Playing nervous

[Rukus43]

So this past weekend I played with the two partners of the firm I work for, and one of our clients. The senior partner is 3 handicap and he is incredibly intelligent. He is about 52ish and I am 23, and have a ton of respect for him. Anyway, I am still learning the game (played for 1.5 yrs), but am fairly athletic and have taken some lessons and I usually shoot in the mid 90s. I get up to the first tee and hit the worst drive I have hit in about 6 months, then hit a couple decent hybrid shots and then I did something I haven't done since the first week I started. I shanked an 8 iron (favorite club) so bad I think it only traveled forward about 10 yards while going right about 100yds OB. I know I was nervous because of my boss being there, but I have never had problems with nerves and athletics before in anything else. Not to say I haven't been nervous before, but it has never affected my performance. Any hints or tips how to remedy this, or is it just something I have to figure out on my own? We only played 2 holes and then had to leave due to lightning so we are supposed to go out again to finish sometime soon. I probably would have settled down, but it was just frustrating to hit such terrible shots in front of the guy who I had been telling, "yeah, I shoot in the mid-90s."

[Zeph]

Just keep playing, focusing on one shot at the time. It is perfectly normal to be nervous in the beginning, after playing with him for a while, you will become more relaxed and comfortable. As a handicap 3, he probably knows this better than you do.

[TigerWoodz]

Try and block out the people around you,hit the shot in front of you,the one youve done a hundred times before...im sure you will play well..good luck..