Qwerty
Tour Winner
This sums it up for me!
But I think if your talented player and you keep putting yourself in with a good chance of getting a win or cut, you should Learn to manage it over time.
Nerves and Fear
- Thread starter Patrick57
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This sums it up for me!
But I think if your talented player and you keep putting yourself in with a good chance of getting a win or cut, you should Learn to manage it over time.
Dave B
Q-School Graduate
I played darts at county level at 18 and fished at the top level since I was 17, (now 46).
I don't suffer from nerves when playing golf but that's because unlike fishing and darts, I know I'm crap :fore:
I don't suffer from nerves when playing golf but that's because unlike fishing and darts, I know I'm crap :fore:
I love the buzz that comes with being in a good position going down the stretch. Having said that , once upon a time I didn't recognise it for what it was and that fuel did more harm than good to my game.
If, for example, I'm 1up going down the last I love the battle, the buzz and the sheer gladitorial man to man confrontation. And if I'm 1down I get exactly the same buzz - love it, bring it on.
Its exactly where I want to be, doing what I want to do. Why fight it?
North Mimms
Tour Winner
Nerves? Yes.
Fear? no.
It's a round of golf, not a tour of Afghanisthan
Fear? no.
It's a round of golf, not a tour of Afghanisthan
One Planer
Global Moderator
I'm not an "Iceman" (to use your term) on the course at all.
Anyone who has ever played a round of golf with me will attest to that.
Take yesterdays round (Monthly Medal). 1 Under handicap for the front 9. Up to the 14th on the back 9 I was 2 over par. Then dropped 5 shots in 4 holes to finish +7 on the back 9.
Was I worried about bogeying in as I had a good card in my hand, no. I played my shots as I would have normally. It didn't help that I chipped like a spanner all day but that's another story.
When I took up the game in 2010 I was obsessed with getting my handicap down to the point the pressure became untenable. Now I just try and enjoy my golf and if I make a good score, great. If not, there's always next time.
Patrick57
Head Pro
I've seen many golfers who freeze over the ball and struggle to start the backswing. I'd call that fear.
North Mimms
Tour Winner
yips? Inability to pull the trigger?
I play golf for enjoyment. I don't look on it as an activity full of percieved threats
Patrick57
Head Pro
So you were feeling pressure doing your hobby. from you're original post you questioned such feelings, now you're confirming them.
If you want to play your best golf you have to become aware of and recognise them at least.
BTW, I was looking at the contents of your set and would suggest you read my post on what amateurs should have in the bag...
CLICK HERE!
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Patrick57
Head Pro
I'm not fighting it, I'm controlling it to my advantage.
The emotional sportsman may please the crowd but the unemotional sportsman is the one who usually wins going down the stretch.
Patrick57
Head Pro
So, you do feel nerves and fear when you are playing darts?
Patrick57
Head Pro
Sport is a challenge requiring physical and physiological strengths and often we use it as a guage to compare our adeptness with others.
Most golfers play this version of the sport and often this brings out negative states which I have merely pointed out. I enjoy my golf as much as the next man but to deny that negative states exist is being rather blinkered IMO.
Yips is the sum of all fear, its a nervous twitch that brings grown men to tears.
I can relate to what Patrick57 is talking about, correct me if I'm wrong but he's not talking about being ice cold and unemotional, but controlling these emotions to work for you rather than the destructive results that usually come from them.
My first club championship where I qualified to play the final 36 with the 'elite' 5 others while the club watched had me white as a sheet, not enjoying it, and apart from nerves the fear of embarrassing myself or the dreaded bad shots resulted in.......the dreaded bad shots, with some tee shots spanning 2 fairways
Whereas in a bounce game or when you tee one up to hit into the field etc its a thing of free flowing beauty:angry:
Nerves/fear can ruin the enjoyment of many things in life, fast reactive sports rely heavily on instinct and natural 'reaction', golf relies on the individual instigating the 'move' while thinking about all the things that can/will go wrong.........
So whats the answer? I'd like a clear simple way to minimise the nerves/fear and make them work FOR me and not against me.......
Any links or sound advice Patrick57?
My first club championship where I qualified to play the final 36 with the 'elite' 5 others while the club watched had me white as a sheet, not enjoying it, and apart from nerves the fear of embarrassing myself or the dreaded bad shots resulted in.......the dreaded bad shots, with some tee shots spanning 2 fairways
Whereas in a bounce game or when you tee one up to hit into the field etc its a thing of free flowing beauty:angry:
Nerves/fear can ruin the enjoyment of many things in life, fast reactive sports rely heavily on instinct and natural 'reaction', golf relies on the individual instigating the 'move' while thinking about all the things that can/will go wrong.........
So whats the answer? I'd like a clear simple way to minimise the nerves/fear and make them work FOR me and not against me.......
Any links or sound advice Patrick57?
One Planer
Global Moderator
Read my post again. I said when I took up the game..... Not now.
You also missed out 2 paragraphs of my post stating I don't have these "feelings" in my game any more.
What has the contents of my golf bag have to do with fear or nerves
From what I read of that thread, I can only guess you think I have to many clubs ???
Patrick57
Head Pro
Just as I said in the OP, firstly you must become aware of these states and then you just have to rate them on a scale of 1 - 5. I work on this firstly on the range, then in bounce games and then in tournaments. It's called the ICE method...
Intention
Commitment
Evaluation
I intend to be more aware of my fear levels.
By rating these levels after every shot, I have commited to this intention.
I evaluate my reactions after each and every shot... e.g. when did this fear first emerge? At address, during the backswing, in the transition, just before impact etc etc.
When my students do this exercise with me they often already have a level of fear at address. Mere awareness and evaluation of this causes it to subside and it then first shows itself at the start of the backswing. Using the same ICE method, we can learn to eliminate it from our game.
Patrick57
Head Pro
What has the contents of my golf bag have to do with fear or nerves
I was referring to your original obsession with getting your handiacp down. I see you play off 18 and feel you would play much better golf with a half set of clubs thus increasing your enjoyment even more.
The thread explains this clearly.
is there a link to more detail rather than you having to type all day? saying to rate 1-5 is fine but is 1 fear and 5 confident and after you have established this whats the process to use the info effectively?
One Planer
Global Moderator
Interesting point.
Just one point I'd like to make. I already enjoy my golf, how is reducing the number of clubs I carry going to increase my enjoyment further?
JustOne
Ryder Cup Winner
....don't worry Gareth, it's a wind up!
One Planer
Global Moderator
I gathered that James :thup:
JustOne
Ryder Cup Winner
This was an interesting thing to say....
Do you think you should ADD some pressure to your game and make it IMPORTANT to get your h/cap down.... or do you think there comes a time where we just can't weigh up the practice time required with the NEED to get better?
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