526: Jared Tendler Gives Me a Mental Lesson (Anger, Expectations, & Annoying Playing Partners)

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In this episode, mental golf coach Michael Leonard goes from the interviewer to the client, seeking mental coaching to address his struggles with mid-round anger and control on the golf course. The session dives deep beneath the surface of these emotional outbursts to uncover the underlying anxieties about success, technical competence, and a desire to control the future. You will gain valuable insights on how to shift their perspective, own their mastered skills, and handle difficult external triggers with poise and precision.

We'll cover:

• Coaches Need Coaching Too: The episode highlights the value of self-awareness and the willingness of a coach to raise their hand and ask for help to break through mental blocks.
• Anger as a Symptom: Emotional reactions on the course are discussed not as the core problem, but as a symptom of a collision between reality and a golfer's skewed perception of it.
• The "Is It Ever Going to Happen" Trap: The conversation exposes the anxiety of future-oriented thinking and how asking unanswerable questions about future success fuels frustration.
• Owning Your "C" Game: Michael is challenged to develop conscious ownership of his baseline technical skills through a daily five-minute reflection task to build a more solid foundation.
• Injecting Logic Statements: A tool is introduced to weaponize pre-made, logical thoughts in the moment of frustration to successfully lower emotional intensity on the green.
• Dealing with Course Bullies: The session links Michael's intense reactions to difficult pairings with childhood bullying, framing the solution around maintaining control through calm authority rather than fighting back.

And more mental golf tips.

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