Your inner critic can be brutal. On the golf course—or anywhere in life—it often sounds like this: “You’re horrible. Why did you even try? You should have done better.”

In this episode of Set Your Mind, Dr. Stephen Ginsberg explores how self-criticism doesn’t drive improvement—it derails performance. Drawing on the research of Dr. Kristin Neff, a leading expert on self-compassion, we uncover how treating yourself like a teammate instead of a tyrant can improve your golf, your work, and your life.

Key Concepts Covered

• Why negative self-talk is more damaging than helpful
• The three pillars of self-compassion (Neff):
  1. Self-kindness – speak to yourself like someone you love would
  2. Common humanity – mistakes happen to everyo ...