WuuuSaarrr.... question

[Parmo]

Gents and lovely ladies,
I was wondering what calms your nerves and relaxes you on the course? I ask because I am suffering from beginner nerves (playing for six months if that counts) and when the course is empty I play to 15-20 hcp and when busy I play to 20-25 , also as mentioned before I totally tense up after a great approach shot or tee shot when left with a close wedge on to the green the usual piece of turf travels further than the ball.

 

[birdieman]

My guess is you're chickening out of the shot because you've lost confidence in it so your arms slow before impact and your hands try and scoop the ball (left wrist breaks down) = very bad result!
With short wedges you need a short backswing and accelerate through the ball keeping that left wrist stiff and hands ahead of the ball. Maybe even get the ball back a little in the stance too. Got to be positive and commit to shot.
Everyone gets nervous and tense but with good technique you will overcome that as your confidence grows.
That should do it.
Oh and keep your weight on the left side and complete the shot i.e. have chest facing target at end.

 

[medwayjon]

I have a hip-flask full of Woods 100 rum.

Alternatively think about it this way, I am here, on the golf course and I am happy. This should help relax you.

 

[mikest]

i know exactly what you mean because everyone has been there at some stage. If you remember that if you've hit the shot once, your capable of hitting it every time. remember to have a reason for your practice swing, dont just go through the motions, concentrate on where you want the ball to first bouce, how powerful your going to hit the shot and visualise this whilst doing your practice swings.

Keep the same pre-shot routine before every single shot you do and most of all trust your technique, you will soon overcome your nerves and you'll realise that your the one that the begginer is nervous about playing in front of!

If you watch sergio garcia and a lot of other pro's everytime they hit a poor shot, they go through their same pre-shot routine, then they have a full comitted swing that looks like another practice but in reality he is visualising he has hit the perfect shot so when he walks up to the ball he does on a high and not mulling over the poor shot he's just played, now i know this isnt easy for everyone to do, must be the reason the golf psychologists get paid what they do as everyone on the tour seems to have one!

if all the advice in this thread doesnt help maybe your best bet is to get a hip flask like he said haha

 

[Parmo]

Yeah cheers fellas, When there is only the course and some old farts ripping the course apart I feel relaxed but when its busy the pressure builds lol. I take this advice to the course this weekend and see what happens.

 

[forefortheday]

Parmo here's what I do!

Get there 10 minutes early and watch the first tee..........

Unless you have turned up at a European Tour Event you should see the full gamut of tops, hooks, slices etc mixed in with the occasional good shot!

We all do it otherwise we'd be pro's!

I used to think that everybody was better than me now I realise its just 90% lol

The more serious you are about the result of a shot the worse it tends to be, tension kills a golfer so try not even thinking about the shot until you hit it take your practice swings looking at the target, address the ball check your target and swing!

Let's be honest what's the worse that can happen? a top an air shot? Lot's of people seem to wrap their worth as a human being into there golf scores like breaking 100 somehow makes you a better person!

Play by the spirit of the game enjoy the fresh air and remember your last swing has no bearing on the outcome of your next one!

 

[Liam_Austin]

What always relaxes me, is to hum to my favourite tune of the moment.

Also, I always find that its better to fully commit to the shot rather than dolly it and end up duffing it of leaving it short.

Another thing to try, is to practise a pre-shot routine maybe in the garden (maybe not with this weather) or indoors, so that it can be performed before every shot exactly the same. It has helped me to relax and keep calm before a shot.

One more thing I have just started doing, is to stop thinking about all the bad things that could go wrong (because they usually do happen), however hard this may seem. Pick your club, pick your shot, get set up and BANG its away.

Liam

 

[TonyN]

switch off in between shots. If you hit a good shot, enjoy it as your putting your club away and for the first 10 yards down the fairway. After that forget it, think of somethin non golf related, (whats for dinner, what your doing tonight etc) Then when you aproach your ball, about 10 yards before get back into your golfing mind. It should keep you fresh and take some pressure off because your not thinking about golf all the way round and your mind wont get fatigued. I keep hearing this same advice from all the mags and it really works wonders

 

[viscount17]

I am currently reviewing a rather good book on this subject for the Readers Panel.

I have been copying some of the bon mots which may appear in print around the range, my flat and at other venues near you. For now:

'Banish negative thougts with images of previous successes'

 

[TonyN]

i read that everytime tiger plays a good shot, he spins his club in his hand. This helps him to rememeber a positive, and call on it when he needs too.