On the Mark Golf Podcast

Mike Booker is a lifelong competitive golfer, a University of Houston Golf Team Alumnus and member of the NCAA 1977 National Championship winning Golf team, a former PGA TOUR Professional, and an inductee in the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. He recently wrote a book, "The Tournament Golfer's Playbook" with a view to helping all golfers to be more successful tournament golfers and players.  Mike talks about his book and the central question that revolves around:"Are you a Tournament Golfer or just a Golfer who Plays Tournaments?" He dives into various important topics that pertain to being a Tournament Golfer: Excuse-Making Responsibility for Actions Process-oriented Mindsets Breathing for Calming the Body and Focussing the Mind Being Your Own Best Friend, Good Self-talk and Good Attitudes Dealing with Good and Bad Breaks He also shares lessons from Jackie Burke, Kenny Perry and Jack Nicklaus to help you understand and apply the concepts to becoming a competitive Tournament Golfer.  

Duncan McCarthy is a Mental and Performance Coach who works with golfers on the PGA TOUR and the DP World Tour. A former Touring Pro, McCarthy understands the ins and outs of competitive golf.  He parlays that experience, alongside his degree in Sports Psychology, to help golfers of all skill levels sharpen their mental games and channel their focus for better scores and performances. He joins #OntheMark to share five insights guaranteed to help you improve your mental game: He addresses: Goal Setting, Self-Awareness and Knowing Who You Are, Time Management on the Course, Self-Talk for Confidence, An Attitude of Gratitude and its effect on Performance, and Seeking the Positives in a Bad Situation. A sound mental game is as important a skill as any, and Duncan's candid, simple to understand and apply assessments/insights are sure to put you on the correct track to success. This podcast is available as a Vodcast on YouTube. Search youtube.com/@markimmelman

Jason Day is an Australian PGA TOUR Golf Professional. The winner of 12 PGA TOUR and 3 DP World Tour events, his current global win tally includes: 2 World Golf Championships, the 2016 PLAYERS Championship and the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Day is a former Official World Golf Ranking #1 and he joins Mark Immelman to share his story of going from a youngster growing up in Beaudesert, Australia to the top of the Global Professional game. Jason shares his journey from a beginner golfer, through his amateur golf days to the Mini Tours, and eventually the PGA TOUR. He shares candid assessments and lessons learned along the way, all the while talking about his game and how he brought out his personal best. Jason talks about professional victories, including the 2015 PGA Championship and he shares some disappointments and challenges that professional golfer face. He talks about managing stress, injury, burnout, and how he re-evaluated himself and ignited a passion to once again become the best golfer in the world.   He also takes a deep dive into recent golf-swing changes he has made to improve his game.  He shares insights, challenges, doubts and the theory of how he is approaching ball-flight and trajectory adjustments. He also talks about the value of the Short Game and how he loves to work on putting. He shares his keys to great putting and also talks about his routine, green-reading and visualization for success. This podcast is also available on YouTube so you can see Jason demonstrate his technique.

Terry Hashimoto is the is the founder of Jazz Golf (Canada), the co-developer of the BodiTrak Golf Pressure Sensor, and the inventor of the world's first inertial measuring unit for golf and other major golf products. A former PGA TOUR professional and one of the leading minds in golf instruction, specifically Pressure Mapping and Ground Reaction Forces, Terry is still a leader in the industry and at the forefront of product development for golf improvement. He joins us to talk about Pressure Mapping, Use of the Ground for Power and a Better Golf Swing, and How Golf can be used as a "Recovery Sport." Among the many topics he dives into, Terry specifically addresses: The Mechanics of Pressure Mapping, Foot Movement Patterns and Pressure Traces of leading golfers, Counter-balancing effects on the Golf Swing and Balance in Movement, How Swing Path tends to follow the Shift of Pressure in the Feet, The "Braking Effect" for added Clubhead Speed, and The Kinematic System and how good ball-strikers initiate the Backswing and Downswing. Learn about proper golf swing sequencing and how it happens. Improve your movement and your mechanics with Terry's easy to apply insights.  

Andres Gonzales is a PGA TOUR Player, a Korn Ferry Tour Winner, a former All-American at UNLV, and now an Analyst with PGA TOUR LIVE. Vastly experienced at every level of the game, Dre has wonderful insights on how to raise your game from one level to the next and he joins #OntheMark to share knowledge and tips. Andres relives his time in College, on the Mini Tours and the PGA TOUR and shares lessons that include: Advice on a "mind-set of expectancy," developing confidence and self-belief, and the importance of discipline and sacrifice for success. He also talks about "grabbing the moment," aligning yourself with champions, good attitudes and finishing off rounds, or in his words "finishing like a Rebel." Finally Andres talks about finding fairways and greens and the importance of Driving Accuracy and Greens in Regulation. You can also watch this podcast on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@MarkImmelman

Brandon Isbell is an Associate Pastor with Church of the Highlands. Based in Auburn, Alabama he leads and mentors numerous people and mentors and counsels many tournament and PGA TOUR golfers. "Pastor Izzy" joins #OntheMark to talk about mental and emotional challenges that life, and golf, present. As an overarching topic, Brandon addresses how Faith can become, and oftentimes is, the cornerstone of every challenging endeavour, and how it can help you navigate your way to success. In his discussion about Faith he delves into the following circumstances: The game of Golf and its inherently unpredictable nature and how unsurety and doubt are a very real part of the game. Preparing with no concrete guarantees for success. Finding trust in your preparation and approach. Building resilience and how to "keep going" when times get tough. How to lift your mood and countenance amidst challenges. Building a habit of finding the positive in every situation and challenge, and Contrasting Optimists, Pessimists and Realists. He also talks about the discipline of "Shifting Perspectives and Finding Joy" in life and in golf, and he shares skills and ways to do that for a happier, more purpose-driven life and life in golf.

Ryan Duey is a co-founder of the company "Plunge."  Alongside his business partner, Michael Garrett, Ryan crafts handmade tubs for cold plunging. Ryan has been on a personal journey of self-inquiry that has taken him all over the world in search of health and wellness therapies. He joins #OntheMark to share his journey and talk about "Plunge" and Cold Water Immersion therapy. Ryan illustrates the Overall Health Benefits of a cold plunge: Immune System Support, Increased Blood Flow, Chronic Pain Reduction, Metabolism Boosting, Sleep Improvement.  He lists the Mental Fitness Benefits: Energy Boosting, Mood Elevation, Discipline Enhancement and Practice, Increased Resilience, and Stress Reduction. Ryan also talks about Recovery Benefits, incl.: Inflammation Reduction, Muscle Soreness Reduction and Athletic Performance Boosting.   In his chat with Mark Immelman, Ryan explains how cold plunging also aids in Central Nervous System regulation, and how it enhances production and release of the neurotransmitter, Dopamine (the feel-good hormone.) Suffice it to say that cold water immersion therapy is beneficial of golfers of all skill levels. This podcast is also available as a vodcast on YouTube and it includes a promo code for a discount on your purchase of a Cold Plunge Tub.

Dr. Luke Benoit's recognition as a renowned coach is the result of his player’s achievements.  His players and students have won hundreds of professional, collegiate, and junior golf tournaments and their success has propelled Luke to become recognized as one of the industry's best.  Luke's encyclopedic knowledge of motor learning and biomechanics have also helped him become a "Coach of Coaches" and he joins #OntheMark to help you achieve your best. In the podcast Dr. Benoit discusses: Best Practices for Speed Training and Regimens, Attentional Focus - specifically Internal and External Focus Patterns, Attentional Capacity and Feedback, A Practice Map for Efficient Practice and Preparation,  Keys for Skill Practice and Technical Practice, and Transfer Training to take your Practice to the Course and Competition. Ramp up your practice and preparation. Download this podcast with Luke Benoit. (It is also available as a vodcast on YouTube.)

Justin Tang is an up-and-coming young golf instructor based in Singapore. Well-versed in the Golfing Machine approach to the golf swing, Justin has also studied Human Movement and Psychology and adopts a holistic approach to game improvement for golfers of all skill levels. Justin talks about his Performance Pentagon: (Understanding) Technique, Skill (Acquisition and Development), Fitness, and Emotional Management. He shares how he believes each golfer performs his/her best when they are competent in each element.  He also illustrates how "playing from a place of rest" with no worries or concerns for results, allows competitors to access their best under pressure. Justin also explains the nature of golf and, in his opinion how "Probabilistic Thinking" is paramount for tournament golfers' success. Justin also gives multiple action points that you can take away and apply to help you approach golf with a good mindset for consistently good performance: (a) Don't "Time-travel, (b) Objective over Subjective Thinking, (c) Analysis of Self-talk and Performance, (d) Freeing up the Subconscious Mind, and (e) Speeds and Tension Levels through Impact. Download and free up your mind for better golf.  This podcast is also available on YouTube.

Neal Valera is a Strength Coach and Fitness Trainer and the co-founder of StickMobility. StickMonility is a custom-designed training stick which acts as a tool to improve range of motion, muscle activation, coordination, and body awareness for a strong physical foundation and better movement. A former Division I golfer, Neal has an acute sense and knowledge of the physical requirements, and pitfalls, that golf presents.  He joins #OntheMark to highlight those elements and help you to develop a better, stronger, more flexible body - a body that can withstand the muscular challenges the golf-swing presents; a body that is better primed for more consistent and powerful golf-swings. He talks about various human muscle groups and how you can use StickMobility to target those to strengthen and improve them, loosen them up, and make them less injury-prone.  Amongst others he targets the Shoulders, Upper Back, Mid-back, Lats, Lower Back, Hips (Hip Flexors) and Hamstrings. Neal also shows how StickMobility can improve balance and swing speed in his explanation and demonstration, which can be viewed on Mark Immelman's YouTube channel. Improve yourself,