvement What to focus on instead so you can actually get better If you’ve ever walked off the course thinking, “I just ruined my swing,” this episode is your reset. Because you’re not getting worse—you’re just in the middle of the process. And if you can learn how to handle that part? That’s where real confidence comes from. Receive free weekly mental golf tips HERE How many shots is your mental golf costing you? Take the quiz here: quiz.mymentalcaddy.com Continue your mental journey at Your Mental Caddy HERE Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/book Email Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com Website: KathyHartWood.com

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Episode 267

Why You Play Worse on the Back Nine (And How to Stay Calm Under Pressure)

Ever make the turn, realize you’re playing well… and suddenly everything feels tighter? Welcome to your back nine brain. In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly what happens when you go from playing freely to trying not to mess it up—and why that shift is what actually costs you the round. We’re talking about: Why your brain goes into “protect the score” mode The sneaky difference between “I’ve got this” and “don’t blow it” How future-thinking kills your ability to swing freely And the simple shift that helps you stay present and finish strong Here’s the truth: nothing has gone wrong—you just left the present moment. If you’ve ever felt the pressure creep in on the back nine (or the last few holes), this episode will help you spot it, laugh at it, and get right back to playing your game. One shot. One decision. One commitment. Let’s go. Receive free weekly mental golf tips HERE How many shots is your mental golf costing you? Take the quiz here: quiz.mymentalcaddy.com Continue your mental journey at Your Mental Caddy HERE Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/book Email Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com Website: KathyHartWood.com

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Episode 266

How to Calm Tournament Nerves (5 Steps That Actually Work)

Got a tournament coming up and your brain is already spiraling? You’re not broken—your brain is just trying to protect you. In this episode, I’ll show you what’s actually happening when nerves kick in and give you a simple 5-step process to calm your mind, quiet the noise, and show up ready to play. Because it’s not about getting rid of nerves… It’s about not letting them run the show. If you’ve ever thought “I’m not ready” before a round—this is for you. Receive free weekly mental golf tips HERE How many shots is your mental golf costing you? Take the quiz here: quiz.mymentalcaddy.com Continue your mental journey at Your Mental Caddy HERE Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/book Email Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com Website: KathyHartWood.com

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Episode 265

Why Your Brain Sabotages Your Golf Game

Ever feel like your brain turns against you on the golf course? One minute you’re standing over the ball… and the next your brain is yelling: Don’t hit it in the water. Don’t mess this up. Everyone’s watching. In this episode, I’m sharing a funny story about my husband assembling a bike rack without reading the instructions—and how golfers do the exact same thing with their brains. Here’s the truth: your brain wasn’t designed to help you shoot lower scores. It was designed to keep you alive. That means it’s constantly scanning for danger, mistakes, embarrassment, and anything that might go wrong. So if your mind goes negative on the golf course… nothing has gone wrong. You just haven’t been given the instruction manual. In this episode, I’ll walk you through why your brain works this way and how a little awareness can help you guide your thoughts instead of getting pushed around by them. Because when you understand your brain, the pressure drops—and the game gets a lot more fun. ⛳️ KathyHartWood.com Receive free weekly mental golf tips HERE How many shots is your mental golf costing you? Take the quiz here: quiz.mymentalcaddy.com Continue your mental journey at Your Mental Caddy HERE Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/book Email Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com Website: KathyHartWood.com

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Episode 264

The Real Source of Golf Fear

Most of the fear you feel on the golf course doesn’t come from your swing. It comes from the questions you’re asking yourself. In this episode, I’m breaking down the sneaky “I don’t know” questions that spike anxiety, tighten your body, and send your brain into full-on threat mode. “Am I going to shoot under par?” “What are they thinking about me?” “Am I about to blow this round?” Your brain hates uncertainty. And when you ask questions you can’t actually answer, it fills in the blank with fear. I’ll show you how to catch those questions, swap them out, and create certainty your brain can actually work with — so you can play present, confident, and free. Because the solutions are inside of you. Not in the wind. Not in your score. Not in someone else’s head. Let’s clean up your questions and calm that golf brain down. ⛳️ Receive free weekly mental golf tips HERE How many shots is your mental golf costing you? Take the quiz here: quiz.mymentalcaddy.com Continue your mental journey at Your Mental Caddy HERE Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/book Email Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com Website: KathyHartWood.com

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Episode 263

Why More Practice Won’t Fix Your Tournament Play

You’re putting in the reps. You’re taking lessons. You’re grinding on the range. So why does your tournament play still fall apart? In this episode, I’m breaking down why more practice alone won’t fix your performance under pressure — and why tournament golf exposes something completely different than your swing. Practice builds skill. But mental reps build belief. If you’re striping it on the range but tightening up in competition… if you’ve ever wondered why you can’t access your talent when it matters… this one’s for you. We’re talking about: • Why tournament pressure reveals your mental habits • How negative self-talk becomes automatic • Why managing emotions is a skill (just like your swing) • What to focus on this season if you want better tournament performance Because you don’t need more balls on the range. You need to stop practicing mental mistakes. And that changes everything. Get details on The Competitive Edge HERE Receive free weekly mental golf tips HERE How many shots is your mental golf costing you? Take the quiz here: quiz.mymentalcaddy.com Continue your mental journey at Your Mental Caddy HERE Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/book Email Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com Website: KathyHartWood.com

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Episode 262

How to Be a Great Golf Playing Partner

What makes someone enjoyable to play golf with? In this episode, we’re talking about golf etiquette, emotional maturity, and the real reason people want (or don’t want) to be paired with you. It’s not your handicap. It’s not your swing. It’s not your score. It’s your energy. Golf is four hours of emotional exposure. And whether you realize it or not, how you show up on the course affects your playing partners more than your double bogey ever will. We’ll dive into: The qualities that make someone a great playing partner How self-awareness impacts your reputation at the club Why encouragement, curiosity, and emotional control matter The hidden cost of being critical, negative, or rule-obsessed How to be competitive and kind at the same time If you’ve ever wondered why certain golfers always get invited to play—and others slowly stop getting asked—this episode is for you. Because people won’t remember your score. They’ll remember how you made them feel. Let’s raise the standard of how we show up. On the course and off. ⛳️ Receive free weekly mental golf tips HERE How many shots is your mental golf costing you? Take the quiz here: quiz.mymentalcaddy.com Continue your mental journey at Your Mental Caddy HERE Mastering Your Golf Brain - A Guide to Self-Coaching Mastering Your Golf Brain - The Workbook Mental Golf Journal - A Range for Your Brain Are all available at KathyHartWood.com/book Email Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com Website: KathyHartWood.com

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