Golf Tournament Prep

[Kieran123]

I am entering and playing in the 'Barrhead Mens Open' the first weekend of September and am really hoping to improve on last years blowout.

Last year was my first year at the tournament and my first ever tournament. I entered as a 14 handicap and shot 96, 96, 96...came second to last in my flight. The guy who won the flight shot three rounds in the 70's ( ahem )

I hardly hit a fairway, and if you're off the fairway, you can pretty much bet on the ball being lost in the thick scrub beneath the trees. I teed off playing 3 so many times I can not remember.

This year I entered as as 9.9 and I have drastically improved my game, both off the tee and with irons/putting.

I have 3ish weeks to get ready for it but I am not going to go out and hit the range every night. My plan is do go to the range twice a week and play at least once a week on courses that are similar. ie. tree lined, or just tough in general.

I think the idea of it being a tournament got to me last year as each day I could only think that I was competing against the guys I was playing with so had to step it up. I am competing against them, but this year I am going to focus on just hitting my shots as always and try to relax

Does anyone have any tips for a guy new to tournaments to help with the nerves/mental side of it all?

Here are my stats - what do you think I should work on most? I want to get my driver tightened up a bit because of the way the course is laid out.

http://www.fairwayfiles.com/stats_home.php?uid=30904

Here is the course we play on:

http://www.golfbarrhead.com/gallery/1.aspx

Thanks!

[RoyPinhey]

i tend to do the range work/ course work in the lead up week and really try and relax on comp days. Last sunday i arrived for my county match quite early (to a course i had never been to) and grabbed a banana and had a walk around the practice areas. I hit maybe 20 balls to warm up then concentrated soley on getting dialled up on the greens for maybe 45 minutes . . pace, line etc. This is the same routine no matter if im playing on my home 18 or not. I relax, take it in and have some banter with the other lads

[CuppedTin]

First off, declare champ flight if you want the fairest competition. Anything flighted is a joke because most of these tournaments will let you turn in a handful of (made up score cards) to establish your handicap and flight...

As far as getting ready goes, YOU ARE READY MAN. Play your shots and your game and don't get sucked into playing the leader board or your foursome.

Best of Luck.

[mchepp]

I would head out to the course you will be playing on and work on getting a feel for the speed of the greens. I feel when I am a bit tight or nervous my lag putting suffers. I end up throwing 2-3 strokes a round away usually early in the round 3 putting where I would not normally do it. Give yourself a number of long putts and roll them just past the cup.

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by mchepp

I would head out to the course you will be playing on and work on getting a feel for the speed of the greens. I feel when I am a bit tight or nervous my lag putting suffers. I end up throwing 2-3 strokes a round away usually early in the round 3 putting where I would not normally do it. Give yourself a number of long putts and roll them just past the cup.

I wish I could but it's 3 and a half hours away. Hopefully on the morning of the tournament I can get some putting done on the practice green. It's usually flooded by guys and kinda worn by them time you get a chance to do any putting, but may just cram myself on there and make some putts.

[RoyPinhey]

there is always roomon a practice green ;)

[Kieran123]

Went to the range tonight and worked on long irons and my 3H and a little driver ( which was perfect )

My miss with these is always blocks and a few crept in tonight, but still making solid contact.

I know I am not rotating all the way through which causes the blocks, but I simply blank out and forget to make the rotation

Wednesday I will hit a few more, then work on my mid irons

[LankyLefty]

Sleep with every waitress and ex-pornstar you can find... it worked for Tiger.

Seriously though this sounds mental to me, just play your game, no amount of range and practice green time is gonna make you magically shoot a 69. Just eat your Wheaties and play your game, don't worry about the leaderboard just make your shots same as you would in a practice round, treat it like any other day at the course.

While I have no experience in golf tournaments I have played many sports at high amateur levels and I know tons of people who are complete head cases, they look great in practice but cant get any consistency on game day. Some try to be a hero, some are too humble and don't do enough and some just get that deer in the headlight look and freeze up.

Just see the ball, and hit the ball like you know you can. Afterall it is just 18 holes at a golf course same as any other day.

[DeanS]

"Does anyone have any tips for a guy new to tournaments to help with the nerves/mental side of it all?"

Yea I got one. Those aren't nerves thats excitement. Excitement is a positive reinforcement, nerves are a negative reinforcement. Excitement is fun, nerves are bad luck and trouble. Whats the worst that can happen. You can't change the past, you can't predict the future or control the actions of others. So what's most important. What is most important are the choices you make in the present. You can choose to be nervous or you can choose to be excited. This worked for me, shot my best in about 3 years last Friday. Also I only allowed myself one swing thought thru out the entire round. In my case it was focusing on my shoulder turn. Good luck.

[Pope33]

Everyone has "tournament nerves" when they first start playing tourneys. Just knowing that should allow you to calm down a little bit. It's how you manage your nerves will determine your success. The more you play the easier it gets, but it still never goes away. Tournaments are a lot of fun, try to think of them that way. Good Luck

[tmf9]

Like others said everyone has tournament nerves, but its realizing that you can make a good swing while nervous and what your tendencies are when you are nervous that make a good tournament player.  The main thing i've found is to just concentrate on the shot thats in front of you and take it one shot at a time (I know its a cliche but it works)