Above Par

If you are a serious golfer who feels like you underperform on the course, Above Par is for you. It is frustrating to know you have more talent than you take to the course. And your host, Kathy Hart Wood, gets it. She combines her experience as a former tour player and Top 50 Teacher with her knowledge and insight as a Certified Life Coach to help you unleash all your talent. She shows you how to think Above Par so you can play below par.

Inside the Masters: Quotes and Concepts to Use in Your Game

Hey there, golf aficionados! 🏌️‍♂️ The week of The Masters always serves up some juicy quotes, and boy, did we hit the jackpot this time! In this electrifying episode, Kathy handpicks some gems from the likes of Max Homa, Scottie Scheffler, and Tyrell Hatton, showing how their insights sync perfectly with the mental game we love to chat about.Get ready to unlock the secrets of mental pivoting, self-belief, and dealing with those pesky negative thoughts as Kathy dishes out practical tips inspired by these pros.But hey, it's not all sunshine and birdies! Ever found yourself swearing at a particular hole? Tyrell Hatton knows the feeling all too well, and we're diving deep into his battle with the notorious hole 15, revealing how one simple tool could've turned his game around.The big takeaway? Even tour pros wrestle with negativity, but they're crushing it by mastering the mental game and keeping their self-worth separate from their scorecard. So buckle up, because we're about to level up your mental game and unleash your inner golfing champ! ⛳ Let's do this! If you want to learn more about Kathy and get more mental golf tips, go to KathyHartWood.com/join

04-17
13:36

How to Know When You Played Too Much Golf

In this episode of Above Par, Kathy delves into the often-asked question among golf enthusiasts: 'How much golf is too much?' Starting with an anecdote from a member of The Above Par Academy, who feels she's playing too much due to back pain, the discussion broadens to physical discomfort as a clear indicator of overdoing the sport. Kathy explores various perspectives on the concept of 'too much golf,' highlighting that it's subjective and varies from one individual to another. The conversation also covers other signs of playing excessively, such as mental exhaustion, loss of interest, and the toll of continuous competitive play. Emphasis is placed on the mental challenges of golf, including managing emotions and maintaining focus, which can lead to mental fatigue. Kathy suggests ways to avoid burnout, such as listening to one's body, taking breaks, and seeking professional help for physical pain. If you want to create better results with your golf, level up your mental game and explore what is really holding you back on the course, get coached live in The Above Par Academy. 

04-10
12:31

Navigating Golf After Illness, Injury, or Loss:

This episode is all about overcoming the challenges life throws your way, especially when they mess with your golf game. Ever noticed how tough it is to hit the green when your head's not in the game due to illness, injury, or maybe loss or heartbreak? Kathy dives into this connection between our mental and physical game, sharing personal anecdotes and client stories that hit right at home. You'll get solid advice on how to cut yourself some slack and adjust your expectations, so you don't end up being your own worst critic after a bad round. Basically, it's a heart-to-heart on giving yourself the time and space to heal, finding your feet again on the golf course, and why joining forces with the 'Above Par Academy' might just be the game-changer you need. If you are recovering from an illness, surgery, or grief, and your game is feeling off lately, this one’s for you.Join the Above Par Academy here00:00 Welcome to Above Par: Sharing the Journey00:36 The Power of Sharing: Helping Others on the Golf Course01:43 The Mind-Body Connection in Golf: Navigating Challenges03:31 Embracing the Unexpected: The Sick Golfer Phenomenon05:41 Strategies for Overcoming Adversity on the Golf Course10:33 Join the Above Par Academy: A Call to Action

04-03
10:49

How the Word "Only" Negatively Impacts Your Golf

In this podcast episode, we explore the detrimental impact of the word 'only' within the realms of golf and daily life, shedding light on how it signifies inadequacy and fosters self-criticism.Insights are shared from the Think Above Par Academy, where members delve into strategies for managing their mental and emotional states to enhance their performance on the golf course. A case study is presented, illustrating the emotional distress experienced by a golfer who felt disappointed by their perceived 'only' contribution during a team event. The episode advocates for mindfulness in language usage, proposing that eliminating 'only' from our vocabulary can cultivate a more positive mindset and elevate performance in various aspects of life, including golf.Join the Think Above Par here: AbovePar.club

03-27
09:28

The Art of Emotional Control in Golf

In this episode, Kathy delves deep into the pivotal role of mastering your mental state in the game of golf. Listeners are urged to purposefully cultivate useful emotions, a key factor in performing to your potential.  She unpacks potent strategies for priming emotional intentions prior to teeing off, exploring how various emotions can sway gameplay outcomes. Moreover, she offers pragmatic guidance on sustaining a desired emotional equilibrium both on the course and in everyday life. Tune in and transform your game by harnessing the power of intentional emotional management!Get coached by Kathy in the Think Above Par Academy here Contact Kathy at Kathy@KathyHartWood.com

03-20
12:37

Short-Term Memory in Golf: The Goldfish Approach

 Ever heard of being a 'goldfish' in golf? It's not just about the short game – it's about having a memory as fleeting as a fish's! Kathy delves deep into this concept, revealing how a short memory for unfavorable shots or rounds can skyrocket your performance to new heights. Clinging to those negative golf memories? It's time to toss them aside. Kathy explains how these memories can be the anchor weighing down your game, shattering confidence and belief in your own abilities. But fear not, dear listener, for there's a solution! Through captivating scenarios, this podcast paints a vivid picture of the transformative power of letting go. By releasing the grip of bad shots and banishing negative narratives, you'll unlock the true potential of your game. So, how do you keep that positivity flowing, even when the greens get rough? Kathy offers advice: be a goldfish! And if you are eager for more game-changing mental tips and personalized coaching, look no further than the exclusive Think Above Par Academy. Tune in now and start thinking above par to play below your par! Get Coached in the Think Above Par Academy here

03-13
11:21

4 Ways to Create More Certainty on the Golf Course

Calm, Certain and Confident or the 3 C’s are preferred emotions that enable you to swing freely and think clearly on the golf course. But what exactly does it mean to create or feel certain? In this episode, I differentiate between certainty and confidence. It starts with defining what you CAN”T be certain about. Once you surrender to that, you can then focus on what you can be certain about. I share with you 4 different areas to create more certainty including club selection, an expectation exercise, steps of a pre-shot routine and mental prep before a round. Creating certainty helps the brain feel safe and lowers anxiety which allows you to swing freely and think clearly.It doesn’t matter how well you are hitting the ball you can always find and build some certainty during the round.Join me AbovePar.clubKathyHartWood.comUnleashYourGolf.com

03-06
14:26

The Power of Self-Coaching in Golf

If you ever feel ike you are at the affect of the game of golf, you want to listen to this episode.  Kathy discusses the importance of learning how to self-coach.  Self-coaching is not about correcting your swing but managing the mind on the golf course and dealing with thoughts and emotions in different situations. The key to self-coaching is self-awareness, noticing and understanding your thoughts, feelings, and actions on and off the golf course. Kathy shares that being able to self-coach can lead to more control over the results you create in your day-to-day life and on the golf course. You will discover the 5 main areas to start building your self-awareness so that you can learn to effectively and quickly self-coach your way around the golf course. You can learn the exact steps of how to self-coach here: Above Par Academy

02-28
12:09

Discovering Your Golf Self

Do you want to make some significant strides in your mental golf this year? It starts with a little self-discovery and honesty.In this podcast episode, Kathy discusses the importance of self-discovery in improving golf skills and performance. She delves into how one can better understand themselves on a deeper level through journaling and how this can contribute to personal growth and self-improvement. She expounds on the approach of writing down thoughts as a tool to build better mental preparation and help manage emotions. She also reveals how setting intentions can be effective in reaching goals and improving performance. Kathy introduces the idea of self-coaching in golf and the effectiveness of asking layered questions to oneself. Lastly, they encourage the audience to perform this mind exercise regularly to arrive at solutions quicker and perform better on the golf course.Join the Think Above Par Academy

02-21
13:16

6 Ways to Build Your Mental Golf Skills in the Off Season

Do not wait to work on your mental skills when the season kick off, or before your first tournament. You do not have to have a club in your hand to work on mental skills that will benefit your golf game. There are 6 different mental skills to practice in the off season which include: spotting negative thinking, pivoting from negative emotions, refraining from arguing with reality, setting daily intentions, practicing decision-making, and enhancing mindfulness. Don’t wait…listen to this episode to hear examples of where to get started today building your mental skills so you are ready to go when the season starts. 00:38 Improving Your Mental Game in Golf01:06 Listener Shoutout01:33 Six Ways to Build Mental Skills in Golf03:29 Spotting and Reducing Negativity04:52 Pivoting Away from Negative Emotions06:16 Avoiding Arguments with Reality07:18 Setting Intentions08:52 Practicing Decision Making10:07 Practicing Mindfulness12:03 Conclusion and Invitation to Join Email List join the Above Par community KathyHartWood.com/join

02-07
12:50

How to Trust Your Swing

Do you just wish you could trust your swing? Trust your green reading? Trust your club selections?Sometimes you can get annoyed with yourself after a poor swing and snap, "just trust it!"If this sounds familiar, this episode is for you.Kathy talks about what you CAN trust in golf and your swing.She shares how you break trust and how you build trust.It starts off the course.  You build it in your every day life. And then you apply it to your golf.Connect with Kathy at KathyHartWood.comJoin her community at KathyHartWood.com/join

01-31
11:59

Golf Success Leaves Clues

In this episode, Kathy discusses the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people in order to improve your golf game. She emphasizes focusing on the mental part of the game, playing golf with people who have a positive impact, and the negative effects of surrounding oneself with negative individuals. Kathy further elaborates the importance of playing golf with better and confident players to learn and grow. She also stresses on practicing with focused individuals with good habits and skills. Moreover, she advises minimizing the amount of time spent with individuals who have a negative impact on one's golf game.Get on the insider list at KathyHartWood.com/join00:00 Introduction and Importance of Mental Game00:21 Choosing the Right Golfing Companions00:52 The Impact of Negativity on Your Game01:43 Playing with Better Golfers: A Personal Experience02:44 The Benefits of Playing with Better Players03:09 Overcoming Self-Doubt and Embracing Challenges05:11 Playing with Confident Golfers06:27 Learning from Good Practice Habits07:55 Avoiding Negative Influences09:51 Conclusion: Integrating Positive Influences into Your Game10:14 Closing Remarks and Invitation to Join Email List

01-24
10:56

7 Traits For Building a Strong Mental Golf Game

In this podcast episode, Kathy explores the importance of mental strength when it comes to golf and even life in general. She discusses seven essential traits to build a strong mental game: awareness, vulnerability, consistency, dedication, resilience, grace and having support from a coach or a community. These traits can notably influence how well you perform on the golf course and how you manage real-life challenges. Kathy also encourages listeners to ponder which of these traits they might be lacking in and where they may need support in order to improve further.If you looking to improve your mental game and take your golf game to the next level, make sure you listen to this episode.00:29 Introduction and Welcome00:48 The Importance of Mental Strength in Golf02:44 The Challenges of Building Mental Strength03:05 Seven Traits for a Strong Mental Game07:58 The Role of a Coach or Community in Building Mental Strength09:39 Conclusion and Invitation to Join the CommunityGet updates on programs with Kathy at KathyHartWood.com/joinJoin the Think Above Par Academy at Abovepar.club

01-17
10:16

How to Master Your Golf Brain in 2024 with Michael Leonard and Wicked Smart Golf

This is an interview of Kathy as a guest of the Wicked Smart Golf Podcast with Michael Leonard. In this episode ,she emphasizes the importance of managing your brain to improve performance. She also explains how to shift from negative self-talk to a positive mindset, how to practice mind management, and why one should believe in themselves before seeing results. She suggests that off-season golfers should focus on managing their mind, developing awareness of their self-dialogue, and minimizing negative thoughts.You don’t want to miss this episode as there is such a great variety of valuable content that you are assured to relate to.00:00 Introduction and Guest Background00:41 Guest's Journey into Golf04:34 Transition from Player to Coach05:29 Challenges in Teaching Golf08:49 Incorporating Mental Aspects into Coaching13:22 Applying Life Skills to Golf18:27 Managing Emotions on the Golf Course21:29 Understanding Frustration and Anger in Golf23:06 Dealing with Frustration on the Golf Course23:44 Processing Emotions and Managing Stress24:25 Expectation Management in Golf25:00 Reality of Professional Golf vs. Perception25:28 The Importance of Asking Powerful Questions26:43 Managing Expectations and Performance28:17 The Impact of Attitude on Performance29:26 The Role of Confidence in Golf29:33 The Challenges of Tournament Golf31:56 Dealing with Pressure and Opinions of Others44:46 Improving Your Mental Game in the Off-Season47:10 Final Thoughts and RecommendationsMake sure to check out Wicked Smart Golf on one of the links below: SpotifyYouTube Apple PodcastsConnect with Kathy at KathyHartWood.com

01-10
49:13

The Impact of Golf on Your Life and Life on Your Golf

In this episode, Kathy encourages you to kickstart the new year by exploring how golf and life are inextricably intertwined and how they affect each other. By exploring how time, money, relationships, and emotions invested in golf affect other areas of life, and vice versa, listeners can gain insights on the balance they currently have. Kathy lays emphasis on the need to manage thoughts and emotions intentionally and also highlights how our personality traits show up in our golf game and in our everyday life. Get on the list to know when doors to the Academy open at KathyHartWood.com/join00:28 Introduction and New Year Wishes00:47 The Connection Between Golf and Life01:20 The Impact of Golf on Your Life02:37 How Golf Affects Your Relationships and Social Life02:57 The Positive and Negative Impacts of Golf04:02 Personality Traits That Affect Your Golf Game05:15 The Role of Perfectionism in Golf06:00 The Impact of Life Events on Your Golf Game08:46 The Importance of Self-Talk in Golf09:53 The Role of Golf in Your Life11:22 Conclusion and Invitation to Join the AcademyKathyHartWood.com

01-03
11:47

Revolutionizing Green Reading: The Slopegraide App and Jeff Mocini

Jeff Mocini discusses an iPhone/iPad app called Slope Graide for putting. Slope Grade trains users on all aspects of putting, including start line, speed on different grade speeds to green reading, and visualization of break .The app dynamically creates topographic models of greens aided by the LiDAR scanner in Pro and Pro Max devices, enabling a better understanding of the slope and roll. To tackle time constraints during practice rounds, the app has a course mode featuring green models from over 100 courses. Full access to the app is via a free account creation and offers a 'smartphone marker' for measuring slopes for those lacking iPhone Pro models. Lastly, Slope Grade aids with speed control through rollmaps, providing color-coded charts for determining the correct speed for different slopes.Listen in as Jeff explains all the features.00:47 Introduction to Slope Grade App01:50 The Inspiration Behind the App02:34 How the App Works03:38 Overcoming Practice Round Limitations with Course Mode05:22 Expanding the Course Database07:19 Visualizing Success with the App08:38 How to Access the App09:45 Additional Tools for Non-iPhone Users10:57 Speed Control Feature: Rollmaps11:46 Measuring Green Speed12:26 Where to Find More Information13:53 Closing ThoughtsJeff's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffmociniSlopegraide Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slopegraideApp Store Download Link: apps.apple.com/us/app/slopegraide/id1494699416Main Website: https://www.slopegraide.comRoll Maps: https://www.slopegraide.com/pages/rollmapsSlopegraide Smart Ball Marker: https://www.slopegraide.com/pages/slopegraideExclusive Promo Code for 30 days: APC2024Support email address: info@slopegraide.comKathyHartWood.com

12-21
14:44

The 6 Biggest Mental Shifts That Transformed My Golf and Life

In this episode of 'Above Par,' Kathy shares six mental shifts that improved her golf game and overall life: recognizing thoughts are optional, understanding that thoughts create emotions, realizing feeling emotions isn't a sign of weakness, comprehending discomfort leads to growth, believing in something before seeing it, and treating confidence as a skill that can be developed. These realizations proved pivotal, teaching her to take control of her mental state both on and off the golf course. She encourages listeners to pick at least one of these shifts to experiment with in order to experience positive changes in their lives and their game.00:01 Introduction and Welcome00:24 The Importance of Mental Shifts in Golf01:46 First Mental Shift: Control Over Thoughts03:21 Second Mental Shift: Emotions are Created by Thoughts05:07 Third Mental Shift: Emotions are Not a Sign of Weakness07:23 Fourth Mental Shift: Embracing Discomfort08:50 Fifth Mental Shift: Believing Before Seeing10:30 Sixth Mental Shift: Confidence is Learned and Practiced11:46 Summary and ConclusionStay connected with Kathy at KathyHartWood.com/join

12-13
13:33

Stacey Leigh

Love this! They way negative self talk hurts your game really resonates with me and as I've controlled this, I've seen a big improvement in my game and my enjoyment of the game. in regard to feeling our emotions, I've found Nelly Corda's use of the whoop app interesting. You'd have no idea that she was feeling anxiety until you see her pulse!! Jon Rahm alluded to this lack of change on his face when he thought his ball was OB. Nelly's pulse though!! lol! Mine must get up to 200 🤣🤣

06-27 Reply

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