First Medal...advice please

[Ham]

Hi,
Looking forward to playing in my first medal on Sunday but was thinking of best way to prepare, do i hit a few on the range first then a bit of putting practise or just loosen up and go, was wondering what some of you guys do before a competition ?
I reckon I will be pretty nervous as i will be playing with people I dont know and its my first ever comp.

 

[brendy]

Id say get onto a range and hit 5 or ten of most of your clubs, concentrate on each shot and dont let the odd bad one get you down then a couple of practice putts from 10 feet or so, massage the ego if any drop then off out onto the course. Remember its not just a game, but there is always next week so dont take it too badly if you hit a baddun.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I tend to get there about an 75 minutes before my tee time. I spend 5 minutes or so stretching and warming up and then hit a few easy sand wedges to get the swing going.

Once I'm loose I hit about a dozen balls with my wedge and my 9 trying to aim and hit at a specific point to get the feel of shooting it close.

I then hit 5-7 balls each with a 7, 5, 5 wood, 3 and driver. It normally takes about half an hour and then I go to the putting green for a ten minute session. I'm looking for feel and nto trying to focus too much on making them. The last few putts I'll put 2 tees in front of the hole to make it a smaller target and try and hole out from 3 feet. Once on the course the hole looks much better.

Finally I'll get my card from the shop, make a nature call and check my bag for balls, tees, pencils and spare gloves. If it is wet I'll make sure I have enough spare towels too.

Then its off to meet my partners approximately 10 minutes before tee off and try and focus on the first shot and get positive swing thoughts in my mind. After that its onto the tee box and away I go.

Above all the aim of the game is to have fun. A medal is a test of your ability but whether you play to your handicap or not its about enjoying it and the company you are with

 

[brendy]

Homer, I dare you to denounce OCD!

Unfortunately I never get that much time before tee off (I take my little girl to dance class which gives me 35 mind to get her home, me get changed and back to the course) I would love to be able to get to the course in more than enough time, as it is I always feel hurried off the first tee. To combat this ive started using my 4 iron off the tee as its a 360yd par4 ish and the 4 iron no matter how bad will still give me some sort of shot to the green.

 

[Kaizer_Soze]

All I can say is echoing the above, warm up, hit a few balls and practice putting. Personally I like to hit my last 10 - 15 balls with the club I'm going to be using off the 1st tee (usually the driver) and when putting its not important to hole the odd 20 footer, its making sure it all the 3-5 footers.

On the 1st take a deep breath, visualise the shot in your mind and trust your swing.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[birdieman]

Ham,
Just enjoy it, it's not a job, it's meant to be fun.
The first shot is important for your confidence, just ease back a bit with a 3 wood, think about a slow backswing...that's it. Even if you don't hit it great a 3 wood will get you out there a bit.

 

[Junior]

I agree with the above, and this sounds simple but just try and keep the ball in play and get it closer to the hole each time you hit it. If your a high handicapper don't try and rip 3 irons / 5 woods to recover from a poor shot. Hit a couple of 7 / 8 irons instead. You will enjoy the experience a lot more from the fairway

The reason I say that is when i first started playing medal comps a few years back i thought i had to hit driver on most tees and I panicked the most when i thought id lost my ball and inevitably when i found it, id rush my next shot ad end up in more trouble !!

 

[viscount17]

oh how I can empathise with that Junior. I've only played two medals in which, while I've impressed my partners with the length of the drive, I'm sure they were unimpressed with spending time finding them!

keep it simple, don't try to impress, play within yourself, off the first tee use what you are comfortable with and if it should go awry don't panic, it won't be the only one.

 

[barb]

Ham
Just relax and play your own game, don't try to out do your playing partners and above all enjoy it.
Let us know how you get on

 

[OldWindy]

Like most here, I hit some balls either on the practice ground or in the nets to loosen up. Once you're on the first tee, play within yourself and let the confidence build. Never feel you should rush, though.