Mind Caddie - Improve Your Mental Golf Game

In today's unpredictable and high-pressure world, mental resilience is no longer optional — it's a vital life skill. In sport, especially golf, resilience is what separates good players from great ones. Bad shots, missed putts, poor rounds and stalled progress are inevitable. The difference is how you respond. On this episode of The Mind Caddie, we're joined by Matt Caldaroni, a performance coach specialising in mental resilience, mindset, and elite performance. Matt's journey into resilience began early. At just twelve years old, a coach tried to end his dream of becoming a professional football goalkeeper, telling him the sport "wasn't for him." Instead of quitting, Matt took control. From that moment, Molliteum was born — a mindset built on ownership, grit, and mental strength. By weaponising adversity, Matt earned a football scholarship at seventeen and turned professional in Italy by nineteen. It was there he discovered a powerful truth: resilience isn't visible — but it can save careers, performances, and lives. Whether it's sport, work, or everyday life, setbacks are unavoidable: We miss the shot We don't make the birdie We finish down the leaderboard Progress stalls Resilience isn't about avoiding failure — it's about how you deal with it. In this episode, Matt breaks down how to train resilience like a muscle and apply it on and off the course. In this episode, we cover: The four cornerstones of mental resilience How to build a strong resilient identity Practical steps to developing mental toughness Training a resilient mind and body Why resilience is the hidden advantage in sport and life If you want to improve your mindset, performance, and ability to bounce back stronger, this episode is for you. Find out more about Matt: https://www.molliteum.com To become a Certified Mind Factor coach go to www.themindfactor.com To join us on the Mind Caddie journey go to www.mindcaddie.golf Shop with code : MINDFACTOR10 at checkout for 10% OFF your next order at www.fenixxcell.com @fenixxcell (revised repeat Aug 2022)

And how it could make a huge difference to the clarity, composure and timing in your game Today we are joined on the show by the outstanding Canadian coach JS Legare JS is a certified Mind Factor coach but also an expert on BREATHWORK We had a fascinating conversation about how we can become more aware of the impact of our breathing on our physiology When our breathing is poor our access to our skills is compromised Just merely OBSERVING the breath can be a profoundly beneficial exercise We can down regulate our nervous system simply by observing our breath Think of the opportunities golf can provide to explore the impact that breath focus can have on your game The ability to RESPOND instead of REACT Breathing, the low hanging fruit to develop a better mindset on the golf course. Everyone has that tool, but not a lot of people know how to use it. It's free, it's always available and the effects are instantaneous. There's nothing "woowoo" about observing your breath. It's the first step and it's a skill, plain and simple. To find out more about JS Legare go to appnez.com info@appnez.com To become a Certified Mind Factor coach go to www.themindfactor.com To join us on the Mind Caddie journey go to www.mindcaddie.golf Shop with code : MINDFACTOR10 at checkout for 10% OFF your next order at www.fenixxcell.com @fenixxcell

Today on the Mind Caddie we welcome back again my great friend Jim Waldron. We have built this whole podcast around the legendary Ben Hogan. For so long there has been an endless fascination about his golf swing and the supposed 'Hogan Secret' Whilst there may have been some secrets around his incredible swing as we discuss there were also some amazing secrets around the way he played and approached the game. Jim Waldron has studied Hogan for over 40 years and spent time with many people who worked with and for Hogan He is currently writing a book called 'The Many Secrets of Ben Hogan' We discussed: Hogans golden rules of the swing The importance of balance Good tension in the swing How Hogan worked out what to focus on to access his skills What he did when TARGET focus didn't work How he changed his swing How ACCEPTANCE allowed him to begin to WIN His joy at working on his game The path to self mastery The importance of researching your own experience A brilliant thought provoking session with a great coach To find out more about Jim Waldron go to https://balancepointgolf.com/ To become a Certified Mind Factor coach go to www.themindfactor.com To join us on the Mind Caddie journey go to www.mindcaddie.golf Shop with code : MINDFACTOR10 at checkout for 10% OFF your next order at www.fenixxcell.com @fenixxcell

In this insightful discussion, golf coach John Dunigan, a top-100 teacher, and motor learning expert Will Wu explore why golfers struggle to transfer skills from the range to the course. They delve into the importance of adaptable practice, emphasizing the need for external focus over internal focus. With a focus on understanding movement and sensory feedback, they discuss effective swing changes and the significance of feeling the club. Their collaboration on the Practice Coach app aims to enrich golfers’ practice experiences and improve on-course performance.

Lawrie Montague, an Australian PGA professional and coach, shares insights from his extensive 40-year career focused on long-term player development. He discusses why traditional golf lessons often fail, emphasizing the need for students to learn how to play rather than just swing mechanics. Lawrie champions goal-centered coaching and the importance of recognizing each player's unique needs. He critiques the 'factory golf' approach and stresses the value of mindful practice and individualized coaching, encouraging players to embrace a problem-solving mindset on the course.

Today on the Brain Booster we welcome back a wonderful guest in Dicken Bettinger. Dicken completely changed his approach to psychology after meeting Syd Banks and understanding the 'Three Principles' He then spent over twenty years studying with Syd and is now acknowledged as one of the world's leading teachers of the principles. During a very wide ranging conversation we discussed the ideas of Mind, Consciousness and Thought How we spend so much time trying to 'control' things with the intellect Trying harder Thinking more Being so involved with our thoughts Trying to 'change' our experience Why the intellect alone cannot solve our problems and issues Understanding what WISDOM is and how we can learn to trust it more A deeper intelligence when we are fully PRESENT A quiet mind that is FULLY PRESENT A KNOWING that cannot be explained How to access true WISDOM How the intellect creates tension and upset The limitations of trying to 'think' positive No human being can 'think' their way to contentment The 'NO THOUGHT' state What is it? How is it accessed A really wonderful conversation with Dicken to get you to consider just how much our intellect is trying to run the show. There is another way and Dicken explains beautifully what it is. To become a Certified Mind Factor coach go to www.themindfactor.com To join us on the Mind Caddie journey go to www.mindcaddie.golf Shop with code : MINDFACTOR10 at checkout for 10% OFF your next order at www.fenixxcell.com @fenixxcell Revised repeat from February 2024

It is wonderful to welcome back on the podcast my good friend and colleague Marcus Bell from GRF Golf discussing our collaboration on the golf school we did this year at West Hearts We had a wonderful few days combining Motion and Mind We are also set to do another school in 2026 on the 22nd to 24th April On today's show we discuss How movement and motion emerge Asking effective questions to stimulate movement Are you in pursuit or avoidance What is the environment offering you How are beliefs in our capabilities are shaped Exploring your own movement capabilities Letting the true movement emerge How our natural movement gets camouflaged Giving yourself permission to fail Changing from stationary to dynamic MOTION BODY MIND A great session with a top coach who has a very different approach to creating effective movement To find out more about Marcus and the GRF Golf schools go to https://grfgolf.com/ To become a Certified Mind Factor coach go to www.themindfactor.com To join us on the Mind Caddie journey go to www.mindcaddie.golf Shop with code : MINDFACTOR10 at checkout for 10% OFF your next order at www.fenixxcell.com @fenixxcell

Today on the show I welcome back my great friend and colleague Andrew Murray who I have known for over 30 years. It is also a poignant podcast as we pay tribute to the passing of one of both our friends Denis Durnian who was a terrific player on the European Tour and still holds jointly the incredible record of the lowest 9 hole score in ANY major when he shot an incredible 28 on the front 9 at Royal Birkdale in the 1983 Open He was one of the last of a unique golfer who managed to combine being a club pro with a successful career on the European Tour. With our conversation we hark back to a different time of golf but a wonderful time nevertheless. Andrew played many times with the great Severiano Ballesteros and he shares with us some wonderful stories about the charisma and genius of the late great and sadly missed Spanish player. The great Sandy Lyle and why he should have been Ryder Cup captain The evolution of golf coaching on the European Tour, the early days of star coaches such as David Leadbetter and Bob Torrance How coaching worked very successfully for some players but a disaster for others In our discussion we reinforced the need for Gratitude and Appreciation as a cornerstone of a golfing philosophy The very sad loss of Denis Durnian only reinforces how precious each round of golf actually is. To find out more about Andrew Murray and the wonderful golf experiences he provides https://andrewmurraygolf.com/ To become a Certified Mind Factor coach go to www.themindfactor.com To join us on the Mind Caddie journey go to www.mindcaddie.golf Shop with code : MINDFACTOR10 at checkout for 10% OFF your next order at www.fenixxcell.com @fenixxcell

Today on the show we wish a warm welcome back to one of golf's most influential coaches of the last 30 years. Fred Shoemaker. Fred authored the brilliant 'Extraordinary Golf and Extraordinary Putting' He taught the Extraordinary Golf Schools to thousands of golfers over many years and lives in a place that is close to heaven on earth Carmel Valley Ranch in Monterey California His impact on the game has been profound as he has asked golfers and coaches to think about what REALLY matters to them when they play the game. The search for SELF MASTERY The best way to learn instead of just being taught The value of awareness Exploring what is as opposed to what we think is happening Not trying to 'fix' anything Seeing and experiencing the genius of your body Why we are held back by the culture of golf Seeing through the illusion of 'I will be happy when' Embracing the possibility of genuine transformation A great conversation with a wonderful coach and man Fred Shoemaker who has had such a big influence on me in my coaching Make sure you get a copy of 'Extraordinary Golf' To become a Certified Mind Factor coach go to www.themindfactor.com To join us on the Mind Caddie journey go to www.mindcaddie.golf Shop with code : MINDFACTOR10 at checkout for 10% OFF your next order at www.fenixxcell.com @fenixxcell

In this enlightening discussion, Jim Waldron, a renowned golf coach and founder of Balance Point Golf, shares his expertise on the crucial mental skill of acceptance. He emphasizes how acceptance forms the foundation of mental performance and how resisting discomfort leads to suffering. Jim introduces insightful concepts like mindfulness, verbalized acceptance scripts, and the importance of a carefree acceptance step in pre-shot routines. He also connects personal growth to overcoming the yips and encourages players to adopt a long-term mastery mindset.