12 Jun 2026 12:00
Why You're Practising Too Much Golf (And Thinking Too Hard) | Don Christensen #413
Can you actually play better golf when you have less time to practice?
In this episode of The Mind Caddie, performance coach, psychologist, and former Stanford golf team player Don Christensen explains why the answer may be yes.
Don combines decades of academic psychology with elite golf experience to reveal why intention, attention, and trust are often more important than technical practice. Drawing on the principles of The Inner Game of Tennis and Tim Gallwey, he explores how golfers can access their best performances by learning to quiet the analytical mind and trust their natural ability.
In this episode:
- Why golfers with less practice time can sometimes improve faster
- The hidden power of practicing with intention
- How to quiet the thinking mind on the golf course
- Why over-analysis destroys performance
- The psychology behind playing "in the zone"
- How attention influences athletic performance
- Why your intellect always wants to take control
- Learning to trust a deeper level of intelligence
- The challenge of keeping golf simple
- Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation
- Why rewards can sometimes reduce motivation
- The indirect path to success in golf and life
- The happiness delusion and the pursuit of achievement
- Falling in love with improvement rather than outcomes
- How elite performers learn to get out of their own way
This is a fascinating conversation for golfers, coaches, sports psychologists, and anyone interested in peak performance, mindset, focus, flow states, and human potential.
About Don Christensen
Don Christenson is a professor of psychology, Certified Mind Factor Coach, former Stanford University golfer, and one of the leading voices in applying Inner Game principles to golf performance and personal development.
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