Nerves and Pressure - How do you cope?

[delc]

To be honest, I don't think it makes that much of a difference in my game at all. I hit good and bad shots under pressure and I hit good and bad shots when I am out all alone on the course (and I do the breathing thing when I am on my own as well ... it's less about pressure, it's more to make me focus and put all technical thoughts away as well) . It's more that the pressure shots stay in my memory longer, the good ones as well as the bad ones. The only trap I can get into (and then I really tend to hit way more bad shots than good ones) is when I do get nervous but don't really realize it consciously. Then I start to rush things.

One of the problems I find with golf is that however careful I am, a certain percentage of my shots will be poor ones, and these poor shots occur more or less at random. To a large extent you just have to learn to accept these without getting angry about them. Even the top tour pros occasionally hit shots that would embarrass a 28 handicapper. The margins for error are so small that you can't expect to play perfect golf all the time.

 

[Ross61]

For me I think of nerves as excitement which is more of a positive thought. Yes, I still suffer but it only lasts until I'm away from the 1st tee.

Pressure is something else. I rarely play match play so in a comp I'm unaware if I'm in danger of coming 1st of even last! Pressure for me comes from within, normally hits when I'm doing really well after about 13 holes. If I'm doing well I struggle for the last 5 holes while normally I'm just trying to play out for my own satisfaction and play it them fairly well.

Shotgun starts seem to throw me a bit and I can play some of my bogey holes well and mess up my favourite holes.

 

[Hobbit]

I tend not to feel pressure but I am inclined to get over excited when everything is going well. This leads to me swinging faster.... its usually a blur anyway.

I keep reminding myself, "slowly back" on my takeaway,

 

[Deleted member 15717]

a good PTC (pre-tournament cr*p) is always a nerve buster.
Just treat everything as the same these days. It's only a round of golf, and nothing in my life is going to be dramatically altered whatever the outcome.