caffeine or adrenalin?

[AliB]

Decided at last minute to enter a medal comp yesterday and despite going off the boil towards the end, I got nicely under my handicap and hope to be back at 23 (22.5) any minute now.
I was v. pleased but having played a much less inspiring (and typical) round today, am wondering what factors made a difference.
1. Sounds mad, but unusually for me, drank a cup of real coffee for breakfast yesterday - strong stuff. Started birdie par par(!!!)and Definitely felt the buzz for several holes! Nescafe today - did not have same effect. Should I keep up the caffeine (what about my heart!)
2. Today was a casual round - partners not even announcing their scores. Also little banter or camaraderie. Also playing in a four - pretty slow. After a couple of bad holes, I lost the will to live.
I used to dread comps because of the pressure - now beginning to think no pressure at all is a bad thing.
I did try to think of today as practice, but couldn't get fired up.
Is anyone else a caffeine or adrenalin junkie?

AliB

 

[medwayjon]

A bit of both for me Ali, love an adrenaline buzz more than anything, caffeine is a good 2nd, I get a headache without my daily caffeine fix, the new red bull cola is awesome for it.

 

[haplesshacker]

Huge doses of both for me I'm afraid. Got to admit that I tend to play better when the presure is on, and not so well if I play with the same people all the time.

 

[Nico]

Adrenaline for me. These days find that coffee makes me too nervous and I get the shakes!

I did the GI diet a few years back and had no caffeine for weeks and I have never been able to handle it since.

Always performed better when under the gun it is just the best feeling in the world.

Always remember playing in a better ball match soon after joining this club and walking off tenth,turning to my partner and saying "God I missed this,I love that feeling in your stomach when it gets really tight! Isnt this FANTASTIC!" he said "I feel sick". Told me all I needed to know about him right there.

 

[brendy]

Always playin partners for a quid front, back and overall, the money doesnt matter, its the focus it gives you for every hole as you dont want to let your partner down, nevermind yourself.

 

[RGuk]

I "use" caffeine a great deal, before golf and nearly always before periods of concentration. I'm sure an expert would claim that caffeine is like any addictive drug (incl. nicotine) in that it only helps you if you have it regularly therefore you suffer from withdrawal.
Unfortunately, I rarely get much adrenaline pumping these days...years of getting used to pressure scenarios.
A small dose of adrenaline is ideal for any performance needs, but for me, caffeine is the drug of choice when I need to pull out the stops.

 

[madandra]

I had a couple of cans of red bull before a medal last season and I was rattlin' man !!!!!!!!!!


I was bouncin' and couldn't concentrate on my shot. I have avoided them since and I am still rank rotten.

 

[viscount17]

Caffiene (coffee) before plus a caffiene booster (Red Bull, Tiger, Kick etc) at the turn and the adrenalin. Hasn't worked yet but it will!

Used to get Percol Rocket Fuel coffee which had the caffiene taken out of decaf added as an extra, can't find it now.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Has to be andrenalin for me. Its the thrill of grinding out the best score possible even in a medal. We've all been there where you have had the big blow out that has cost you any chance of winning. From there on in its trying to play to your handicap, then trying to make the buffer and then trying to grind the lowest score possible.

It is this that keeps me going now where in the old days once I was out of contention the head would go and I'd lose interest and literally hack it round. Now I'm still giving 100% on every shot

 

[USER1999]

Don't do caffeine at all. Gives me the shakes.

Adrenaline every time.

Played matchplay singles comp yesterday against a 2 h/capper. Was 3 over gross after 10 off the back blocks. Haven't played like this for ages. Need the rush to play my best (and the challenge of a top opponent). Won 3 & 1 in the end.

 

[OldWindy]

Adrenaline for me - caffeine just makes things too jittery.

 

[brendy]

The rush of having a good score has killed me more often than its helped. I have now started to try not to get ahead of myself, keep things as calm as possible until the last iron shot is away, then I can relax once on the green.

 

[AliB]

Cheers for the replies, guys. Glad I'm not the only one who need a bit of a boost.
Brendy - agree absolutely. On Wed I didn't tot up after 9 as I knew I was doing well and thinking of how could it could be would be likely to prompt a collapse (which I pretty well managed anyway!) It's always hard to stay 'in the moment' when you're on a roll.
Still, that caffeine kick did something. Just goes to show what a fine line there is when it comes to 'substance abuse'!