Links for Life Podcast Por Tommy Thompson arte de portada

Links for Life

Links for Life

De: Tommy Thompson
Escúchala gratis

Golf is a microcosm of life. In the short hours we spend on the links, each shot challenges our focus and tests our emotions. When hitting that small, dimpled ball, we strive to stay present and to trust. Golf offers us the opportunity to grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. How often in casual conversations about the game have we heard someone say, "Golf is just like life!" And yet, we frequently miss the lessons that golf affords.

Through golf, we learn to wrangle destructive emotions. We learn to stay present in the moment, letting go of the past and resisting the allure of projecting into an unknown future. In a round of golf, we have unrushed time to enjoy our favorite relationships with fewer distractions than everyday life. Golf is beautiful and challenging. Golf is play, and hard work. Golf shows us who we are and teaches us how to become better versions of ourselves. This is the "why" of Links for Life, a show that explores the intersection of golf, growth, and God. Tune in for inspiring and empowering episodes that explore the beauty of golf and how it can teach us to improve our daily lives. Join your host, Tommy Thompson, to discuss relationships, mindset, faith, leadership, and, at the same time, how to improve your golf game.

In Links for Life, find out how the game of golf parallels the challenges you face along your journey, offering incredible mental strategies for personal growth while at the same time learning from the masters how to lower your handicap. Learn how to focus on the present, let go of past negativity, and free yourself of anxieties about the future. Get tips on overcoming nerves, improving your chipping and putting, and having more fun along the way.

Tommy sits down with golfers at all levels who openly share their life experiences and how they use the game of golf in their everyday lives. Gather practical advice and inspiration from their stories to transform your life. Let their personal experiences and learned lessons guide you in elevating your beliefs, spirituality, and perspectives.

Of course, golf isn't just about self-improvement. It also teaches you how to connect with others on a deeper level. Through these conversations, discover how this sport can help you build better relationships in all areas of your life. Find out how to create lasting connections with the people around you. Learn how to cultivate and appreciate relationships with the most important people in your life, helping you become a better spouse, parent, sibling, or friend.

Your host, Tommy Thompson, has been a golfer for over five decades. He knows the game inside out and fully understands how it brings people together on a much deeper level. Beyond that, Tommy is also a professional life coach and business entrepreneur who has mentored countless executives and leaders, helping them achieve balance, fulfillment, and more significant impact. He also has a seminary degree and is the author of Space to Breathe Again: Hope for the Overloaded and Overwhelmed. Tommy is host of the sibling podcast Space for Life. Tommy's journey stands at the intersection of golf, personal growth, and a vital relationship with God, making him the best person to lead these thought-provoking conversations.

Join Tommy in improving your scores, dissecting the intricacies of golf, and exploring its limitless links with human life.

Listen to Links For Life at linksforlife.golf

Copyright 2025 | All Rights Reserved | Golf
Episodios
  • Exploring the Role of Play in Golf with Mia Sundstrom, CEO of the National Institute for Play

    Exploring the Role of Play in Golf with Mia Sundstrom, CEO of the National Institute for Play
    Mar 10 2026

    Many golfers start playing because the game is fun. But over time something shifts. Golf becomes work. The scorecard becomes the focus. And the joy that originally drew us to the game slowly fades.


    In this episode of Links for Life, Tommy sits down with Mia Sundstrom, CEO of the National Institute for Play, to explore how the science of play can reshape the way we approach golf.


    Mia shares the story behind the research of her grandfather, Dr. Stuart Brown, whose work helped establish play as a fundamental human need and led to the creation of the National Institute for Play. Together they explore how play affects learning, performance, creativity, and how golfers can reconnect with the reason they started playing in the first place.


    The conversation also looks at how reframing success in golf can lead to deeper learning, greater presence, and often better performance.


    Play personalities include:

    1. Competitor
    2. Explorer
    3. Mover
    4. Dreamer
    5. Creator
    6. Joker
    7. Storyteller
    8. Director


    Timestamps:

    (0:00) Introduction to the Power of Play

    (3:20) Mia Sundstrom’s Background and the Origins of the National Institute for Play

    (7:42) What Play Really Means and Common Misconceptions

    (10:06) Play as Both a State and a Personality Trait

    (12:53) Understanding Play Personalities

    (16:09) Applying Play Styles to Golf

    (22:24) Reframing the Way We Approach the Game

    (28:53) How Play Can Improve Golf Performance

    (33:27) Flow, Relaxation, and Being Fully Present

    (37:26) How to Discover Your Own Play Personality

    (39:22) Reframing Success and Enjoyment in Golf

    (41:16) Resources and Final Thoughts


    Resources:

    Learn More About the National Institute for Play: https://nifplay.org
    Más Menos
    43 m
  • Golf Coach Brian Coleman on the Process Behind Becoming Better Golfers

    Golf Coach Brian Coleman on the Process Behind Becoming Better Golfers
    Feb 24 2026

    What does golf coaching actually look like?


    In this episode of Links for Life, Tommy sits down with golf coach Brian Coleman to talk about the difference between lessons and coaching, why most golfers plateau, and what long term improvement really requires.


    Brian shares his journey from aviation to golf, why he left a stable career to pursue coaching, and how he structures development with a new student. They discuss clarity, identity, nervous system regulation, and why “I just want to get better” is not specific enough to build a plan.


    This conversation is not about quick fixes. It’s about the process behind becoming better golfers.


    (0:00) Intro

    (2:02) Brian’s Journey Into Golf and Aviation

    (15:18) Lessons Versus Coaching and the Quick Fix Problem

    (24:40) What Long Term Golf Improvement Actually Requires

    (35:05) How Brian Builds a Plan With a New Student

    (41:08) Identity, Letting Go, and Growth

    (46:44) Final Thoughts and How to Connect


    Learn more about Brian Coleman’s golf coaching at:

    https://golfcolemans.com


    Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!
    Más Menos
    48 m
  • PGA Tour Winner Robert Wrenn on Playing Better Under Pressure

    PGA Tour Winner Robert Wrenn on Playing Better Under Pressure
    Feb 10 2026

    Pressure is something every golfer faces, but learning how to handle it is what separates average rounds from your best ones. In this episode of Links for Life, Tommy sits down with Robert Wrenn, former PGA Tour winner and 1987 Buick Open champion, to talk honestly about what pressure really is and how to play better when it shows up.


    Drawing from 16 years on the PGA Tour, Robert explains why pressure is largely self-imposed, how elite players think differently in high-stakes moments, and why preparation, commitment, and reflection matter more than talent alone. The conversation moves through course management, visualization, breathing, and post-round reflection, while also connecting golf pressure to life, leadership, and growth.


    This episode is practical, grounded, and focused on repeatable habits that help golfers perform closer to their potential when it matters most.


    (0:00) Intro

    (3:30) Pressure Is Self-Imposed

    (5:21) Mindset Under Pressure

    (15:14) Game Planning and Process

    (23:56) Visualization and Commitment

    (27:30) Reflection and Improvement

    (36:39) Embracing Pressure

    (59:27) Final Thoughts


    Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!
    Más Menos
    1 h y 2 m
Todavía no hay opiniones