405: Dr. Izzy Justice - How to Easily Train Your Brain for Better Golf

8 snips

Jun 19, 2025

Dr. Izzy Justice, a sports neuroscientist and seasoned athlete, shares groundbreaking insights to elevate your golf game. He explains why heads-up putting is counterproductive and emphasizes early target selection for a relaxed mind. Justice advocates for digital detoxing and highlights how bedtime highlight videos can enhance your swing. He also delves into the importance of mental clarity and sensory input, providing practical strategies to combat negative thoughts and improve focus under pressure. Get ready to transform your mental approach to golf!

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INSIGHT

Brain Overstimulation Limits Focus

Our brains are overstimulated by constant device use, limiting focus to about 3-5 seconds.
This overstimulation disrupts neuromuscular activity crucial for golf performance, causing distractions every few seconds.

ADVICE

Simplify Language to Manage Thoughts

Use a simplified color-based language (red, yellow, green) to label your mental state without judgment.
Replace negative or technical thoughts with clear, target-focused intentions during your golf routine.

INSIGHT

Pick Targets Early for Reinforcement

Early target selection allows your brain to reinforce the target with multiple 'coats of paint,' improving recall.
Picking targets too late reduces this reinforcement, increasing the chance you'll lose the target before the shot.

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>>Join Think Like a Champion to master your mental game (price increases on 7/1).

>>Read Your Brain Swings Every Club

Today I’m excited to welcome back Dr. Izzy Justice—a sports neuroscientist, author of 8 books including his latest, Your Brain Swings Every Club. His first time on in 2023 was a game changer as he helped you understand the concepts in GYRA Golf (one of my favorite mental golf books ever).

Dr. Justice has spent over 30 years studying emotional intelligence (EQ) in sports and has trained more than 300 coaches across golf, football, basketball, and endurance sports. He’s also a serious athlete himself, having completed over 40 triathlons, including 8 Half Ironmans and 5 full Ironmans.

When you listen to this episode, you will learn:

Why heads up putting is a bad idea.
How to pick targets from tee to green.
Why you need to digital detox to let your brain relax.
The importance of picking targets early in your routine.
The practice keys to get your range game to the golf course.
How the process of picking targets actually relaxes your brain.
How highlight videos before bed can help you improve your swing.

And so much more.

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