Need Mental help...

jszot · April 7, 2008

For the course, im not psycho.

So here we go. I am 16, a sophmore in highschool and just got back from a tournament. Shot a whopping 91. Wow Im so good.

I played so bad I almost threw up. I am a 6.5 handicap. On saturday I went out and shot a 6 over 76 and finished with a 3 putt and then a bogey. Had a lesson in the after noon, everything went well. Sunday I shot 1 over through 9 and went home because of the wind.

Here is where the problem starts. I get in the tournaments and matches for school and play like s***. First match I shot a 44, 9 over. Didnt hit one fairway, had three 3 putts and 1 GIR. Thought I couldnt play worse. WRONG. Shot 47 two days later. Did everything wrong. Then a tournament on thursday. Shot 88. Tough course playing from the tips, but still played real bad.

So today, I was hoping to have a good round of around 5 to 7 over. Get out there and completely fall apart. Didnt have a par untill the sixth, then went to a double bogey, then a par, then a double bogey. Didnt par again untill 14, then on 17 I birdied then parred 18. I am a complete head case. I cant transfer my skills into tournaments.

Now my question to you guys is what do you guys do to keep your composer and played comfortably. What are the best books out there to read. Im going to read Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella. I think I may read Golf Is a Game of Confidence by Rotella too.

Triple-Double · April 7, 2008

you talking about the garden state cup? I know some kids that played in it. I feel ya man, tournament golf is only different if you make it to be. My best advice would be to relax and truly enjoy competition and playing the game in general. I graduated last year and I don't play in college right now, even though I'm better than any player at a DII local school I go to. The one mistake I made in high school was putting too much pressure on myself to go under par EVERY round. If you only listen to one thing make it this: practice hard and love tournament rounds. It's an amazing privilege to play on great courses for free. You probably weren't around when the garden state cup was played in the east course, it held the u.s. public links, but now it's condos I think. Anyway, enjoy these years as they will probably be the best of your life(unless you party hard in college). Good Luck to you this season.

CivEngr08 · April 7, 2008

First thing I would say is have a solid routine that you know you can go to every single time. If you find one that you're comfortable with and more importantly confident about, I'm sure you will be able to play more like your practice rounds. Practice the routine in your practice rounds then transfer it over to the tournaments.

Second, practice like you play. When you're playing just a normal round, put try to put your mind in a tournament state. I think that if you practice like that, tournaments may get a little bit easier, mentally anyway.

If you're putting is lacking (and might be if you're 3 putting several times a round), I would pick up a copy of Putting Out of Your Mind by Bob Rotella, did wonders for me. Good luck with it and let us know how everything works out for you.

jszot · April 7, 2008

you talking about the garden state cup? I know some kids that played in it. I feel ya man, tournament golf is only different if you make it to be. My best advice would be to relax and truly enjoy competition and playing the game in general. I graduated last year and I don't play in college right now, even though I'm better than any player at a DII local school I go to. The one mistake I made in high school was putting too much pressure on myself to go under par EVERY round. If you only listen to one thing make it this: practice hard and love tournament rounds. It's an amazing privilege to play on great courses for free. You probably weren't around when the garden state cup was played in the east course, it held the u.s. public links, but now it's condos I think. Anyway, enjoy these years as they will probably be the best of your life(unless you party hard in college). Good Luck to you this season.

Ha, yea it was the Garden State Cup. Course was pretty tough but I started out real rough. I parred out the last like 6 holes and still shot 88. I was pissed.

KevCarter · April 7, 2008

Hey man, anybody that says their swing doesn't change in tournaments, hasn't played in tournaments!

One of the posters above me mentioned pre-shot routine. That is HUGE!!!

Also, EXPERIENCE.

You need to sit down and figure out what happened. What changed. How was your ball flight different from your practice. At first, you may need to play for it rather than try to change it. Experience is the key. Hang in there, keep analyzing what is going on. It won't happen over night, but soon, you will get into your comfort zone and take it low!!!

Kevin

hbear · April 7, 2008

Agree Pre Shot routine is HUGE! And so is sticking to your game plan.

When I get ready for events I map out how I want to play every hole....what I want to hit off the tee...where I want to hit it, where I want to put my approach, how I want to approach the pin on various flags...noting bail out/safe areas and areas I just do not want to be...etc.

Sometimes conditions change...but I stick to my game plan.

Keeps me grounded, I find I do less self sabatoge (e.g. pressing VERY hard just after making bogey) and end up scoring better.

It's very easy to get into the "I just made back to back bogeys....I NEED to make birdies to get them back" mentality which for me is destructive...and a slipperly slope. For example if I'm pressing for a birdie after back to back bogeys.....then make another bogey, mentally the wheels will fall off, as now I'd be pressing harder...and the snowball gets bigger and bigger.

Having a solid gameplan avoids all that for me.

Just made a bogey....no worries, I'm still hitting 5w off this tee which puts me to 7I range as that was my plan. (Much better than....now I'm going to thread my driver into this impossibly small gap so it gives me a wedge/9I into this green......)

Then lastly....RELAX! It's only golf, sure it's a tournament....but it's still should be no different than a regular round with your buds. (except for the fact that it'll be a MUCH longer round!)

conorgolf22 · April 8, 2008

I was in basicly the same position you are in. I am a junior now, but i struggled big time in my freshman and sophomore years. I was a 7 handicap but my match average was 42 and my tourney average was 83 and I couldn't do anything right. I shot 75 in the practice round for my conference tourney sophomore year and turned around and shot 95 in the actual tournament. I was in a total shock. I realized then that no matter what golf is a game and there will always be more important things in life. I changed my mindset on the course to thinking about what im gonna do over the weekend, or silly things just to get my mind away from thinking about my game. In this, my junior year, I averaged 39 in matches and 79 in tournaments and I recieved all-conference and all-area honors. So it worked for me and I hope some of this blabbering can help you too. If you are a 6 handicap you obviously have the game and its prolly not that far away. So good luck and I hope this helps you out.

KevCarter · April 8, 2008

Hey Kev,

It almost kinda sounds like you know what your talking about?

Kevin

Sometimes I get lucky! :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:

Thanks Kevin, nice post yourself! :good:

Seim1978 · April 8, 2008

Agree Pre Shot routine is HUGE! And so is sticking to your game plan.
When I get ready for events I map out how I want to play every hole....what I want to hit off the tee...where I want to hit it, where I want to put my approach, how I want to approach the pin on various flags...noting bail out/safe areas and areas I just do not want to be...etc.

Sometimes conditions change...but I stick to my game plan.
Keeps me grounded, I find I do less self sabatoge (e.g. pressing VERY hard just after making bogey) and end up scoring better.

It's very easy to get into the "I just made back to back bogeys....I NEED to make birdies to get them back" mentality which for me is destructive...and a slipperly slope. For example if I'm pressing for a birdie after back to back bogeys.....then make another bogey, mentally the wheels will fall off, as now I'd be pressing harder...and the snowball gets bigger and bigger.

Having a solid gameplan avoids all that for me.
Just made a bogey....no worries, I'm still hitting 5w off this tee which puts me to 7I range as that was my plan. (Much better than....now I'm going to thread my driver into this impossibly small gap so it gives me a wedge/9I into this green......)

Then lastly....RELAX! It's only golf, sure it's a tournament....but it's still should be no different than a regular round with your buds. (except for the fact that it'll be a MUCH longer round!)

I like the idea of having a game plan. I too struggle at times to deal with tournament pressure. I had a 74 average in high school (1996), was ranked in the top 10 in the state for stroke average, qualified for the state tournament, then got the shanks and seriously couldn't finish the state tournament.....I DQ'd because I literally could not hit the ball. I played in college, and did pretty well, but once the big pressure tournament came up and the expectation for me to shoot low was there, I'd pi$$ my pants and shoot 79 or something. I guess I just finally told myself that this is a game, that's it. That's why we play, it's fun. So who gives a s*** if you shoot 100, it's better than studying for a test, or going to work.

I still don't have a consistent pre-shot routine, and that's one thing I'm really going to work on this year. But, the main thing is just have fun. When you're on the course, just think of how much fun it is. I do this, and it's my only saving grace. But, all the comments in this post are great....and some that I might incorporate into my game.

Good luck, I feel for you! Being from a small town, I was completely devastated from my state tournament experience because EVERYONE knew about it. Just don't let it bug you!

wholeinwon · April 8, 2008

I think this answer is quite easy...

I think almost every junior goes through this, and I've done it for about 2 years, I've taught people who were currently doing it, and have played with people who do it...

What is "it"?

You think you are better than you truly are. I am relaying this to tournament golf. A 76 playing with your 3 buddies is a lot different than a 76 in a tourney round.

The NUMBER ONE thing you can do to help your game as a teenager is be honest about your ability. You have to gain so much tournament experience before you are able to just shrug off the pressure (and no matter what anyone says everyone at this level feels pressure, or nerves at somepoint).

Your not a head case, your trying to play over your head, trying to play perfect golf. Try going into your next tournament expecting to make a few bogeys, so when you do you just shrug them off.

Mainly just go out and have fun, don't put any pressure on yourself to play perfectly or your game with suffer when you have a hiccup.

kblakeney35 · April 8, 2008

For me, I always go into a tournament round knowing that whatever happens, I am going to play my best and behave in a respectful manner. One of the nicest compliments I think you can receive is someone telling you they thought you handled yourself like a true gentleman on the course. You can have the prettiest swing and best game, but no one is going to compliment you if you are a d-bag.

Also, I always try to have fun with the people I'm playing with. Maybe even make a few new friends. And if they are d-bags, smile to yourself as you watch them blow up and you continue to play well.