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First Tee Nerves

Ha, none taken! Yep, on the par 5 I took my 3 wood and just hoped for a good swing on the fairway, not trying to belt it into next week. It's that surge of adrenaline that takes over...I've given stand up presentations to hundreds of people with no issue. Guess I'm good at my job, pants at golf and nobody likes to look foolish.

Par five with a shot is a par 6, so if you're really that nervous a 5 iron gets it in play (and probably short of all the bunkers and hazards). Several more, chip on for four and two putt. If you chip close for par then happy days but it's a stress free start. Personally (and it is just the way I prefer), I hit 30-50 balls and warm up so I know how I'm swinging and if it's not going well I won't take our opening par 3 on and will play for a four (net three) especially in a medal or stableford. If I'm happy I'll pull the three wood and go for it.
 
Brilliant Robin. Makes me laugh every time I see it. Surprised it doesn't have more hits on YouTube though.

It doesn't have a decent search engine title, just titled Fish its not found by any golf related searches, anyway, I'm famous enough :smirk:
 
my advice is to just rock up on the tee, without any warm up at all. Im talking straight from the car and almost late for the tee time.

great excuse.
 
Par five with a shot is a par 6, so if you're really that nervous a 5 iron gets it in play (and probably short of all the bunkers and hazards). Several more, chip on for four and two putt. If you chip close for par then happy days but it's a stress free start. Personally (and it is just the way I prefer), I hit 30-50 balls and warm up so I know how I'm swinging and if it's not going well I won't take our opening par 3 on and will play for a four (net three) especially in a medal or stableford. If I'm happy I'll pull the three wood and go for it.

We don't have a range at our club, but there is one close by, I did go to the range before the club champs and that worked very well. Maybe I should do that for the comps then.

I'm not sure an iron would help either, I get the impression I just don't swing very well on the first, save taking a 9 iron...but I think I'd rather duff one that take that approach. Will give it a go this week and see how it goes.
 
Two things help for me when I'm in a mixed group of people I don't know like out Winter and Summer League finals.

First, a few deeps breaths to get some level of control over the nerves.
Second, a single objective with the tee shot - and that is to keep the ball in play, forward and straight and don't worry about anything else.

I find these tend to slow me down a little and while the shot may not be my longest by quite a margin, it is safely in play and I've got a second shot rather than a third off the same tee.
 
I remember my first ever comp,that wasnt a junior competition.
I was drawn out with a Brighton football club director ,he played off of four and even though he was a good friend of the family i was nervous as a nervous thing when it was my tee shot.
i was only sixteen and Tom had nailed his tee shot straight down the middle ,so no pressure ,i addressed the ball and swung hard ,total whiff ,yep a bloody air shot .Tom nearly fell over laughing and that was enough for me to settle down and play what was a decent round.
i think what didnt help my experience was dad kept telling me what i should and shouldnt do when i played with Tom as he was worried i might upset him .so there i was a total bag of nerves. since that day i have never felt first tee nerves ,that being said i have still knobbed the first tee shot either along the ground or OOB.
 
I am always a bag of nerves on the first. Always. It makes no difference if I'm on my own, or in a crowd. Just naturally nervy.
Usually results in a pathetically short block right, but I've recently been working on a flat hook, that only travels 80 odd yards before disappearing into the trees. I could often hit an 8 iron further than my driver on the first, but I'd probably shank it.
 
I am always a bag of nerves on the first. Always. It makes no difference if I'm on my own, or in a crowd. Just naturally nervy.
Usually results in a pathetically short block right, but I've recently been working on a flat hook, that only travels 80 odd yards before disappearing into the trees. I could often hit an 8 iron further than my driver on the first, but I'd probably shank it.

Murph you sound like you are a carbon copy of one of my mates ,god forbid anyone is waiting on the tee behind us when he tees off ,you can visibly see him shaking.
 
We don't have a range at our club, but there is one close by, I did go to the range before the club champs and that worked very well. Maybe I should do that for the comps then.

I'm not sure an iron would help either, I get the impression I just don't swing very well on the first, save taking a 9 iron...but I think I'd rather duff one that take that approach. Will give it a go this week and see how it goes.

The range and then a wood seems to way to go. If you aren't convinced by an iron, and you don't seem to be, then you won't put a positive swing on it. It was only a suggestion and not "the must do" so ultimately go with what you are happy with. However you need to remember that it's still a par 6 with your shot and so there's no need to try and bash the cover off it. Do you have any form of pre-shot routine. It may help, as you do the same thing over every shot and so there's familiarity and one shot doesn't become more important (first shot of the day). Whatever you do, hope it goes well
 
Don't really suffer from 1st tee nerves anymore, but I do remember my first ever tee shot in a club comp. Don't know why, but my legs were trembling in my trousers like a dog taking a dump. You would have thought that I was taking the first tee shot at a Ryder Cup.
 
I think the only time I have had shaky legs was when I had a putt to shoot my first ever under par gross round
 
Sure, it's the way I play. It's a confidence issue. Technically I'm fine, if I trust it. I don't, and I'm not sure I ever will.

Lessons. Hmm. May be not the best idea I've ever had!


Shame can't find a way to get some confidence ? A run of good games could help
 
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