In this episode of On The Mark, Mark Immelman welcomes Carolin Pinegger (Austrian national team alum, UCF golfer, former LPGA/Symetra player, and now coach + social media star). Carolin shares what it was like competing on Big Break: Myrtle Beach—five weeks isolated, long production days, constant cameras—and why that experience made competitive golf feel easy by comparison.
From there, the episode becomes a masterclass on what really wrecks swings: Tension, driven by brain “traffic.” Carolin explains how to train your brain like a muscle, use breathing to shift from “red” (overstimulated) back to “green,” and build dependable systems that hold up under pressure.
Then she delivers a set of at-home drills (no range required) to improve grip, sequencing, pressure shift, and putting start line—using everyday items like a hammer, mirror, towels, and books.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
- What Big Break pressure is really like (cameras, no phones, 3 hours sleep)
- Why tension happens — and how the brain’s “traffic” affects your body
- The mindset truth: You don’t rise to standards — you fall to systems
- How to move from “red” to “green” using belly breathing, and
- Why at-home motion training works (less “hit ball” mode, more learning.)
Carolin also share 5 Game Improvement drills you can do at home:
Drill #1: Hammer & Hinge (fix grip + wrist set, stop early elbow fold)
Drill #2: Backswing Sequence (Mirror) (hinge → arms → shoulders → hips)
Drill #3: Mirror Depth Check (hands near heels; match top position to your shot shape)
Drill #4: Flow / Pressure Shift (towels under feet for rhythm + movement)
Drill #5: Book Putting Gate (start-line training + “through” mindset.)
Key Takeaways:
- Your brain is trainable. Treat it like a muscle and build routines that lower “traffic.”
- Pressure kills feel. Systems hold up when nerves show up.
- Grip + wrist function matter. Many swing issues start with the trail hand and early elbow fold.
- Sequence starts in the backswing. Build separation in the backswing, then keep moving through.
- Putting begins with start line. You can’t make it if you can’t start it on your intended line.
This podcast is also available as a vodcast on YouTube. In fact it is recommendable to watch it so you can learn exactly how to do the drills. Search and subscribe to Mark Immelman.
