Jump to content
Note: This thread is 916 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

It's not just me right?  It is not that often that I get under par, and when I do, it is difficult to not think about it (obsess on it!)  It has been almost two years since I last broke par. Sunday I got out and made three birdies on the front nine and was... one under.  Two bad bogeys, but I wasn't stressing too badly.  Birdied 10 and 13 to get to three under... GULP!  Bogeys on 14 and 16, and here we go again.  But- alas, I made about an 8 footer on 18 to manage a 2 under 70!  I was so proud that I didn't completely crap the bed., and six birdies?!?  Two is a lot in a typical round.  Hopefully I can keep this up for the club championship in a couple weeks.  

  • Thumbs Up 1
Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I try to not keep track of where I am during a round, as it tends to lead me towards what you describe.  But as I get into pressure situations more often -- rounds trending towards breaking 80 again, winning a hole or a match in match play or a skins game -- I find I enjoy that pressure.  I still don't want to put it on myself -- I'd rather be pleasantly surprised at how I did.

-- Michael | My swing! 

"You think you're Jim Furyk. That's why your phone is never charged." - message from my mother

Driver:  Titleist 915D2.  4-wood:  Titleist 917F2.  Titleist TS2 19 degree hybrid.  Another hybrid in here too.  Irons 5-U, Ping G400.  Wedges negotiable (currently 54 degree Cleveland, 58 degree Titleist) Edel putter. 

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • Administrator

@Jrwatkins7, have you done the LSW thing and played from some super-forward tees, so you can get a 65 or a 68 under your belt? That helps make being two under or three under less foreign territory.

  • Like 3

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Several summers ago I was under par twice as i approached the final hole(s). The first time I was teeing off on 17 and it was like I couldn't get the club head to make contact with the ball. The second time I made it to the last hole and had a feaking quad. 🤣

This year I have shot even par but it was less eventful: just bogied the last two holes.

I am getting more comfortable in the low 70's territory. Hope to break par yet this summer. Maybe I will take the advice posted by Erik above. with several rounds one to two over.

 

  • Thumbs Up 1
Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I’ve definitely been there… in golf, other sports, professionally.  I imagine it’s a combination of age, experience, confidence and the mindset of staying in the moment, but I don’t really feel the nerves much anymore.  The last time I did was probably a few years ago when I played in a state am qualifier (it was my first serious golf tournament as an individual).  It used to happen a bit as well when I first started flirting with breaking 80.  Last year I flirted with Par two days in a row, but don’t remember feeling nervous at all (maybe low expectations haha… and no, didn’t shoot or break Par either round).

Hope your game hangs around for the club tournament.  Mine is in 3 weeks, but I have no expectations (not playing my best golf at the moment).

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  On 8/2/2022 at 11:50 PM, Carl3 said:

I am getting more comfortable in the low 70's territory. Hope to break par yet this summer. Maybe I will take the advice posted by Erik above. with several rounds one to two over.

Expand  

It really helps and I need to do it more.  There's a course near me, under 5600 yards (par 70) that I play.  I have had many mid- and low-80s rounds there.  Now, when I am trending towards that at larger courses, I am less nervous.   I think it's just a matter of time before I shoot in the 70s at this course a few times, and then breaking 80 goes from "this thing I have done three times" to something that stops surprising me.

  • Thumbs Up 1

-- Michael | My swing! 

"You think you're Jim Furyk. That's why your phone is never charged." - message from my mother

Driver:  Titleist 915D2.  4-wood:  Titleist 917F2.  Titleist TS2 19 degree hybrid.  Another hybrid in here too.  Irons 5-U, Ping G400.  Wedges negotiable (currently 54 degree Cleveland, 58 degree Titleist) Edel putter. 

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • 3 weeks later...
(edited)

I have been playing more competitive tournaments over the past 7 or 8 years and hopefully some of what has helped me might help you. I used to be able to handle the nerves, pressure, and everything else that goes along with it with no problem back in high school but after being out of that environment for 15-20 years I really struggled. When I started playing more competitively I would either fall apart out of the gate due to nerves or if it was a 2-day event, I would be in the lead or near the top after day one and completely fall apart on the 2nd day. I have been trying to qualifier for our top state amateur tournament along with playing in some local Open Championships which I knew I had the game to win or at least qualify.

I spent last season really focusing on my mindset and how I act mentally and physically with the nerves and finally discovered what works for me. This year I shot one over at the qualifier to reach our state Amateur Championship (didn't do great at it but now I know what to expect and had a blast) and I won our local 2 day tournament shooting two rounds under par which I have never done. For me it has been finding a quick relaxer that lets me bring back my focus on the shot, just taking a simple deep breath during my pre-shot routine and then having a really short term memory. One shot at a time and if I hit a bad shot, you know, be frustrated but when I move away from the previous shot that is forgotten and all I am focused on is the next shot I am about to hit. Those two pieces have completely helped my nerves. My wife caddied for me in the tournament I just won and said she was shocked to see how much I was shaking at times. Up until this year I always felt that shaking but with my two tricks I used for relaxing and focusing I never once felt those shakes or had them bother me when making a swing. The last part has just been having confidence in myself, I know my game is good enough and I know I can hit the shots I need, trust it!

Edited by awmgolfer
  • Like 1
Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  On 8/18/2022 at 1:49 PM, SEMI_Duffer said:

I'm looking forward to having this problem someday :-$

Expand  

You've been on this site for a while and it's still golf season where you live -- let's talk (in another thread) about what's stopping you from whatever level of play would start to get you nervous, and then let's get you there so you can experience it.  It doesn't even have to be an 18 hole total -- if you're a 30 handicap, having a three hole bogey stretch can start some nerves that you're getting better. 

  • Thumbs Up 1

-- Michael | My swing! 

"You think you're Jim Furyk. That's why your phone is never charged." - message from my mother

Driver:  Titleist 915D2.  4-wood:  Titleist 917F2.  Titleist TS2 19 degree hybrid.  Another hybrid in here too.  Irons 5-U, Ping G400.  Wedges negotiable (currently 54 degree Cleveland, 58 degree Titleist) Edel putter. 

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I have some positive news on this topic.   I spent some time on lessons and practice this spring and it's helped. It put me in position to break 80 several times on my home course and I would blow It on the closing holes.  Even if I didn't feel nervous I would completely mess up a swing that took me out of a hole late in the game.

Generally anticipating the accomplishment that I would feel was getting in my way.   Life is pretty rotten so I lean a lot on golf to make me feel better and that's part of it as well.   I was ending up with this feeling of putting too much importance on it.   So I got to thinking about the first time I broke 80.   I was playing bleary eyed, teeing off early in the morning and I finished the front 9 in 35, one under par.  I then woke up and started the back nine with a triple 7, so I figured I lost my chance.   I played the next 7 holes in 5 over and then realized I needed to make par on 18, a par 5, to break 80.

I laid up in front of the pond guarding the green and then pitched to about 2 feet, giving me birdie and 78!

I could have easily dumped that pitch shot in the water, but my feeling over the ball was that I had already accomplished something to get to that point and there would be other opportunities down the road.   Definitely helped remove tension.   Last month I was having an excellent day all around, parred 17 with three good shots and then dumped my drive about 100 yards on 18.   I have 200+ over water with a side hill lie.   Calmly laid up, hit a wedge to the back of the green and two putted for a bogey 5 and 78.   Drawing on the earlier times I was trying to break 80 and failed taught me that I would keep having chances, and the calm of that swing 20 years ago and stiffing my pitch shot left me in good shape to make a smooth swing and easily clear the water.

 

—Adam

 

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

My mental stress does not kick in until someone in my group says something like “wow, you are golfing well today, you could shoot a “??” Score”.

my goal is to take each hole & shot one at a time and just do best I can on that hole/shot and not worry about the potential finishing score.  I figure I can’t predict the future nor change the past so all that matters is the current stroke.

  • Funny 1

Stuart M.
 

I am a "SCRATCH GOLFER".  I hit ball, Ball hits Tree, I scratch my head. 😜

Driver: Ping G410 Plus 10.5* +1* / 3 Hybrid: Cleveland HIBORE XLS / 4,5 & 6 Hybrids: Mizuno JP FLI-HI / Irons/Wedges 7-8-9-P-G: Mizuno JPX800 HD / Sand Wedge: Mizuno JPX 800 / Lob Wedge: Cleveland CBX 60* / Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 7S / Balls: Srixon Soft / Beer: Labatt Blue (or anything nice & cold) 

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

The only time I felt stress of ruining a great round was when I shot under par for the first time. I was like 3 under going into 18, with OB left, and at the time I hooked the ball really bad. I purposely aimed my entire shot zone off the fairway right. I caught a bunker I didn't know existed over there. I ended up with a bogy on the last hole. For the previous 17 holes, I just attacked the course like I play any other time. I tend to focused at the shot at hand, or the swing thought at hand, maybe to a fault. I am not the type of person to talk to myself like, "Ok, I am 3 under, I can't make a bogey." If a bogey happens, then I just think there will be a birdie opportunity later. To me, it is just how my mind works. For me, I am most nervous on the first tee. 

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
 fasdfa dfdsaf 

What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
:titleist: 917h3 ,  Hybrid:  :titleist: 915 2-Hybrid,  Irons: Sub 70 TAIII Fordged
Wedges: :edel: (52, 56, 60),  Putter: :edel:,  Ball: :snell: MTB,  Shoe: :true_linkswear:,  Rangfinder: :leupold:
Bag: :ping:

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Note: This thread is 916 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    PlayBetter
    TourStriker PlaneMate
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FitForGolf
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-20%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack/FitForGolf, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope. 15% off TourStriker (no code).
  • Posts

    • Day 214: did a stack session. 
    • Day 11: 2/18/25 Weight shift drills followed by slow motion swings.
    • Patrick Cantlay standing over the ball at the 2018 PGA Championship haha. Dunno what the story behind this is. But at the 2012 Players, Kevin Na was going through some rough swing thought stuff. This article I linked below says he was fixing early extension at the time while also trying to get used to feeling less weight in heels at address, and tho he hit it better than with his old swing, he had a really tough time with it, even in practice rounds. https://vault.si.com/vault/2016/01/18/kevin-na-fit-be-tied-just-ask-him   Anyway, just a couple high level examples of this.  
    • Yes, but they break every 5-7 years. So… Meh. I'm looking at alternatives. I also don't like how they call it a lifetime warranty… but give you $25 off a product (I was looking to get the Munich if I stuck with MoneyClamps).
    • Day 141 - 2025-02-18 Did work at home. I have a few long days at Golf Evolution so I didn't want to spend a LOT of time there today. 😄 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...