![#27: [Inside the Mind] Dr. Jason Novetsky: Creating Your Golf Identity to Play to Your Potential](https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/b/7/3/6/b7361c6aa3787074d959afa2a1bf1c87/Podcast_Coverart_2026_V2-20251223-kw7li4emk8.jpg)
August 29, 2024
#27: [Inside the Mind] Dr. Jason Novetsky: Creating Your Golf Identity to Play to Your Potential
The Scratch Golfer's Mindset PodcastAbout this episode
Meet Dr. Jason Novetsky - a sports psychology and mental toughness coach for numerous elite athletes. You may know him from his ties to the Chasing Scratch Podcast, but you may not know the breadth and depth of experience he has helping golfers and athletes alike overcome their own obstacles and achieve their personal championships. In this episode, you'll get a front-row seat to the topics and teachings he focuses on when working with some of the top golfers in the world. Specifically, you'll learn more about the importance of creating a golf identity and crafting a golf identity statement, as well as the value of cultivating a neutral mindset. You'll also discover the ultimate goal-setting blueprint, learn the importance of having both values and standards to achieve your goals, and so much more. Get your pencils ready and start listening. Use Hypnosis to Shoot Lower Scores: Are you curious to learn how hypnosis can help you shoot lower scores? Snag my free hypnosis audio recording today to help you play your best round tomorrow. Download it here . More About Dr. Novetsky Dr. Novetsky is the sport psychology and mental toughness coach for numerous collegiate, high school, and club-level teams in various sports across Michigan and the United States. He coaches numerous individual professional, collegiate, and youth athletes in his Birmingham, MI office and virtually to help them achieve their personal championships. Learn more about and work with him here . Key Takeaways: Having a strong set of standards and values helps athletes live and play in the present with a neutral mindset in the face of pressure and adversity. Emotional resilience is fostered by thinking more neutrally, being curious, thinking tactically, and focusing on the smartest next move. Identity statements are short sentences or paragraphs that athletes read daily to align their behavior and choices with the person they want to become. Patience is a common challenge for athletes, especially in a society that values instant gratification. It is important to focus on the process and evaluate oneself based on effort, attitude, preparation, and discipline. Fear of success can stem from the expectations of others and the pressure to consistently perform at a high level. Setting new goals and focusing on growth can help alleviate this fear. A growth mindset is crucial for athletes to continue improving. It involves being open to growth, embracing challenges, and learning from setbacks. Detaching one's identity from their score on the golf course is essential for maintaining a healthy mindset. Developing a mental workout routine away from the course can greatly improve performance. Self-evaluation is an important tool for bouncing back from poor performances. It is important for golfers to separate their golf identity from their personal identity. They should remember that golf is just one aspect of their life and not let their performance on the course define their self-worth. Key Quotes: "Having a strong set of standards and values that you always fall back on helps you to live and play in the present with a neutral mindset in the face of pressure and adversity." "We need to think more neutrally, be curious, think tactically, think effectively, think productively." "Your behavior or your choices or the way you speak to yourself consistent with the person you want to be?" "What are the ingredients and recipe you need to make that plate happen?" Subscribe to the More Pars Than Bogeys Newsletter. This newsletter helps double-digit golfers overcome the emotional and mental hazards of their minds so that they can shoot more pars than bogeys. Each week, I'll provide insights, principles, and strategies to help you deter distractions, find your focus, manage your emotions, and cultivate boundless confidence so that you can play to your potential. Subscribe now . 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 the course and in your business, click here to schedule a coaching discovery call with me. For feedback, questions, or to take me out for a round of golf, shoot me an email or connect with me on social media: Instagram: @scratchgolfermindset Twitter: @parsoverbogeys LinkedIn: Paul Salter Coaching Time Stamps: 00:00: Introduction and Background of Dr. Jason Novetsky 03:12: Emotional Resilience and Thinking Neutrally 08:01: Standards, Values, and Identity in Athletes 12:12: Creating Identity Statements for Athletes 15:00: The Importance of Patience in Athletes' Journeys 23:13: Goal Setting and the Process of Achievement 26:15: The Role of Mental Training in Improving Performance 29:31: Embracing a Growth Mindset to Bounce Back from Poor Performances 32:32: Detaching Identity from Score and Focusing on Process 37:29: Developing a Mental Workout Routine for Improved Performance 41:00: Self-Evaluation as a Tool for Bouncing Back 43:27: Separating Golf Identity from Personal Identity