The Mental Golf Show

I had the pleasure of hosting Alex Fortey on the podcast. Alex is a content creator with over 300,000 subscribers on YouTube (The Art of Simple Golf). He's a pro golfer with some very strong opinions on the golf industry and golf instruction, and has some very honest takes on how to make golf simpler.

Some of the topics we cover:

The Complexity of Golf Instruction

Understanding the Disconnect in Golf Performance

The Importance of Setup in Golf

Simplifying Golf: The Art of Simple Golf

The Psychological Aspects of Golf

Overcoming Fear and Embracing Authenticity

The Journey of Improvement in Golf

The Pursuit of Perfection in Golf

The Role of Expectations in Performance

Finding Joy in the Game of Golf

The Impact of External Perceptions

The Power of a Simple Checklist

Reducing Variables for Better Performance

The Balance of Enjoyment and Competition

Future Goals and the Fear of Failure

Alex Fortey's YouTube channel: The Art of Simple Golf

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Mentioned in the episode:

⛳️ PutterCup: Get 15% off your PutterCup order by going to puttercupgolf.com/mentalgolfshow and signing up for the PutterCup newsletter.

🎯 Shot Pattern - The Golf GPS App Designed to Help You Play Smarter Golf - Start a free trial and get 20% off by using the discount code 'MENTALGOLFSHOW' or click this link to go straight there

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

📊 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 [email protected] or visit joshnicholsgolf.com for sessions.

🏌️‍♂️ Divot Board: Get 10% off at divotboard.com/mentalgolfshow using code 'MentalGolf10'.

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

Is chasing consistency actually hurting your golf game?

In this episode, I’m joined by Brendon Post — a longtime competitive player, coach, and caddie with decades of experience at the college and professional levels. Brendon brings a rare perspective from living on both sides of the rope: competing under pressure and watching the game with total clarity as a coach and caddie.

Topics covered:

Why your ability doesn’t disappear under pressure — your ability to access it does

How “tournament mode” creates mental clutter and breaks down trust

Why easy shots often produce more fear than hard ones

The danger of chasing repeatability and “perfect” ball striking

How acceptance has to be credible to actually work

Why messy golf can still produce low scores

The caddie/coach perspective vs. the player perspective

Swing thoughts vs. feels (and why it’s completely individual)

Course management as a true separator at higher levels

What to prioritize when time is limited: body, mind, and putting — not panic practice

This one genuinely changed how I think about practice and performance under pressure.

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

🎯 Shot Pattern - The Golf GPS App Designed to Help You Play Smarter Golf - Start a free trial and get 20% off by using the discount code 'MENTALGOLFSHOW' or click this link to go straight there

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

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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 [email protected] 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.

I had the honor of hosting Steven Yellin on the podcast. Steven is an author of the book Simplicity. He holds some very strong positions on how good golf must be played. But he claims they aren't his ideas, they are just the way the brain and the body work. I truly can't spell it all out here, you'll have to listen to know what I'm talking about. 

If you like this podcast in general, you're going to love this conversation with Steven Yellin.

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Steven Yellin's links:

Website: stevenyellin.com

Book: Simplicity: The Fluid Motion Factor Golf Program

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

🎯 Shot Pattern - The Golf GPS App Designed to Help You Play Smarter Golf - Start a free trial and get 20% off by using the discount code 'MENTALGOLFSHOW' or click this link to go straight there

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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 [email protected] 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.

🎓 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 still play 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 [email protected] 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.

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 [email protected] 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.