1st Tee Nerves

[sosinsurr]

A couple of the things I do to relax with the breathing thing are:

 

inhale 1-2-3-4, hold 1-2-3-4, exhale 1-2-3-4

 

or

 

inhale to whatever number, no hold, exhale to double the number of inhale

[Señor Rafa]

^^^That's really helpful advice GolferMoney, thanks.

 

I'm in the same boat as Tommy here - I've always seemed to have 1st tee nerves when it comes to comptitions on my home course, or if I'm playing a tournament somewhere else. So, I've got a Division 1 Medal coming up this week on Saturday and I've been out of golf competitively for the last 3 months after having an operation and I'm already dreading the prospect of stepping up onto the 1st, my name being announced with a few people standing around the tee and many watching me from the balcony of the clubhouse. Also, adding to the bad-cause is the 1st hole at my golf club has always been my nemesis only hitting the fairway 1/3 of the time despite it being a pretty wide fairway, but now I feel much better and really appreciate the advise given by everyone in this thread - it's made me feel more confident about my tee-shot now and I won't go for a long iron or my hybrid off the tee on the first hole, just boom one with my driver instead and be more relaxed and composed on the tee taking a few deep breaths and blocking out any negativity in my head!

[Golffabrik]

Besides all the good tips what you've already read here, I'll give you what works for me.

 

It's basically the same situation as playing with a gallery, or having a gallery around the last green. Stop thinking "What will they think of me when I hit this one bad?", and start thinking "Now I'm going to show them what I can do!"

 

The positive mind set will take care of your nerves. Go get em' Tiger.

[redraider89]

embrace the nerves and enjoy them. Tiger has said more then once if he ever loses the first tee jitters he'll stop competing. Also when warming up on the range try to go through your tee shot for the first tee so when it comes time to tee off you feel like you've already hit it.

[ll.umpire]

I think of a song and sing it to myself in my head. Just what ever song pops into my mind, Ive sung swing music to myself, country, "Remember the name" by fort minor, ordinary people (john legand), oh atlanta by little feat, badlands by the Boss, and more. All that matters is that I have a song playing in my head.

[tjewell1994]

^^^^^^ i always have a song in my head during the round, most of the time it's metallica or disturbed, but it keeps my mind away from the pressure. but, on the 1st tee, my mind is blank, except i'm thinking of my worst shot i hit on the range, i can't get that shot out of my head. the last tournament i played in (shot 77-76), i hit one snap hook on the range before the first day and that was the only shot i had invisioned in my mind on the 1st tee of both days, and guess what, that's what i did, two snap hooks.

[omarp]

Another one that I've used in the past is to visualize yourself on the 3rd tee, rather than the 1st! The trick is not to get to the 3rd tee and visualize the 1st. When I played tournament golf, one of the things that always struck me was that you still remain nervous AFTER the 1st tee shot. It's important to find a mechanism that you can use to reduce stress throughout the round. Breathing, a song, visualization, pre-shot routine, etc

[tjewell1994]

^^^^^ i don't really get nervous at all after the first tee. yeah, it's a different feeling than a practice round, but, normally i feel pretty good during tournament rounds

[golftitleist]

^^^^^^ i always have a song in my head during the round, most of the time it's metallica or disturbed, but it keeps my mind away from the pressure.

Maybe its just personal preference, but that music makes me want to beat the living piss out of someone, not make a smooth swing and stroke it down the fairway.

[tjewell1994]

^^^^^ lol. i only listen to the slower ones, not the heavy metal ones. those are just creepy.

[tjewell1994]

^^^^^ lol. i only listen to the slower ones, not the heavy metal ones. those are just creepy.

[STD000]

I always start with my pre-shot routine... And I've found the deep breath thing very useful

 

I can recommend it ;)

[tjewell1994]

good news today. i had another tournament and hit a perfect tee shot off the 1st tee today. i would have won the tournament, but i had 39 putts and got 2nd place. :(

[callawayfan]

good news today. i had another tournament and hit a perfect tee shot off the 1st tee today. i would have won the tournament, but i had 39 putts and got 2nd place. :(

 

what did you shoot?

[DCjuniorgolfer69]

Focus on your breathing and just swing hard.

[tjewell1994]

good news today. i had another tournament and hit a perfect tee shot off the 1st tee today. i would have won the tournament, but i had 39 putts and got 2nd place. :(

 

what did you shoot?

 

god, i was hoping nobody would ask this question. i had an 81, and signed for an 82. i holed out a shot from a bunker on one hole for birdie, but my opponent put me down as par and i didn't catch it by the time my score got signed. this was my second worst round of the year, but, the course was hard, it was windy, and we played the back tees.

[78blades]

Hello, I am 14 years old and I'm recently starting to play in 36 hole tournaments and the nerves on the 1st tee are really getting to me. :bad: I've been playing 18 hole shot-gun jr. tournaments for about 3 years, and I don't get nervous in those. But, when there are tee times and I get announced on the first tee, my nerves go crazy and I have no idea how to control them. I thought after a few big tournaments, it would get better, but, it seems to get worse each tournament. In fact, I've played 4, 36-hole events this year, and I haven't hit a single fairway off the 1st tee yet. I just want to know how you guys deal with nerves or if there is anything that I can do to help with this. Thanks. :help:

 

 

Tune everything out and just concentrate on hitting the ball with a good golf swing. The more pressue the slower my back swing. Also the farther I want to hit it, the slower my back swing.

 

A lot of it is knowing yourself and what works for you and the only way to find that out is by putting in the time. But at your age I'd really encourage a slow back swing--and thats my .02 cents, have fun and good luck.

[808golfers]

When you are on the range before you leave, hit the shot that you are going to hit on the first hole and if you hit a bad one, just hit another until you get the shot you want to hit. That way you know you can hit that shot off the first tee. When you are on the tee, nerves are normal, that means that you care. Take a sip of water, tie your shoes, do something to help you relax and when it is your time to hit, just stick with your pre-shot routine, have a conservative plan with a cocky swing.

[callawayfan]

well what i do on the first hole at my home course is take a club that im really confident with (5 iron) tee it a little higher than i normaly would with an iron and swing hard.

 

usually works just fine and only lose a couple of yards with teeing it a bit higher.

[tjewell1994]

i had another tournament today and hit another great shot off the 1st tee. i also putted better. i actually won the tournament this time. i shot 42-34 for a 76. i wasn't happy at all with the front, but i turned around and had a great back nine.

 

 

edit: spelling error.

[PinSeeker34]

It happens to everyone.. Today I had qualifying for the Tennessee State Junior Am.. They called my name and I calmly stepped up, teed up my three wood, and proceeded to dead top my tee shot.. Thankfully just a couple yards past the ladies tees so it was all good.. On a more serious note I need to work on controling my nerves also

[joethegolfinpro]

take ur go to club

or a club to leave a comfortable distance

tee it up

take a few deep breaths

same routine

dont rush or rush ur swing

[GolfLover230]

Well honestly. I get nervous too. But I take a deep deep breath and swing soo slow. Like honestly. I swing slower than i think is possible, and somehow some way. It just always turns out good. and if it doesn't it's cause I swung to fast. The slower I swing the lower I tee it down the more control I have and it just always ends up to be good.

[gators78]

If you're struggling with first tee nerves, the value of a good pre-shot routine can't be overstated.

 

You need to develop a consistent routine that allows you to approach a shot, in times of stress, and to blank out any distractions or nerves in favour of following a set of actions that's automatic. It needs to start at the moment of selecting a shot, and a club, and last right up to the point that the ball's in the air. You'll still be nervous, but done properly it will allow you to ignore the effects of nerves and concentrate on the shot at hand rather than the possible consequences of a mishit or a poor shot if your mind's allowed to wander.

 

I get nervous like anyone else, but I focus my nervous energy into making the best job I can of hitting that first tee shot. It's almost a case of thinking 'wait until they see this one' as I approach the ball, in the full knowledge that I'm going to be able to make a good job of things because I'm on autopilot and, effectively, just reproducing one of the dozens of solid shots I hit out on the practice ground.

 

 

Sounds like you're doing quite well, so you may not need this advice but I've played in lots of tournament golf. Here's my advice.

 

1) Get a solid preshot routine. I mean rock solid, to the point where you could do it walking through a mall you know it that well.

 

2) Most importantly, when I was getting to the first tee and it was my time to hit I'd take a few practice swings then stand directly behind the ball looking down the fairway. Then I'd just listen for a second. I'd listen to the other guys making jokes, or the birds, or the mowers cutting grass. Then, I'd just smile, almost like I know something that nobody else knows. I'd remind myself its just a game and I could shoot 150 but at least I'm not at work or school, and I just KNEW that all the other people are sweating it. I'd keep that smile the whole way. Trust me too, when your opponents are waiting to hit and they see you have a little bit of a smile before you even tee off, they'll be thinking "What the heck does this kid know that I dont!?!?"

[tjewell1994]

the last tournament i played in was last week and i hit another good shot off the first tee. but had a horrible putting day. i had more putts than i did shots. :(

 

i have a tournament tomorrow that's part of my jr. tour, but, it's just a casual kind of tournament because it's a pro/jr. 2 best ball of 4 tournament. i won it last year by 7 shots and hope to repeat that. it's at my favorite course down here in naples.

[joethegolfinpro]

who ever said swing hard quite possible the worst thing to do

[tjewell1994]

i played in my tournament today and it was just a little pro/jr., and i won by 1 stroke. on the 10th hole (my 1st hole) i hooked it pretty far left, but since the hole is a dogleg left and is pretty short, i actually drove the green. :) i acted like i knew what i was doing by purposely going there.:)

[Prich]

Nerves are good, to a point! If you didn't get nervous on the first tee than you shouldn't be playing the game; it just shows that you care.

 

#1: At the end of your warm up period on the range play the first three holes on the range; when you step to the first tee you're already on #4 (in your mind).

 

#2: While you're standing around on the tee waiting, pick up a broken tee and put it in your hand with no glove. Tumble it around in your hand and focus on feeling the broken end of it and then the smoothness of it. I mean really focus on it!!! You can do this at anytime of your round when you're feeling the butterflies getting ready to stampede! This is a distraction method and it will slow your breathing down as well.

 

#3: Go through your routine; you should only be thinking about the process of going through your routine at this time. NO SWING THOUGHTS and definitely no thoughts about results of the shot. Stand behind the ball, pick your target (all the while breathing at a nice controlled pace), step into your shot, inhale a deep breath, let it out slowly feeling your shoulders and grip relax. As you finish your exhale pull the trigger. Go chase it and do it all over again! :)

 

#4: Try this with your putting as well. Spend a ton of time on the short game when practicing. If you want your score to drop have a strong short game!!

 

The trick is to keep your grip soft. Once we get any tension the grip tightens up and the big muscles lock up; this is certain death to a good golf swing. Practice this on the range until it becomes automatic on the course.

The proof is in the pudding. How many times have you laid the sod over a shot, thrown down a second ball and stuck it?? Why does it happen? No pressure and the results don't matter on the second shot. You just swing the club with a clear mind and a soft grip. Bring that to your routine and your game will improve drastically!

 

Hope this helps someone! :)

 

Prich

[Burner01]

One thing that I know I do is hit driver if it is even close to neccessary. The driver is the easiest club to make solid contact with and has the largest sweet spot/biggest clubhead. It helps me because Im not afraid of the embarrasing shank/top that can happen with woods, hybrids, and irons.

[rebel13]

just pump one o.b. and you're good to go!