This may have been discussed before but, I am having a hard time getting over nervousness on my tee shots . I try taking deep breaths trying to relax myself but I just can't seem to get over it. If I hit a good drive on the first tee it it seem to subside as I play but if that first drive is bad it seems to ruin the rest of my round. Any suggestions?
I wish I could help, but don't really know what to say. I'm usually not nervous at all about playing golf. When it comes down to it you shouldn't be nervous about making a tee shot. I mean, it's not going to change the world if you do make a bad shot. But I'm reading Dr. Bob Rotella's The Golfers mind, which I think is going to help with my mental game, which I was talking about in another thread.
...If I hit a good drive on the first tee it it seem to subside as I play but if that first drive is bad it seems to ruin the rest of my round. Any suggestions?
To help get my round off to a good start, often I do not hit 1-wood off the first tee. So my suggestion would be to try a 3-wood or even a 5-wood. Hitting the first fairway helps my attitude a lot.
Most of the time I just go to the tee and waggle the clubhead once and hit the ball. I dont like to dwell on the tee shot, that maybe why you're so nervous. The more time you have to think about the tee shot the more time you have to think negatively about it. Most of the time I'm not even thinking about anything when I get up to the tee box.
I wish I could help, but don't really know what to say. I'm usually not nervous at all about playing golf. When it comes down to it you shouldn't be nervous about making a tee shot. I mean, it's not going to change the world if you do make a bad shot. But I'm reading Dr. Bob Rotella's The Golfers mind, which I think is going to help with my mental game, which I was talking about in another thread.
You're not alone, even pros can get nerveous. I recall an interview with a Scotish golfer playing in his first British open and it was at St Andrews. The guy was hilarious. He recount how on the first tee, he was shaking so badly, he couldn't keep his ball on the tee. After the fourth attempt, his caddie came over and asked if he needed help! Finally, on the fifth attempt it stayed.
Are we talkin' about tourneys or money rounds or just golf with your buds? How much do you warm up at the range before play? Not all, but some degree of confidence comes from the practice tee. How severe is it?...how long does the intense anxiety last? I understand a ruined round but the last half is just motions...I'm talkin' about the knee chatters, how long do they last?
For me...I focus on NOT trying to hammer that first tee shot. Just get it down the fairway tgive myself a chance at par. I used to want to really thump that first one, but the results put me behind the eight ball. Don't squeeze the club too hard ... that's nerves taking over.
I'd have to say most everyone feels the jitters on the tee. You're worried about the outcome, that's what is causing the anxiety. All you can do is focus on the fundamentals of making a good swing. Try and think of only good thoughts on the tee box, purge out the negative ones. Good thoughts usually produce good outcomes....give it a try!
Maybe saying a certain phrase to yourself will relax you while you are on the tee... something like "it's just golf" or "have fun today" or "this beats work"
When Tiger had to make the putt on the 72nd hole to get into a playoff with Bob May at the 2000 PGA Championship, he said that while he was standing over the putt, he said to himself, "my mom can make this putt", and he said it relaxed him enough to make the stroke.
Also, SellMate's suggestion of not squeezing the club too tight is an excellent one.
Don't squeeze the club too hard ... that's nerves taking over.
Now, there's some advice worth paying attention to!
No matter, it's just one shot. I've hit my share of clunkers off the first tee and come back with a terrific second shot from the heavy rough in front of the tee box. You just can't let that first drive get to you.
My jitters don't start until my 1st shot off the deck. It usually takes me a couple of holes until I get my feel for that. Since I went to one of those jumbo head drivers(TM R5), I just tee it high and take a rip. My 1st tee shot doesn't usually get my normal distance and it isn't always exactly straight, but it's hard to really mis-hit one with it.
thats what i like about my home course, the first hole is a dogleg left par 4 and i don't hit a draw much so i have to hit a 3/4 iron or 5 wood. Its a lot easier start to the day.
I tee up driver high and hit it hard...I find that unless the first hole is devlishly tight, and it usually isn't where I play. I at least assure myself of getting the ball in the air, and I always have a tough time trying to take something off a drive. I'm always a little nervous, especially if there are people waiting behind me on the tee, but when I hit a good one, it's a big confidence boost.
Try to remember the last time you hit a GREAT tee shot. As you are on the tee, that's the last thing you want to remember before you go into your pre-shot routine. "You've already done it and you're gonna do it again!!!"
November 14th, 2005, 07:31 PM
. I try taking deep breaths trying to relax myself but I just can't seem to get over it. If I hit a good drive on the first tee it it seem to subside as I play but if that first drive is bad it seems to ruin the rest of my round. Any suggestions? 
Finally, on the fifth attempt it stayed.
Shade
Linear Mode
Similar Threads
