Hey Fellow Golfer - 

Thank you for reading this week’s More Pars Than Bogeys Newsletter. If you find it valuable, could you forward this email to a fellow golfer?

Thank you.

You can click here to read the online version of this week’s newsletter. 

And be sure to catch up on this week’s podcast episode:

• #85: Golf Mental Game vs. Golf Mindset Training: Why Most Golfers Get It Wrong

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about how mindset coaching and hypnotherapy can help you get unstuck from the proverbial bunker of poor performance on (and off) the course, click here to schedule a coaching discovery call with me. 

You step onto the first tee with high hopes.

• You’ve rehearsed your pre-shot routine. 

• You’ve practiced your breathing. 

• You’ve listened to a podcast about the power of positive self-talk on the way to the course.

And still—three holes in, after a pushed drive and a lip-out par putt—you feel yourself unraveling.

• You know what to do.

• But you’re not doing it.

• And it’s killing your confidence.

Here’s the truth:

What you’re calling the mental game is often a mindset problem in disguise.

Most golfers lump everything “between the ears” into one category.

They call it the mental game.

They read books about focus, watch YouTube videos about breathing techniques, and practice their pre-shot routine hoping it will save their round when the pressure mounts.

Until you understand the difference between mental game training and mindset training, you’ll keep spinning your wheels—playing well in spurts, but never consistently, and never truly free.

In today’s newsletter, you’ll learn the powerful and important differences between training your golf mental game and training your golf mindset, as well as how they work synergistically together, yet, without a foundational emphasis on mindset training, mental game training provides little value. 

Let’s tee off!

Mental Game Training: Situational Tools for Performance Moments

Think of mental game training as your external toolkit—strategies you use during the round to regulate nerves, direct focus, and manage emotions in real time.

• It’s the breath you know to take before a big tee shot.

• It’s the routine you know to use after a three-putt.

• It’s the process you know to follow to stay calm, present, and emotionally neutral.

Mental game tactics include:

• Pre-shot routines

• Post-shot resets

• Visualization and imagery

• Breathwork

• Affirmations and self-talk scripts

• On-course decision-making and expectation management

These tools are essential. But they’re not enough.

Because no amount of box breathing will calm a player who believes “I choke when it counts.”

No pre-shot routine will work if your self-worth is riding on the result.

That’s why golfers keep grinding—yet still feel stuck.

They’ve got the tools…

But they haven’t addressed the wiring.

Mindset Training: Identity-Level Work That Shapes How You Show Up

Mindset training is who you are before you ever swing a club.

• It’s the inner work that determines how you react when things go wrong.

• How you handle pressure, success, or the judgmental glance from a better player.

• How you talk to yourself when you miss the fairway on 18 needing par to break 80.

It’s not about what to do - or how to do it. 

It’s about why you either do or don’t do it.

Mindset training rewires the foundation:

• The beliefs that shape your identity

• The emotions that dominate your decision-making

• The patterns of fear, pressure, and perfectionism that sabotage performance

It builds traits like:

• Self-awareness

• Emotional regulation

• Discipline and consistency

• Resilience

• Self-trust

• Internal confidence

And, at its core, mindset training is about rewriting the stories and reprogramming your patterns to become fearless, confident, and grounded. 

This work is slower. Less glamorous. Often uncomfortable.

But it’s also the only path to lasting change.

Mental Game vs. Mindset: The Club and the Swing

Let’s anchor this with one of the simplest and most powerful analogies:

Mental game = Club selection

Mental game training is about knowing what to use, when. Which club. Which tool. Which routine. It’s tactical, situational, reactive.

Mindset = Your swing foundation

If your swing mechanics are broken, it doesn’t matter what club you use—you’re in trouble. If your emotional regulation, identity, and beliefs are rooted in self-doubt and fear, no pre-shot routine will save you.

The mental game is important.

But mindset is foundational.

You need both.

The Real Reason You Keep Sabotaging Your Round

Ever leave the course thinking, “I knew better. Why didn’t I do it?”

That’s mindset.

Because the gap between knowing and doing is almost always emotional.

• You know rushing ruins your tempo—but when the group behind is waiting, you panic.

• You know to commit to every shot—but on 16, with a good scorecard in hand, you play scared.

• You know perfection isn’t real—but you berate yourself after a single missed putt.

These aren’t knowledge issues.

These are unresolved mindset programs.

You don’t have a swing problem. You have a story problem—a belief about yourself that’s been running the show without your permission.

If you’re serious about taking your game to the next level - on and off the course - click here to schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery Call to learn how I can help you plug your energy leaks and play to your potential.

Why It’s Easier to Prioritize the Mental Game Training

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

You chase mental game hacks because they’re easier.

They give you a quick dopamine hit. A feeling of progress. A sense of control.

Reading about the mental game feels productive.  Watching breathwork reels feels like growth. But it’s often just a distraction from the deeper work.

Mindset work is different. 

It forces you to ask hard questions:

• Where is my identity tied to performance?

• Why does success feel threatening?

• Why do I sabotage myself when I start to play well?

It’s slower. Messier. Scarier.

But it’s also the only work that actually changes you.

How to Begin Strengthening Your Mindset

These are the internal skills that matter most—and how to build them:

1. Self-Awareness: Learn to recognize your triggers. Use journaling, mindfulness, and post-round reflection.

Example: Pause and note your internal dialogue after a bad hole—what belief shows up first?

2. Emotional Regulation: Practice the 10-second rule. When tension spikes, stop. Breathe. Feel. Re-center.

Example: After a double bogey, put your club away slowly. Exhale fully. Choose your next target with fresh intention.

3. Resilience: Let go of outcome obsession. Reframe mistakes as feedback, not failure.

Example: Track your bounce-back holes. Make it a game: how fast can you emotionally recover?

4. Discipline: Build a process and stick to it, especially when you don’t feel like it.

Example: Follow the same warm-up routine before every round, even in casual play.

5. Identity Rewiring: Update your internal stories. Replace “I’m a choker” with “I’m learning to handle pressure.”

Example: Use hypnosis or daily affirmations to reinforce new beliefs that align with the golfer you want to become.

6. Self-Trust: Play more rounds where score is secondary. Give yourself permission to swing freely.

Example: Play one round per month where you focus solely on commitment—not control.

The Fastest Way to Strengthen Your Mindset: Fitness

If you want to toughen your mind, toughen your body.

The gym is the most powerful mindset training ground I’ve ever found.

Here’s why:

• It builds discipline—you show up regardless of how you feel.

• It strengthens willpower—every rep is a battle against the urge to quit.

• It sharpens focus—you have to stay present under pressure.

• It expands your emotional capacity—you learn how to stay composed under fatigue.

Every time you want to quit during a workout but don’t, you cast a vote for the version of you who doesn’t fold under pressure on the golf course.

This is what next-level success demands:

Discomfort. Grit. Repetition. Stillness under stress.

Fitness is where you train all of that—and more.

Final Thought: Stop Managing Symptoms and Start Rewiring the Source

If you’ve plateaued…

If your confidence evaporates under pressure…

If you know what to do but can’t seem to do it when it matters most…

You don’t need another hack.

You need a full-system upgrade.

Your mindset is the gatekeeper.

It determines what you do, how you do it, and whether you keep doing it when things get hard.

It doesn’t just influence how you play. It is how you play.

If you’re ready to rewire your identity, build unshakeable confidence, and become the golfer—and man—you know you’re capable of being…

Click here to schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery Call.

Let’s get to the root.

Let’s rebuild with intention.

Let’s make playing to your potential a habit.

Your Next Step

Every newsletter will conclude with a suggested action step and further resources on the topic we discussed.

After reading today’s newsletter, spend time auditing what aspect of mindset training you’re avoiding - and why. Even more, commit to an exercise regimen. Period. Have one? Double down on wisely beginning to increase the intensity and discomfort of each workout.

If you have any questions, feel free to DM me on Instagram (@thegolfhypnotherapist) or send me an email directly: [email protected]

Thank you for reading today’s newsletter.

If you found it valuable, share it with a fellow golfer ready to take their game to the next level.

Until next time,

Paul

P.S. What did you think of today’s newsletter? Reply back / drop a comment below to let me know.

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When you're ready, there are three ways I can help you:

1. Listen to The Scratch Golfer’s Mindset Podcast: Whether you’re an occasional amateur, a weekend regular, or a competitor seeking a tournament trophy or your pro card, this podcast will help you overcome the mental hazards of your mind to shoot more pars than bogeys. Start listening.
   

2. Download My “Play Your Best Round” Hypnosis Audio Recording: Let me help you lock in the level of focus, confidence, and clarity you need to create the mindset necessary to make your next round your best round. Download Your Free Hypnosis Audio.
   

3. 1-1 Mindset Coaching and Hypnotherapy for Golfers: I help golfers overcome the emotional and mental hazards of their minds to shoot lower scores (and have more fun) using hypnosis. Book a free Golf Mental Game Strategy Call Today.