Controlling competition nerves

[swanny32]

Need some help people. I'm definitely one for getting pre competition nerves, no matter how many comps I play I always seem to have a very restless nights sleep the night before, get the usual butterflies etc. I tend to not be so bad with regular Sunday morning comps, although still suffer a bit, but I'm absolutely bricking it for our Volvo matchplay match tomorrow morning and have been for a couple of days now, seriously, you'd think the butterflies would have gotten bored by now....but no!

How does everyone handle their nerves? I'm not really nervous about playing golf I don't think, I'm more nervous about playing with complete strangers as I'm generally quite a shy person, heck, I was even nervous about having a friendly knock with Lesbanana and CallawayKid last week!

 

[JustOne]

It's the same for forum meets where you don't want to make an arse of yourself even though no one there plays like a tour pro.

Having nerves/a rush/a buzz standing over the ball is a great feeling... it's why you play surely? I love the feeling, I'd take standing over a 6 footer to win any day!

 

[Curls]

Perspective might help. First of all realising that by lying awake thinking about the what-ifs you're not increasing your chances of doing well, so you might as well switch off and get some rest. Secondly, though it is an important game in the context of your golfing life, you're not going to perform open-heart surgery. Neither are the events of tomorrow going to affect how your loved ones feel about you. You may think its important, but it in the grand scheme of things it isn't, and if you accept that you will relax and play much better than if you are up the walls with anxiety. As for meeting people, anyone ever met you and punched you in the face? I doubt it. Most folk are nice, as Im sure youve found, and if they're not then chances are no one else likes them either, so just let them be idiots. Go out and have fun, a little competitive nervousness is good for you, get the adrenaline going, but there's no reason at all to be anxious. Have fun chap, as one pro said after blowing a lead in a major - "So what? I'll go home and my wife will still love me and my dog won't bite me"

Or was it the wife wont bite me?

 

[swanny32]

Perspective might help. First of all realising that by lying awake thinking about the what-ifs you're not increasing your chances of doing well, so you might as well switch off and get some rest. Secondly, though it is an important game in the context of your golfing life, you're not going to perform open-heart surgery. Neither are the events of tomorrow going to affect how your loved ones feel about you. You may think its important, but it in the grand scheme of things it isn't, and if you accept that you will relax and play much better than if you are up the walls with anxiety. As for meeting people, anyone ever met you and punched you in the face? I doubt it. Most folk are nice, as Im sure youve found, and if they're not then chances are no one else likes them either, so just let them be idiots. Go out and have fun, a little competitive nervousness is good for you, get the adrenaline going, but there's no reason at all to be anxious. Have fun chap, as one pro said after blowing a lead in a major - "So what? I'll go home and my wife will still love me and my dog won't bite me"

Or was it the wife wont bite me?

This I like, good advice sir.....never thought of looking at it like that.

 

[mcbroon]

After 'that Sunday' at the Masters, Rory McIlroy was on the phone to his mum, who was in floods of tears. He said "Don't worry mum, it's just a game of golf."

I always think that if he was able to maintain that perspective after such a public meltdown, then the chance of going up 0.1 isn't worth me losing sleep over.

 

[bladeplayer]

Pre shot routine Swanny.. your nerves are fear of making a pigs ear of it , a good pre shot routine kicks the mind & body in golf mode , then you just relax into it , after a few comps youl learn to control it & you wont be worrying about the upcoming game any more

 

[Foxholer]

Having nerves/a rush/a buzz standing over the ball is a great feeling

+1 on the great feeling but not necessarily on the why I play. Sounds like JO's more of an 'adrenalin junkie' than I am!

Did 'enjoy' (well afterwards) the feeling playing a 9-iron over the lake into the 18th at Les Bordes to get my name in the 'Golden Book' (keeping the same ball for the entire round!).

Have had the same feeling in other sporting events (Chair Umpire at Grand Slam Tennis qualifying, Umpire at televised Hockey match).

I've found that getting too wound up tends to make me play poorer golf - more tension I believe - so I consciously try to think to myself the old 'treat every competition round like a practice one!' thought.

I'd suggest you try and stick to whatever routine you normally have, though a period of loosening-up on the range is likely to help. Make sure your last few putts are from 12-18 inches so you get the sound/feeling of them going in the hole too.

Good Luck.

PS. Relax! Nobody is going to suffer unduly if you don't win though!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Swanny
No kidding everyone is the same, from 36 handicapper to scratch player.
Jack Nicklaus once confessed to being scared he would miss the ball on the first tee of The Open.

Once you start playing you will be fine. Trick is to forget about what has happened and what is to come.
Stay in the present and concentrate on each shot

 

[sydney greenstreet]

Try this, breath in for 5 seconds then out for 5 seconds, do this a few times and you should become more relaxed.

 

[bladeplayer]

Swanny
No kidding everyone is the same, from 36 handicapper to scratch player.
Jack Nicklaus once confessed to being scared he would miss the ball on the first tee of The Open.

Once you start playing you will be fine. Trick is to forget about what has happened and what is to come.
Stay in the present and concentrate on each shot

Dont mind him , everyone else knows they will be fine , they are just waiting for you to knob it so they can laugh in the clubhouse ha & ring their friends & hopefuly win a prize on youve been feamed .. no pressure eh

Just kidding..

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Nerves are good its how you deal with them. A lot of players get so tense on the 1st tee especially in medals and then wonder why their swing is so wooden. The more you can play competitions the more you can deal with it. A good pre-shot routine will help you

 

[Smiffy]

I'm absolutely bricking it for our Volvo matchplay match tomorrow morning and have been for a couple of days now

Why? What's the worse that can happen?
You could lose. So what?
Get out there you big tart....

 

[Hobbit]

When you're stood on the first tee you are where you've been hoping to be all week. Recognise the feeling of being there and revel in it. When you get to 3 up in a match don't go all twitchy and defensive, again its where you want to be. Recognise the feeling and acknowledge that as you got to 3 up feeling like that there is no reason why you can't get to 6 up.

All this talk of fight or flight is rubbish. Your mind is excited and your body is producing adrenaline. Take a breath and enjoy the buzz.

And at the end of the day your opponent is getting the same mental images and feelings. How he, and you, deal with them will make a difference. I love the buzz, and feed off it - I'm where I want to be, doing what I want to do, so why fight with it and in effect fight with myself.

 

[G1BB0]

good luck Swanny, I have my pairs tomorrow with region3 and am a bit apprehensive myself. Gary is a great player but I am paranoid about doing my bit. Get your 1st tee shot off then just enjoy the round. Don;t think of winning/losing just play each hole as you would normally.

again, best of luck and play a blinder :thup:

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Hobbit
Good advice.
When I occasionally got into a winning position by playing well I just kept on saying to my inner self
'more of the same'

 

[granters]

I am an amateur golfer with a handicap.I work my arse off to pay for my fees,and get a round or 2 a week.what is the point in getting nervous? I'll never play for a living,my Mrs couldn't give a monkeys what I hit and so it couldn't matter less. Enjoy it.