Mind Caddie - Improve Your Mental Golf Game

Can you actually play better golf when you have less time to practice?
In this episode of The Mind Caddie, performance coach, psychologist, and former Stanford golf team player Don Christenson explains why the answer may be yes.
Don combines decades of academic psychology with elite golf experience to reveal why intention, attention, and trust are often more important than technical practice. Drawing on the principles of The Inner Game of Tennis and Tim Gallwey, he explores how golfers can access their best performances by learning to quiet the analytical mind and trust their natural ability.
In this episode:
Why golfers with less practice time can sometimes improve faster
The hidden power of practicing with intention
How to quiet the thinking mind on the golf course
Why over-analysis destroys performance
The psychology behind playing "in the zone"
How attention influences athletic performance
Why your intellect always wants to take control
Learning to trust a deeper level of intelligence
The challenge of keeping golf simple
Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation
Why rewards can sometimes reduce motivation
The indirect path to success in golf and life
The happiness delusion and the pursuit of achievement
Falling in love with improvement rather than outcomes
How elite performers learn to get out of their own way
This is a fascinating conversation for golfers, coaches, sports psychologists, and anyone interested in peak performance, mindset, focus, flow states, and human potential.
About Don Christenson
Don Christenson is a professor of psychology, Certified Mind Factor Coach, former Stanford University golfer, and one of the leading voices in applying Inner Game principles to golf performance and personal development.
Connect with Don Christenson
Don Christenson Coaching & Inner Game Resources
Learn More
The Mind Factor Coach Certification
The Mind Caddie Golf Podcast
Shop with code : MINDFACTOR10 at checkout for 10% OFF your next order at www.fenixxcell.com @fenixxcell
#GolfPsychology #MentalGame #GolfMindset #InnerGame #GolfPerformance #SportsPsychology #GolfCoaching #FlowState #PeakPerformance #GolfPodcast #MindCaddie #DonChristenson #StanfordGolf #MentalStrength #GolfImprovement

Could your golf grip size be the hidden factor affecting your consistency, accuracy, and club speed?
In this episode of The Mind Caddie, I sit down with John Mazzanoble, CEO of JumboMax Grips, to explore one of the most overlooked areas of golf performance: grip size.
Most golfers spend hours working on their swing mechanics, yet the grip is the only point of contact between you and the club. So why is grip fitting often ignored?
John explains the science behind grip size, grip weight, and non-tapered grips, and how these factors can influence shot dispersion, clubface control, swing tension, sequencing, and overall consistency.
We also discuss:
• Why Bryson DeChambeau chose JumboMax grips
• The relationship between grip size and shot dispersion
• Whether thicker grips really cause a slice (or if that's a myth)
• How grip weight affects club balance and feel
• The role of counterbalancing in modern golf equipment
• Why most sports use larger, uniform grips while golf remains different
• How grip size can affect club speed and tension levels
• The benefits of non-tapered golf grips
• The importance of proper grip fitting
• How the JumboMax app uses AI to help golfers find the right grip size
If you're searching for more consistency, better ball striking, and improved golf performance, this conversation may challenge everything you thought you knew about golf grips.
Get 10% off JumboMax Grips with the code MINDCADDIE.
Visit JumboMax: https://jumbomax.com
To become a Certified Mind Factor Coach:
www.themindfactor.com
Join the Mind Caddie community:
www.mindcaddie.golf
Shop with code : MINDFACTOR10 at checkout for 10% OFF your next order at www.fenixxcell.com @fenixxcell

What if the biggest breakthrough in your golf game had nothing to do with your swing?
In this fascinating conversation, former PGA Tour winner Richard Zokol shares the mindset shifts that helped him compete at the highest level — and why reducing emotional attachment to outcome could completely change your relationship with golf.
Richard, author of Zokology – Change Your Perspective, Not Your Swing, opens up about tour life, mental performance, process thinking and learning to quiet a noisy mind. Nicknamed "Disco Dick" for listening to music on a Sony Walkman between shots, Richard developed unconventional ways to stay calm, creative and competitive under pressure.
We explore:
• Why process matters more than results
• How emotional detachment can improve performance
• The difference between logical and spatial thinking in golf
• Why understanding your personality type matters
• Using music to quiet mental noise on the course
• The lost art of wedge play
• How to score your mental game
• Why technical coaching doesn't work the same for everyone
• Stories from the PGA Tour and Brigham Young University alongside Bobby Clampett
• Lessons passed down from his father and a lifetime in the game
Richard recorded 20 Top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, including two victories, but this episode goes far deeper than tournament golf. It's a masterclass in mindset, perspective and learning to enjoy the game more.
A brilliant conversation with one of golf's deepest thinkers.
To become a Certified Mind Factor coach visit:
www.themindfactor.com
To follow the Mind Caddie journey visit:
www.mindcaddie.golf
Shop with code : MINDFACTOR10 at checkout for 10% OFF your next order at www.fenixxcell.com @fenixxcell

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:659067d6-2c7d-481d-8dc0-76daa2ce99f2-1" data-turn-id-container= "request-WEB:659067d6-2c7d-481d-8dc0-76daa2ce99f2-1" data-testid= "conversation-turn-4" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn= "assistant"> Today on the Mind Caddie, I'm joined by the hosts of the hugely popular golf podcast How Low Can You Go? — David Alexander and Chris Donaldson.
I first met David and Chris at the Mind Caddie seminar at Murrayfield Golf Club, hosted by Jonnie Cliff, and it was immediately clear these two golfers were on a journey.
Like so many club golfers, they simply wanted to answer one question:
How good can I actually become?
That commitment to improvement, curiosity, and honest self-reflection became the foundation of their now fast-growing podcast How Low Can You Go?
They previously invited me onto their show, so it was great to return the favour and dive deeper into the realities of golf improvement, performance psychology, expectations, and resilience.
This episode will resonate with every golfer trying to lower their handicap, manage frustration on the course, and enjoy the process of getting better.
In this conversation we discuss:
Why the real prize in golf is often the journey, not the score
Managing expectations and avoiding the comparison trap
Why you must learn to trust and research your own experience
Golf as a powerful tool for character building and personal growth
The "1-2-3 System" for handling poor shots and difficult outcomes
How Dave rebuilt his confidence after hitting rock bottom
The emotional ups and downs every amateur golfer experiences
Mindset strategies for club golfers wanting long-term improvement
This is a warm, honest, funny and insightful discussion with two passionate golfers whose story many of you will instantly relate to.
If you enjoy conversations around golf psychology, golf improvement, mental performance, and the realities of amateur golf, this episode is for you.
To find out more about How Low Can You Go? visit: How Low Can You Go? Podcast
To become a Certified Mind Factor Coach visit: The Mind Factor
To follow the Mind Caddie journey visit: Mind Caddie Golf

On this episode of the Mind Caddie, I speak with internationally renowned pianist, professor and co-creator of the Audio Golf System, Chia Chou.
At just 17 years old, Chia faced the challenge of competing with elite pianists despite limited natural talent and formal training. Within four years, he developed a revolutionary approach to learning and performance that helped him win a major international piano competition by the age of 21 and later become a professor at a prestigious Austrian music university.
Now, Chia is applying those same principles to golf performance through rhythm, tempo and sound.
In this fascinating conversation, we explore:
How rhythm and tempo influence the golf swing
Why your brain may perform better with an "unrelated focus"
The connection between music, movement and athletic performance
The science of sonification in golf training
What your mind should actually focus on during the swing
Why golfers often perform better when they stop consciously trying to control movement
How sound and audio cues can help stabilise tempo and improve strike quality
I've always been fascinated by what occupies the mind during the 1.4 seconds of a golf swing. This episode explores whether focusing on an audio phrase rather than technical mechanics could unlock more natural, instinctive performance.
Try It Yourself
Experience the Audio Golf Tempo Training with two free tests and a discounted training session:
Audio Golf Tempo Training
More Links
Become a certified Mind Factor coach at:
The Mind Factor
Join the Mind Caddie journey at:
Mind Caddie Golf
Shop with code : MINDFACTOR10 at checkout for 10% OFF your next order at www.fenixxcell.com @fenixxcell
#GolfPodcast #GolfMentalGame #GolfPsychology #GolfTips #TempoTraining #GolfSwing #SportsPsychology #Mindset #GolfPerformance #ChiaChou