#140: [Inside the Mind] Craig Domann: Play the Inside Game to Become Elite (Build an Elite Performance Mindset)

Most golfers think performance is a two-part equation: talent + hard work.

Craig Domann says that's exactly why so many players stay stuck—because when results don't match effort, they start hunting for shortcuts: a new driver, a new swing coach, a new "hack" to finally feel confident.

But Craig's worked with 300+ NFL athletes and coaches over 30 years, and he's seen the real separator up close:

Mindset is the multiplier.

Not the motivational-poster version of mindset—Craig means your story, your standards, your ability to play an inside game (you vs. you), and your capacity to detach from outcomes when the moment gets loud.

This conversation is a blueprint for anyone chasing the next level—on the course, in business, and in life—especially if you've ever felt behind before you even tee it up.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why mindset is the missing variable that lets you outperform your "expected" ceiling
• How your inner story shows up in "Olympic moments" (first tee, final holes, big meetings)
• The difference between playing an inside game vs. outside game (and why 90% get trapped)
• Why "going all-in" requires vulnerability—and how fear of judgment keeps you small
• The hidden enemy of elite performance: comfort, convenience, and entitlement
• How to use detachment to access flow when stakes, money, or validation creep in
• Craig's P5 framework: Preparation, Practice, Pit Crew, Preview, Process

Get your pencils ready and start listening. 

Apply for 1-1 Mindset and Performance Coaching: Click here to apply to work with me.

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 Craig Domann

Step into the mindset of the pros with Craig Domann, a seasoned NFL agent who has negotiated more than half a billion dollars in contracts for 100+ NFL Draft Picks and 300+ NFL Players. He now works with high school and college athletes, representing them for their NIL agreements. 

With more than 30 years of experience guiding elite athletes and coaches, Craig has reverse-engineered the mindset that drives the best to greatness. He's developed a coaching program for coaches, athletes, executives and entrepreneurs and he is the author of Pro Mindset®: Be Your Best in Your Biggest Moments, as well as the host of the Pro Mindset® Podcast.

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: @thepaulsalter

Key Takeaways:

• Mindset is the missing variable: talent + hard work is incomplete—without mindset you chase "hacks" (new driver, new coach) instead of expanding your ceiling.
• Your "Olympic moment" story is the real story: what you tell yourself when you're outdriven, on the first tee, or protecting a lead is what determines execution.
• Self-belief is built on self-love: most people carry years of "trash" and scar tissue into every round unless they learn to release it and rewrite the narrative.
• Elite performers play an inside game: less comparison, less social-media validation, more "me vs. me" autonomy and self-trust under pressure.
• Going all-in is the true price of elite: it's vulnerable (like showing your cards in poker), and most people avoid that exposure more than they want to win.
• Detachment unlocks flow: counting money, accolades, sponsors, or "what this means" creates interference; "nothing to lose" is why comebacks happen.
• Comfort competes with success: entitlement and convenience justify skipped reps; rest matters, but it must be scheduled intentionally and paired with proper pace.

Key Quotes:

• "When you add your God given ability, plus the training and the hard work you put in, and then your mindset, you can actually outperform what people think you should be able to do."
• "The story that shows up in those Olympic moments… is the story we tell ourselves."
• "It's belief in love. It's self-belief and self-love."
• "They have the uncanny ability to play an inside game instead of an outside game."
• "To truly be elite, you've got to have the courage and the guts to go all in with no safety net."
• "The best place to reside is to be in the uncomfortable zone."
• "The story you tell yourself needs to be on that billboard… because that's your swing thought."

Time Stamps:

• 00:00: The Foundation of Elite Performance
• 02:31: The Power of Mindset
• 05:20: Self-Belief and Self-Love
• 08:12: The Inside Game vs. Outside Game
• 10:53: Going All In: The Cost of Elite Success
• 13:38: The Role of Comfort and Complacency
• 16:10: Rest, Rejuvenation, and Sustainable Success
• 22:40: Finding the Right Pace for Success
• 24:20: Navigating Contract Negotiations
• 27:41: Building an Effective Inner Circle
• 29:07: The Role of Character in Success
• 32:11: Rewriting Your Story for Growth
• 36:21: Strategies for High-Level Performance