Does sleep affect golf?

[live4u120]

My game has recently flown out the window, and I can't play to save my life, and I'm trying to find out why. I just can't focus, I can't even feel my swing. It's just like my arms don't wanna swing, and go to bed.

Some people came over for the weekend, and really screwed up my sleep schedule, and I'm trying to get back on, but I was wondering...



Do you play worse when you're tired?

[David in FL]

Yep, at least for me. Lack of sleep affects my focus as well as my physical ability. I can play when I'm worn out.......I may even shoot a decent score on occassion, but if I'm going to play my best, I'd better be pretty well rested.

[Marinemike]

It definitely affects me. It's a huge difference. I might as well be slap drunk on the course if I'm going to go out there without being rested. Sleep and hydration-nothing will wreck concentration and confidence worse than not having those two things.

[The Owl]

Yes, of course. Golf is 1/2 mental and 1/2 physical. In order for your body to function properly at its best level it needs both mental and physical rest. So, to avoid injury and fatigue, get plenty of rest before the tee. Approx. 6-8 hours a night, depending on the individual. Also, stretching is huge. It's the best thing we can do for exercise as we get older to decrease potential injury. Once you get up, do some stretching. Before you golf and after do some more stretches. You'll thank yourself later.

[Zeph]

It certainly is. If I have a long day of golf the next day, or an important one, I'll make sure to get lots of sleep, ideally 8-10 hours. I'll also stay away from too much physical work the day before. If I walk 18 holes one day, I'm not as fit the next as if I would've been if I didn't walk those 18 the day before.

[Yukari]

Yes, of course. Golf is 1/2 mental and 1/2 physical. In order for your body to function properly at its best level it needs both mental and physical rest. So, to avoid injury and fatigue, get plenty of rest before the tee. Approx. 6-8 hours a night, depending on the individual. Also, stretching is huge. It's the best thing we can do for exercise as we get older to decrease potential injury. Once you get up, do some stretching. Before you golf and after do some more stretches. You'll thank yourself later.

I would say golf is more like 90% mental and 10% physical. Whenever I don't get enough sleep, my concentration goes out the window along with my golf game. If I am physically tired but mentally sharp, I can usually play pretty well. But as soon as my focus slips a little, my game tanks.

[patath]

I find I always golf better when I have had a good night and can truly focus on the game the next day.

Also, +1 on the stretching. I'm not an old guy by any means but it certainly does help me.

[iacas]

Some play better when they're a little tired. They don't overswing quite as much, perhaps.

[SubPar]

...Do you play worse when you're tired?

I seldom feel like I've had a good night's rest and I know it affects my game. One Saturday morning I got up early as usual and played nine holes with a couple of guys. I had an 18 hole round scheduled later in the day so I went home a took a one-hour nap. I woke up refreshed and played a really great round.

I could tell that hour of deep sleep sharpened my senses and I played better because of it. Sometimes I take an Ambien on Friday night if I have an important match the next day. That helps. SubPar

[iWALK18]

I think there is a theory that the amount of sleep you get 2 nights before your activity is what has the greatest effect on how sharp you will feel. So if I sleep for 10 hours on Friday night, and only 4 on Saturday night, I shouldn't be affected too negatively on my Sunday morning round, according to this theory.

The flip-side of this is that if you don't sleep much on Friday night, and then sleep for a long long time on Saturday night, you will actually feel more groggy on Sunday than in the first scenario, even though you "got more sleep".

I had a good friend in college who said that their coaching staff advised them to use that system to prepare for matches if they had to stay up and study beforehand. I tend to believe it has some merit as well

As for my answer, yes I play significantly worse if I've been sleep deprived in the days preceding my round.

[Jay-Bird]

I've played some of the worst rounds of my life on little or no sleep.

[Yukari]

I've played some of the worst rounds of my life on little or no sleep.

Same here. No matter how well I have been hitting the balls a few days earlier, if I don't get enough sleep the day before a round, I play one of the worst rounds.

[JKilgore44]

In High School, I don't think I played in a single tournament that I wasn't exhausted. And, I sucked.

In College, I have played countless rounds on NO SLEEP. After staying up all night partying, we sometimes make our way to the first tee at the crack of dawn and play until we can't stand anymore. Truthfully, I have played really well some of those days, but as a whole, I sucked.

Before tournaments, I have a no alcohol policy and try to get at least 7 hours of sleep minimum. I wake up early and eat breakfast, have a little bit of coffee, and stretch. I play my best in these tournaments. I am more confident, more focused, and more energetic. It shows the most in my putting for sure.

So, from what I've learned, you better get some rest before you play. And if you don't, you better be drunk so that there's a 50% chance you might play decent, otherwise you're doomed