Playing under pressure? Tournaments and $$

[dachtor]

Need Help

I'm in my early 30's and play a fair amount of golf. My handicap is an 8 and my game is average all the way around. I'm not particularly long (250 yard drives on average, 8i = 150, 5i = 180), my short game is probably better than average for an 8 handicap and my putting is probably average.

All that said, in tournaments, or when there is big money on the line, I never seem to play well. Basically, I'm a sissy. Example: I recently played in a 2 day (2 Man better ball) flighted tournament and shot 80-84 (par 71) with no birdies either day. I almost feel like I'm either trying too hard at times to force shots or I'm trying too hard to NOT mess up.

How do you all get into the right frame of mind? How do you know when to attack the flag and when to play for par?

Thanks

[longballjs]

Well i think that part of it is that you are expecting to shoot 70. You are an 8 handicap, that means that the average of your better rounds is 8 over par. If you shoot 80 on a par 72 you have played to your handicap, your potential according to your last 20 scores. If you shoot 84, you probably are just 1-2 off your average game.

[jimmyteeball]

Don't take this this wrong way because it is meant to help you: since college, our favorite betting guy was the 8 handicap in the game (with single low digits and scratches) because an 8 can play most of the holes pretty well and when they shoot in the mid 70's they think they can potentially shoot par golf and they never will... the post above says it perfectly, an 8 averages 80. Its hard to win "big" money games when that is one's average... how many birdies do you expect to make? if you made a lot of birdies on a regular basis you wouldn't be an 8, unless you also make a lot of mistakes (bogeys, some doubles).

 

That said, you need to gamble more and for just a bit more money than you are comfortable losing to acclimate yourself to dealing with the adrenaline that "pressure": can cause. Experience will really help you and the fact that you are out there playing big money with an 8, shows you have backbone. It sounds cliche, but playing for big money or tournaments well has very little to do with trying hard, or being careful, its getting comfortable and or acclimating to playing when you are not comfortable and being able to execute the best you can under all circumstances and recognizing and being aware of how adrenaline affects YOU... focus on what you can control on the course, your swing, your target, your strategy, not what the hole is worth (double press, etc)...

 

good luck...

[scores]

You have to look at your own rounds <> and see where you are losing and gaining shots.

 

Really attack smart par 5 's are u good with a wedge? maybe layup to 100 yrds or maybe u like 90 or 120 find that range and find that disatnce via par 4/5 you will see plenty of times the pro's hitting 3 metals instead of driver.

 

Get your distance down : hit fairways hit greens in reg and learnd how to turn that 84 into a 78 (short game) play smart.

[Kyle M]

I agree with Scores...just think 'fairways and greens' during betting rounds or tournaments. If you can step up with a plan on each hole that gives you the best chance to hit the fairway off the tee then you will likely hit the green as well --- an 8 should be able to hit most greens from 170 and in.

[oldpalchamp]

Don't take this this wrong way because it is meant to help you: since college, our favorite betting guy was the 8 handicap in the game (with single low digits and scratches) because an 8 can play most of the holes pretty well and when they shoot in the mid 70's they think they can potentially shoot par golf and they never will... the post above says it perfectly, an 8 averages 80. Its hard to win "big" money games when that is one's average... how many birdies do you expect to make? if you made a lot of birdies on a regular basis you wouldn't be an 8, unless you also make a lot of mistakes (bogeys, some doubles).

 

That said, you need to gamble more and for just a bit more money than you are comfortable losing to acclimate yourself to dealing with the adrenaline that "pressure": can cause. Experience will really help you and the fact that you are out there playing big money with an 8, shows you have backbone. It sounds cliche, but playing for big money or tournaments well has very little to do with trying hard, or being careful, its getting comfortable and or acclimating to playing when you are not comfortable and being able to execute the best you can under all circumstances and recognizing and being aware of how adrenaline affects YOU... focus on what you can control on the course, your swing, your target, your strategy, not what the hole is worth (double press, etc)...

 

good luck...

 

I've got to respectfully disagree. The only thing playing for more money than you are comfortable losing does, is lose you more money. Remember, unless you are playing match play, you are playing against the course. Stay in the moment, don't get ahead of yourself, and compete against the course. It works for me. Hope it helps.

[oregongolf]

The best gamblers I've played with have a pretty healthy disrespect for money, if you can apply that mindset on the golf course (and hopefully leave it on the course) that should help.

 

If there's cash out on the golf course for me, it's usually setting a bet and forgetting about it until after the round. Then you settle up.

[jimmyteeball]

I've got to respectfully disagree. The only thing playing for more money than you are comfortable losing does, is lose you more money. Remember, unless you are playing match play, you are playing against the course. Stay in the moment, don't get ahead of yourself, and compete against the course. It works for me. Hope it helps.

 

 

The original post said "big money" or tournaments: the implication being that he performs more poorly when there are greater "stakes " which also implies that he has some success playing for "money" just not amounts that add pressure (in his mind). From a performance viewpoint, playing for more money isn't about losing more money (WE WANT HIM TO WIN!), but creating a similar environment to that which causes him distress. By playing for more "stakes", he can become more aware of how he is thinking and feeling and examine the reasons for his less than optimal performance. I agree that he should do all the things that are suggested: hit more greens, hit more fairways, ofcourse that is what he is trying to do. Absolutely the best gamblers/ tournament players just play golf; increasing the stakes are a way to allow him to learn to do the same.

[dachtor]

just to be clear.... when I said "Big Money", I meant to reflect an amount of money that I cared about losing. This is of course a relative statement and will be different for everyone, so that's why I didn't mention specifics.

 

Thanks for all the responses. I agree that the best gamblers I've played with have a healthy disrespect for money, but unfortunately that's not me. I also agree that it's a little unrealistic for me to expect to shoot 77 in a tournament format, so maybe my 80 was actually better than I though and my expectations are just a bit high.

 

Let's pretend we aren't talking about gambling and only tournament rounds. How many of you have had many above average rounds in a tournament setting? It just seems like I'm never able to win any events, which tells me I don't play to my handicap very often.

[hbear]

Most players do not play to or break their handicaps in tournaments...

Mental issues more than anything.

I'd say most play a few strokes worse than their cap.

 

Biggest advice I could give for tournament type rounds is to make a game plan as to how you want to play each hole before hand....then stick to it. I've seen too many good players faulter in tournaments because they let their emotions dictate their decisions instead of their common sense.

e.g. just made back to back bogeys....now they are forcing driver where they shouldn't....and firing at flags they have no business going after...etc. Which then compounds the problem.

One shot at a time. I know in the tournament rounds I have been able to play under par, I honestly played each shot as it's own shot, and although I knew I was playing well, I didn't have any idea on what my total score really was. Just knew I had more birdies than bogeys and things were smooth.

 

That and creating pressure/competition during practice is VERY helpful as well.

Playing well under pressure isn't an act of god....it's a learnt skill that only comes with experience.

[TEConnor]

I agree with a lot of hbear and jimmyteeball's posts.

 

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that being a good gambler does not always lead to good tournament play. I have known many players that I could rarely beat head-to-head (usually match play) for money, but I could crush them in any sort of tournament setting. Evidently this is very common "golfer personality." I mention this because I think it is a common fallacy that playing for money in your regular games makes one a better tournament (or pressure) player. My view is that tournament golf is very much about focusing on the golf course, maintaining a calm and even temperament, staying totally positive, and responding very optimistically to wildly bad breaks. With a lot of gambling golf, the focus can be very much on getting in the hole first, putting pressure on opponents, playing the bet and not the course, etc. There is also a lot more ego in most gambling, which can be a very bad component of tournament golf. So, what I'm leading up to here is that there are great ways to improve tournament performance, but gambling on a regular basis is not entirely a sure fire way to get better (and I've seen it be detrimental to a lot of talented players). I highly suggest that you look at a book by Pia Nilsson, "The Game Before the Game." The reason that I recommend it is that it exemplifies a lot of novel approaches to practice that focus on developing the kind of mental game that holds up well in tournaments. No doubt, some regular gambling can improve one's nerves and really temper a player's resolve...but for all the rest of the "tournament ready" game, it's utility is over emphasized in my opinion.

 

Cheers,

Tim

[hbear]

Agree, total score and match play are totally different animals....

Most wager games I know are based on match type play.

 

I tend to play well in gross score...but I have yet to figure out how to play match play.

My even keel hit the green/take your par (odd birdie) mentality just doesn't do as well in match play for me.

 

I've had too many, I've just made 6 pars in a row and and am down 4 holes....scenerios.

Hard to keep an even keel under those circumstances.

 

That and I've learnt for gross score, to always play the percentage shots....don't ever make worse than bogey, etc. But in match play, if your opponant just stuffs his shot to a tight pin....you almost have no option but to fire at it yourself......bad idea in tournament play IMO.

[Swingtheclub]

I am going to assume that the poster just wants to be able to play his game under the gun.

 

Most people even single digits shoot worse in tournaments or if they play for big money.

 

The solution is very very simple. Play every round the same way , I would say with the importance of a tournament .

 

Make everyshot count everytime you play, that means lining up those eighteen inchers

 

Play every round the same.

 

I love tournaments you see guys hitting balls on the range the week before that never practice they all get to the course early on tournament day and hit balls and spend and hour on the putting green

 

They are so tight when they get to the first tee its Hilarious.

 

Me I do it the same way every time I play. Same amount of practice balls same amount of putting practice. Same pre shot routine and I grind my way around the golf course.

 

I am always happier with 74 than 75 or 80 than 81 or 67 instead of 68 and I might shoot any of them but I am always trying .

 

It does not work just to get worked up and try when its a tournament.

[Bomb and Gouge]

Was it Ben Hogan who said, "There's golf and tournament golf...and the two are not very much alike."

 

 

 

Re: birdies... I started carding more birdies once I started making some long putts.

[jimmyteeball]

Well said HBear and TEConner...

I do not believe that there should be any difference in gambling or tournament golf ( or golf for that matter): one should try to shoot the lowest score, and that I think is to give yourself the best chances for birdies (or pars depending on your handicap).

 

I was fortunate enough to spend a few session with a sports psychologist and he was a big proponent of performance goals... which is the Golf54 stuff the poster attributed to in the book by Pia Nilsson[sic]...

 

Dr. D had me aim at 10 foot circles enclosing the flag (flag on one end of it if it was say tucked or the flag in the middle of the circle if in the mid of the green) and to count how many times I hit it in the circle...

 

if you have a process goal like this, be it 10 foot, 20 foot, 30 foot depending on your handicap... you are too busy trying to perform a doable goal and not as distracted by the enviroment (tournament, gambling)... it's like a muscle, the more you work it the more you strengthen it...

 

Golf 54 is great: hit one fairway, hit one green, make one putt, do it 18 times and shoot 54...

 

at any rate, there are some great posts here...

[dachtor]

Great comments. I definately hit more balls and try to prepare more for Tournaments. Probably makes me tense up and get nervous, but it's hard not to get psyched up for a tournament if for no other reason than I'm thrilled to be playing golf for x-days. I don't sleep well the night before either, but that's a different story.