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Golf mental performance coach Kathy Hart Wood challenges one of the most common practice habits in golf — and explains why trying to recreate pressure situations on the putting green is not the answer. In this episode of her Think Above Par series, she offers a more effective approach to managing nerves, fear, and anxiety on the course. If you have ever choked under pressure or frozen at a crucial moment, this one is worth your time.
Kathy Hart Wood – Game Improvement
Kathy Hart Wood draws on a recent member-guest shootout experience to explore what golfers should actually be practising when they want to perform better under pressure. Rather than trying to simulate high-stakes scenarios, she argues that the real skill lies in recognising unhelpful emotions and pivoting away from them. It is a shift in thinking that could change how you prepare for competitive golf entirely.
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Key Takeaways Situations do not create emotion — your thoughts do:
No external circumstance, however high-pressure, produces the emotion you feel; it is the thought you have about that situation that triggers fear, anxiety, or doubt.
Practice pivoting away from the emotion, not recreating the situation:
Because no two golf situations are ever identical, the skill worth rehearsing is your ability to notice an unhelpful emotional state and shift yourself toward one that allows you to swing freely.
Acknowledge every successful pivot as a win:
When you manage to move away from pressure and still produce a good result, your brain stores that as a memory — so give yourself credit for it, because those mental reps add up.
Next time you feel pressure building on the course, treat it as a practice opportunity — notice the emotion, name it, and work on shifting your focus rather than fighting the feeling. This video suits any golfer who competes regularly and wants a practical mental framework for performing more consistently when it matters most.
Mental Golf Coach | Top 50 Teacher | Founder, Your Mental Caddy
Kathy Hart Wood is a mental golf coach, Top 50 Teacher, and former professional golfer. After years competing worldwide, she now helps golfers master the mental side of the game — building the focus, confidence, and composure to play their best when it matters most.
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