how to get rid of first tee gitters during tournament?

[BigDaddy_Sean]

So I've decided to enter a local city tournament wtih 150 other golfers, 3 rounds on a good public course. I've played this tournament over the years about 10 times and never get off to a good start.

This is my first tourney in 2 years, and I've only played 2 rounds so far this year .. the tournament is next weekend. I'll hopefully play 2 or 3 more rounds until then. I'm just going to go out there, have fun and not try too hard but my worst problem is getting off the first tee. I'll be fine until I walk up to the ball at which point my hands start to shake.

This has happened my whole tournament life, and I've played in 100's of them.

So I'm thinking to myself .. how can I relax ? .. I'm a big guy, 6'5" 280lbs .. hit it quite a long way and everybody i play with usually says they're intimidated by me .. maybe i can work off of that? Take a muscle relaxer?? never tried that before on a course .. haha. Drink a few beers before teeing off?? I don't drink on the course either .. lol.

What do you guys do that really helps?

[Bump-n-MI]

I too get nervous….but only on the first tee. I'll hit the shot I feel most comfortable with which is a high fade with my driver of a low stinging draw with my 4 iron. I've hit each of those shots thousands of times and generally tend to keep the ball in play. After I'm off the first tee I'm usually fine. If you don't mind me asking, what tournament are you playing in?

[Bourbon and Coke]

See my username for advice

[JaY_B]

You don't stop first tee nerves, you just learn to handle them.

[TinCupTampa]

I saw a good tip from Stephen Marino... he always fidgets up until the moment he swings. The more you stand over the ball completely still the more tense and stiff you will become. So, my suggestion is get set and start your waggle... then swing directly from your waggle.

[BigDaddy_Sean]

I too get nervous….but only on the first tee. I'll hit the shot I feel most comfortable with which is a high fade with my driver of a low stinging draw with my 4 iron. I've hit each of those shots thousands of times and generally tend to keep the ball in play. After I'm off the first tee I'm usually fine. If you don't mind me asking, what tournament are you playing in?

I'm playing in the Ann Arbor City Men's Amateur .. I grew up out there, it's a 3 day tourney at Leslie Park Golf Course .. a lot of kids I played against in high school still come back to play it.

I've never played very well in this tournament .. yet it's fun. I grew up on the course spending most every summer day there during high school.

[underparnv]

As far as controlling first tee jitters, I read a tip in a golf magazine once that I've found works quite well. Basically, toss a golf ball up and down with one hand. It will keep your mind focused on that task and away from the nerves for a bit. Then, once you get over the ball, just know you have hit this fairway before, or some other type of positive reinforcement that will get you to put your best swing forward!

Good luck in your tournament!!

[mellojoe]

I saw a really neat tip in a random magazine:

#1) Use a 3-wood off the tee. Doesn't matter if the first hole is a long par 5, just use an easier club to hit. Small mistakes with the Driver are magnified more than small mistakes with a fairway wood. The higher loft means more backspin, which means less sidespin, which translates into less slice/hook. If your first drive puts you solidly in the fairway, even if its a bit shorter than you'd like, it will give you some confidence going into that second shot.

or

#2) Use a 3/4 swing. Again, you may lose 20 to 30 yards off the drive, but not as much as you think you'll lose. Solid contact is the most important. A shanked drive off the 1st tee puts more pressure on the second and third shots, which puts pressure on the whole tournament. A straight drive off the 1st gives you more confidence going into that second shot.


I forget which magazine, but those are ripped right out of them. Seems like good ideas to me.

GOOD LUCK!

[Palouse]

See my username for advice

I'd say Laphroaig, but good enough.

I'm so new that I get nervous with anyone playing through, let alone in a tournament.

[mikelz]

Lower your expectations on the first tee.

Treat it like it's your first tee shot of the year and make contact with the ball.

Then, do everything MelloJoe said.

[DJYoshi]

i go with: cigar/cigarette & a shot of whatever makes you smile. it's relaxing. it makes you smile.... and stretching's good too. it lowers your heart rate and keeps you more relaxed and focused. 20 minutes of stretching b4 the round does WONDERS
& what mike said.. lowered expectations. just go out and shoot!

[BigDaddy_Sean]

yeah the one thing that sucks about this course is there's no driving range within 20 minutes. Usually they put the low handicap players off first thing in the morning, so I'm off at about 8:30 - 9:00. I stay at my parents house the morning before which is about 20 minutes, go to a course about a mile from their house, hit some balls, get there by 8:00, and then it'll be usually an hour since the range to actually playing.

2 tears ago I took a 7 on the first hole, a 525 yard par 5, where I hit my tee shot about 200 hards (extremely bad mishit, then struggled from there.)

Problem was, I got up at like 6:45 .. got to the other course at 7:15 to hit balls, nobody was there until 7:45. I got 15 minutes in of hitting really bad shots. Ran to the course, putted for 5 minutes then teed off.

I put my average up a little higher this year, it is .. I put my average at 80, then I think I put 76 or so. So hopefully my tee time will be more like 9:30 - 10:00.

It was brutal 2 years ago too, 95 degrees, hot, humid, sticky .. brought 2 shirts with me cuz the first one was soaked by the 4th hole. Playing early morning golf in hot muggy weather is not very fun for me. I'd rather it be 95 and 3:00, than 80 degrees with 100% humidity at 9am.

[ks8829]

Have a pre-shot routine that you stick with and keep the club moving ever so slightly before you begin your swing.

I once found a tee with a flat head and gave it to my friend who was ready to tee off on the first tee box. I watched as he was trying and trying to place the ball on the flat headed tee and he finally realized what I have given him and called out my name along with some choice words.

Think about something funny and it will relax you. Maybe imagine all your other players without any pants on.