
#123: Do the Work: My 2025 Golf Reckoning and 2026 Identity Shift
The Scratch Golfer's Mindset PodcastEpisode Notes
In this solo episode of The Scratch Golfer's Mindset Podcast, I'm sharing a raw, honest reflection on my 2025 golf season—what improved, what I avoided, where fear quietly ran the show, and why the theme of 2026 is simple: do the work.
I walk you through the exact 15 reflection questions I challenged my newsletter readers to answer—and I read my own straight-from-the-journal responses. Then I close by defining the identity I'm stepping into in 2026: committed, intentional, and fearless—with a clear focus on becoming a longer hitter, sharper from 125 and in, and mentally tougher when things get uncomfortable.
If you've been stuck in inconsistency, rushing your routine, or playing not to mess up, this episode will give you a mirror—and a reset.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- The 15 reflection questions I use to audit a season and upgrade my golf identity
- Why false urgency destroys routines, decision-making, and scoring
- How fear shows up as "smart golf" (laying back, avoiding driver) and silently caps your potential
- The difference between practicing and practicing with intentionality
- How I'm building more presence and focus using a 3-hole check-in reset
- What I'm no longer willing to tolerate in my game—and why that line matters
- The identity shift I'm making in 2026: committed, intentional, fearless—and what that looks like in action
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 Call
- Subscribe to the More Pars than Bogeys Newsletter
- Download 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.

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