What to do...newbie stress

[Sidsidgwick]

So the stress of the game beings. I took this pastime up some 6 months ago and have been making steady progress with the help of my local golf pro and feel I was starting to get the hang of this golf malarkey

Playing on my own and I'm stress free and capable of shooting low 90's but put me with company and after a few holes it all starts to implode, last three rounds I have been abysmal after 4 holes (normally following on from a poor shot which then proliferates further poor shots) struggling with each and every club in my bag.

How do you more experienced players deal with the stresses of competition and deal with bad shots so they don't effect you mentally.

Time for another lessons me thinks but does anyone have any sage words or techniques to right the wrongs on course before they set in.

Thanks

 

[Chokeahontas]

Hardest part of the game IMO, but I give myself ten paces to think about the last shot - bad or good - counting them out in my head and actively trying to dissolve the memory.

Doesn't always help but often does.

 

[Face breaker]

Step back, take a breather and 'relax' after all no matter what you've been told "your life doesn't depend on it" if you balls it up 'so what' think about what you're trying to do and once you've regained yer composure then go back in for another go at it... :thup:

 

[Sidsidgwick]

Thanks gents I appreciate the ideas and comments. I'm bringing the clubs back in from the naughty shed tomorrow for a stern talking too.

 

[Tashyboy]

A book I once read on the physiological stress of golf says that when the stress is on re pressure shots. Just go through your routine without thinking about it. Get everything outta your head apart from your routine. Hit it, walk to it, routine then hit it again. Trust your routine..

 

[Sidsidgwick]

Great advice thanks Tashy

 

[Canary_Yellow]

So the stress of the game beings. I took this pastime up some 6 months ago and have been making steady progress with the help of my local golf pro and feel I was starting to get the hang of this golf malarkey

Playing on my own and I'm stress free and capable of shooting low 90's but put me with company and after a few holes it all starts to implode, last three rounds I have been abysmal after 4 holes (normally following on from a poor shot which then proliferates further poor shots) struggling with each and every club in my bag.

How do you more experienced players deal with the stresses of competition and deal with bad shots so they don't effect you mentally.

Time for another lessons me thinks but does anyone have any sage words or techniques to right the wrongs on course before they set in.

Thanks

In my opinion, there is no substitute for just doing it more.

The more you play, the less bothered you will be about these things. You'll never totally escape bad shots, so acceptance is the key (which is as others have said). In particular, get away from the mindset that one bad shot will lead to another. Once you've played the shot, that one is gone and the next one is unrelated.

However, rather than having a specfic technique for achieving that mindset of acceptance / calm, I have found that just putting yourself in that particular position (i.e. playing in comps or other situations that make you a bit nervous) as often as possible is the only way to get more comfortable with it. So keep on playing with people and just get used to playing golf in that environment such that it isn't stressful. If it means playing a few rounds where you don't even keep score such that you don't need to worry about it, so be it!

 

[r0wly86]

A book I once read on the physiological stress of golf says that when the stress is on re pressure shots. Just go through your routine without thinking about it. Get everything outta your head apart from your routine. Hit it, walk to it, routine then hit it again. Trust your routine..

That's absolutely correct, it transfer to other sports, look as Owen Farrell taking a pressure kick, he just settles into his routine to calm him down.

You have to find the best pre shot routine for you taking a couple of deep breaths a waggle or two etc.

Also the best piece of advice I ever got was when walking to your ball don't think about the shot. Clear your mind until you reach the ball then work out what you doing, it saves you from mental exhaustion of going through all your shot possibilities for probably abour 3. hours of the round

 

[patricks148]

stress!!

its supposed to be fun just go out and enjoy yourself, don't worry about the outcome, whats the worst that can happen??? you might lose a ball.

I'd rather play badly on a Saturday morning than be working or shopping with the wife. Remember why you are playing and enjoy it.

 

[shortgame]

Just remember that whatever level you are playing at you are just hitting a ball around a field, nothing more

If you look at each shot on it's own merits you can realise that in and of itself each shot is exactly the same whether it's in practise, a medal round or a round on tour!

The only difference is self imposed pressure

Enjoy!

 

[Orikoru]

Difficult though it is sometimes, you just have to think about your next shot, and forget the previous one or how many it took you get to there. Focus everything on thinking about your upcoming shot, what you want to do with it, the lie you have, what club you're going to use and so on. Hopefully that won't leave you any room to stress about the previous one(s). This is what I try and do. You have a shout and a scream when you hit a bad one, but as soon as you put your club back in the bag and start walking, you're focusing on the upcoming shot.

 

[Imurg]

I've seen this down the years....and a lot with Fragger...
Though I say so myself, I'm quite adept at getting myself out of the rack, even Seve-esque at times.
Fragger sees me doing this and then tried a similar shot and, all respect to him, he just doesn't have the ability to play that shot and promptly messes it up and puts himself in more trouble.
Don't worry about what everyone else is doing, don't try and copy them.
Play your game, your shots, your way.

 

[Cue_147]

I had a bad attitude a couple of years ago when i played bad shots but the last few years I've calmed down loads.

The thing that worked for me is just to laugh about it and say "Oh well, it's only a game".

 

[Sidsidgwick]

Can I say thank you to you all for your wise words and advice this forum is a brilliant place for advice and is most welcoming. Thank you.

 

[Capella]

Just keep in mind that the people you are playing with have hit bad shots as well. Actually, the longer they have been playing (and the more "intimidating" they might seem to you for that reason), the more bad shots they will have hit during their golfing career.

 

[YamiKuriboh]

Playing on my own and I'm stress free and capable of shooting low 90's but put me with company and after a few holes it all starts to implode, last three rounds I have been abysmal after 4 holes (normally following on from a poor shot which then proliferates further poor shots) struggling with each and every club in my bag.

-Find a friend to play with of a similar ability. You might hit some duff shots but so will they and you'll spur each other on
-This is one of the great things about stableford. Even with a few blobbed holes you can have a great round. Maybe skip stroke play for the time being?

 

[jim8flog]

Just remind yourself that it is only a pastime and you are not trying to earn a living from it. The earth is not going to open up and swallow you just because you thinned one 50 yards along the deck.

Every body has hit bad ones at some time no matter how good a player they are now.

One of my biggest light bulb moments came after watching Greg Norman thin a 3 wood virtually all along the deck in the Open at Sandwich. If a player that good can do it why was I getting upset when I do it?

 

[Lazkir]

Perhaps you're worrying about what your FC's are thinking and that's having an effect or your next shot?
If so then forget it, most right minded players, no matter what level will only be thinking 'been there, done that'.
So just relax and focus, no one minds if you duff a shot. They're too busy worrying about their own next shot!

 

[apj0524]

I can be like you pay some good holes then have a blow up but what I have learned to do before a destroy the whole round trying to make shoot I'm not capable of is to hit my favourite club, one I trust the most, which for me is an 8i I've even hit it off the tee on a par 4 and worst I tend to score is 1 over, and this gets my confidence and moral up.

But as others have said the pressure is self inflicted

 

[londonlewis]

I've had rounds when almost nothing goes right. Head goes down, you get disappointed and it doesn't feel like fun.
But don't dwell on it. You'll turn it round and be playing better golf in no time.

I think shrugging off a bad shot isn't too hard. Shrugging off multiple in a round or on a hole is harder.

But as everyone else has said, it's supposed to be fun and we aren't playing golf for a living.

Good luck