#107: Stop Starting Over: Separation Season Has Arrived

Every winter, it happens… Your clubs collect dust, your swing feels distant, and that quiet voice creeps in: "What if I lose everything I worked for this season?" But what most golfers lose in the off-season isn't their mechanics — it's their confidence. You stop swinging. You stop visualizing. You stop feeling like a golfer. And by the time spring rolls around, you're not just rusty — you're hesitant, uncertain, and disconnected from the player you were just a few months ago. Here's the truth: confidence isn't built under sunshine and scorecards — it's built in the dark. It's built in the quiet reps no one sees, the small acts of discipline that nobody celebrates. This winter, you have a choice: You can coast, like every other golfer who slides backward once the weather turns… or you can treat these months like Separation Season — your chance to build confidence, sharpen your edge, and step into spring already playing the best golf of your life. In this episode, you'll learn: Why most golfers lose confidence, not mechanics, in the off-season — and how to protect it. The four mental traps that create regression and how to beat each one. How to set a minimum effective dose for practice, fitness, and mindset work. The identity shift needed to think, train, and prepare like a golfer year-round. And how to design an off-season plan that builds momentum now — so you never have to "find your swing" again. If you're ready to break the typical golf season pattern of two steps forward, three steps back, and breakthrough to play to your potential in 2026, this episode is for you. 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. Instagram: @thegolfhypnotherapist Key Takeaways: Confidence decays first. Touch a club and your routine multiple times per week to keep the "golfer" identity alive. Beat all-or-nothing with a minimum-effective-dose: short, repeatable sessions > heroic plans you won't sustain. Comfort creep is costly. Indulgence is fine; defaulting to comfort isn't. Keep micro-standards through the holidays. Excuses in a suit are still excuses. "I'll wait for better conditions" trains retreat, not resilience. Accountability accelerates. Coach, community, or check-ins — add a scoreboard and you'll show up. Lift the floor. Off-season is perfect for strength, mobility, and power so your worst days get better. Calendar = commitment. If it isn't blocked, it isn't real. Audit, schedule, and protect your reps. Key Quotes: "Confidence isn't built in season — it's built in the dark." "Most golfers don't lose ground from weather; they lose it from mental drift." "All-or-nothing is perfectionism dressed up as logic." "Comfort is a habit. So is consistency. Choose which one you'll practice." "Excuses preserve the ego but poison momentum." "Raise the floor this winter — strength and identity travel." "If it's not on your calendar, it's not a priority. It's a wish." Time Stamps: 00:00: The real off-season loss: confidence, not mechanics 04:10: "Separation Season" reframe and episode roadmap 10:37: The Thermostat Effect: identity sets your handicap 21:11: All-or-nothing thinking + Minimum-Effective-Dose fix 29:36: Five clarity questions & building your winter plan