• #117 [Inside the Mind] Andy Walker: Cultivating a Service-Mentality to First Serve Yourself and Prevent Emotional Burnout
    Dec 8 2025
    "I grew up in a 'customer comes first' world. It took me 50 years to realize that if I'm not first, everything else eventually falls apart." What happens when "customer first" quietly turns into "you last"? In today's episode, I sit down with my friend and Missing Links Golf Show co-host, Andy Walker, to unpack the hidden cost of always giving more than you've got. We talk about how that pattern shows up in golf, trading, business, and fatherhood—and what changes when you finally put your health and wellbeing at the top of the list. In this episode, you'll learn: How childhood programming around "service" and "customer first" quietly turns into self-neglect and burnout.Why your health, energy, and identity must sit above business, golf, and clients in your priority stack.How Andy built a simple, sustainable morning routine that blends resistance training, cardio, breathwork, and visualization.A practical way to define your core life values—and then use them as filters for how you spend your time and energy.How to make golf practice and exercise easy and irresistible by changing your environment (hello, backyard "High Performance Center").Why vulnerability and asking for help accelerate your growth in golf, business, and life—and why "she'll be right" is killing performance.How to reframe self-care from "selfish" to the foundation of elite golf mindset, business mindset, and long-term health. If you've ever felt guilty taking time for yourself, this conversation will help you rewrite that story and start performing from a full tank instead of fumes. Get your pencils ready and start listening. P.P.S. Curious to learn more about the results my clients are experiencing and what they say about working with me? Read more here. More About Andy Andy Walker is the co-host of The Missing Links Golf Show, a fast-growing podcast dedicated to the midlife golfer's pursuit of improvement, balance, and renewed sporting glory. A lifelong athlete who once chased professional golf, Andy brings decades of competitive experience, business ownership, and real-world personal development into every episode. Now in his 50s, he's on a mission—alongside co-host Steve Moulton—to prove that meaningful improvement and peak performance are still possible, even while juggling family, business, health, and the chaos of everyday life. Known for his honesty, vulnerability, and analytical approach, Andy blends mindset, training, golf skill acquisition, and personal growth to help everyday golfers navigate the mental and emotional challenges of the game. His journey includes overcoming health scares, redefining his identity, and building a lifestyle that supports consistent practice and long-term wellbeing. Through The Missing Links Golf Show, Andy inspires golfers to chase growth, embrace the pilgrimage of improvement, and rediscover the joy and challenge of the game at any age. Play to Your Potential On (and Off) the Course Schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery CallSubscribe to the More Pars than Bogeys NewsletterDownload my "Play Your Best Round" free hypnosis audio recording. High-Performance Hypnotherapy and Mindset Coaching Paul Salter - known as The Golf Hypnotherapist - is a High-Performance Hypnotherapist and Mindset Coach who leverages hypnosis and powerful subconscious reprogramming techniques to help golfers of all ages and skill levels overcome the mental hazards of their minds so they can shoot lower scores and play to their potential. He has over 16 years of coaching experience working with high performers in various industries, helping them get unstuck, out of their own way, and unlock their full potential. Click here to learn more about how high-performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching can help you get out of your own way and play to your potential on (and off) the course. Instagram: @thegolfhypnotherapist Twitter: @parsoverbogeys Key Takeaways: Self-care isn't optional for high performers; your customers, clients, and family need you at your best, not your most depleted.When you grow up with "give, give, give" programming, you'll over-serve others and under-serve yourself until you consciously rewrite that pattern.The real priority stack for golfer–entrepreneurs is: health and wellbeing → family and relationships → business and clients → everything else.Writing your values and priorities down gives you clarity, emotional relief, and a decision-making filter for your time and energy.A simple, repeatable morning routine that blends training, breathwork, and visualization can anchor your entire day in focus, calm, and confidence.Environment design—like having a home gym or golf sim—removes friction and makes practice and self-care easy instead of a constant battle of willpower.Vulnerability and asking for help are not weaknesses; they are shortcuts to emotional clarity, faster growth, and a more sustainable version of success. Key Quotes: Your clients don't just need you ...
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
  • #116: [Inside the Mind] Andrew Reynolds: Reducing Cognitive Fatigue, Skill Development Lag, and How to Play Freely
    Dec 4 2025
    Pressure, perfectionism, and overthinking—three traits that quietly sabotage golfers chasing freedom on the course. In this conversation, Andrew Reynolds, cognitive performance coach and founder of The COG Coach, breaks down what it truly means to play with freedom—and why most golfers never achieve it. He shares how to design practice that mirrors real pressure, add consequence to every rep, and build process-driven routines that hold up when the stakes rise. We explore the hidden cost of mental fatigue, how to protect cognitive energy over 18 holes, and the psychological "skill-development lag" that frustrates so many golfers chasing progress. Andrew also explains the three-step framework to reframe destructive self-talk, find safety in discomfort, and make your best golf automatic under pressure—whether you're grinding for your first club championship or a tour card. In this episode, you'll learn: What "playing with freedom" actually means—and how to create it on demandHow to add consequence to practice so it transfers under pressureThe accountability hacks that keep you in the hard reps (where skill grows)A simple blueprint for durable pre-shot and pre-round routinesHow to spot and reframe irrational self-talk in real timeManaging cognitive energy and decision fatigue across 18 holesWhy process beats results—and how to believe it when scores matter Get your pencils ready and start listening. P.S. Curious to learn more about the results my clients are experiencing and what they say about working with me? Read more here. More About Andrew Reynolds Andrew Reynolds is a Cognitive Performance Coach based in the UK. Andrew helps golfers, from weekend amateurs to touring professionals, develop the ability to perform under pressure and play their best golf when it matters. You can reach Andrew via email at andy@thecogcoach.com or at his website www.thecogcoach.com. Play to Your Potential On (and Off) the Course Schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery CallSubscribe to the More Pars than Bogeys NewsletterDownload my "Play Your Best Round" free hypnosis audio recording. High-Performance Hypnotherapy and Mindset Coaching Paul Salter - known as The Golf Hypnotherapist - is a High-Performance Hypnotherapist and Mindset Coach who leverages hypnosis and powerful subconscious reprogramming techniques to help golfers of all ages and skill levels overcome the mental hazards of their minds so they can shoot lower scores and play to their potential. He has over 16 years of coaching experience working with high performers in various industries, helping them get unstuck, out of their own way, and unlock their full potential. Click here to learn more about how high-performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching can help you get out of your own way and play to your potential on (and off) the course. Instagram: @thegolfhypnotherapist Twitter: @parsoverbogeys Key Takeaways: Practice like you play: Bring course elements (targets, variability, consequence) to the range so pressure isn't a surprise.Add consequence: Games with "must-complete" tasks (e.g., 3 fairways in a row) simulate tournament feels.Quality beats quantity: Short, intense, focused sessions > marathon ball-beating.Protect cognitive energy: Strong routines reduce decision fatigue and steady your state under stress.Reframe the story: Emotions come from interpretation; catch absolutes ("always/never") and replace them with rational truth.Calibrate emotion: Even "negative" emotions can be adaptive when properly dialed.Detach from score: Commit to the shot in front of you; outcome improves as a byproduct. Key Quotes: "Make practice look like the golf course, not the course look like practice.""Consequence is the fastest way to simulate pressure.""The hard, uncomfortable reps are where skill is actually built.""Pick a target, visualize, commit—that's the billboard I'd put on every tee.""It's not the first tee that makes you anxious; it's the story you tell yourself about it.""Process is part of outcome—not something separate from it.""There's a skill-development lag: keep going through it instead of restarting with a new method." Time Stamps: 00:00 Playing with Freedom: The Key to Golf Success02:47 Gamification in Practice: Adding Consequences to Training05:37 Embracing Discomfort: The Path to Skill Development08:49 Quality Over Quantity: Setting Expectations for Practice11:38 Cognitive Energy: Managing Mental Fatigue in Golf14:18 Self-Talk and Emotional Awareness: The Mental Game of Golf22:10 Understanding Self-Talk in Golf23:33 The Art of Reframing Thoughts24:52 Emotional Calibration for Performance27:45 Managing Confidence and Expectations29:06 Focusing on the Process Over Results32:25 Overcoming Resistance to Process34:46 The Importance of Patience in Skill Development39:38 Key Takeaway: Pick a Target, Visualize, Commit
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • 115: Noble Avoidance: The Respectable Excuse Keeping You Stuck
    Dec 1 2025
    If you've ever signed up for a huge race, joined a new mastermind, or taken on a massive work project right when you said you were finally going all-in on your golf game or business… this episode is going to sting a little—in the best way. In this solo conversation, I pull back the curtain on how I caught myself red-handed sabotaging my own journey to scratch by committing to a 75-mile race. On the surface, it looked disciplined, inspiring, and productive. Underneath, it was something else entirely: a socially acceptable way to avoid the emotional discomfort of fully committing to the goal that matters most to me. I call this pattern noble avoidance—and if you're a high-achieving golfer or entrepreneur, there's a very good chance it's running the show in your life too. In this episode, you'll learn: What "noble avoidance" is and how it quietly sabotages your biggest goalsWhy hard, impressive challenges can actually feel safer than your true dreamHow fear of failure, fear of success, and fear of being seen trying feed noble avoidanceThe subtle ways noble avoidance shows up in golf, business, fitness, and relationships10 real-world examples so you can spot it in your own calendar and commitmentsFive candid reflection questions to expose where you're hiding behind "good" excusesWhy "less is more" and "be boring" are the real superpowers behind scratch-level success Get your pencils ready and start listening. P.P.S. Curious to learn more about the results my clients are experiencing and what they say about working with me? Read more here. Play to Your Potential On (and Off) the Course Schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery CallSubscribe to the More Pars than Bogeys NewsletterDownload my "Play Your Best Round" free hypnosis audio recording. High-Performance Hypnotherapy and Mindset Coaching Paul Salter - known as The Golf Hypnotherapist - is a High-Performance Hypnotherapist and Mindset Coach who leverages hypnosis and powerful subconscious reprogramming techniques to help golfers of all ages and skill levels overcome the mental hazards of their minds so they can shoot lower scores and play to their potential. He has over 16 years of coaching experience working with high performers in various industries, helping them get unstuck, out of their own way, and unlock their full potential. Click here to learn more about how high-performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching can help you get out of your own way and play to your potential on (and off) the course. Instagram: @thegolfhypnotherapist Key Takeaways: Noble avoidance is choosing a worthy, productive, or impressive pursuit to avoid the deeper emotional work required for the goal you truly want.A goal like running 75 miles is brutally hard physically, but it can be emotionally safer than going all-in on becoming a scratch golfer.Fear of failure, fear of success, and fear of being seen truly trying are core drivers behind noble avoidance.Your subconscious is addicted to safety, familiarity, and predictability—and will recreate old patterns, even painful ones, to stay "safe."Noble avoidance often looks like rebranding, building systems, learning more, or "helping everyone else" instead of doing the uncomfortable, needle-moving work.Looking at your calendar is one of the most honest ways to see what you're truly committed to versus what you just claim to care about.Long-term success comes from doing fewer things, better—embracing boring, consistent reps instead of chasing exciting side quests. Key Quotes: "Noble avoidance is the subconscious strategy of choosing a worthy pursuit to avoid the deeper emotional discomfort of your true goal.""Underneath noble avoidance is self-protection disguised as self-improvement.""It's ambition used as armor and momentum pointed in the wrong direction.""Running 75 miles isn't easier physically—it's easier emotionally.""If I give everything and still fall short, I'm out of excuses—and that's terrifying.""Noble avoidance is still avoidance. Until you name it, you continue to serve it.""Success is built on the same boring principles executed relentlessly over and over and over." Time Stamps: 00:00: The Journey to Scratch Golf05:43: The Commitment Dilemma11:15: Understanding Noble Avoidance16:18: Confronting Fears and Identity21:37: Taking Action and Moving Forward
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • #114 [Inside the Mind] Chris Petefish: Play Unapologetic Golf and Using Data to Free Yourself from Emotional Decision-making
    Nov 28 2025
    #114 [Inside the Mind] Chris Petefish: Play Unapologetic Golf and Using Data to Free Yourself from Emotional Decision-making What do you do when your biggest opportunity collides with your worst nightmare? For Chris Petefish, that moment came two weeks before Second Stage of Q School—when he woke up unable to get out of bed, let alone swing a golf club. No practice. No prep. Just pain, uncertainty, and a ticking clock on what might be his last real shot at securing status. Most players would withdraw. Chris got on a plane. In this conversation, we break down the mindset, decision-making, and mental toughness that carried him from "I might have to quit" to T8 at Second Stage—and eventually to winning on the Korn Ferry Tour. Whether you're chasing a club championship, a Korn Ferry card, or a seven-figure business year, the principles are the same: expectations, routines, self-talk, and a willingness to play unapologetically free. In this episode, you'll learn: The mindset that helped Chris qualify at Q School while barely able to swing a club.How to turn panic, fear, and "why me?" moments into problem-solving and clarity.How to identify and dismantle the destructive belief: "I only perform well with my back against the wall."Why routines, awareness, and data are non-negotiable for peak performance.How to cultivate a flow state, lower expectations, and raise execution under pressure.What a bogey-free tournament taught Chris about confidence, acceptance, and fearlessness.Why embracing—not suppressing—pressure is the key to performing when it matters most. Get your pencils ready and start listening. P.P.S. Curious to learn more about the results my clients are experiencing and what they say about working with me? Read more here. More About Chris Chris Petefish is a professional golfer and performance coach based in Georgia. A former Georgia Tech standout, he was an All-ACC Academic selection, All-America Scholar, and winner of the 2018 General Hackler Championship. Since turning professional in 2018, he's competed on the Korn Ferry Tour and qualified for the 2024 U.S. Open. Off the course, he runs Course of Action Golf, where he coaches players of all levels in course strategy, mindset, and performance using strokes gained analytics and mental conditioning frameworks. His philosophy blends data-driven strategy with mental resilience — helping golfers and high performers think clearly, compete freely, and execute under pressure. Course of Action Golf Instagram (@chrispetefishgolf) Play to Your Potential On (and Off) the Course Schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery CallSubscribe to the More Pars than Bogeys NewsletterDownload my "Play Your Best Round" free hypnosis audio recording. High-Performance Hypnotherapy and Mindset Coaching Paul Salter - known as The Golf Hypnotherapist - is a High-Performance Hypnotherapist and Mindset Coach who leverages hypnosis and powerful subconscious reprogramming techniques to help golfers of all ages and skill levels overcome the mental hazards of their minds so they can shoot lower scores and play to their potential. He has over 16 years of coaching experience working with high performers in various industries, helping them get unstuck, out of their own way, and unlock their full potential. Click here to learn more about how high-performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching can help you get out of your own way and play to your potential on (and off) the course. Instagram: @thegolfhypnotherapist Twitter: @parsoverbogeys Key Takeaways: Pressure is not the enemy- you must acknowledge it to master it. Pretending pressure doesn't exist only amplifies it. Naming it neutralizes it.Your routine is your anchor. Any deviation in your pre-shot routine is a signal your inner world is unraveling.Expectations kill performance. Preparation builds confidence; expectations destroy it.Play unapologetically. Fear-based golf leads to steering, tension, and poor decisions.Confidence and fear can coexist. The goal isn't removing fear; it's performing with it.Data frees you from emotional decision-making. Golf is a math contest with variance baked in.Resiliency compounds. Your worst stretches often create the biggest breakthroughs. Key Quotes: "When my back's against the wall, that's usually when I'm at my best.""I'd rather hit a poor shot with confidence than a poor shot from fear.""The expectations on the course will kill you.""You can't pretend pressure doesn't exist—you have to acknowledge it to handle it.""My routine tells me everything about my inner state.""Golf is a math contest. Trust the numbers, trust your skills.""Sometimes hitting rock bottom is a blessing—it forces change." Time Stamps: 00:00: Overcoming Adversity in Golf06:04: Mental Resilience and Self-Discovery10:14: Playing Smarter, Not Harder13:26: Achieving a Bogey-Free Tournament19:31: Navigating Expectations and Acceptance22:58: The Journey of Mental Training23:49: Understanding the Mental ...
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
  • #113: Stop Pretending: What it Means to Do the (Right) Work to Accelerate Results
    Nov 24 2025
    If you've been grinding on the range, stacking lessons, upgrading systems, hiring coaches, and still feel painfully stuck below your potential, this episode is your wake-up call. You cannot out-practice, out-hustle, or out-strategize the destructive patterns running your life beneath the surface. As long as you keep outsourcing your growth to new swing tips, training aids, business tactics, or mindset hacks, you'll keep slamming into the same ceilings in golf, business, and at home. In this episode, you'll learn: Why your "I'm doing all the right things" approach still isn't moving the needleThe real meaning of "doing the work" (and how it's different from staying busy)How destructive mindset programs quietly sabotage your golf, income, and relationshipsWhy your deepest fear isn't failure, but how powerful you actually areHow avoidance, numbing, and distraction keep you stuck on the hamster wheelSimple but confronting reflection questions to expose your destructive patternsWhy deep subconscious work and hypnosis are the fastest path to lasting change Get your pencils ready and start listening. P.S. Read the article I referenced here (Your Triggers Are Your Teachers). P.P.S. Curious to learn more about the results my clients are experiencing and what they say about working with me? Read more here. Play to Your Potential On (and Off) the Course Schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery CallSubscribe to the More Pars than Bogeys NewsletterDownload my "Play Your Best Round" free hypnosis audio recording. High-Performance Hypnotherapy and Mindset Coaching Paul Salter - known as The Golf Hypnotherapist - is a High-Performance Hypnotherapist and Mindset Coach who leverages hypnosis and powerful subconscious reprogramming techniques to help golfers of all ages and skill levels overcome the mental hazards of their minds so they can shoot lower scores and play to their potential. He has over 16 years of coaching experience working with high performers in various industries, helping them get unstuck, out of their own way, and unlock their full potential. Click here to learn more about how high-performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching can help you get out of your own way and play to your potential on (and off) the course. Instagram: @thegolfhypnotherapist Key Takeaways: You can't out-practice or out-hustle destructive subconscious patterns."Doing the work" means radical honesty, ownership, and looking inward—not more tips and tools.Your deepest fear isn't inadequacy; it's realizing you're powerful beyond measure.Surface-level fixes feel productive, but they do nothing to change your identity.Avoidance, numbing, and overthinking are predictable patterns that keep you on the hamster wheel.Real transformation happens when you uncover and upgrade the beliefs driving your behaviors.Deep subconscious work—especially hypnosis—is the lever that rewires identity and unlocks your potential. Key Quotes: "You can't out-practice, out-hustle, or out-strategize the destructive patterns running your life beneath the surface.""No external shortcut or band-aid will ever fix an internal problem you're unwilling to own.""Your deepest fear is not that you are inadequate. Your deepest fear is that you are powerful beyond measure.""Surface-level work produces dopamine, but it does nothing to change your identity.""Your results are not a mystery—they're a mirror of the patterns you're running inside.""You don't need more discipline; you need belief-level upgrades and better emotional regulation.""Logic doesn't heal wounds. Willpower doesn't undo bad behaviors. Subconscious work does." Time Stamps: 00:00: Why your hard work still isn't translating into results03:59: What "doing the work" actually requires10:11: The real fear: realizing how powerful you are17:43: How avoidance and numbing keep you stuck26:32: Why surface fixes fail and beliefs must change
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • #112: [Inside the Mind] Dr. Alison Curdt: Achievement is a Drug and Calibrating Psychological-Induced Pressure
    Nov 20 2025
    High achievers are rarely "in balance"—and that's not a problem when your intensity is calibrated. In this conversation, Dr. Alison Curdt—PGA Master Professional, LPGA Master Professional, and Doctor of Psychology—opens up about the sacrifices behind elite performance, how to reframe "pressure," and why curiosity is the antidote to perfectionism, fear of failure, and self-criticism. We dig into process vs. performance vs. outcome goals, separating identity from results, and the importance of strategic rest so your practice actually sticks. Dr. Curdt also shares the pivotal moment that reshaped her life and work, how to coach an athlete at "rock bottom," and practical scripts you can use on the course this weekend. In this episode, you'll learn: Why "pressure" is a perception problem—and how to reframe it fastThe difference between outcome, performance, and process goals (and which one drives wins)How to detach self-worth from scorecards, sales, and rankingsThe simple language shifts ("have to" → "get to") that unlock better golfHow to use curiosity to replace judgment and perfectionismWhat "calibrated intensity" looks like (and why rest multiplies growth)Practical ways to coach yourself out of a slump—on the range or at work Whether you're chasing a lower handicap or scaling a business, this is a masterclass in durable confidence, emotional regulation, and performance psychology—the exact mindset training that turns effort into results. Get your pencils ready and start listening. P.S. Curious to learn more about the results my clients are experiencing and what they say about working with me? Read more here. More About Dr. Alison Curdt Dr. Alison Curdt is a dual PGA Master & LPGA Master Professional. She has over 35 years of background in golf competition and competed in 8 LPGA Tour majors. Owner of "Alison Curdt Golf" and Director of Instruction at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Los Angeles, CA, she has earned countless teaching & professional awards such as the 2025 Tom Addiss II Professional Development Award, 2019 SoCal PGA Golf Professional of the Year, 2018 SCPGA Clubfitter of the Year, 4-time LPGA Western Section Teacher of the Year, 2016 SCPGA Teacher of the Year, and 2015 LPGA T&CP National Teacher of the Year. She was selected as an LPGA Top 50 Teacher 4 times and was inducted into the SoCal PGA Teaching Hall of Fame. Dr. Curdt has been featured in over a dozen separate segments on the Golf Channel and Golf Digest selected her three times as one of America's Best Young Teachers. She is currently on the Golf Digest Best in State list (CA) and has been honored as Top 50 Teacher in America. Dr. Curdt is also a clinical sport psychotherapist utilizing EMDR & Brainspotting to help athletes achieve peak performance and overcome athletic traumas. She served as the LPGA T&CP National Vice-President and is currently the first female president of the Southern California PGA. Her book, The Golf Performance Code: Unlocking secrets to mind, body, and nutrition was published in 2025. Connect with Alison InstagramYouTube Play to Your Potential On (and Off) the Course Schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery CallSubscribe to the More Pars than Bogeys NewsletterDownload my "Play Your Best Round" free hypnosis audio recording. High-Performance Hypnotherapy and Mindset Coaching Paul Salter - known as The Golf Hypnotherapist - is a High-Performance Hypnotherapist and Mindset Coach who leverages hypnosis and powerful subconscious reprogramming techniques to help golfers of all ages and skill levels overcome the mental hazards of their minds so they can shoot lower scores and play to their potential. He has over 16 years of coaching experience working with high performers in various industries, helping them get unstuck, out of their own way, and unlock their full potential. Click here to learn more about how high-performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching can help you get out of your own way and play to your potential on (and off) the course. Instagram: @thegolfhypnotherapist Twitter: @parsoverbogeys Key Takeaways: Pressure is self-created. It's a byproduct of expectations and outcome fixation; reframe it as a challenge and return to controllables.Process > performance > outcome. Track performance stats, but win the day by executing process goals (breath, target, routine, commitment).Curiosity beats judgment. Asking "What's really happening?" dissolves shame, perfectionism, and fear—opening access to better decisions and motor memory.Calibrated intensity. Grind isn't mindless hours; it's intentional focus paired with recovery, so skills encode and become automatic.Detach identity from results. You are not your score or sales number; evaluate inputs and execution quality, not just outcomes.Reframe your language. "I have to" → "I get to," "I'm busy" → "I'm in demand"—word choice shifts physiology and performance.Coach with empathy first. Before offering fixes, make athletes feel...
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • #111: A Peak Performance Upgrade: Seeing Triggers as Teachers
    Nov 17 2025
    What if the people who trigger you the most—the mother-in-law who feels controlling, the "lazy" kids, the blow-up guy in your Saturday foursome—aren't actually the problem? You are (gulp). What if they're mirrors? In this episode of The Scratch Golfer's Mindset Podcast, I dive into the uncomfortable truth that the traits you judge, resent, or react to in others very often reflect the parts of you that you deny, repress, or flat-out hate. You'll hear raw stories from my own life and from clients who realized that the selfishness, complacency, or lack of drive they saw in others… was alive and well inside themselves. And when they finally owned those parts instead of fighting them, everything changed: more peace, more energy, more honesty, and better golf. In this episode, you'll learn: How "triggers" on the golf course, at home, and at work are actually mirrors reflecting disowned parts of you.Why owning traits like "selfish," "controlling," or "lazy" can free you instead of condemn you.The basics of Parts Theory and how seeing emotions as "parts" reduces their intensity and control over you.How repressing parts of yourself quietly drains your energy and keeps you stuck in the same patterns on and off the course.A powerful reframe of selfishness into being selflessly selfish—and how that makes you a better golfer, parent, and leader.How core beliefs like "I'll never get better" sabotage your performance, no matter how hard you work.A journaling question you can use today to turn your biggest emotional triggers into your most powerful teachers. If you're willing to be radically honest with yourself, this episode can help you reclaim the energy you've been spending running from your own reflection—and redirect it into becoming the golfer, parent, partner, and leader you know you're capable of being. Get your pencils ready and start listening. P.S. Curious to learn more about the results my clients are experiencing and what they say about working with me? Read more here. Play to Your Potential On (and Off) the Course Schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery CallSubscribe to the More Pars than Bogeys NewsletterDownload my "Play Your Best Round" free hypnosis audio recording. High-Performance Hypnotherapy and Mindset Coaching Paul Salter - known as The Golf Hypnotherapist - is a High-Performance Hypnotherapist and Mindset Coach who leverages hypnosis and powerful subconscious reprogramming techniques to help golfers of all ages and skill levels overcome the mental hazards of their minds so they can shoot lower scores and play to their potential. He has over 16 years of coaching experience working with high performers in various industries, helping them get unstuck, out of their own way, and unlock their full potential. Click here to learn more about how high-performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching can help you get out of your own way and play to your potential on (and off) the course. Instagram: @thegolfhypnotherapist Key Takeaways: Everyone in your life is a mirror. The behaviors you judge or react to most strongly in others—anger, laziness, selfishness, manipulation—are often traits that exist in you, especially the parts you don't want to see.You are made of many "parts," not one fixed identity. There's a part of you that's confident, a part that's fearful, a part that's lazy, a part that's driven. Seeing these as "parts" creates healthy distance so you're not completely fused with any one state.What you resist, persists. The harder you fight against a trait—"I'm not selfish, I'm not controlling, I'm not lazy"—the more power it quietly holds over your thoughts, emotions, and decisions.Triggers are invitations, not inconveniences. The next time someone pisses you off, embarrasses you, or makes your blood boil, you have a choice: react and blame… or pause and ask, "What part of me is this showing me?" That's where the real growth begins. Key Quotes: "What triggers you has the opportunity to teach you—if you're willing to look in the mirror instead of out the window.""You're not just one thing all the time; you're a collection of parts—and your work is to become whole, not perfect.""The traits you hate in others are often the traits you refuse to admit exist in you.""What you resist persists. The more you fight 'I'm not selfish,' the more that part quietly runs the show.""Being selflessly selfish means you put yourself first so you can show up better for everyone else in your life.""Golf is a mirror of your personal development—and the people in your life are mirrors of the parts of you that you've tried to bury.""When you accept every part of you, you stop wasting energy hiding and start using that energy to become the best version of you." Time Stamps: 00:00: Understanding Triggers and Self-Reflection02:51: The Holographic Universe and Parts Theory05:45: Mirrors in Relationships: Recognizing Ourselves in Others10:36: The Concept of Selfishness: A New Perspective15...
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • #110: [Inside the Mind] Mike Booker: Becoming a Tournament Golfer Versus a Golfer Who Plays Tournaments
    Nov 13 2025
    In this episode of The Scratch Golfer's Mindset Podcast, I sit down with Texas Golf Hall of Famer and author, Mike Booker, to unpack the mental blueprint that separates a tournament golfer from a golfer who plays tournaments. With decades of competitive success and entrepreneurial achievement, Mike shares timeless lessons on emotional steadiness, self-talk, reflection, and gratitude that have fueled his longevity both on and off the course. You'll learn how to master your self-talk, set powerful process-based goals, and build the emotional resilience needed to perform under pressure. Mike and I dive deep into how perspective, preparation, and honesty form the foundation of lasting success—and why gratitude might be the most underrated competitive advantage in golf and life. In this episode, you'll learn: How to become your own best friend and master self-talk.The difference between a tournament golfer and a golfer who plays tournaments.How to manage results-oriented thinking under pressure.The role of process, pre-shot routines, and breathing in performance.Why honesty and reflection are key to consistent improvement.How gratitude and perspective build mental resilience.The mindset needed to win in golf, business, and life. If you're serious about raising your level of play in this upcoming season of tournaments, this is the conversation you want to listen to multiple times… Get your pencils ready and start listening. P.P.S. Curious to learn more about the results my clients are experiencing and what they say about working with me? Read more here. More About Mike Booker Mike Booker is a Texas Golf Hall of Fame inductee, former University of Houston NCAA National Champion, and author of The Tournament Golfer's Playbook. A lifelong competitor who has won championships across multiple decades, Mike combines lessons learned from elite tournament golf and a 40-year career as a successful entrepreneur and financial advisor. His work teaches golfers how to think, prepare, and perform like true tournament golfers—focusing on self-talk, process, perspective, and gratitude both on and off the course. Purchase The Tournament Golfer's Playbook here. Inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame (2019),University of Houston Hall of Honor (2023)WCJC Athletic Hall of Fame (2023)A record four-time Texas Golf Association Player of the Year (2012, 2014, 2015, and 2022, Senior)Winner of a record 14 Texas Golf Association events, including Senior, Mid Am and Mid Am Match PlayPlaying Member, U. of Houston NCAA National Championship team (1977)Selected Associated Press NCAA All-American Team, U. of Houston (1977)Two-time U.S. National Club Champion (2007 and 2008, Senior) Play to Your Potential On (and Off) the Course Schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery CallSubscribe to the More Pars than Bogeys NewsletterDownload my "Play Your Best Round" free hypnosis audio recording. High-Performance Hypnotherapy and Mindset Coaching Paul Salter - known as The Golf Hypnotherapist - is a High-Performance Hypnotherapist and Mindset Coach who leverages hypnosis and powerful subconscious reprogramming techniques to help golfers of all ages and skill levels overcome the mental hazards of their minds so they can shoot lower scores and play to their potential. He has over 16 years of coaching experience working with high performers in various industries, helping them get unstuck, out of their own way, and unlock their full potential. Click here to learn more about how high-performance hypnotherapy and mindset coaching can help you get out of your own way and play to your potential on (and off) the course. Instagram: @thegolfhypnotherapist Twitter: @parsoverbogeys Key Takeaways: Longevity in golf—and life—comes from perspective, self-compassion, and gratitude.Be your own best friend. The relationship you have with yourself defines performance.Talk to yourself like someone you care about: first person, not third person.Focus on intermediate goals to avoid burnout and stay emotionally steady.Failure is a teacher, not a threat—learn, adapt, and build resilience.Honesty is the foundation of growth; surround yourself with people who tell you the truth.Process beats pressure: control what you can, trust what you've practiced.Breathing and a consistent pre-shot routine are your anchors under stress.Tournament golfers don't make excuses—they take ownership and stay adaptable.Gratitude keeps you grounded. "If you don't have gratitude, you're not paying attention." Key Quotes: "It's not what you say to everyone else—it's what you whisper to yourself."The longest relationship you'll ever have is with yourself. Be your own best friend.""Most success stories are built on overwhelming amounts of failure.""Winning is affirmation—but it's short-lived. The real victory is showing up again tomorrow.""Don't worry about it. Nobody really cares that much." "Tournament golfers don't believe in bad breaks—they just play the next ...
    Show More Show Less
    57 mins