#112: [Inside the Mind] Dr. Alison Curdt: Achievement is a Drug and Calibrating Psychological-Induced Pressure

High achievers are rarely "in balance"—and that's not a problem when your intensity is calibrated. 

In this conversation, Dr. Alison Curdt—PGA Master Professional, LPGA Master Professional, and Doctor of Psychology—opens up about the sacrifices behind elite performance, how to reframe "pressure," and why curiosity is the antidote to perfectionism, fear of failure, and self-criticism. 

We dig into process vs. performance vs. outcome goals, separating identity from results, and the importance of strategic rest so your practice actually sticks. Dr. Curdt also shares the pivotal moment that reshaped her life and work, how to coach an athlete at "rock bottom," and practical scripts you can use on the course this weekend.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why "pressure" is a perception problem—and how to reframe it fast
• The difference between outcome, performance, and process goals (and which one drives wins)
• How to detach self-worth from scorecards, sales, and rankings
• The simple language shifts ("have to" → "get to") that unlock better golf
• How to use curiosity to replace judgment and perfectionism
• What "calibrated intensity" looks like (and why rest multiplies growth)
• Practical ways to coach yourself out of a slump—on the range or at work

Whether you're chasing a lower handicap or scaling a business, this is a masterclass in durable confidence, emotional regulation, and performance psychology—the exact mindset training that turns effort into results.

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.

More About Dr. Alison Curdt

Dr. Alison Curdt is a dual PGA Master & LPGA Master Professional. She has over 35 years of background in golf competition and competed in 8 LPGA Tour majors. Owner of "Alison Curdt Golf" and Director of Instruction at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Los Angeles, CA, she has earned countless teaching & professional awards such as the 2025 Tom Addiss II Professional Development Award, 2019 SoCal PGA Golf Professional of the Year, 2018 SCPGA Clubfitter of the Year, 4-time LPGA Western Section Teacher of the Year, 2016 SCPGA Teacher of the Year, and 2015 LPGA T&CP National Teacher of the Year. She was selected as an LPGA Top 50 Teacher 4 times and was inducted into the SoCal PGA Teaching Hall of Fame.

Dr. Curdt has been featured in over a dozen separate segments on the Golf Channel and Golf Digest selected her three times as one of America's Best Young Teachers. She is currently on the Golf Digest Best in State list (CA) and has been honored as Top 50 Teacher in America. 

Dr. Curdt is also a clinical sport psychotherapist utilizing EMDR & Brainspotting to help athletes achieve peak performance and overcome athletic traumas. She served as the LPGA T&CP National Vice-President and is currently the first female president of the Southern California PGA. 

Her book, The Golf Performance Code: Unlocking secrets to mind, body, and nutrition was published in 2025.

Connect with Alison

• Instagram
• YouTube

Play to Your Potential On (and Off) the Course

1. Schedule a Mindset Coaching Discovery Call
2. Subscribe to the More Pars than Bogeys Newsletter
3. 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 

Twitter: @parsoverbogeys

Key Takeaways:

• Pressure is self-created. It's a byproduct of expectations and outcome fixation; reframe it as a challenge and return to controllables.
• Process > performance > outcome. Track performance stats, but win the day by executing process goals (breath, target, routine, commitment).
• Curiosity beats judgment. Asking "What's really happening?" dissolves shame, perfectionism, and fear—opening access to better decisions and motor memory.
• Calibrated intensity. Grind isn't mindless hours; it's intentional focus paired with recovery, so skills encode and become automatic.
• Detach identity from results. You are not your score or sales number; evaluate inputs and execution quality, not just outcomes.
• Reframe your language. "I have to" → "I get to," "I'm busy" → "I'm in demand"—word choice shifts physiology and performance.
• Coach with empathy first. Before offering fixes, make athletes feel seen; then co-create reframes and experiments they can own.

Key Quotes:

• "Pressure doesn't exist—outside of physics. We create it with expectations."
• "Achievement can feel like a drug—use it to fuel you, not break you."
• "You're not what you produce. You are enough—regardless of the number."
• "Win with process goals; they ladder up to performance—and then outcomes."
• "Curiosity is the antidote to so many psychological 'diseases.'"
• "If you keep grinding the stone, it turns to nothing. Rest builds growth."
• "Tell yourself: You have everything you need to succeed. Then access it."

Time Stamps:

• 00:00 The Journey of Achievement and Sacrifice
• 04:42 Rebirth from Trauma: A Turning Point
• 06:46 Navigating Rock Bottom: Questions for Growth
• 09:01 Building Resilience: Coaching Through Adversity
• 12:05 Understanding Pressure: A Psychological Perspective
• 20:06 The Grind: Positive vs. Negative Connotations
• 22:58 The Importance of Rest and Recovery
• 25:34 Detaching Identity from Performance
• 29:01 Understanding Enoughness and Self-Worth
• 32:20 Effective Communication and Expectation Management
• 35:52 Overcoming Perfectionism and Embracing Variability
• 38:58 Empowering Beliefs for Success