Teeing it up competitively

[booyah]

First timer...

My father-in-law just talked me into signing up for the city am, so I am looking for a little advice. I have almost 2 months to prepare, and I know I need to work on my chipping out of the thicker rough, and my driving.

The pressure is the biggest concern for me. I hardly ever play for money, so the most pressure I usually feel is having to pay for a beer or two at the end of a round. I am trying to find a friend (or anyone I know) to tee it up with me, but no luck so far. I am also trying to view this as an opportunity to meet some people, since I have only been in this area for ~2 years and mostly golf with co-workers (30 miles away) or the father-in-law. I'm really trying to approach it as "fun".

I'm an 8 handicap and really only get into trouble with my driver, and my short game usually saves me.

Any advice for a first timer, or things I haven't thought about?

[nitram]

Nothing changes except what's going on in your noggin as most anxiety is self-imposed. You have nothing to lose so why sweat it? If you go out and shoot a 75, GREAT! If you shoot a 95 (and you won't be alone) WHO CARES??? It's all about having some fun, meeting people you'll wanna play golf with, and more importantly, the experience of it ALL. And the next time you tee it up in a similar circumstance or money game, you'll know what to expect. Coping with anxiety and adrenalin is an experience you must endure in order to learn how to control it.

It's been my experience to work out a problem on the range but get better by playing on the course.

Good Luck

[rafal]

Your first tournament will be awful, but worry not, it gets better with time.

[atlanta golfer]

[quote name='rafal' timestamp='1311799879' post='3429451']
Your first tournament will be awful, but worry not, it gets better with time.
[/quote]

If this is going to be a big deal, and it is two months away, then perhaps you can find some other events to prepare. Otherwise, the odds are you could have a big letdown if you don't play according to your own expectations. I know it definitely took me awhile to get comfortable with more formal competition.

Personally, I play in a large Saturday morning dogfight group where the results are pretty visible in terms of email of results and money payouts. I also play in the golfweek amateur tour in about a dozen events per year. I also do club championship and a few other club tournaments. These are the types of opportunities that most people can get into if they choose, in order to experience more formal competition. If you look around the internet, or talk to other people, you can find these types of opportunities.

[darkhelmet]

One easy thing to do is to start putting out on every hole whenever you play. No gimmes, no one-handers, no knocking it in with the back of your putterhead, etc.

And start practicing lots of 3-foot and 5-foot putts. Those short putts are where you're going to feel the most pressure -- the more you get yourself used to standing over them and making them, the more relaxed you'll be.

I joined a course a couple years ago to see how I'd like it, and at one point I signed up for a match-play competition. Made it to the Semis and lost, but the one thing I noticed was how tight everyone got (myself included) over the last 5-6 holes when the short putts started to matter more. First real competition I was ever in, and it was a TOTALLY different feeling.

[grizzlyblades]

rules rules rules. make sure you know the rules of golf before competing. competing in real tournaments is nothing like church/business tournaments or weekend outings! the nerves are going to be there just like they are there when you are in any competition.

[booyah]

Thanks guys; I think I will have to treat this first one as a learning experience. I really learn to know what parts of my game stand up under pressure. I will check to see if they have weekend choose-up (or similar group), and try to meet a few guys.

I will add a little extra short-range putting to my lunch-break putting (there is a muni near my work). I'm already an anti-gimmie guy, my dad never let me have them. He still always says 'no gimmies' on the first tee box, when I make the trip to see the folks.

I definitely need to brush up on some rulings...maybe take a few rules quizzes. I feel like I know all the general rules, but I am sure there will be an odd situation over the course of two days.

[1969EType]

Take someone WITH you to practice your putting. They do not need to have any interest in golf. Also, make sure you have $20 in singles. Hand the $20 to the other person and ask them to stand a few feet behind the hole so, that they can shag balls for you and you're not wasting time running after them yourself. Do whatever you do to warm up your putting game and once you are ready, take a few balls and drop them on the green roughly 10 feet from the hole. Everytime you make a putt, your friend hands you a dollar which you keep. Everytime you miss, they keep a dollar.

It won't compare to the pressure you'll feel on tourney day but, it'll give you a taste...

[Rockfish]

[quote name='booyah' timestamp='1311805299' post='3429662']
Thanks guys; I think I will have to treat this first one as a learning experience. I really learn to know what parts of my game stand up under pressure. I will check to see if they have weekend choose-up (or similar group), and try to meet a few guys.

I will add a little extra short-range putting to my lunch-break putting (there is a muni near my work). I'm already an anti-gimmie guy, my dad never let me have them. He still always says 'no gimmies' on the first tee box, when I make the trip to see the folks.

I definitely need to brush up on some rulings...maybe take a few rules quizzes. I feel like I know all the general rules, but I am sure there will be an odd situation over the course of two days.
[/quote]

How many rounds ? All on the same course ? Do you already know the course ?

Main rules to know,,,,,,,, hazards and procedures, declare your provisional ball. If there's anything unclear know the option of playing a 2nd ball. Before playing the 2nd ball you must declare which ball you want to count IF it's permitted under the rules.

Then it's "fairways and greens". Do NOT shoot for sucker pins and short side yourself. Avoid hazards at all cost. If you hit a bad shot into trouble, take your medicine and get it safely back into play. Do NOT compound the bad shot by trying to hit a miracle shot.

If you don't know the course, play it a few times (preferably by yourself so you can take all the time you need) and MAP IT OUT. Yup. Just like the Pros. Get a little book and map each hole and green. Make notes on where the hazards begin and end, how close they are to the green, which way the green slopes and which side of the green you do NOT want to miss on. Roll balls on every part of each green and "map" it using arrows to tell you which way the green slopes in every section of the green.

I did all this about 17 years ago in the DuPont world Amateur (in Myrtle Beach) and was AMAZED at how much better I played.

[kekoa]

I've noticed one thing during my last couple tournaments. Anything that can go wrong, normally does. The key is to take your medicine when in trouble and try your hardest to prevent blow up holes. ie double bogey or worse.

I just wish I would take my own advice!!

[MtlJeff]

you can play well in your first competitive round if you stay loose and positive. In my first interclub i actually played pretty well and i was nervous on the first tee and actually had a poor front 9 overall, but bounced back. Just know that others are feeling the same way you are. Remember not to rush (unlike the pros i find amateurs tend to speed up in competitive rounds) and commit to every shot. Stick to your strengths and don't try and be a golfer you're not. If you like going for par 5's, go for par 5's. Remember bogeys won't kill you so don't compound them by making doubles. Try and shrug off your poor shots.

as others have said, practice 3-7 footers for hours. Force yourself to make 5 in a row or 8/10 before leaving the course.

[jvang85]

Good luck and enjoy it. One thing that helps me during a tournament is not to get too comfortable chatting with players in your group. For example, i wouldn't say "good putt" or "nice shot" because that takes me away from my focus or game plan. For instance, if you are walking on a straight line, taking one step off the line would mean that you would have to take one step back onto the line. So, don't let others get you off of your mental game. What i usually do is let the other players praise my shots which in turns gives me more confidence.

[axer13]

yea pretty much do what everyone else has said and practice short putts. I would go to the course maybe late one afternoon the week before the tournament or whenever you can go without a lot of people and hit like 10 or 15 balls off the first tee box and get real comfortable it. For me if I could just hit a solid first drive, my confidence rose and the rest of the round just fell into place and was a lot of fun. Other then that enjoy it because the adrenaline rush on the first tee makes playing in tournaments all the more fun. Tournament will also really show what your weaknesses under the gun and tell you how you can improve your game. Have fun and good luck!

[SpinMill75]

[quote name='MtlJeff' timestamp='1311808723' post='3429786']
you can play well in your first competitive round if you stay loose and positive. In my first interclub i actually played pretty well and i was nervous on the first tee and actually had a poor front 9 overall, but bounced back. Just know that others are feeling the same way you are. Remember not to rush (unlike the pros i find amateurs tend to speed up in competitive rounds) and commit to every shot. Stick to your strengths and don't try and be a golfer you're not. If you like going for par 5's, go for par 5's. Remember bogeys won't kill you so don't compound them by making doubles. Try and shrug off your poor shots.

as others have said, practice 3-7 footers for hours. Force yourself to make 5 in a row or 8/10 before leaving the course.
[/quote]


" Just know that others are feeling the same way you are..."

This is sage advice.

[J13]

You will have nerves expect that, pga players have them every time they tee it up. Honestly when I'm in a tourney whether it's a USGA event or state event whatever I try to stay loose and not try so hard. Leading up to the tourney I amp up the practice with the short game big time. Also make sure I have quality practice rounds at the venue if possible.

Overall experience will help you more then anyone of us on the board. The more you do it the better you get at tourney golf.

[booyah]

It's two rounds over two days at the local muni; flighted after round 1. I've played it about 20 times in the past two years; I've shot as low as 76 and as high as 90. I am actually working on a yardage book (deerslayers instructions from another thread) to make some notes.

I plan on getting into more short game practice. The greens are small out there, so I know I will be chipping or putting from the fringe. I also like the idea of hitting a few extra off the first tee next time I am out there and it's not busy. The first hole is 400 yd par 4, but a driver will make your second off a downhill lie, so I usually take out a 3 wood, but that leaves a 5 or 6 iron carry over water to the green.

Thanks for all the advice so far!

[golfortennis]

Enjoy the nerves. Don't just try to manage the nerves, but learn to enjoy them. You're teeing it up in the city am. There's a reason you put in the time on green, and the range, and the course. Now you get to see what you can do. While the scale is different, think of it this way: A tour pro playing in the final group of a major is very nervous. But, where else in the world would they rather be?

You're a single digit handicap. You're quite close to the pointy end of the stick in terms of ability distribution. Enjoy it. Trust me, if you do blow up, that will make you just like every one of us here that have teed it up in tournaments.

[jvang85]

[quote name='booyah' timestamp='1311816385' post='3430085']
It's two rounds over two days at the local muni; flighted after round 1. I've played it about 20 times in the past two years; I've shot as low as 76 and as high as 90. I am actually working on a yardage book (deerslayers instructions from another thread) to make some notes.

I plan on getting into more short game practice. The greens are small out there, so I know I will be chipping or putting from the fringe. I also like the idea of hitting a few extra off the first tee next time I am out there and it's not busy. The first hole is 400 yd par 4, but a driver will make your second off a downhill lie, so I usually take out a 3 wood, but that leaves a 5 or 6 iron carry over water to the green.

Thanks for all the advice so far!
[/quote]

having a yardage book will definitely help keep you focused. GOOD LUCK..