First shot choke

[Roblar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

Strangely, I am the opposite, and I never hit warmup balls either!!  I do the obligatory stretches for a few minutes..........make a few practice swings.......and go.

Originally Posted by 1484

Worst rounds are always the ones where you fly into the parking lot while trying to wrap up that last work call and run to meet your group on the first tee.  Guaranteed that the first several holes will be a train wreck.

I'm just about halfway between what you two described.  I know from other threads that Buck never even goes to the range (I go sometimes, but never before I play), but I basically park, grab my clubs, and head to the tee.  And my first drive usually isn't particularly better or worse than the rest of them.

But it does affect the way I play my round.  If I hit it well, then I'll hit driver on the third hole (short par 4 with water along the right side) - if not, then I hit 6-iron.  And if I hit my first shot *really* badly, then I might even take a 5-wood out on hole #5.  (#2, #4 are par-3s).

[bluecollar01]

I'm an awful golfer but can relate to the 1st tee apprehension.  Part of it is the competitive side of me and the other part is the thought of everyone watching me.  I just need to find someone to prescribe some beta-blockers and I'll be right as rain. :)

In college, I ran cross-country and no matter how many races I had run or the results of those races - I was always super nervous when we lined up and waited for the gun to sound.  I'm pretty sure it was all the adrenaline but it would take me almost a mile into the race to settle into a groove.

For golf, I try to get some of that nervous energy out before I leave for the course - jumping jacks, treadmill for 5-10 minutes, etc.  Anything to "quiet" my body and mind.  Like many of you have stated I get too quick when I'm nervous and burning off some of my energy before the round seems to help me on the 1st tee.  That being said it might not work for everyone.

If you find a way to induce that Phil Jackson, zen like state, let me know.

[phan52]

Originally Posted by bluecollar01

I'm an awful golfer but can relate to the 1st tee apprehension.  Part of it is the competitive side of me and the other part is the thought of everyone watching me.  I just need to find someone to prescribe some beta-blockers and I'll be right as rain. :)

In college, I ran cross-country and no matter how many races I had run or the results of those races - I was always super nervous when we lined up and waited for the gun to sound.  I'm pretty sure it was all the adrenaline but it would take me almost a mile into the race to settle into a groove.

For golf, I try to get some of that nervous energy out before I leave for the course - jumping jacks, treadmill for 5-10 minutes, etc.  Anything to "quiet" my body and mind.  Like many of you have stated I get too quick when I'm nervous and burning off some of my energy before the round seems to help me on the 1st tee.  That being said it might not work for everyone.

If you find a way to induce that Phil Jackson, zen like state, let me know.

It seems like the only time I consistently get in that state is when I'm walking the course playing by myself late in the day (where was that perfectly drawn 6 iron that I just stuck right next to the pin, in my money match yesterday with Joe Blowhard?)

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by Roblar

Quote:

I'm just about halfway between what you two described.  I know from other threads that Buck never even goes to the range...........

Yep......my last bucket was 1995. I consider myself to be the extreme "non range" guy............can you blame me for just wanting to play?  LOL

I have unlimited range privies, and I consider it taboo.  I just want to play........... If it's getting late in the evening, I'd rather just hit the course for an hour to squeeze in a few holes than go to the range.

[hacker101]

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the advise I received on this. Me and my son played a back 9 this weekend a bit early 6:30 Did not have any warm up but also did not keep score card.Took my time off the tee, par 4 443 yards dog leg total left. I hit the turn right in the middle for me a it was a nice shot about 220 straight in the middle of the fairway. Second shot was nice set up to a wedge about 70 yards, on the green in 3, 3 putt for DB on the first hole.

Rest of the round was good and bad, new G25 irons that I have only hit at the range once so no real time on them yet but still had a great time.

This was the best first hole I have had in a very long time.  May not be up to some, but no pressure and did not care or have expectations what a nice difference.

Thanks guys.

[mailman]

I think my first tee problems are a combination of not being very good...and thus more than likely to miss hit the ball BUT because the first tee is where EVERYONE mulls around watching people tee off then this is the only hole I have a "full" gallery watching me on! :)

The obvious solution is to get better...and part of my plan to get better is to put the driver away and go with the 3 wood off the first tee! If, WHEN I duff the shot, its not going to be half as bad as it would have been with the driver!

Regards

Mailman

[MJK3122]

If you hit the range before your round, hit the last 3-5 shots with the club that you plan on using on the 1st hole.

If I can't hit the range, the 1st tee shot is just a controlled relaxed swing to get into the groove.  Making 6 on the first because your not warmed up is a tough way to start.

[Chas]

I used to have a bit of first tee apprehension.  But lately I've been hitting a decent drive on #1, parring the hole but then double bogeying far too many holes later on.

So don't be thinking you've got something going just coz you GIR's the first ....

[Chas]

Originally Posted by bluecollar01

For golf, I try to get some of that nervous energy out before I leave for the course - jumping jacks, treadmill for 5-10 minutes, etc.  Anything to "quiet" my body and mind.  Like many of you have stated I get too quick when I'm nervous and burning off some of my energy before the round seems to help me on the 1st tee.  That being said it might not work for everyone.

That is an interesting idea (burning off some energy at the start), I might try it somehow.  Not for the first tee shot necessarily, for the whole round.

My wife came along in the cart on my last round.  I got a bit wound up over some fat approach shots and it was she who suggested the beta blocker ....

[hacker101]

Chas, oh believe me I dont think I got anything going at this point I am taking it as it comes. It was just nice to DB the first par 4 hole the other day, I can live with that compared to what I have had the past couple months.

Plus it was nice to not carry a card and enjoy the morning with my son, no presure just a good time 6:30 tee a little cool then got nice and warm. It does not get any better then that!

Plus I will take what ever this game gives me so i can come back the next week.

[bluecollar01]

Originally Posted by Chas

That is an interesting idea (burning off some energy at the start), I might try it somehow.  Not for the first tee shot necessarily, for the whole round.

My wife came along in the cart on my last round.  I got a bit wound up over some fat approach shots and it was she who suggested the beta blocker ....

I like the "warm-up".  It gets the blood flowing and really does help with my nerves.  Only, issue I've noticed with it is that on about the 14th/15th hole I feel a little tired but that may just be from being out of shape :).

Let me know if it works out for you.

[NuclearMike]

+1 for hitting a few on the range to loosen up, but remember this... the only one you're playing for is yourself.  Back when I was pretty good at golf I was really competitive and was much more nervous on the first tee, but now that I don't play as much or as well as much as I once did I just go out to have a good time.  If I hit a bad drive on the first hole I'll just laugh it off, find the ball, and move on.  It's just golf, and golf should be fun.

[WUTiger]

I've found it useful to rehearse the first tee shot a few times on the range: envision what I need for that day. This is important, because on half the courses I play the best No. 1 tee shot is not a driver.

[JDGolden]

I let my first tee ball dictate how my round is going to pan out. I need to fix that.

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by JDGolden

I let my first tee ball dictate how my round is going to pan out. I need to fix that.

Yea....that's crazy.    You need to get thoughts like those out of your head!!

[MS256]

My first tee shot is my best tee shot a pretty high percentage of the time.

I'm usually just trying to get the ball in the fairway and off to a good start. As the round goes along I usually get more and more greedy.

Sometimes that greed gets me a few more yards but sometimes those extra yards are in the wrong direction.

[hacker101]

If you read all that is offered here, I think that you will find some help on the first tee.

I played by myself for the first time ever Sat afternoon, walked on a 9 hole course. Even though I was offered to play with the group ahead as well as behind I just keep to myself.

I can not tell yet all that I have read is working this is the second round that has gotten better even though i shot 5 over on that round. No card, no stress just me playing my own game. It my not sound like a big accomplishment to many but it was for me. First tee was a boggy week before was DB. First shot was 111 went right over the green but pitched it up on the green two putt. I know this is only the 3rd round with my new irons and that the marking telling the yardage is most likely wrong but still the shot was not in the trees or over the fence, over better yet in some other fairway.

[dfreuter415]

Yogi Berra once said, "Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical." You can apply the same theory to golf.

So, if I get nervous on the first tee, I mentally tell myself I am on the third hole.

My best true story about first hole nerves: Fuzzy Zoeller was playing a charity pro-am event at Oakmont Country Club. The unwitting amateur steps up to hit first, and in the middle of his back swing Fuzzy interrupts, "Hey, John!  Wait! Stop, J-O-H-N!"

At that point John stopped his swing and asked, "What's wrong, Fuz?"

Fuzzy replied, "John, I just wanted you to know that I am a famous golfer and a lot of people come out to see me play.  Look around. There are more people here watching you hit your drive today than ever in your life. Now go ahead, hit it a mile."

John's butt got tighter than a drum, but to his credit, John managed to hit his drive about 150 yards into the rough. Fuzzy knew he had John's goat, and for the rest of the round Fuzzy continued to find a way to push his button.

On a par three while everyone was watching John's shot land near the green, Fuzzy was moving the tee marker forward 5 yards. Once the ball settled just off of the fringe, Fuzzy quipped, "That was pretty good, John, but next time you might want to tee up behind these things."

All in all a fun day, unless you were John.