#23: [Inside the Mind] Josh Nichols: Acknowledgement and Acceptance to Accelerate Progress in Your Golf Game

Meet Josh Nichols - a Golf Psychology Coach with an impressive resume over 20 years of competitive golf. 

Josh was 36 holes away from qualifying for the Masters. You’ll learn more about his mental and emotional experience before, during, and after this 36-hole finale and how it shaped who he is today and what he does.

This is truly one of the most fascinating conversations I've had, and I know you’ll find it valuable and enjoy it. 

In today’s episode, you’ll learn more about the mental and emotional challenges of playing in high-pressure tournaments - and how to overcome them, how to integrate a practice of acknowledgment and acceptance to accelerate results, as well as why having a pre-shot routine really matters (and the unknown benefits it provides).

Get your pencils ready and start listening. 

More About Josh

Josh Nichols is a Golf Psychology Coach, and has been playing competitive amateur golfer for over 20 years. Josh run’s his own business, Foundations Mental Performance, where he works with individuals all over the world on their golf psychology as a way to help them play better golf and get more enjoyment out of the game.

• Host of The Mental Golf Show
• Author of The Mental Regrip Newsletter
• Twitter/X: @joshlukenichols
• Instagram: joshlukenichols

Key Takeaways:

• Acknowledging and accepting mistakes is crucial in moving on from poor performances.
• Focusing on what is important in the present moment helps to stay mentally resilient.
• Understanding and managing emotions is key to maintaining a positive mindset in golf.
• A strong pre-shot routine and commitment to the target can improve performance.
• Mindset and mental resilience play a significant role in golf success. It's normal to feel frustration or anger after a poor shot in golf. Suppressing these emotions can lead to more trouble down the road.
• Allow yourself a moment to feel the emotions and then move on. Don't try to ignore or suppress them.
• The pre-shot routine is important for helping players feel confident and present. It should focus on getting freed up, accepting the results, and picking a good target.
• The details of the pre-shot routine don't matter as much as the overall purpose. It doesn't have to be the same every time, but it should help you accomplish your mental goals.
• Having a plan and being flexible with it is key in golf. Accepting and embracing the emotions that come with playing can help players be more present and perform better.

Key Quotes:

• "Mistakes are normal. Mistakes are human."
• "Acceptance and saying, 'I, any shot could be a bad golf shot.'"
• "What's important to me now? What's relevant now?"
• "That emotion is a normal human response. It's okay, it's normal, and kind of circling back to what you said earlier, it's the repression of those emotions that lead to more trouble down the road."
• "I think working through it, however long it takes. I would never say you're not allowed to feel it, but I also wouldn't say you need to stop feeling it after 10 seconds."
• "The pre-shot routine is to get you freed up, to get you feeling confident, which is to say, 'This ball could go anywhere and I'll be okay.'"

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Each week, I’ll provide insights, principles, and strategies to help you deter distractions, find your focus, manage your emotion