The greatest thing about any athletic endeavor is how participation in the game draws out the realities of who we are as human beings. Can we deal with the challenges the game throws in front of us to not only perform effectively but navigate success and failure, pressure and challenges, and hopes and discouragements in flourishing ways?

I was honored to be interviewed recently by Hallam Morgan from ENAHGY: The Athletic Support Network. In this interview, Hallam asked me several things related to the human side of life and how those same realities intersect with golf. 

It was a fun conversation and in this discussion we touch on several topics including:

+ My background and how I got started in Mental Skills Coaching
+ The intersection of personal maturity with golf performance
+ Homeostasis and what that medical word has to do with pressurized golf
+ The gap between "the laboratory" and "the arena" and how we can bridge that gap
+ How understanding Crisis Management can improve our ability to perform under pressure.
+ The role Self-Awareness plays in performance improvement.
+ And many more.

Enahgy is a unique app designed to come alongside golfers pursuing golf as a career to achieve the kind of longevity often required to sustain that pursuit long-term. Their mission is stated as: "Creating longevity through financial, physical and mental support programmes" and their work is exciting and crucial for golfers who want to overcome the pitfalls of the early years of pursuing professional golf. Check them out at enahgy.com or download their app and check out what they offer.

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If you'd like one-on-one coaching to grow your Mental Skills and build mental strength for turning Adversity into an Advantage, or are interested in discussing how I might bring value to your team, reach out to me through any of the following:

Email: [email protected]
Podcast: philshomo.com/podcast
Web: philshomocoaching.com
Instagram: @philshomocoaching
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-svmY7Uj8XKIvGe9_mV6Fg

The Oklahoma Sooners golf program has become one of the powerhouse programs in college golf over the last 11 years. The reason for that success falls on the shoulders of one man, head coach RYAN HYBL. 

In this interview, Ryan unpacks his vast experience as an elite player and now as one of the top coaches in the country on a variety of topics including:

• How to turn a program ranked around 100 into a national champion in less than ten years.
• The danger of burning out as an elite golfer in the pursuit of ultimate mastery.
• The need for a diverse and robust support network in the lives of elite golfers as they journey through the inevitable ups/downs golf brings at the highest levels. 
• Skills required for overcoming the pressure in the most anxious-inducing moments in golf.
• The nostalgia of Fighting Irish football during the Lou Holtz area. 
• And many, many more.

Ryan can be found at social medias outlets by looking up @ougolfhybl.

Ryan's experience as an elite player and wisdom as a top college coach bring so much to this interview it is tough to explain. Thank you, Ryan, for providing such rich content in my pursuit of FOREVERLEARNING.

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If you'd like one-on-one coaching to grow your Mental Skills and build mental strength for turning Adversity into an Advantage, or are interested in discussing how I might bring value to your team, reach out to me through any of the following:

Email: [email protected]
Podcast: philshomo.com/podcast
Web: philshomocoaching.com
Instagram: @philshomocoaching
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-svmY7Uj8XKIvGe9_mV6Fg

Performance coach RICK SESSINGHAUS has invested in every aspect of the newest PGA Tour sensation Collin Morikawa's game from the time he was 8. To watch Collin perform under pressure on the biggest stages in golf today is to see the fruit of that wholistic training. And it is truly a sight to behold.

In this interview, Rick unpacks his wisdom on a variety of topics including:
+ How to train creativity and imagination and build a deep competitive mindset at the same time.
+ Tips for how to be a supportive parent and not overextend control into the life of your developing golfer.
+ The newest science around FLOW STATE and how to maximize the possibility of getting into "the zone" more often.
+ The value of a GROWTH MINDSET and the problems of a FIXED MINDSET.
+ The power of Seinfeld references for changing a problem with rage into a place of emotional control.

Rick can be found at social medias outlets by looking up @ricksessinghaus. He can also be found through his website https://www.ricksessinghaus.com.

Rick's wisdom, insights, experiences, education, and specialized training bring so much to this interview it's hard to describe. Thank you. Rick for providing so much GOLD in one hour's time.

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If you'd like one-on-one coaching to grow your Mental Skills and build mental strength for turning Adversity into an Advantage, or are interested in discussing how I might bring value to your team, reach out to me through any of the following:

Email: [email protected]
Podcast: philshomo.com/podcast
Web: philshomocoaching.com
Instagram: @philshomocoaching
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-svmY7Uj8XKIvGe9_mV6Fg

On-course PGA Tour broadcaster DOTTIE PEPPER believes that exceptional preparation is one of the most vital aspects leading to exceptional performance in the moments that matter most. Dottie has seen the elite up close from her place inside the ropes as a PGA Tour on-course commentator, as an incredibly successful player and major champion, and from interviewing and conversing with some of the greatest in the game.

In this conversation we touch on:
+ Her unique education in the game by her MLB father, grandmother, and an amazing and deeply devoted coach.
+ How extraordinary preparation has become her trademark and contributes massively to all her success.
+ The learning curve when switching between playing and broadcasting careers... what translates easily and what doesn't.
+ The very best path a parent can take in supporting and leading elite-level young golfers.
+ How to navigate a severe case of the shanks in the midst of one of the most important weeks of her career.
+ How to be ready for the unexpected twist when it pops up in the most crucial moment.

As one of the top voices and minds in the game, Dottie is featured on the very best PGA Tour events serving as the top on-course commentator for CBS Sports following the lead group week-in and week-out. She also writes insightful articles for golf publications and speaks at events across the country.

Dottie lives in Saratoga Springs, NY, with her husband, golf writer and historian David Normoyle. She can be found on Instagram at @dottie_pepper.

Dottie's experience and varied background in the game allows her to bring amazing insights and profound wisdom which, along with her engaging personality, make her an exceptional expert to dialogue with. It is a tremendous honor to have her as my guest on this series of the VOICE OF THE PRESSURE PERFORMER.

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If you'd like one-on-one coaching to grow your Mental Skills and build mental strength for turning Adversity into an Advantage, or are interested in discussing how I might bring value to your team, reach out to me through any of the following:

Email: [email protected]
Podcast: philshomo.com/podcast
Web: philshomocoaching.com
Instagram: @philshomocoaching
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-svmY7Uj8XKIvGe9_mV6Fg

PGA Professional JAY HENDLEY believes there's a better way to teach the game than mere instruction on the driving range alone. Jay builds driving range work with on-course playing lessons all in one session, and it allows his students to not only learn the technical side but also learn how to apply the techniques to real-life golf.

Jay is currently the Assistant Golf Pro at Canongate Golf Club in Sharpsburg, GA. He has experience learning and teaching the game of golf alongside some of the greatest minds in the business at some of the greatest golf locations in the country including Sea Island, GA, Athens, GA, and Panama City, FL, with Tony Ruggiero at Dewsweepers golf.

In this conversation we touch on:
+ The JOY of personalizing golf instruction for each individual student.
+ How to utilize range time PLUS on-course time to maximize learning.
+ Holding onto HOPE through all the twists and turns and uncertainty.
+ The dream of using golf to impact more and more young people including kids who have no real chance to make golf a part of their daily life.

Jay can be found online at the following:

+ WEBSITE BOOKING: https://clients.uschedule.com/jayhendleygolf/booking
+ FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/jayhendleygolf
+ INSTAGRAM: @jayhendleygolf

Jay's experience and diverse teaching background in the game allow him to bring a perspective full of insights, wisdom, and personality. It is an honor to have him as my guest on this series of the VOICE OF THE PROFESSIONAL PERFORMER.

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If you'd like one-on-one coaching to grow your Mental Skills and build mental strength for turning Adversity into an Advantage, or are interested in discussing how I might bring value to your team, reach out to me through any of the following:

Email: [email protected]
Podcast: philshomo.com/podcast
Web: philshomocoaching.com
Instagram: @philshomocoaching
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-svmY7Uj8XKIvGe9_mV6Fg

We all want CONFIDENCE. We crave that sense of certainty that confidence brings. And without it, we feel helpless, fragile, shaky, uncertain, and anxious.

But HOW do we actually HAVE CONFIDENCE?
Do we just force ourselves to BE confident by willpower, force, or positive thinking? What if we invest in positive thinking for days leading up to the performance and still fall flat on our face right out of the gate? What do we do with confidence then?

Confidence is NOT a thing you can tackle head-on. It doesn’t work like that and when we try to do it that way we come off with either (A) a false bravado or (B) a fragile anxiousness.

Confidence is more like FRUIT to grow and nurture where you work on the soil and the seed and the roots by doing the right things at that right times in the right ways and confidence grows on the end of the branch and it’s amazing.

To allow confidence to grow as a fruit of our deeper investments, the following FOUR KEY PILLARS can be a helpful place to start:

1. MEMORIES: Embedded emotional realities
2. PREPARATION: Advanced planning for multiple scenarios with WOOP
3. SELF-MANAGEMENT: Maintaining an optimal performance state through a process of (A) Calm (B) Clear (C) Committed skills
4. EXPERIENCE: Layered evaluative learning after the performance (Deep-Dive for the true treasure)

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If you'd like one-on-one coaching to grow your Mental Skills and build mental strength for turning Adversity into an Advantage, or are interested in discussing how I might bring value to your team, reach out to me through any of the following:

Email: [email protected]
Podcast: philshomo.com/podcast
Web: philshomocoaching.com
Instagram: @philshomocoaching
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-svmY7Uj8XKIvGe9_mV6Fg

On-course PGA Tour broadcaster MARK IMMELMAN believes the future greats of the game will be those who pursue mastery at the INTERSECTION of the PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL, MENTAL, and EMOTIONAL.

Mark has seen the best up close from his place inside the ropes as a PGA Tour on-course commentator, swing coach for major champions, prolific podcaster interviewing the greatest minds in the game, collegiate coach of high-level college golfers, author, agent, and as a 3 time All-American collegiate golfer himself.

In this conversation we touch on:
+ Lessons learned from Gary Player.
+ Mastery of self as the ultimate skill.
+ Maintaining focus equally through both success and failure.
+ Being prepared to make uncomfortable decisions.
+ Objectifying failure as information to learn rather than owning it as definitive of you.
+ Embracing hard work with persistence and resiliency.
+ Willingness to make great sacrifices for improvement.

Quickly turning into one of the top voices in the game, Mark is featured on countless PGA Tour events, including the Masters and PGA Championship, serving as an on-course commentator for CBS Sports. He also does work for PGA Tour LIVE, a streaming channel from the PGA giving fans the most exclusive coverage of professional golf on any platform, and hosts his own podcast on PGATour.com “On the Mark” which has been downloaded over 2.5 million times and is heard in over 125 countries.

Mark is also the director of golf at Columbus State University in Columbus, GA, where he has been coaching for 19 years. He has produced 12 All-Americans with multiple Cougar golfers turning professional after their careers ended at CSU. Immelman has won numerous awards in his stint at Columbus State, including being named the 2009 NCAA Division II Coach of the Year and the 2007 Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year.
 
Mark has worked as a swing coach for several professionals including Trevor Immelman (younger brother, 2008 Masters Champion), Larry Mize (1998 Masters Champion), Louis Oosthuizen (2010 British Open Champion) and many other PGA and European tour professionals.

Mark and Tracy were married in 2002 and have two daughters Isabel (born 2007) and Sophia (born 2011).

Mark is actively involved in several online platforms and can be found at the following:

+ WEBSITE: www.markimmelman.com
+ PODCAST: On the Mark PGA Tour Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-mark-golf-podcast/id1096925460
+ SOCIAL MEDIA: @Mark_Immelman

Mark's diverse background in the game allows him to bring a unique perspective, countless insights, and deep wisdom which, along with his engaging personality, make him a captivating expert to dialogue with. It is a tremendous honor to have him as my guest on this series of the VOICE OF THE PRESSURE PERFORMER.

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If you'd like one-on-one coaching to grow your Mental Skills and build mental strength for turning Adversity into an Advantage, or are interested in discussing how I might bring value to your team, reach out to me through any of the following:

Email: [email protected]
Podcast: philshomo.com/podcast
Web: philshomocoaching.com
Instagram: @philshomocoaching
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-svmY7Uj8XKIvGe9_mV6Fg

FOREVERLEARNING is one of my core values, and one of the most significant resources for my own learning that gets overlooked far too often by the larger athletic world is the VOICE OF THE SMALL COLLEGE COACH.

Small college coaches never make much money, rarely get many accolades, and typically operate under-the-radar. Yet they give themselves wholeheartedly to their athletes, usually because of their dedication to impacting young people during their transitional years into adulthood. These coaches have experiences and insight and wisdom that all of us need to listen to, and I want to contribute to elevating their voices to impact leaders everywhere by spotlighting them in these interviews.

Today's guest for my coach-chat is the Head Baseball Coach at Georgia Gwinnett College, JEREMY "SHEETS" SHEETINGER.

Sheets grew up in Frankfort, KY, and played college baseball at Kentucky Wesleyan before launching into his coaching career. He's coached at the NCAA, D2, and D3 levels, as well as NAIA-level baseball at a variety of schools. In addition to coaching, Sheets spent 3 years as the Director of Baseball Operations for the Kentucky Wildcats D1 program, 4 years as the College Division Liason for the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), and has been an Associate Scout for the Atlanta Braves since 2015.

In July of 2019, Sheets was hired by NAIA powerhouse program, Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), to build on the amazing success the program had experienced in its short history of college baseball (328-104 since launching in 2013). At GCC, Sheets oversees an NAIA program with D1 caliber facilities, a deep coaching staff, high-expectation for national success, and a program where MLB draft picks abound among current and former players.

Sheets is actively involved in several online platforms for training coaches and players, including the following:

+ STICK & BALL TV - watch.stickandball.tv
+ DUGOUT CHATTER PODCAST - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dugout-chatter-podcast-powered-by-stick-ball-tv/id1491689772
+ ALL SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS - @CoachSheets3

Sheets' humor, insights, wisdom, and ultra-engaging personality make him a captivating leader to dialogue with. It is a huge honor to have him as my guest on this series of the VOICE OF THE SMALL COLLEGE COACH.

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If you'd like one-on-one coaching to grow your Mental Skills and build mental strength for turning Adversity into an Advantage, or are interested in discussing how I might bring value to your team, reach out to me through any of the following:

Email: [email protected]
Podcast: philshomo.com/podcast
Web: philshomocoaching.com
Instagram: @philshomocoaching
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-svmY7Uj8XKIvGe9_mV6Fg

FOREVERLEARNING is one of my core values and one of the greatest resources for learning in the world of athletes is the VOICE OF THE MAJOR COLLEGE COACH. D1 coaches navigate an amazing amount of complex challenges and they are powerful resources for learning how to truly impact athletes in positive ways. I am honored to spotlight their experience and wisdom in these interviews.

Today's guest for my coach-chat is the Assistant Golf Coach at THE Ohio State University, BRAD SMITH.

Brad was a highly accomplished golfer at Ohio State from 2007-2011. He had a decorated college career which he capped off by finishing 17th in the individual standings and 5th in the team standings at the 2011 NCAA National Championship during his senior year. Brad graduated Summa Cum Laude (3.95 GPA) with a business administration degree majoring in finance. In 2015 Brad was brought back to OSU as an assistant to head golf coach Jay Moseley. Not surprisingly, Brad's academic prowess has rubbed off on his golfers with the Buckeyes racking up multiple Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten recognition in the last few years.

Brad grew up in Peru, Indiana, the son of PGA Club pro, Todd Smith, and nephew of former Ohio State All-American and long-term PGA Tour player, Chris Smith. Brad and his wife, Carmen, have been married since August 2010 and have two daughters and a son.

Brad's insights from both playing and coaching, combined with his ready smile and a quick wit, make him a joy to dialogue with. It is a huge honor to have him as my guest on this series of the VOICE OF THE MAJOR COLLEGE COACH.

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If you'd like one-on-one coaching to grow your Mental Skills and build mental strength for turning Adversity into an Advantage, or are interested in discussing how I might bring value to your team, reach out to me through any of the following:

Email: [email protected]
Podcast: philshomo.com/podcast
Web: philshomocoaching.com
Instagram: @philshomocoaching
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-svmY7Uj8XKIvGe9_mV6Fg

FOREVERLEARNING is one of my core values and one of the things I love pursuing is wisdom and insight from experts in a wide variety of industries and careers that can be translated into my work with athletes.

Consistent with that pursuit I’m doing some interviews around the topic of handling pressure I call THE VOICE OF THE PRESSURE PERFORMER.

Today we’ll dip into the world of music with my second guest for this new series, lead singer and creator of all of the Beartooth music and my youngest son, CALEB SHOMO.

Caleb began his music career by joining a small local band in Columbus, Ohio, at the age of 14 before being asked to become part of the biggest local band in central Ohio at the time, Attack Attack. While still 15, Caleb and Attack Attack were signed to a bigtime record label and began touring full-time. Caleb was literally on the road 45 out of his first 52 weeks after starting the full-time touring life. His run with Attack Attack lasted 5 years and included several successful albums and big performances all over the world.

In 2013, Caleb launched a new band named Beartooth, and since that time Beartooth has achieved amazing success with massive crowds and a deeply devoted fanbase. Caleb writes all the songs, sings all the vocals, and plays all the instruments on all the album recordings. During live performances, Caleb is Beartooth's frontman and lead vocalists while turning the instrumental performance parts over to a group of very talented musicians.

Beartooth has performed all over the world to sold-out venues including giant festival performances in front of crowds as large as 30,000-40,000 in both Europe and the United States. Caleb has learned a lot over the years about performing in pressure situations and navigating the challenges that come with the spotlight in front of giant crowds, and his insights can be valuable to athletes who are hungry to improve their own pressure performances as well.

It is a huge honor to have Caleb as my guest on this series called THE VOICE OF THE PRESSURE PERFORMER.

If you'd like one-on-one coaching to grow your Mental Skills and build mental strength for turning Adversity into an Advantage, or are interested in discussing how I might bring value to your team, reach out to me through any of the following:

Email: [email protected]
Podcast: philshomo.com/podcast
Web: philshomocoaching.com
Instagram: @philshomocoaching
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-svmY7Uj8XKIvGe9_mV6Fg