Golf

Are you watching the Olympics?

You don’t have to watch too many events before you hear a commentator talk about an athlete’s “strong mental game.” 

Olympians train their bodies. 

That’s obvious.

What’s less obvious but equally true is that they also train their minds.

So, how does one develop such an elite mindset?

The same way they train their bodies.

With drills.

No one who is at the top of their field ever thought, “I just don’t have what it takes.”

That is a fixed mindset.

An Elite Mindset says:

“I am not lacking ability, I just have to train more.”

“I didn’t lose. I learned.”

“I can train to build myself up to where I want to be.”

So, if you’re interested in building your own Elite Mindset, then you’re in the right place. Training the mental game is what I do.

Here is how you get to where you want to be:

In episode #6, How Golf Coaches Can Win The Fall Season, Cain and Carp share ideas on how coaches can maximize the most important fall in the history of college golf coming out of a global pandemic.

In this podcast we breakdown:
How To Approach The Biggest Tournament Of The Year
The Importance of Clarifying & Implementing A Culture
A 3-Step Formula To Reflect Upon Each Round
What Kobe Says About Losing – The Process & Reflection
Our NEW Group Coaching Program Covering the 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery for Golf

In episode #5 Cain and Carp are joined by Scott Fawcett of Decade Golf, the greatest course management system in golf. Scott has worked with Will Zalatoris who finished second in the 2021 Masters, Bryson DeChambeau and an army of other PGA superstars.

Mental toughness is simply a skill set that can be taught, developed, and continuously improved just like the physical part of your game in golf. Mental performance is strength and conditioning for the six inches between your ears that control the six feet below them. Having a mental performance system is essential to playing your best when it means the most, one shot at a time. mental performance will give you a skill set to be successful in golf and, more importantly, successful in life. So, how do you condition your mind for success. The same way you condition your body for success! With drills. In my latest article, I show you the three of the best mental performance drills you can practice:

In episode #4 Cain and Carp discuss the mindset of playing your best when it means the most.  Coach Carp shares specific drills he does with his golfers to help them learn to handle the pressure of playing championship golf and attacking the course and going low.  We also break down how to develop the mindset you need to compete on the biggest stage in golf or the biggest stage in your life.

His primary focus is on golf mental performance curriculum development, execution and golf client services.Carpenter comes to BCPP after a historic 2020-2021 season as Head Men’s Golf Coach at the University of Denver. His team captured the 2021 Summit League Conference Championship with 3 players finishing in the top 5 of the tournament.   His program went on to the NCAA Regionals where they went wire-to-wire with nationally ranked Florida the final day, ultimately finishing 6th in the NCAA Cle Elum Regional, the program’s best regional finish ever.

In episode 3,  Cain and Carp discuss the mindset of playing to avoid double bogey vs. going for birdie and the difference that this mindset shift can make in your scoring. They also discuss how making committed swings to conservative targets can completely lower your handicap and help you to GO LOW.

In April I had the opportunity to caddy for a golfer on the Korn Ferry Tour. It was challenging and at times uncomfortable for me. But, that’s a big reason why I LOVED it. You see, I’ve been a mental performance coach for high school, collegiate and professional level athletes of all sports for over twenty years. And the number one thing I have learned is that it’s easier to understand the athletes I work with when I walk in their shoes to the greatest extent that I’m able. This means walking next to them, hearing, seeing, and feeling it all. The distracting noises, the tense silences, the sometimes debilitating self-talk.

There is a long list of outcomes that athletes fear. Fear of losing. Fear of getting cut. But we know that fearing outcomes will not help your athletes perform well today. As a coach, it’s your job to teach your athletes how to manage their fear. It starts with them knowing that fear grows out of feelings of what might happen in the future. Rule #1 about Fear: Fear feeds on feelings. If left unchecked, fear can kidnap the athlete’s mind and body. But you can coach the fear out of your athletes and teach them how to regulate their emotions.

Why what you don’t know about Mental Performance Mastery (MPM) is holding you back from your true potential (and what to DO about it) “Elite performance in any arena is 90% mental, yet most competitors work on the mental game less than 10% of the time in their training. Mental Performance Mastery (MPM) training is… Read More

When you’re first learning golf, the physical skills like foot placement, swing management, and course management are important to learn. But once you start competing at higher levels, everyone already knows all the physical stuff well. Which means that you are probably not physically or mechanically better than the person standing next to you. Talent… Read More

In episode #2 of The Golf Mental Performance Mastery (MPM) Podcast Brian Cain, creator of the MPM Coaches Certification and Trake “Carp” Carpenter, Head Men’s Golf Coach at The University of Denver breakdown all things related to golf mental performance, golf instruction and getting the most out of your potential both on and off the course.  Cain and Carp discuss the difference physically and mentally in playing golf vs playing golf swing and why most golfers fall into the “golf swing” trap when they struggle and how you can stay in the “playing golf” mindset.