Drill for relaxation needed

[montru]

I have noticed that I can tell before my round starts whether it's going to be a good day or not.
On Monday I went to the course and was in a totally relaxed mood and felt no tension in my arms or shoulders at all, I shot a steady 86 and had four three putts
I went to the same course on Tuesday and felt tensed and couldn't hit a straight ball to save my life and shot a 95.
I went to the range today and started out OK and started getting a little tense thinking about the 95 and my round tomorrow.
Does anyone have some kind of drill they use to relax the arm/shoulders before or during a round?

Thanks in advance

Montru

[Prodigy]

Just go into the round with no expectations all your focus goes into the shot you are about to hit nothing else. Sounds cliche but it works.

[laconic517]

watch the legend of bagger vance before you go play.

or at least watch the scenes where bagger talks to junah or hardy.

Seriously anything peaceful can make me relax and put me in a good mood for golf. Also, some may advise against this, maybe have a shot or 2 or chug down a few beers before you play just to get the tension out. Definitely helps imo

[TMO]

I used to be incredibly scared before I played but I grew out of it. I know it's not the answer you are looking for but sometimes it just takes that solid first shot on the first tee.

In the meantime, there were a few things that helped me out:

1. I used to listen to music on the putting green right before I started my round. Just helped me focus a little better.

2. I talked to my caddy about anything but the days round while I was on the driving range. I had to think of it as just any other day not an important tournament.

3. On the first tee - and this sounds ridiculous - I took less time than probably any other tee shot for the entire day. Sounds silly but it kept me from getting in my own head. I spent enough time on the range hitting driving and visualizing my round so I better be prepared for that first shot.

Hope that helps. I know its hard. If it makes you feel better, Byron Nelson said he threw up before every tournament of his career. When you think about the fact that he was in a league of his own for a while, that must tell you something.

[sonicblue]

As evidenced by the indices of the responders here, being nervous has nothing to do with your skill level, though it seems to be correlating to your results. I would recommend trying to focus on one, and only one thing: ONE shot, THIS shot. By that I mean, each and every shot, plan for a shot that you KNOW you can execute. Don't look ahead to the next shot. Don't plan heroic shots. When you stand over the ball knowing that the shot you have planned is one that you KNOW you can execute, that will take the pressure off your golf game.

Now, that MAY NOT actually calm your nerves! As stated, nerves and skill are unrelated, you just think they are b/c they are correlated, but correlation is not causation. Basically, learn to play WHILE you are nervous, don't try to force the nervousness out.

[mst_coastie]

I tend to have the same problem... My first tee shot is usally a wicked slice due to nerves and the first hole is almost always my worst, after the walk from the green to the second tee box I tend to calm down and my play improves.

[MiniMoe]

honestly... take all expectations away from results of the shot. The goal of the day is to play and enjoy the game. The worst thing that can happen is you lose a golf ball. So what. Get another one. They are pretty cheap, and the enjoyment lasts longer. Once you let go, I bet you play better.... and have more fun.

[montru]

Thanks for all your replies.

I played today and completely shanked my first tee shot (5w) then sliced second shot (7w) and had a tripple bogey 7 on the first, ouch
ended up with a 93, I don't feel nervous on the course I just feel tension in my shoulders and arms, on the days I play well I arrive at the course and I can't explain it but I just feel different and tension free.

My best ever round is a 79, as per my posts in other threads my game went south about twelve months ago and now struggling to get it back, I just can't put my finger on it.

Montru

[flopdarock]

if i wanna remove the tension from my arms and shoulders...
the best thing i can do is to waggle...
every time i step up to the ball an just hit it... i get a bad result

[montru]

Now I'm confused, I went to the range tonight and hit a few balls, I couldn't miss a shot, I spoke to the pro (whom I've had lessons with the last few weeks) and she said I tend to rush my shots and need to slow it down and go through my pre shot routine on every shot (which I do), when I'm in a round with my buddies they say I take too long and think too much on the shot and should just get up there and hit it!

I came back from the range and went out the back of my house (I live on the 10th hole) and took my 6 Iron, went to the 150 yrd marker, I had 8 balls and missed the green once.
If I was out on the course in the middle of a round you could garantee I would hit the green probably one in ten.

I guess that's why they made GOLF a four letter word!!

Montru

[wannabe]

wow, dude, from what you're describing, maybe you're over-thinking things during the round?
My pro has me working on relaxing arms, hands, & shoulders, and in my quest to learn how to do so, I came across using a weighted club for warmup. Sounds counter-intuitive, but the gist is that to swing the weighted club properly, you must be tension-free. Replicate that on the first tee.

[wannabe]

found this also. printed it for myself. the "lazy swinging" tip embedded in the article is very useful for me. I've also noticed in my game that when I'm trying to stay relaxed, a waggle comes naturally.

Funny, before working on relaxation, I always wondered why golfers waggled, as I really didn't. Silly me. /sheepish

http://www.golflink.com/golf-tips/tips/bgs005.aspx Golf Tips - Relaxation During the Swing By Sharon Miller, LPGA Member Do your scores range from the North to South Pole on a day-to-day or hole-to-hole basis? Do you want to score consistently lower than you have been? If so, read on. One or more of the following suggestions may work for you and your game. Without relaxation, it is more difficult to maintain your tempo or rhythm from swing to swing and stay in good balance from start to finish. Because it is essential for the golf swing to function properly, relaxation of the mind and body should be our first priority. Please keep in mind that this also applies to the short game, even though I will be referring to the full swing. Tension restricts movement. A quiet, relaxed mind and body allows you to swing more freely. Simply stated, muscle groups respond more easily to a natural, balanced swing motion. If your mind is tense, your muscles will be too. If you have had a hectic day at work or at home, chances are you will take that tension and anxiety to the first tee. This tension not only causes tight muscles, but can also increase the speed of your swing. When that happens, the little muscles (hands and arms) take over the big muscles (shoulders, hips, and legs) throughout the golf swing. The big muscle groups cannot move as fast as the little muscles. All body parts must be given time to do their jobs efficiently and in harmony. Relaxation First, clear your mind. Picture your mind as a blackboard, and written on it are all the thoughts and happenings of the day. The key is that you've got the eraser! Erase your mind of everything and take a moment to put yourself in an environment that makes you relaxed, quiet and happy. Envision yourself listening to soft music, reading a good book, relaxing in your favorite chair, strolling in the park, hiking, fishing, walking on the beach, or simply being in the mountains. Have I named one for you yet? If not, pick whatever image that helps you relax, then put your mind and senses in that personal place. Be explicit. Actually hear the music or the waves. Feel the warm breeze or the water flowing around your body. See the mountains in all their glory. Smell the flowers. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Allow your mind and body to come down so that you can be up and ready to play a good round of golf. Now your mind and body can focus more clearly on one shot, one hole at a time. Second, practice more relaxation in your grip, stance, and swing. Check the tension level in your grip. The hand pressure on the club should be light. If it is too tight, your takeaway will tend to be jerky and too fast. If your are not sure of the amount of pressure, let your hands feel the difference by squeezing tightly and then releasing to a very light grip. Notice that when you squeeze tightly, your forearms are tense. This generates tension throughout the body. You want just enough grip pressure so that you won' t lose the club during the swing. No white knuckle! What little pressure you do feel should be in the last three fingers of the let hand, and the third and fourth fingers of the right. When addressing the ball, your arms should hand relaxed. The forearms should be soft-like ashes, wet noodles, or any other descriptive word of your choice that triggers relaxation. If your left arm is jammed straight, tension is created in the shoulders. I've seen some golfers who looked like they were trying to jab their left shoulders into their left ears. The left arm should hang comfortably straight and the shoulders should droop. The legs should also be set in a relaxed starting position. Trying to force your weight to your insteps can cause lower body immobility. Now waggle! The waggle helps keep the body loose and in motion. Freezing over the ball can cause tension. Chances are you are thinking too much, and paralysis of analysis can set in. Develop a waggle that is comfortable to you. Most waggles consist of moving the club to and fro over the ball (not up and down) with a slight weight shift back and forth from foot to foot, while you look at the ball, then to the target, then back to the ball. If you do not have a clear picture of what a waggle is, observe golfers on television or other golfers on your course. Waggles vary, but good golfers always stay in motion. Most importantly, your waggle must be one that your are comfortable with. When I played on tour, I was considered a fast player, so I decided to try to develop three waggles the ball instead of my usual two to help me slow down. After a week of diligent work in the off-season, I started having trouble initiating my swing; my tempo had changed and I felt totally out of sync. As soon as I went back to my two waggles, everything fell into place. Each person has her own waggle personality. Find yours and practice until it becomes ingrained in your swing routine. You can work on this in your backyard. Initiate the swing and swing!-relaxed. To practice a relaxed swing, take continuous swings back and forth without stopping. Be aware of any tension you might feel during these swings. Try to stay totally relaxed and loose as you swing back and forth. Don't be in a hurry to start or finish the swing. When you get to the finish, allow your body to be lazy in returning the club to another backswing. No jerks! Notice whether your hands and forearms tense when initiating the first swing of the series. If they are tense, then repeatedly practice starting your swing with a feathery grip pressure so that no tension runs through to your forearms and thereby to the rest of your body. Tension can cause quite an array of problems such as reverse pivots; fast takeaways; forced swings; loss of clubhead speed; rolling on the outside of the right foot; incorrect swing plane; fat or topped shots; big and little muscle groups not working together; lack of balance; or a fast tempo that your swing cannot handle with any efficiency.

[montru]

My swing coach says I need to do something like imagining a relaxing place etc but I really can't find the right thought to do the job because to me I thought the best relaxing place to be is on the golf course lol.

[Jcp907]

Now I'm confused, I went to the range tonight and hit a few balls, I couldn't miss a shot, I spoke to the pro (whom I've had lessons with the last few weeks) and she said I tend to rush my shots and need to slow it down and go through my pre shot routine on every shot (which I do), when I'm in a round with my buddies they say I take too long and think too much on the shot and should just get up there and hit it!

I'd take the advice that I pay for over the free advice any day.

How do you shoot when your not playing with your buddies? Are they one of the sources of tension that causes the game to go south?

[montru]

There is one guy that really p***es me off and he allways likes to play match play for a few bucks, I do tend to play better when he's not there, however, some days as I have said previously I play as my buddies call it "like I'm Posessed" and then the next day I'm back to my normal "tense" self I can't seem to be able to get myself settled into a relaxed mode.

Montru

[Jcp907]

There is one guy that really p***es me off and he allways likes to play match play for a few bucks, I do tend to play better when he's not there, however, some days as I have said previously I play as my buddies call it "like I'm Posessed" and then the next day I'm back to my normal "tense" self I can't seem to be able to get myself settled into a relaxed mode.

Next time you feel the tension, particularly if it's caused by one of your buddies, step back behind the ball and put yourself at the 150 marker on the tenth hole mentally. Think about that time where you hit the green on 7 of 8 attempts from 150, and step up to the ball with that confidence. Know you are going to hit it correctly.

[montru]

OK Thanks, I'll try that one.