On the Mark Golf Podcast

Garth Milne is the co-founder of Wanna Be A Champion, a Golf Performance Academy in South Africa. He is a Golf Fitness Specialist and has been guiding and mentoring professional and amateur golfers for over 18 years. Garth (BSc - Honours in Human Kinetics) is certified with the National Academy (RSA) of Sports Medicine, the CHEK Institute and he is a TPI Certified Instructor. Milne is also involved with an organization called "Future Relevance LTD" founded by Mike Colley and David Melville, and he joins #OntheMark to introduce and explain the "Success Cube" inspired by Lego’s “Six Bricks."  Arranging and manipulating the Cube's bricks to assess performance in self-defined key focus areas empowers the user to engage in strategic thinking, planning, and problem-solving, fostering a culture of creativity and innovation.  While arranging the Cube, the active reflection on the actions necessary to achieve specific objectives, promotes heightened self-awareness and a better understanding of strengths and weaknesses. Consequently, the user can formulate and implement strategies more effectively to achieve his/her goals.  In short, building with DUPLO bricks that represent ideas, “Just Cube it!” engages the mind, body, and senses in an immersive activity.  In the podcast Garth explains, and Mark demonstrates each of the elements of the Success Cube - Attitude, Work Rate and Skill. They simulate a post-golf round debrief and how with the cube either students, or learners, or leaders or partners can stimulate non-confrontational analysis, assessment and critique of performance in an environment that promotes better learning and improvement. Attitude - Expectation Management and Self-Talk Work Rate - Engagement in Practice and Preparation Skills - Physical Skills and Complete Focus on Task Download, learn and see how the Success Cube can help you, or your family, or students transform their actions and behaviors into a "Growth Mindset. Future Relevance has offered a 50% discount on an annual membership which includes training modules on using the Success Cube to the first 20 people who use code GOLF2023. Go to futurerevelance.com, sign up for a membership and use the code. This podcast is also available as a vodcast on YouTube - Search Mark Immelman.

John Erickson is an American professional golfer who played, and won several events, on the Canadian Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia Tour. Erickson was an early protege, alongside Mac O'Grady and Bobby Clampett, of The Golfing Machine (book) by Homer Kelley. After John retired from professional competition he took to research and instruction and developed the Advanced Ball-Striking System which ostensibly teaches elements exhibited by the best ball-strikers in the history of the game. He joins #OntheMark to talk about things great ball-strikers do with a special reference to Ben Hogan. Specifically John dives into the following: Differences between Swingers and Hitters, Proper Acceleration as a Key to Great Striking, Creating Force (Mass x Acceleration) "Pushing" and "Pulling" at the same time in the swing, Wide vs Narrow Stance-widths, The Body Pivot and a Pivot-Driven Hit, His "4:30" line of Delivery, and Leverage of the Rotation of the Torso in the golfswing. Improve your knowledge and understanding of how to strike the golf ball consistently and powerfully. Download this podcast or watch it on Youtube. Search Mark Immelman.  

Kent Osborne (Canada) is an Executive Coach, a Mental Skills Coach and a Performance Coach with decades of experience in sport (notably the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings) and the business-world. Kent's current passion is golf and he written various ebooks including: "The Golfer Who Developed a Scratch Attitude: Unlock the Game-Changing Power of Positive Emotions" with the goal of helping golfers to enjoy the game and play it with a "playful attitude" in order to play better. Kent joins #OntheMark to discuss what incorporates a Scratch Attitude.  He talks about the relationship between Feelings and Thoughts and how it is impossible think positive if you feel negative.  He talks about Emotions and how they are rooted in Habitual Patterns and how Rituals are more productive than Routines. Kent describes how you can play golf with a "Playful" manner where you are: Physically relaxed, Mentally calm and Emotionally free. He delves into that attitude and speaks about: Emotional Intelligence and Control as the Foundation of Happiness and Success, the Benefits of Being Happy after a Good Shot, the Detriments of Dwelling on Mistakes, Journaling and its advantages, and the value of Gratitude. You can also subscribe and watch this podcast at https://www.youtube.com/@MarkImmelman

Brian Manzella is a perennial member of Golf Digest magazine's 50 Best Teachers in America List. He is also a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher in America. His 40-year+ teaching career includes a long tutelage under the late Ben Doyle, and a lengthy relationship with PGA Champion, and multiple PGA TOUR winner David Toms. Brian joins #OntheMark to illustrate the Alpha, Beta and Gamma Axes and how the golf-club performs in relation to them throughout the golfswing. His insights are a function of the 3D Golf-swing Research done by the Michael Jacobs team. Using the "Jacobs' 3D Airplane he describes and illustrates the 3 Dimensional Kinetics the club undergoes during the golfswing.  He shows how and when the club is 'pushed or pulled' and when it is torqued.  Very importantly he illustrates how research on over three thousand golf-swings has proved that a good ball-striker makes the sum of the 'Moments Alpha' or 'Rotaters' positive in the transition into the downswing.  Brian illustrates the importance of this move in order to allay misunderstandings about shallowing the club in the downswing.  He shows drills and PGA TOUR examples, like Rory McIlroy and Lee Trevino to galvanize his points and insights. He also explains how Sergio Garcia strikes the golf ball so well by describing how various hand-paths results in different Alpha, Beta and Gamma Forces and Torques. It may sound complicated but it is really easy to learn to 'tumble' and not 'flop' the shaft angle in the downswing to strike the ball more powerfully and crisply. Go to youtube.com/@markimmelman and subscribe to watch the lesson.

Dr. Robert K. Winters is an internationally renowned Sports Psychologist, Author, and Professional Speaker. He holds Bachelor (B.S) and Master’s (M.A.) degrees from Ball State University and earned his Ph.D. doctorate in Sport Psychology from the University of Virginia. Dr. Winters has spent the past 35 years investigating how one’s thoughts and attitudes affect one’s ability to perform to their optimal talent level. He has helped all types of athletes get into the winner’s circle and he joins #OntheMark to help you play great golf. Dr. Bob delves into "Possibility Thinking and Purposeful Doing" as elaborates on the following keys to consistently great play: 1. I play my game 2. Beat the course 3. Make clear purposeful plans on every shot 4. The 80% Rule (Only hit the shot you can) 5. Get to a green light 6. Play one at a time 7. Accept the shot Bob shares other tips and exercises that can help in achieving each of these 7 nuggets - tips he believes are the most important insights he has taught throughout his career. Download and learn or watch on YouTube.

David Woods has been a  PGA of America member since 1999. Prior to that he was a member in good standing of the Canadian PGA. David is the Director of Golf at The Vintage Club (Indian Wells CA) and is the former coach of 2003 Masters champion, Mike Weir. David joins #OntheMark to demonstrate his (in partnership with Sean Foley) new training aid, the ProSendr, which teaches the proper, and functional, wrist alignments in the golf swing. David believes the hands and wrists are the GPS of the golf-swing and understanding their important role and how they move to control clubface alignments and loft is paramount to good ball-striking. While he demonstrates the ProSendr he discusses important elements to quality golf shots such as: Clubface Alignment and Loft Control, Wrist Flexibility, Body Rotation and Wrist Relationships, the Timing of the Wrist-set in the Backswing, the Forces and Torques on the Wrists during the Swing, how the Clubface trails the Hand-path in the Downswing, and Wrist Alignments for Draws and Fades. He also illustrates how the ProSendr can be used for the Long Game, the Short Game and Putting improvement. This podcast is also available on YouTube. Search and subscribe to Mark Immelman.

Kristi Barker, MPT is a Canadian Physical Therapist who believes in  the importance of treating every individual as an athlete.  No matter your skill, mobility and/or strength she believes in instilling you with the tools to take charge of your own health, and she joins #OntheMark to guide you to your personal best.  Kristi shares five exercises (including a few bonus moves) that will help you improve your overall health, movement and by extension your golf swing: Single Leg Hip Marches / CARS (Controlled Articular Rotations) Half-Kneeling Rotations Divers to Chest Openers Standing Pelvic Tilts Back Extensions Kristi also adds and demonstrates a few Core strengthening moves like the Farmer's or Suitcase Carry, the Landmine Press, and Kneeling Med-Ball Slams and Rotations Get strong, get mobile, get healthy. Improve your body to improve your swing. Download and learn or watch it on YouTube at Mark Immelman's YouTube page.

Todd Kolb is a PGA Professional and has been teaching golf for over 25 years. He has been named the Minnesota PGA Teacher of the Year and has coached golfers of all skills levels from Major Championship winning players, to LPGA winners, to elite Collegiate and Amateur golfers, to club level players. Todd recently authored a book titled: The Bad Lie - Why Traditional Golf Instruction is Failing You (And What to Do)  He joins #OntheMark to discuss the book and share some excerpts and insights to help you to a better understanding of what is actually required to improve your game and your scores. Among various insights, Todd elaborates on "3 Things to Think Differently About" - The X-Factor, Flat Backswings with Deep Hands, and Distance vs Control. He also talks about 3 Skills to Transform Your Game - Strategic Aim, Lag Putting (with a practice drill), and Chipping and Pitching (with a drill.) As Todd says:  "You can hit a solid draw off the tee. You can hit a high, soft flop shot. You can break 80 and you can love this game into your retirement years. You just need instruction that was made for you." Download this podcast or watch it on https://www.youtube.com/@MarkImmelman

Jim Waldron is one of the great minds in golf instruction. Respected by all and sundry, his primary goal is to give students the insights and information that will enable them to breakthrough to extraordinary golf. His teaching method is a blend of biomechanics and mindfulness practice, covering both the "what to do" with your body and club, and the "how to do it" with your mental approach to learning, training and performing in golf. Jim joins #OntheMark to discuss his holistic approach to golf instruction and to teach you how to develop and accentuate the connection between your mind and body. He illustrates the Three Sensory Channels - the Sense of Vision, Hearing and Feeling - and how they communicate with the Brain and whether you are focussing on the External World or your private Psychological Space. He further teaches you, with exercises, how it is possible to direct your attention and your awareness on command, at any given moment, with any one of those sensory channels.  His approach is essentially the unification of Western Scientific Principles and Eastern Psychological Insights and is the starting point of Mindfulness. He also delves into the concept of "Meta Awareness" as a way of learning, and focussing attention at any moment, without any internal psychological reactions to what you are paying attention to. Meta Awareness will help you become less reactive in stressful environments like the golf course and/or tournament pressure. Jim illustrates his points with  examples such as Tiger Woods and Ben Hogan. Improve your focus, channel your awareness and develop your game and your skills more efficiently and completely. Download this podcast and view it on Mark Immelman's YouTube Channel.

Dr. Mike Grevlos is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Sioux Falls in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He currently focuses his teaching in the areas of motivation and emotion, sport and exercise psychology.  Dr. Grevlos serves as a consultant to mental coaches and to PING GOLF. He is also the author of The Motivation Game: A Course on the Psychology of Golf Improvement. Mike joins #OntheMark to discuss the concept of Practice, the Motivation to Practice and the Mindset Required to make it productive. He specifically delves into the following areas: Maintaining unified goals on course and in practice, Avoiding goal conflict, Self-awareness to be mentally attune to goal-setting, Viewing Trouble with a neutral mindset for success. He also describes the goals required to make practice productive. He elaborates on the concept of the "Need for Competence" as an intrinsic human desire and its effect on performance, the principle of "Optimal Challenge" and the Gold Standard of Practice. This podcast is also available as a vodcast on youtube. Subscribe to https://www.youtube.com/@MarkImmelman