First day of tryouts went very poorly

[King Cobra II]

The day could not have gone much worse. I was extremely nervous at the get go and started the day off with an +3. The day then sort of settled for a while as I posted a few respectable numbers, but then it all came unglued. I shot my 2nd to worst round of the summer, 14 shots worse then I shot at the same course two days ago. Any advice on how to not let pressure get to me?

[whip_it_out]

Dont think about the situation, I know its hard, but its the only way I know to FORGET about it. Another way is to learn to play with pressure, which comes with experience.

Just fill your mind with the shot at hand, not that its tryouts.

[Lefty39]

Talk to the kids your playing with. Laugh with them that should help you out. On the last day of tryouts, I felt so comfortable with the people I was playing with. It didn't feel like a serious round of golf it felt like a casual round. I shot 85 too which was my best score of tryouts.

[CG031]

I've never had to try out for my team since I've played varsity since Freshman year, but I know the kids who were on the brink of being cut, and they got very tense. It's not THAT big of a deal. It's not like in other sports where you need a team to play the sport. You can still work on your game as an individual, get better, and come out next year. Don't be too hard on yourself.

[Dent]

Some people are different, for me I am completely opposite you are.

In a tournament, I feel so much pressure on me and I get so nervous it actually helps my game. I can't play without pressure. Example: I was the most nervous guy in the world in my last tournament, my hands were shaking and everything. I went out, bombed a straight drive, and continued to play up to Hole 7 where I was at -1. I felt the pressure and was so nervous still. I was some different breed out there, I was honestly playing like a 3 HDCP, I started settling in and felt all the pressure off my shoulders and wasn't nervous anymore after I started talking to the guys. I just unraveled and finished off with a score of 99, completely fell apart.

So opposite from you, somehow I gotta find a way to stay nervous and keep pressure on myself.

[iWALK18]

This might help, and might hurt you, read at your own risk:

Before the round, just tell yourself you are going to hit some bad shots. Say to yourself "I am going to hit some bad shots and its going to be embarrassing". After that, your thought process should be "I have nothing to lose, I already know I am going to hit some bad ones, I accept that, there is nothing i can do to change that, but there is no reason not to say eff it and try to hit a good shot every time".

It always makes me nervous when I'm trying to play perfect, but if you accept that you can't and wont play perfectly, it takes the pressure right off.

*** on a side note, STORY TIME! I have an uncle who made his golf team his freshman year. The three holes his coach watched him play, he skulled in a chip shot, made a stupidly long putt, and managed a par. He went -2 pretty much by luck over his three hole tryout. So he got put on the team, and the first match he was paired up in the #1 spot. Great result right? He lost 10-8. ***

[BigDaddy_Sean]

different people deal with it different ways ... you'll learn to deal with the pressure as time goes on. I try to think of the round as just another casual round of golf. I hadn't played competitive golf in 2 years and had a 3 day tournament about a month and a half ago .. I was nervous but always moving around .. don't sit still ... chat it up with your playing partners ... laugh a little bit. the nervousness may come right when you get ready to hit your ball but always waggle the club.. don't set it behind the ball before you swing ... waggle, waggle, and keep it moving, right when you get it to the address position start your swing.

[CosmosMpower]

Go buy "Golf is not a game of perfect" read it. The book was reccomended to me by some people on the forum and it's incredible and very simple and deals with how to deal with pressure and think right on the course.

[bm303]

Very very simple solution: go purchase one of Bob Rotella's books. I would start with "Golf is not a game of Perfect", and then read "Putting out of Your Mind". These books have helped me so much in staying calm at my varsity try outs, that I managed a 44 yesterday. I was chunking the ball and skulling the ball, yet managed to make some great putts and chips, thanks to these books. It will be the best purchase of your golf career. I promise.

edit: I just realized that the minute before I posted CosmosMpower made the same exact post. That just goes to show you how important confidence is, and how important it is for you to read this book!

[Spectrums]

My main tip: Stick to your routine, no matter what.

For me, that's literally walk up to ball, stand there ready to go for a second, and pull the trigger. That way I don't think about my swing while over the ball.

[ks8829]

stick to your pre-shot routine for all your shots and putting so that thing feel comfortable even though you are nervous and it feels like you are playing golf for the first time.

Be thankful that you are put into this pressure situations so that you can perform to your potential. play more golf tournaments might help your as well.

keep the positive attitude and thing will go your way!

[slice_oftheday]

Make sure and breathe! Sometimes we all, including myself, get so caught up in the shot routine/pre-shot that we tense up without realizing. I always take a deep breath in my preshot routine, and pretend my arms are like spagettti. Just a few things I do to to fight nervousness.

[bogeyhitter25]

That's how I was on the first day. (then I realized that I'd automatically make the team). Just relax and enjoy it. The more stressed you are, the harder it's going to be.

[Harry Longshanks]

The day could not have gone much worse. I was extremely nervous at the get go and started the day off with an +3. The day then sort of settled for a while as I posted a few respectable numbers, but then it all came unglued. I shot my 2nd to worst round of the summer, 14 shots worse then I shot at the same course two days ago. Any advice on how to not let pressure get to me?

Bummer KCII. I'm sorry to hear that.

I'm no expert, no perhaps the way to look at the situation is: nervousness is usually the result of being in an unfamiliar situation. Now that you've been through it, it is no longer unfamiliar. So next time you are involved in tryouts, a tournament, or a skins game with friends, your game will be better for having been through this. And I will echo some of the other posters here who recommended Bob Rotella's Golf is Not a Game of Perfect and Putting Out of Your Mind . I found copies at my local Half Price Books in the sports/golf section for $8 each (hardback, looked new).

[kc8kir]

Some people are different, for me I am completely opposite you are.

Dent, sounds like you need to play like Padraig Harrington. He looks at every shot as a life / death situation. He welcomes the fear of mishitting into his game, then takes it on. The look in his eyes after some of his shots is pure focused aggression. Some of the latest interviews with him have been very interesting. You might do well to try putting that pressure on yourself and see if you are more of the "attack the golf course" mentality (ie Arnold Palmer).

[HazardMagnet]

I am only into my second year so every time I play I feel pressure. I can play my local 9 holer solo just about any time I want. but when I play with my partner as a pair or get fixed up with gentlemen I have never met, I have one pre first shot routine which works for me. I know I'm going to have bad shots etc. durring the round. I walk out onto the tee box, club, Tee and ball in hand... and say loud enough for my group to hear: "I hate this f****** game, I'm never playing it again". It's an ice breaker for my companions, which always results in a giggle, and I say something like "there I got that out of the way, let's have some fun". It's a mental thing but this works for me... Try it sometime.

[golfkid338]

Well, pressure is part of competitive golf.
What helped me the most is to focus all of my attention on the ball and where i want it to go and just forget about the 25 people right behind me watching me.
So many people tell me just to "pretend" its a practice round or "pretend" no ones watching you but that just doesn't work for me so if i just focus all of my attention on the shot i just kind of forget about everyone and everything else.